Considering Microblading? You need to read this first.
OVERVIEW
An alarming trend began in the United States around 2015 when a new technique for implanting color in eyebrows began gaining exposure and thus created a trending consumer demand. It was called Microblading, even though there is actually no blade (people envision a small scalpel) involved, but rather a grouping of such tiny needles, that when pressure is applied and the needles dragged over the surface of the skin, it causes tiny papercut-like indentations in the skin, allowing the ink to soak in.
Due to the popularity, largely driven by social media, unethical people started doing what others have done since the beginning of time: taking advantage of the opportunity for financial and personal gain by exploiting a demanding trend. This exploitation has been evident in the past with the more traditional methods of eyebrow and another cosmetic tattooing as well. For those exposed to permanent makeup, most have seen examples of poorly placed, improperly colored, unnatural-looking eyebrows, winged eyeliner that became blurry and migrated to look like smeared makeup, and lips tattooed outside the lip edge for a strange over-lined look.
MICROBLADING
EXPLOITAITION IN THE INDUSTRY
Since the 1990s, people have attempted to skirt around proper training and capitalize on the consumer’s desire for eyebrow enhancements via various forms of color implantation.
By now, most of us have seen “bad” eyebrow tattooing and for hundreds of properly trained and credentialed practitioners this has created a large supply of corrective procedures including color corrections and removal of undesirable eyebrows. In many cases, correction can be extensive, and expensive for the consumer and has led to issues with permanent scarring, and even attempts to cover these brows with flesh-colored pigments that make matters worse.
Sadly, in many states (for practical purposes I am referring to local, not international rules) there is a gross under-regulation of training. There is typically no measure of ability or even a required minimum of training to ensure the student is learning proper skills. The onus gets put on the student to research and navigate the best trainers. They then often figure out the hard way after completing a course and spending thousands of dollars, that they are woefully unprepared to perform quality procedures on their clients. Regulatory bodies typically only inspect and require a permanent makeup facility to meet standards of cleanliness and the artist to pay a fee to be licensed. There is no test, no presentation of proper techniques and no consequence for bad work. There is only a requirement to protect the public from the spread of communicable disease and harm. The only recourse a client has is praying the artist has professional liability insurance, or can find someone more qualified to try and fix any disastrous results.
MY EXPERIENCE IN THE PERMANENT MAKEUP INDUSTRY
As a Certified Permanent Makeup Artist, medical tattoo artist, Licensed Cosmetologist and Esthetician, and traditional makeup artist, I have worked in the beauty industry for over 35 years. I have specifically devoted the last 23 + years to permanent cosmetics.
Having become a teacher, lecturer, and author on the subject, it has been my mission to preserve and protect this highly valuable industry by sharing transparent and honest information to both the consumer and the would-be practitioners.
So many people, both women, and men benefit from permanent cosmetics and not just eyebrows. From active lifestyles to medical conditions such as alopecia and disfigurement from injury or surgery, receiving permanent eyebrows, eyeliner, lip color, and medical tattooing is a major game-changer.
Let’s stick to the eyebrow controversy for now. Over the course of time, the demand for more natural-looking eyebrows that did not look as if they were applied with a Sharpie Marker became evident in the tattoo and permanent makeup world. As demand changes, so will supply. Someone needed to step up and really find a way to do beautiful hair stroke eyebrows. The demand for a more natural look has caused an evolution in the manufacturing of tools and pigments, and in developing techniques that allow artists to create unbelievably natural and beautiful results. However, even with the availability of high-tech tools of the trade, proper training and education is paramount to the end results. If the education and mentoring has not been adequate, things tend to end badly for the consumer.
MICROBLADING IS NOT A TATTOO.
There still seems to be some serious confusion on the part of the consumer, and also from the “graduate” of some of these so-called “master trainers” that microblading is not a tattoo.
Here is the true definition of a tattoo: implanting ink or pigment into the dermal layer of the skin. Tattooing has been present in human societies for thousands of years. The history of tattooing is fascinating and goes back to ancient Asian and middle eastern cultures. Tribal tattooing is well documented in history. Before electricity, the only way to create a tattoo was to puncture the skin with a sharp implement, then deposit color from ashes, coal, roots, berries, flowers, and other color-producing substances into the skin. Obviously, there were creative methods employed to make that happen: bamboo, sharp whittled stones, bones sharpened to fine points, and eventually metal needles, and pins; where there is a will there will be a way!
The tradition of marking the body symbolically and for vanity goes way back. We are just now in a modern era that allows us, via technology and research, to make the job easier, safer, and more predictable in outcome.
WHY MICROBLADING IS IN DEMAND
The microblading of eyebrows is still in demand, however it is not for everyone. There are skin types and aesthetic preferences that do not make natural micro-stroke eyebrows the correct choice for all permanent eyebrow procedures. However, compared to overly dark, unnatural looking eyebrows, the idea of having brows that look more like hair than makeup is highly appealing to a large majority of people seeking to enhance or replace their substandard natural eyebrows. The proper technique for enhancing one’s eyebrows is very skin-type specific and a well-trained and experienced practitioner will make a recommendation based on what is best for the individual, not to just follow a trend.
Another point to make here – if you had permanent makeup prior to the advancement of the hairstroke techniques and have a more solid filled in brow, it is nearly impossible to then have distinct hairstrokes placed over the old color. If the old color is extremely faded, light in tone and has very minimal residual saturation, it is possible with the right practitioner, but a trained pro will only do this technique if they believe the outcome will be favorable. It is becoming increasingly necessary to do a series of removal procedures before being able to correct or “re-do” a more natural and esthetically pleasing eyebrow. This too requires someone who specialized in removal and corrective procedures.
SOCIAL MEDIA MISINFORMATION
Thanks to social media and the Internet, beautiful examples abound of these fine, hair-like marks being tattooed into the brow area, and the consumer that has done some research and comparison is really looking for an artist that can deliver. But here is the thing about photos on social media – they can be altered, filtered, and photoshopped. Very often the examples are immediately after the procedures, not healed. I recently had someone contact me via Instagram offering their photo editing skills to enhance my before and after pictures to “improve the customer perspective”. I sent a pretty scathing response and then shared this unscrupulous practice with my fellow artists and industry colleagues on a shared professional forum. Imagine creating a business that is meant to purposely mislead the consumer and make someone’s work appear better than reality. This is the era we are in with marketing in permanent cosmetics.
QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE MICROBLADING
Naturally, there is money to be made when consumer demand is high. It is necessary for the consumer to do their due diligence and research the best choice in a practitioner.
Here are some questions to ask:
Is the person licensed per their local regulations?
Do they hold certificates of training from a legitimate educational academy?
Do they belong to any globally recognized industry organizations?
Do they have a wide variety of before and after photos of their own work that look real and not perfectly filtered (here’s a clue – people have pores, fine lines, uneven skin tones, and don’t look like plastic Barbie dolls in a close-up photo).
What about referrals from clients and other aesthetic professionals such as plastic surgeons and dermatologists?
Do they have a broad range of good reviews on social media?
Are they insured with a professional liability policy specifically in their area of practice?
Is the facility licensed and insured?
Is the facility clean and sanitary with a professional atmosphere?
THE PROBLEM WITH MICROBLADING
The biggest problem with microblading specifically, as I see it, is that some 8-10 years on, there is still consumer confusion about it being a form of tattooing. The initial confusion made this specific subset of eyebrow tattooing slow to make the regulatory radar. Therefore, it became a hotbed of problems. This is changing as many states are now regulating microblading the same way they do other forms of cosmetic tattooing and body art. Some states are even making it a “medical” practice and limiting the practice to medical facilities. Some states have yet to have any regulations at all. The news is full of stories of botched and damaging results by practitioners working on clients with little to no experience. I have read news stories citing disasters at the hands of people who did online training only, with no formal classroom or hands-on experience, before working on the unsuspecting public. There are YouTube videos for everything under the sun and microblading videos have led Jane Public to order supplies on Amazon and attempt to tattoo their own eyebrows. Legitimate suppliers of permanent makeup supplies will not sell to anyone who does not register their licensing, proof of a business website or social media pages, or knows them from industry memberships, and have tax ID numbers.
There is simply no way around proper training and hands-on practice under the guidance of a seasoned practitioner.
SO IS MICROBLADING A GOOD IDEA?
To conclude, you can have better brows through the modality of microblading, if you are a good candidate and after assessment by a properly trained and experienced cosmetic tattoo artist. There are also many other modalities that can give gorgeous results that are more suitable for certain skin types and desired outcomes. It simply takes choosing the properly trained and experienced artist that you can trust will deliver optimal results.
This stands true for all cosmetic and medical tattooing procedures.
If you have had undesirable outcomes from microblading or another cosmetic tattooing, we can help. It may be a simple fix, or it may require a lengthy and somewhat costly series of treatments. In-person consultations are required to assess and evaluate for a personalized treatment plan.
Learn more about cosmetic tattooing here, or book a consultation with us to get a professional opinion.
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