What to expect during a microblading appointment

How to prepare for your microblading appointment

Before you book an appointment with a technician there are a few things you will need to know, the most important of these is their knowledge on the technique of microblading and all that this involves. Where technicians are concerned, there is, unfortunately, no legally-required training for those who offer the service. However, since the technique is invasive as it cuts through the skin, the operators and owners of salons or beauty clinics who perform microblading should have completed training in the prevention and control of infection. This training should have been conducted in the appropriate setting of a certified academy, spa or cosmetology school.

With no monitoring or regulatory standards, there, unfortunately, a number of beauty therapists performing the procedure without any proper training or qualifications. This often leads to unhappy clients walking away with eyebrows that are misshaped, uneven, or the wrong colour and that do not last nearly as long as they were intended to. It is important to bear in mind, some people have complained that their skin does not absorb the pigment as well as others, resulting in a colour that quickly fades, this is therefore not always an indication of an unqualified technician but rather something that may be taken into consideration if a follow-up appointment to achieve the desired result is warranted.

Once you have chosen a salon or beauty therapist that appears to have the right training and experience, you should ask about or look for the below:

• Health inspection – You should request a copy of the beauty salon’s latest health inspection report. Depending on the country you are in, this may not have been conducted by law, if not, conduct a ‘drop in’ visit and look around the spa noting attention to cleanliness and general sanitation as well as the disinfection of the instruments used in the procedure itself.
• Credentials - The technician’s credentials will need to be ascertained. He or she should have received training from an accredited academy, spa or cosmetology school.
• Hygiene habits - Regular hand washing and the application of fresh gloves after each procedure should be expected. Find out if the technician uses a fresh pair of non-latex, medical grade gloves before each microblading session. Ask if they wash their hands before putting on the gloves. These hygiene habits will prevent infection.
  Are the microblading instruments reused, such as the needles or are they disregarded after use? Most microblading tools, the needles, in particular, should not be reused. If you feel uncomfortable with this, ask the technician to show you the opening of the package of a new set of needles for the microblade. Some of the tools are reused such as the eyebrow pencils, tweezers, dividers and scissors. The technician should disinfect these between clients to prevent infection.
• Location - Is the service located in an enclosed and dedicated space away from other activities and the public? For example, if the microblading services are located in a hair salon, such as in the corner of the salon without having an enclosed space, this could expose the microblading wound to bacteria from hair cuttings or other people’s germs in the surrounding the area. This makes the location unsuitable for such an invasive procedure.

Once you have found the salon and technician you are happy with, the following is advised before your procedure (your technician should inform you of these points):

• Avoiding alcohol, as well as ibuprofen and aspirin, or any medications that may thin your blood for at least 72 hours before the procedure as excessive bleeding makes it difficult for your technician to see the shape they are following on your eyebrows and this may also have some unwanted health concerns for you.
• Avoiding temporary sunless tanning before the procedure (unless you intend to keep it up on a permanent basis) so that your natural skin tone can be assessed to correctly match the colour of the pigment applied to your skin.
• Stop using chemical peels or face scrubs at least two weeks before your procedure.
• Start collecting some reference pictures for you to show your technician so that he/she can get an idea of the look that you want. However, some technicians may advise against this as they prefer to create an individualised look for your skin tone and face shape.

What happens during microblading?

The information that follows explains exactly what you need to know in terms of the process of the most vital step in your journey to boastful brows (bear in mind that each technician will be different, and treatment progression may differ slightly from the below information, but this should give you a good understanding of what will take place during your appointment):

1. Profiling - Upon arrival you will have an initial consultation with your technician (if you haven’t done this previously during your research process). Your technician will explain the procedure, assess the shape and thickness of your current eyebrows and examine your skin type. He or she will also ask you about your tastes and lifestyle and work with you to establish the shape that will work for your face. Do you want something bold or more natural? Do you wear makeup on a daily basis or only on special occasions? asking This informal interview will aid in the technician or artist creating the best eyebrows for you.
2. Anaesthetic – After you have discussed what you would like your brows to look like and you have both established a starting point, the technician will apply a topical anaesthetic or numbing cream onto the eyebrows which will be left on for roughly 20 minutes.
3. Drawing on the eyebrows – Once the cream has taken effect and the excess has been removed, the technician will draw eyebrow lines directly onto your face with a waterproof brow pencil. This creates a guide to be followed for the microblading procedure and will allow you to have a look at the shape that is going to be created before proceeding.
4. Microblading – Now your technician will begin microblading according to the shape and colour that was agreed upon. This generally takes about 45 minutes more or less.
5. Removing excess ink – When the microblading is finished, there will be some ink left on your face which the technician will wipe off, after this, you will be able to see your new eyebrows! You can expect some redness, but you can go out in public after this.
6. Follow-up appointment/fill – Microblading generally requires a second appointment to touch up any areas where the ink was not properly absorbed by the skin. The technician will also adjust the colour if need be. The results will all depend on how your own body heals. This appointment is normally half the price and takes half the amount of time than your first appointment. Some clients are happy with the initial results and as such, do not need to book this follow-up.

Is microblading painful?

The first question a number of people ask is what the pain is like when having microblading done. The level of pain experienced during this procedure is generally regarded as being mild for a number of clients due to the topical anaesthetic that is used to numb the area, this may also be reapplied during microblading.

Bear in mind, that everyone will respond differently to the anaesthetic and pain. Some people will describe the pain as light cat scratches while others feel it is a bit more painful. A number of clients note that the sound of the tiny needles scratching the skin is unsettling.

If you have a low pain threshold it might be an uncomfortable procedure to endure, but microblading is generally considered to be a bearable process. You may experience some pain after the procedure as the numbing cream begins to wear off which is often uncomfortable. Speak to your technician about taking painkillers afterwards to prevent any post-procedural pain.

Anaesthetic used by technicians may contain tetracaine, prilocaine, lidocaine, benzocaine and epinephrine.