I first trained in semi permanent make up 3 years ago, back then, microblading wasn’t so popular. I then, trained in microblading with Rebecca Chung in February 2016. To this day, my preferred way of creating brows is using a machine, for me, it’s the method I find creates the finest hairsrokes.
Microblading has boomed in the last couple of years and it’s the word people now use for eyebrow tattooing, this confuses quite a lot of people, so I’ve decided to put these three methods together and compare them for you.
I will start with tattooing…
Tattooing is done by inserting ink, dyes and pigments, into the dermis layer of the skin using a manual or electric device to create artistic designs. The designs last forever as the body cells and parts of the skin, such as fibroblasts, suck up the tattoo ink. Traditional tattoos placed on the face can fade dramatically in a very short time, instead of fading out naturally, they can turn blue/green and generally looking terrible quite quickly. There are people out there claiming to do semi permanent make up brows and what clients are getting is a real tattoo, please do your research!
(TATTOO HANDPIECE)
(TATTOOED BROWS ****NOT DONE BY ME****)
Then we have semi permanent make up (spmu)…
Semi permanent make up is a form of tattooing, the similarity between spmu and tattooing is the process, which involves applying pigment into the skin with needles, the skin then heals, leaving the pigment residue where you placed it. The cosmetic pigment used is specifically made for the face. But it is most definitely not the same as a tattoo. Spmu is intended to be natural looking enhancements, whereas tattoos are designed to look very visible on the skin. The machine used is not as powerful as the traditional tattooing devices and the pigment is placed on the upper layers of the skin, that allows the pigment to fade over time, and is the reason why spmu doesn’t last forever. A spmu treatment done by me will last up to 2 years and a colour boost every 12-18 months is recommended to refresh the colour and shape of brows.
(NOUVEAU CONTOUR DEVICE AND 1 LINER NEEDLE)
(BROWS DONE BY ME WITH NOUVEAU DEVICE)
And finally, microblading…
Microblading consists in implanting pigment into the skin with the use of a manual tool (like a pen) and a blade formed by 9-18 super fine needles. It uses the same pigments that artists have been using for semi permanent make up treatments since the 80’s, the one I use is LI Pigments, they heal beautifully soft and don’t change colour as the brow fades over the years. Microblading lasts up to 2 years and a yearly colour boost is recommended.
(MICROBLADING TOOL AND BLADE)
(BROWS DONE BY ME WITH MICROBLADE)
Like I said at the beginning of this article, my favorite way of creating brows is by using a machine and a 1 point liner needle, 95% of my work you see on my social media is done by machine, I can microblade if you are very specific about it but the machine method is the technique I have mastered, love and guarantee great results with when it comes to hairstrokes.
I hope this clarifies the different methods of semi permanent make up available out there. Do your research before booking a treatment, you want to look for high hygiene standards, insured professionals, loads of updated before and after pictures.
Love, Nay x
