Why is Microblading Bad?
Microblading:
Microblading is a manual tattoo done with a disposable and sterile tool. It is not actually a blade, but about 14-18 needles together in a line, which is then used to scratch the skin to mimic hair strokes. The blade is dipped in pigment and then dragged across the skin. The technique is much like drawing, so it is important to go to an artist. The skin will push back with resistance when the blade is dragged across the skin and then tear. When the skin tears, a little channel is created where the pigment is deposited. The channel then heals itself shut, leaving a small line or “hair stroke" in the skin.
I personally microbladed my first couple yeas in business because I didn't know any better. I was creating beautiful work, my clients were coming back with perfectly healed brows, everyone was happy, and I thought the world was perfect. It wasn’t until after a few years I started to notice the undesirable results that they were fading into. After years of research and education I now know better and need to educate as many people as possible to avoid this trend from spreading. I no longer microblade at all and haven't for a long while now. Here is why:
Why is microblading bad?
When the skin tears it causes trauma to the epidermis layer of the skin or even deeper if the technician does not execute it properly. This type of trauma is not a huge deal if it’s done on strong and appropriate skin for microblading. This type of skin that can receive microblading is not too oily, not too dry, not too thick, or too thin, not sensitive, and very youthful. Honestly, the majority of people do not have this type of skin unless you are under the age of 30 and come from the Asian regions of the world. This makes sense because microblading was actually originated in China/Japan.
So you might think if you have this type of skin then why not microblade? Well even on the perfect skin for microblading, it’s not something that should be done multiple times. Think about scratching the skin over and over again on the same exact spot. Eventually the skin will become tough, scarred, and weak and now the microblading needs to be covered or removed. This is definitely not worth the trouble.
Even if you wait long enough for all of the ugly, blotchy colors to fade away, you will still have compromised skin, possibly forever. If the colors or strokes have turned bad then you may be able to have the microblading removed, but you can’t remove the scars. Unfortunately, the majority of technicians microblading nowadays have only completed a 2-4 day training and have no artistic abilities. This leads to poor techniques going too deep, ugly designs, and no knowledge of the repercussions.
Now many women are left with grey, pink, thick lines, scars, blotchy color, or an unnatural color sometimes after only 6 months or so. A microblading artist will tell you to get touch ups every year to keep them from changing colors but this is the worst possible thing you could do. Not only will this cause more trauma/scars to the skin but now you have multiple drawn on lines all over one another, faded at different levels, and designed in somewhat different ways. Now it just looks like a mess. This is why experience matters! Saying they can last 1-3 years is also a lie because if they scratch too deep there is no knowing how long this could last. It is very possible for it to be PERMANENT. The most important bottom line is that it looks awful after 1-2 years on almost everyone and it is not easily fixable.
Even though the obvious thing to do is just cover the old microblading with a powder brow, this is not done so easily. The powder brow is done very gently, with a tiny, single needle, with no skin resistance. This means it might not penetrate the skin at all if the skin is too scarred and tough from microblading. We can force the needle to penetrate the skin but now the powder brow will not be as pretty and soft as it would've been on virgin skin. We also have to cover not only scars, but harsh, discolored lines, meaning we need to fill the brow with almost solid color making it look very bold and fake. Going super bold with a powder brow may very well be the only way to cover the old microblading strokes because a soft powder brow is done very airy (not very saturated) and will not cover any heavy microblading.
If you have bad microblading with a lot of dark color then you may want to have it removed first. If you had microblading that looks faded but has scars then the good news is that the powder brow needle will break up the scar tissue (like micro-needling) and can help soften the scar tissue over time. Almost all microblading clients have mild to severe scarring even if you can’t see it. We can feel it with our needles.
Thankfully when I was microblading in the past I had a lot of hand control and worked very superficially on the skin. I was able to cover the old strokes with no problem with no scars on majority of my past clients, but unfortunately this is not the case for everyone. In many cases we cannot help at all. It is just best for microblading to be avoided completely.
Already have microblading or permanent makeup?
If you have prior permanent makeup on the eyebrows than majority of the time it is best to wait until the old tattoo is 90% faded before deciding to cover anything. If your old tattoo is a funny color (blue, grey, pink, etc.) and been there for many years without changing, then you may find it worth it to have it removed first. Modern day permanent makeup techniques are very soft and airy, and a powder brow will not cover any old permanent makeup tattoo that is an odd color or too dark. Even if the powder brow is able to cover the old tattoo, once the powder brow fades in 1-3 years the old tattoo will reappear, so it is always best to have the old tattoo removed first or wait for it to fade naturally.
There are a couple removal options. Laser removal can be quick and easy but it can also leave the skin extremely damaged or leave yellow tones behind since the laser can’t remove yellow pigment. There is no way of knowing what the laser will do to the color. If you had laser tattoo removal you should wait YEARS before trying to tattoo your brows again because the skin needs adequate time to regain its strength. Always speak to a professional about laser tattoo removal and whether they believe this is a good option for you.
Another removal option is saline tattoo removal wich takes multiple sessions and has an uncomfortable amount of downtime because it makes the skin very bright red while it heals. This may not be worth it to you so always speak with a professional who has experience in saline removal. We do not offer removals at Karina Michele Cosmetics at this time.
If you have old microblading there is a chance you may be scarred. Unfortunately, there are a lot of unskilled technicians out there providing this service when they do not have the proper knowledge of skin depth. If they went too deep in the skin the microblading will scar, turn grayish, blotchy, and dark. If the color is completely gone and we cover with a powder brow there may still be scars. Scars do not retain pigment very well so you might need an additional touchup which will have a charge.
If you have old permanent makeup that you are not sure about, call or text our phone line and one of our specialists will check out your old work. (757-204-1001)
*Disclaimer: We will not tattoo any round, pointy, or boxy brow shapes. We will not tattoo completely above your natural brow hair or too far beyond your natural growth pattern. We are not plastic surgeons so do not expect a huge brow lift as we need to follow your natural growth. Talk to a plastic surgeon first if you feel that your brows are extremely droopy. We will not tattoo brows too dark from your natural hair or make anything fake looking. We will not go through with the procedure if we cannot agree on a shape that looks good for your face. We cannot tattoo something that we do not think will look good as this is ethically wrong and we cannot put our name on the result. We have every right to refuse service to someone for not agreeing on shape or color. We will also not tattoo anyone who is rude or has an attitude with one of our artists. A strong level of trust and a positive attitude is required for proper chemistry between the client and artist. If you do not like or trust your artist, it is best you do not have the procedure done and find another artist. Strong rapport will allow greater understanding and produce better results.