8 things no one ever tells you about microblading your eyebrows

Thought microblading was as simple as popping into the salon for a quick wax?

What you do in the build-up is critical – and post-blading care can add up to 70 percent of the treatment’s success.

Ignoring advice could result in you losing up to 80 percent of drawn strokes. There’s a long list of dos and don’ts and some pretty strict aftercare, that you’d be wise to know about…

Dos and don’ts days and hours before microblading

Most of the time a consultation isn’t needed but chat to the artist if you: have problematic skin, a serious health problem, take meds for anything or have existing old permanent make-up on your eyebrows.

READ MORE: 9 Things Your Waxer Wants You To Know, But Will Never Tell You

Avoid alcohol and aspirin/ibuprofen.

One week before, stop taking vitamin E, B6, omega 3, gingko biloba and St. John’s wort as they contribute to thinning the blood and may affect how well the anaesthetic works. (You can take up your your vitamins again 72 hours later.)

Just don’t go discontinuing any prescribed medication without your doc’s permission.

On the day of your appointment

Avoid caffeine, alcohol and exercise. Wash your hair in the morning because you’ll need to avoid the shower for several days.

Yup. Baths are recommended – except in Cape Town, where you’ll have to enjoy your three-second shower with your head sticking out the door.

READ MORE: “I Ditched Shaving To Go Full Laser – Here’s Why I Loved It”

Because your skin mustn’t be in the inflammatory process or the process of healing and regeneration before each treatment, these are off the list for 30 days prior: botox and fillers, fruit or milk acids, laser treatments, chemical peelings or exposure to strong sunlight.

Aftercare

You’ll probably be handed a little aftercare box as you exit, containing things like cotton buds, cotton pads and aftercare cream.

Over the next two weeks, you’ll need to follow the microblading artist’s instructions carefully and use whatever care product has been provided.

During the first 10 days, avoid water, creams, all make-up (even foundation) in the eyebrow area. Avoid workouts that involve a lot of sweating, saunas, facial massage and steaming.

In the next 30 days: Sunbathing, solarium, light therapies, chemical peelings, fruit acids, microdermabrasions and creams that contain regeneration factors.

READ MORE: How To Get Longer, Fuller Eyelashes – Without Mascara

Always avoid laser treatments over the treated area (fraxel, laser, IPL) because they can destroy the pigments and cause burns. Use of antibiotics and hormonal therapy can lead to a faster fade.

Always protect your eyebrows from the sun with SPF (not during the first 10 days).

You'll probably need a touch-up

Colour duration depends on how oily the skin is. The oilier the skin, the shorter the colour lasts. Sweating and sun exposure will also mess with your new brows.

On average, expected time until a new colour refreshment is between 10 and 12 months. With oily skin, it’s up to six months.

For a few unfortunates, it just doesn’t take, and you’ll need to get it rectified asap.

The total cost of the procedure (around R3 300) should include your six- to eight-week touch-up and aftercare kit.

But note: If you don’t get back to the salon within that timeframe, you’ll need to cough up.

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Once the healing is fully completed (28 days), your first corrective session should happen.

With problematic and oily skins, several corrections might be required, and this is definitely something to consider (along with that long ‘good brow behaviour’ checklist above).

It can be reversed...

If things really don’t go your way, it can be reversed. A tattoo removal tool is used in a similar way as the original tattooing or micropigmenting, with the same equipment.

The extraction formula starts working almost immediately after drawing the original tattoo ink, moving upwardly through the skin. A scab containing tattoo ink is formed over the treated area in the next few days.

As the skin is healing, even more unwanted tattoo ink gets drawn out.

The scab starts to peel off naturally, extracting the unwanted tattoo ink. Done.

This article was originally published on Women's Health South Africa.