Microblading is quickly shaping up to be the cosmetic procedure of the decade, and it's easy to see what is driving so many women to incorporate microblading into their overall brow regimen.
Microblading is a minimally invasive treatment in which a qualified esthetician uses an ultrafine blade to deposit pigment into the epidermis layer of the brow skin. The end result is the appearance of crisp, fine hair-like strokes that blend with your natural brow hair to create an incredibly realistic finish. For patients undergoing chemotherapy or suffering from alopecia-related hair loss, microblading can be a truly life-changing cosmetic procedure.
If you have ever heard of eyebrow tattooing, you may be wondering how microblading is any different. There are five key differences between the two procedures. If you are deadset on seeing your brow expert, this article can help guide you in terms of what to expect, and how to decide which procedure to go with.
1. Microblading is not for the oily, sensitive, or thin skinned.
Micropigmentation is a gentler alternative cosmetic procedure that oily or sensitive skin types would find much more approachable than microblading, which involves localized numbing during the procedure and weeks of recovery following.
2. Microblading really adds up ($$$).
At an average cost of $600 across major metropolitan cities in the US to $1200 for "bespoke" brows, microblading is wildly out of reach for most college-aged women who are just looking to add to their brow appearance.
Eyebrow tattooing is much less expensive at an average cost of $200-600. The main reason? It's a lot less manual labor. With microblading, a technician is literally drawing each stroke that goes onto your brows, whereas with tattooing a machine is performing most of the difficult work. Moreover, your microblading esthetician will usually require you to come in for additional follow-up sessions that cost anywhere between $300-600 per session. The result with microblading ends up being more natural-looking if you have the funds for it. Over the course of ten years, you may end up spending as much as $15-20k on microblading procedures.
Summary: Microblading costs twice as much as eyebrow tattooing and 3x as much when you factor in follow-up sessions.
Word to the wise: Don't look on Groupon for a discount microblading procedure. Just don't.
Over the course of ten years, you may end up spending as much as $15-20k on microblading procedures.
3. Eyebrow tattooing is much more hands-off
Eyebrow tattooing can be great for newbies who routinely doing their brows before church or going to work in the morning. It requires significantly less effort to maintain tattooed eyebrows over the course of a lifetime.
Microbladed eyebrows, on the other hand, only last for about 1 to 1 1/2 years before results begin to fade. You will find that as your brows begin to lighten, you will need to use a Microblade Brow Pen to retouch your brows.
Summary: Microblading fades quickly, while eyebrow tattooing is for life.
4. Microblading looks more natural
Microblading is usually performed by an esthetician who may or may not have a license to practice. Some states require practicioners to carry a license, while others have no laws in place to prevent people without a degree in cosmetology from starting a microblading business.
The technician draws each stroke hand-by-hand, and will often use a brow mapping technique to ensure that there are no differences in customer expectations.
Summary: Part of the reason why microblading is so expensive is the fact that eyebrows are like sisters, not twins.
5. Microblading tends to fade lighter, whereas tattooing bleeds darker
Over time, microblading fades to a somewhat lighter shade. This may be a relief to some who panic after a microblading session because their brows look much darker than they expected. If you have blonde hair and this happens to you... just relax and breathe. Know that microblading is not nearly as permanent as other alternative procedures, and make peace with it.
Eyebrow tattooing, like regular tattooing, will not fade over time but instead will stretch and become slightly discolored or warped with old age. IMHO, there's not much to sugarcoat here. You get exactly what you are paying for.
Are there any viable alternatives to microblading?
Yes! If you are afraid of committing to the whole process, you're not alone. See why so many women who try out the Waterproof Microblading Brow Builder are saying they would never go back to microblading ever again.