A great pair of eyebrows that frame your face can make all the difference. Matter of fact, one of the secrets of aging like a fine wine is to have amazing eyebrows. Perhaps good eyebrows are so valuable because not all of us are naturally blessed with them. Sometimes, medical conditions make us lose our eyebrows along the way, whereas some of us were quick to jump into the 90’s train of paper-thin eyebrows and purposefully stunted the growth of natural hair. Oh, the regret! Now the ’90s are gone and the 21st century came up with the fresh wave of thick luscious eyebrows. Those who have it are lucky, while the others have to draw and fill-in their eyebrows every single day before leaving the house. That is until microblading came as a perfect solution. Now you can have natural-looking eyebrows, and you don’t have to treat your face as a canvas every single day. With the popularity of microblading increasing, the biggest question everyone seems to be asking is how long does it last? The answer to that isn’t as definite as one would like. You need to go into its depth to understand what will make it last longer. Let’s find that out and more about microblading:
Table of Contents
2- What Is The Difference Between Microblading Eyebrows And Getting Them Tattooed?
3- How Long Does Microblading Last?
What Is Microblading?
Microblading is a cosmetic technique quite similar to tattooing, but not the same (more on that later). In this procedure, a handheld device is used to deposit ink into your skin, after scratching the surface to mimic the natural strokes of eyebrows. The pen-like device has a blade as its nib with 5-6 small needles attached on its end. Microblading comes under the permanent makeup category and is sometimes also referred to as feathering or micro-stroking procedure.
The device is designed in a way that it gives the artists a very controlled grip on it, add experience and expertise on top of it, and you get precise, well-defined eyebrows that look natural. Although it might seem like microblading is a novel beauty procedure, it is not. The technique has been in Asia for around 25 years. The west, however, has recently seen its popularity.
What Is The Difference Between Microblading Eyebrows And Getting Them Tattooed?
Remember, we mentioned earlier that microblading is similar to tattooing but still different? It is important to understand the distinction between them to understand how long microblading is likely to last. The procedure of microblading and tattooing is more or less the same, even though different tools are used. The real difference, however, is in the depth. With tattooing, the ink is deposited deep into the layer of the skin, so deep that it stays there forever, until of course, purposefully removed. Microblading on the other hand barely scratches the surface and proceeds to deposit ink in those scratches. Unlike tattoos, microblading stays on the surface and hence, not permanent, but rather semi-permanent. Why is that? Because eyebrow hair is not dark and definite and deep. They are finer and natural and have a stroke-like texture to them.
How Long Does Microblading Last?
In general, eyebrows from microblading can last anywhere between 6 to 18 months. Yes, microblading pigment does fade over time. However, how long they last will depend on your type of skin, your lifestyle, age, and how many times you visit your permanent makeup artists for the touch-ups.
Let’s learn how each of these factors makes a difference:
Skincare Products
The products you use on your face will also make a difference in how long will it last. For instance, many people use AHA/BHA peels on their face for chemical exfoliation. While AHA/BHA acids are excellent for turning on new skin cells quickly, they can also expedite the fading process of the eyebrows. Since your skin is turning faster, your eyebrows too will see new skin cells and the old inked ones will fade. People who use topical tanning solutions will also see the ink fading faster.
Frequent Touch Ups
Touch Ups also play a great part in ink retention. People who frequently go for retouching and freshen their eyebrows with another session of microblading, will see long-lasting results.
Type of Ink
For microblading, medical-grade ink is used to practice safety. However, even medical-grade ink has various types and they play a part in the retention of the pigment. The better the quality, the longer it will last.
Sun Exposure
Sun is notorious for fading pigments, and the ink used for microblading isn’t safe from it either. The harmful UVA and UVB rays can easily fade the color from the eyebrows extremely fast. Even worse, high exposure to the sun is also likely to change the color of the pigment. If you don’t want that, you need to go out of your way to use sun protection.
Aftercare
During the first few weeks, the ink is settling down in your eyebrow area, and how you take care of it impacts the life of your eyebrows. During the healing process, the eyebrows scab over and many people tend to pick on it. This habit ends up picking off the color entirely and you’d be left with holey eyebrows. Wetting your eyebrows during the first few weeks is also likely to fade the pigment.
Skin Type
We mentioned earlier that skin type also determines how long your microblading will last. People with dry skin are fortunate in this regard as their skin remains dry during the healing process, allowing the pigment to settle in nicely. On the contrary, people with oily skin do not have this luxury as oil tends to blur and lift off the pigment, never giving it a chance to settle into the skin.
Eyebrow Tattoo Specialist & Microblading in St Louis, MO
If you’re looking for the best artists for microblading in St Louis, make sure you contact the team at Inked Beauty Bar. Book your consultation with our tattoo eyebrow experts today!
