I Got My Eyebrows Microbladed (And Couldn't Be Happier!)

Hey cutie pies! A couple months ago I decided to get my eyebrows microbladed and after documenting it all on Instagram received a ton of questions asking for more details. So here I am, ready to give you the lowdown on what to expect before, during and after this eyebrow transformation.

If you haven’t heard of microblading before, it’s the newest trend in permanent makeup and, when done correctly, will eliminate the need to fill in your brows everyday. It’s basically a miracle for people who have patchy, barely visible or uneven eyebrows. Just think, you can go from looking like Drew Barrymore (circa 1995) to Cara Delevingne, in just two short sessions with a reputable, microblading artist. Despite a little pain you’ll feel during the session and the annoyingly meticulous aftercare, the excitement of having perfect brows sans makeup makes the whole process very, very worth it.

Growing up, I never really knew what to do with my eyebrows. In elementary school I’m pretty sure I had a slight unibrow, in middle school I over tweezed them, and through most of high school I just kind of left them to be their unruly selves. It wasn’t until college that I finally discovered the power of eyebrow pencils and, several years later, Anastasia Beverly Hills dipbrow promade . Even nowadays when I choose to wear very minimal makeup, I still always made sure to fill in my brows before leaving the house — which is why I became very intrigued by the idea of microblading.

So, that’s how just a little while after I decided to take the leap, I found myself sitting in Joyce’s (@browdownbeaute) home studio talking her through the exact shape and color I was looking for. If you’re thinking about moving forward with microblading I can’t recommend her enough! She’s very thorough and I appreciated that she walked me through every single step she was doing.

Here’s what my sad brows looked like before:

and here they are immediately after the first session:

Major difference right?

Of course, they lightened up quite a bit 10 days after I first got them done and there were parts of my brows that didn’t absorb the pigment very well. That’s why a touch-up 4-6 weeks later is so important! I’ll admit I was pretty skeptical that the process wouldn’t work so well but now that my eyebrows have officially healed post second session, I’m SO in love with them. Here’s what they looked like immediately after the touch-up.

If you’ve decided you also want to get your eyebrows microbladed, here are a few tips:

Choose a reputable microblading artist. Meaning they’re certified, have a gallery of good before/after photos you can reference, and have a clean space. Bonus points if they use plant-based pigment!
Don’t drink any alcohol or coffee at least 24 hours before the session
Bring a photo of how you’d like like your eyebrows to look or pencil them in the way you like when you go in for your session
Try not to book your session before you have a major life event that may involve a lot of photos
Most importantly – follow your microblading artist’s aftercare instructions very carefully

FAQs that I’ve received:

Does it hurt?

This is different for everyone but I personally didn’t find it to be too painful. Joyce applied a numbing cream and the first session I barely felt a thing. You just hear some pretty annoying scratching sounds and once in a while it felt like a particularly sensitive tweezing action. The second session the numbing cream didn’t work as well and I definitely felt a lot more than I was hoping to. The closest I can describe it to is the feeling of very small paper cuts on your face… maybe a 4/10 on a pain scale. Of course, if you have a very low pain tolerance you might have a completely different experience. Just make sure that your microblading artist numbs the area just in case.

How long will it last?

Even though it is similar to getting a tattoo, the cuts aren’t deep enough for the whole look to last forever. Depending on your skin type and age it should last anywhere from 1 – 3 years. Keep in mind this is only if you get the touch-up! Otherwise it’ll probably start to fade in a few months.

What is the worst part of the aftercare?

There are many different healing methods and the one Joyce recommended is called”dry healing.” This means you can’t get your brows wet for 10 full days after the session. That’s right, no sweating, no saunas, no hot baths, no washing the upper half of your face, etc. This was probably the most difficult part of the entire microblading process! And you have to go through it twice — after the first session and after the touch-up. It’s brutal but if I can do it, you can do it.

Can I still workout?

Dry healing means you can’t sweat but that doesn’t mean you can’t workout. I opted for Yin and Restorative yoga sessions, taking longer walks, and slower Pilates classes where I knew I probably wouldn’t sweat. Of course if you’re a very sweaty person naturally then you might just need to skip the workouts all together.

Do you still need to fill in your brows after?

Not unless you want to! If everything goes smoothly you should be able to wake up and head out the door without touching them. I’ll probably still apply a little makeup to them before a photoshoot or special occasion, but I love that they look natural and filled in enough for an everyday look. The lead image on this post and this one (below) are what my eyebrows now look like with absolutely no makeup on. Of course, there’s a lot of makeup on the rest of my face but that’s only because I just got a new lipstick that I wanted to test out. hehe