Eyebrow trends have changed over the years—those over-plucked 2000s eyebrows still give me night terrors—but the full eyebrow trend seems here to stay. “For brow trends, we went through incredible changes in the last decade,” says Alana Smit at Graceful Lashes Studio. “But the strong, full brows are not going anywhere. In today’s society, women are told we’re supposed to look young, and thick, strong brows make the face look younger.”

The Microblading Process: Before, During, and After

Microblading is a semi-permanent makeup for your brows, which, depending on your skin-type, lasts a maximum of three years. It’s ideal for women who have fine eyebrows or gaps and are just looking to add a bit of background colour. “People like it because it’s realistic,” says Sara Makari at Blume Beauty. “It’s hair-like strokes that become more blended as they fade and heal.”

What does the microblading process look like? Your brow technician should start by assessing your health, and then give a full consultation to map your new brows. A technician helps match your brows to your features, says Smit. “We harmonize your face as a whole.” Then comes numbing and playing with colours. Before committing, there should be no guess work as to the colour and shape of your new brows. Then, a small blade is used to push pigment into the surface layer of the skin.

After the initial process, some maintenance is needed. “Touch-ups are required,” says Colette Malcom at Skinsational Day Spa & Skin Care. “Most people require about one to two touch-ups following, about four weeks after.” This is because you can lose a bit of the pigment in certain areas, and the shape needs to be perfected. Then, “within one to three years, once the colour starts fading, you come back in for another touch-up,” says Malcom.

microblading

An Unregulated Practice

Jenni Lin at Jenni Lin Studios points out that unfortunately, there are no regulations in Canada for microblading practice. “The problem with that is that people have warm and cool undertones,” says Lin. “If you put a warm undertone on someone who has warm undertones naturally, it’s going to pull more orange. If you put an ash tone on someone who has more ash undertones, it will pull more grey. Understanding colour theory is really important.”

In addition to having a colour background, Jacqueline Tonge at New Body Laser & MedSpa says that brow technicians should also have knowledge in dermatology. “When you are cutting into somebody’s skin, regardless of how deep it is, you should know a little bit of skin anatomy,” says Tonge. “You should know how the skin heals. It’s a very serious procedure if it’s not done properly.”

The overall benefits of microblading can certainly outweigh the potential risks, as long as you’re smart and careful. As Lin says, “You go swimming, you can go to the beach or to the gym, and your brows are there.” Malcom adds: “You can wake up with your eyebrows on, and you don’t have to fill them in on a daily basis.” Sounds like a small thing, but for ladies like me—a godsend!