#good brows

Hi guys! Thank you for all your kind words and encouragement on Part 1 of this eyebrow series. I know this comes about a month later, but I wanted to make sure my brows were fully healed (and my opinions fully formed) before I wrote this post.

I had my appointment on October 5th. The salon where I went, La Di Da Beauty (http://www.ladidabeauty.com), was freaking adorable. Everything is gray, white, pink, and rose gold, which is one of my favorite color combos, and it was so well decorated. The owner, Laura Garcia, took me on a full tour, showing me everything the salon has to offer, including a gorgeous room they use for bride trial makeup and makeup classes, and explained all of the local art that adorns the walls. Laura herself is a gem. She instantly put me at ease; she had a very calming presence and reassuring smile.

We entered the microblading room and she began telling me what to expect. She let me know each step of the process and made sure I had the proper expectations of what would be achieved during my first session. 

After we discussed what I wanted out of the microblading (on the form I filled out, they asked “What are you looking to improve about your brows?” My answer: “Everything.”) I laid back on her table and she began mapping out my brows. This entailed her using a piece of string and a kohl pencil to sketch out the appropriate shape and symmetry of my brows. She had me look at them a couple of times, made some adjustments, and we finally decided on the best shape. After that, she put six different ink colors on my skin to compare and figure out which color would be best for my brows. Because she had read my previous blog, and got a feel for my personality, she allowed me to go with a pretty dark color. (Did I mention how great she is?) Once we picked the ink color, she applied some 5% Lidocaine cream to my brows for 25 minutes to numb them.

It was time to get down to business. Truthfully, I didn’t even feel the first strokes, I could only hear them. The sound is bizarre. It sounds like a mix between ripping jeans and scraping on pavement. I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s really weird! Unfortunately, my brows started to bleed more than normal, so Laura had to take it really slow, which meant the numbing started to wear off. When I could start to feel it, whoa! It was a slow, sharp scrape and it did not feel good, kind of like the shading of a tattoo after the line work has been done for awhile. But Laura was super nice and kept me calm, and persisted through my unruly bleeding. 

Finally, she told me I could look at the final product. HOLY SHIT! They were perfect! 

Day 1: My eyebrows were sore for the rest of the day, like I had gotten a good workout in my brow region. It was only really noticeable when I raised my eyebrows or when I frowned. They didn’t itch or burn or hurt. I was instructed to use sterile gauze pads and a little warm water to clean my brows at the end of the day. The most important part of cleaning your healing brows is to always pat them instead of pulling or tugging on them. Also, use very little water so you aren’t completely soaking them. After the warm water cleanse, pat them dry then apply Aquafor (or coconut oil) in a thin layer. You want to make sure that your brows are hydrated, but not too goopy. Extra goop causes them to scab more, just as letting them dry out does. The hardest part, for me, is modifying how I sleep. You should not sleep on your brows (if you are a side or stomach sleeper) as the friction between your face and the pillow can cause the ink to rub off or not heal correctly, especially if you sleep on one side more than the other. Sleeping on your back is preferable.

Day 2: Looking in the mirror first thing in the morning was a trip! For a second, I thought I hadn’t washed my makeup off! My aftercare instructions said you could wash your brows with a gentle cleanser (I use Cetaphil). Again, pat the cleanser on, splash with a little water, and pat dry with a non-abrasive washcloth or gauze pad. Then apply the Aquafor. The soreness was very mild. You can’t put anything close to your brows, including face lotion and makeup.

Day 3 and 4: Pretty much just like Day 2, but they started to scab and peel, like a regular tattoo.

Day 5: My brows were in full on healing mode and itched like crazy! Since they were scabby and healing, I couldn’t scratch them, so I had to get creative with my itch relief. I furrowed my brows and patted them with the pads of my fingers.

Day 6 and 7 not memorable. My brows did start to look even more natural as the ink faded and peeled. 

Day 8: My brows were about 95% healed so I decided to put on some makeup, finally! I was chomping at the bit to add a little definition to my brows, but I stopped myself, but it was so nice to be able to put on a full face and not have to put on brows!

Looking at the side by side comparisons of Day 1 (left) and Day 8 (right), you can see how much they changed in a week. There are a few spots that need some touch ups, but overall, I think they are amazing! They feel natural while still being bold.

Having them microbladed makes doing my eyebrows look more natural, too. You can see the hairstrokes even when I got HAM on them. (Maybe you can’t, but I can :) )

I have a follow up appointment booked for the end of this month to do some touch ups and fine tuning, but I am so happy with how they’ve healed. This is how they look completely healed. They are so natural. I can’t even express how amazing it is to wake up, throw on some mascara, and run out the door. It is honestly one of the best things to ever happen to me. Look at this before and after! LOOK AT MY EYEBROWS!!!!

Now for the important stuff:

Would I recommend microblading? ABSOLUTELY! If you struggle with your brows, microblading is an amazing solution. Yes, it’s expensive (in Reno, the average is between $500-$600) but the outcome is incredible. I will absolutely continue getting mine done for years to come.

What do I wish I’d known before microblading? Honestly, I did a ton of research before I went into it, so I wasn’t surprised by anything. I will say: it does hurt, they do heal and turn out differently than when they are first done, you do have to take extra care of them during the healing process, and the follow up appointment will be necessary.

What do I dislike about microblading? The cost? Seriously, the cost is the only downside I can find and, once you amortize it out, the cost is really not bad.

Overall, do your research before doing something so permanent to your face. Check out the work of your microblading artist via Instagram, Facebook, Yelp, etc. Make sure you are getting someone experienced and who is willing to work with you to create your perfect brows. Huge shout out to the beautiful Laura Garcia at La Di Da Beauty/Reno Microblading (find them on Instagram at @ladida_beauty and @renomicroblading, or on Facebook at La Di Da Beauty or Reno Microblading), who worked with me to achieve exactly what I wanted. She was patient and lovely and incredibly talented. I will sing her praises until the end of time because she’s an angel!

Let me know if you have any questions I didn’t address or if there’s anything else you want to know. I will do my third part after my follow-up appointment at the end of the month to let you know if the follow-up hurts more than the first time, what adjustments we make to my brows, and anything else I might think of.

xoxo

Freckle happy 🌞

Taken: 14/8/17

Camera: Sony cyber-shot h400b