I shared on my stories that after YEARS of looking into microblading / permanent makeup options for my eyebrows…I finally found the right person (Anna @ DFW Micropigmentation) and got my brows done about 6 weeks ago! I’ve gotten LOTS of DM’s about the process so I thought it might be helpful if I share about the entire process here in a blog post, to answer all of your questions about it!
what is the difference between microblading and powder brows? what helped you decide which one to try?
So what I got done is called “combination brows”. I had looked into microblading because my eye brows used to be REALLY thick and full when I was younger, and then I think I over tweezed / waxed in junior high and high school and they just never fully came back. So I was interested in microblading initially to get full brows again (and also to save myself that step when I was doing my makeup).
I was always really afraid to do microblading because it seemed like such a permanent decision and SO much of the microblading I saw did not look good. Kind of just looked like some brows tattooed on a face and I wanted something really natural!
SO I have a friend who got her brows done and they looked SO good and so natural and she told me about Anna @ DFW Micropigmentation. Anna actually doesn’t do microblading, but she does powder brows / combination brows! This was the first time i’d ever heard of it. I asked Anna what the difference was between microblading and powder brows. She told me that with microblading you are actually making tiny cuts into the skin. It’s pretty harsh on your skin and not very sustainable long term (because its a lot of trauma to the skin). With powder brows, it’s performed with a permanent cosmetic machine (a teeeeeny tiny needle) that deposits pigment onto your skin, to give the look of a filled in brow. The effect is a powdery airy brow that looks very natural!
I got combination brows which is a technique where you have “hair strokes” in the front of the brow which naturally fade to the powder brow!
do the powder brows have any side effects? scabbing, bruising, redness etc.
so getting powder / combination brows is definitely a process. you go in for your initial appointment to get your brows done. my brows were a little red the very first day i got them done, but fine after that! part of the process includes flaking, scabbing etc for about 10 days after while your skin is healing, BUT…my flaking / scabbing was never super obvious. i thought i like wouldn’t be able to take photos or go in public bc of flaky brows haha it honestly wasn’t bad at all. you can’t eve notice the flaking unless you look VERY closely! so, i’d say there’s no “downtime” at all (in terms of needing to stay home / not see people etc). i didn’t have any bruising!
what was the process with your natural eye brows (tweezing etc) prior to getting them done?
Anna tweezed any strays beforehand as well as “mapped out” what my brows would look like before she used the permanent makeup tool on me! other than that, you don’t need to do anything to your natural brows beforehand!
BEFORE
how long do they last and how often do you have to get touch ups?
I’ve heard that powder brows last about a year! They are designed to just naturally fade over time while maintaining a natural color.
After you have your initial appointment…you go back in for a 6 week follow up. Anna says “we are building your brows” haha. So she started off pretty conservative with my brows (because I was so nervous!) and when i went back for the 6 week touch up…she can touch up the color, or go bolder if that’s what you are wanting (and that’s what I wanted!). After you go back for that 6 week appointment…you don’t need to go back for about a year!
what do your normal brows look like when they fade?
your brows will go back to just looking like your normal brows once the powder fades! that’s the beauty of powder brows IMO. there is no weird color fading that takes place!
how much do they cost?
I can’t speak for every brow artist out there but Anna’s prices range from $550 to $650 for powder / combination brows [which TBH is actually slightly less than a lot of other people I looked into] Which is A LOT! But! This is a BIG change for your face that’s also a relatively permanent decision! It’s also SO nice not having to fill in my brows and waking up with full (but natural) brows!
AFTER
what are your options for color and how does she match it to your hair / skin?
Anna is amazing at matching your natural color! She has tons of options whether you have brown or blonde (or red!) hair! She essentially uses a tiny tattoo machine to do your brows and has so many different color options!
how long do you have to wait before you wash your face or shower?
You are supposed to keep your brows completely dry for 10 days. So when I wash my face I use a wash cloth and try not to get my brows wet. I’ve only washed my hair once since getting them done and tried to just lean my head back haha. and then pat my eyebrows anytime they get wet! you want to keep them as dry as possible so you don’t get any weird scabbing and so you hang on to as much of the color as possible!
So HONESTLY this is the only downside I have experienced with getting my brows done haha. Not being able to sweat for 10 days has been tough for me because I love working out. But, today is day 9 so I’m almost there and it’s honestly been a nice break!
what are the key components to look for when you’re finding a good eyebrow specialist?
Go to their instagram page or look at their work on their website!!! If you don’t like what you see, then don’t go to that person haha. I loved Anna’s work (both my friend’s brows she did as well as her IG pics). Her work looked very natural and that’s what I was going for. Screenshot photos of brows that you like to show your brow artist!
I would also ask tons of questions. Long term, how will these fade? Are there any risks / side effects etc.
SIDE BY SIDE
Overall, I am SO SO happy that I found Anna and finally pulled the trigger on getting my brows done! Brows make SUCH a huge difference on someone’s face and I love having brows that frame my face well and feel full but still natural! And again, I love that now getting ready is that much easier because I don’t need to fill my brows in anymore!
I think that about sums up all the questions you guys sent in about brows! But if I missed anything…leave a comment below and I’ll make sure I get all the questions answered.
follow along @laurenkaysims
Thanks for reading!
xo Lauren
