Most wouldn’t consider getting a tattoo to be relaxing experience, but at this stage of life, I’ll take any chance to lie down for an hour! For this week’s #WeeklyWellness2021 experience, I had the chance to refresh my permanent makeup eyebrows thanks to SoftTap® and microblading techniques. I first had my eyebrows done in 2017 and have received a couple of touch-ups since to enhance the color and define the shape. 

Week 24 of Weekly Wellness: Skin Care 101 for Teens

As an esthetician, I became fascinated with the idea of permanent cosmetics a few years back and actually went through a couple of courses to learn the ropes myself. At this time, I had one of my instructors, Britney Howell, transform my eyebrows for the better. Britney has been in the brow game for years and keeps busy, both as an instructor and permanent makeup artist in Utah and Idaho.

The Pros:

It’s amazing how much eyebrows frame the face and can bring balance to someone’s overall appearance. I’ve loved how I don’t have to fill in my brows every day and they always look symmetrical, rain or shine. Permanent makeup has been a big confident-booster as well as timesaver for me throughout the years.

In addition to my eyebrows, I’ve had my eyeliner done and have been thinking of adding lips to the mix, too. Though clients and artists vary in preferences, tools and technique, I personally aim for a natural look with conservative application.

Need to Know:

A lot of clients book permanent cosmetic appointments in spa and salons without really knowing what they’re looking for. For example, many come in wanting microblading, but aren’t familiar with what the technique entails or understand that they may not be a good candidate for that particular service. For example, if your brow hair is sparse, microblading has the potential of looking stripey and unnatural.

With numerous options available including machine artistry, I’ll elaborate on the handheld method and microblading process I’ve had personal experience with.

SofTap® Permanent Cosmetics is a hand method using a disposable tool to implant permanent color into the skin. The result is a soft, powdery look to help define or enhance the given area of application. At the initial appointment the artist will numb the skin and shape brows by measuring and drawing a template to follow and determine an appropriate color of pigment.  

Once approved by the client, the artist completes the procedure and reschedules the client for a detail touch-up in about a month.  Since a topical numbing cream is applied prior to the procedure, the process feels like brow tweezing, amplified.

The initial appointment generally takes 2 to 3 hours to complete. Upon exiting the appointment, clients will notice their brows are bolder and darker at first. After about a week of healing and at-home after care, brows heal to a more softer, natural look.

Microblading, commonly referred to as eyebrow embroidery or 3D brows, offers a manual “hair stroke” technique. Instead of a powder fill, microblading gives the appearance of individual eye brow hairs or lines matching the natural hair growth pattern of your eyebrows. A very fine blade cuts the epidermis, followed by the application of pigment. This technique is considered semi-permanent and requires annual touch-up sessions to keep brows looking fresh.

The initial process includes a numbing cream, shape consultation, and application. Sensation is dulled thanks to numbing, but the feeling sensation (and sound!) of skin tearing is unpleasant and can be compared to a cat scratch.

Microblading can be done on the entire eyebrow or combined with other permanent cosmetics. I opt for microblading in the bulb of the brow with SofTap® Permanent Cosmetics throughout the arch and the tail added definition. An initial appointment for mircoblading generally takes a couple of hours from start to finish and requires a healing period of about a week where color is bold and dark.

My Experience:

My touch-up experience was relatively easy, lasting about an hour from start to finish. Since the color and shape are already in place, it’s just a matter of refreshing with minor tweaking. I relaxed as I numbed and don’t mind the sensation, though I have a high pain tolerance. I get to lay down and close my eyes, and know I will be happy with the outcome.

Britney sent me home with after care instructions, Aquaphor to apply for the next week and instructions not to sweat, swim or apply any product or makeup on our around the area for the next week seven days. By day five, I experienced itching as the micro scabs began to shed. It’s important not to pick and let brows naturally slough off themselves to best preserve color.

It’s important not to be alarmed when pigmented flakes fall from the brows at the end of the first week—it’s completely normal and part of the healing process. Intense for some, I don’t mind the bold, dark brows for the first few days after a permanent cosmetic appointment and love the natural healed look to follow. Seeing my brows in the mirror each day is a permanent little reminder of self-love and self-care.

Recommendations:

If you are interested in getting permanent cosmetics, my biggest advice is to do your homework! Make sure your artist is trained, experienced, and knowledgeable in their craft. Ask for before and after photos of previous clients to ensure your esthetic tastes lines up. Nearly every permanent makeup artist these days has a social media presence, so take a peek before scheduling.

A good permanent makeup artist will educate you in what technique, color, and overall process will look like for you depending on your goals and individual skin care coming into the appointment. Permanent makeup removal is timely and expensive, so having confidence in your decision and artist will be crucial.

Cost: Cost varies per location, but generally ranges from $300 to $600 for initial appointment and one month touch-up with annual touch-ups ranging from $150 to $400.

I’d love to hear how you practiced self-care this week! Have you had permanent cosmetics? What are your thoughts? I’ll be posting my permanent makeup timeline on Instagram @SLCBeautyBabe and don’t forget to reach out to @SpaandBeautyToday with tips and suggestions for next week!

[Photos by Alisha Racker]

Alisha Racker’s beauty career has spanned over a decade as she's worked as a master esthetician, skin care PR-pro and freelance writer. She lives in the beautiful mountains of Salt Lake City with her husband and daughter. Follow her on Instagram: @alisharacker