Celebrities have long been rumored to have undergone tattooing procedures to enhance their lips, brows, and makeup looks. Few have come clean, and one documented her entire experience.
Bella Thorne recently took to Snapchat to show fans and followers what the microblading eyebrow procedure is really like, and how it changed her look. While microblading is not exactly a new beauty procedure, celebrities like Thorne are helping the cosmetic procedure to grow in popularity. Her Snapchat story raised some questions, that industry experts were happy to address.
Microblading is a procedure in which a trained technician will use a small handheld tool that housing super-thin needles to implant pigment into the top layer of skin. By making tiny, hair-like strokes, an expert can mimic the look of real hair, building fuller, bolder brows for his or her client.
The procedures growing popularity means its being offered in more places and by a growing number of technicians, but Emilia Berry, founder of Manhattan-based PermaLine Cosmetics, and expert dermatologists stress the importance of finding a trained specialist and being aware of the procedure’s risks.
“Common complications related to the procedure itself include infection (bacterial or viral), difficulty healing after the procedure, excessive scarring and allergic reaction to tattoo ink (this can occur immediately after or years later),” said Dr. Nancy Samolitis, cosmetic dermatologist at West Hollywood’s Facile Dermatology + Boutique. “I also see people who desire removal of their tattoos due to changes in personal style preference, tattoo regret, poorly done tattoos with the wrong shape, color, or location—yes, wrong eyebrow location!—or change in color over time.”
Berry suggests looking at a technician’s portfolio, work experience, and health department certificate before moving forward with the microblading process. The portfolio should be especially helpful in determining the technician’s artistic style and experience.
“You can’t just learn techniques, because every face is different—bone structure has to be taken into account, and how the hairs grow and color,” Berry said.
Microblading produces semi-permanent results, but is still a big commitment. For this reason, most experts, like Berry, stress the importance of doing your homework before visiting a salon or technician.
“If you don’t find the right person to get tattooed by it’s a very bad trend to follow in my opinion,” said Kelley Baker, Zendaya’s brow artist. “Make sure you do your homework on your brow tattoo artist by asking to see photos before you book your appointment. You don’t get a second chance on the look you’ll receive, plus your face (and trends) change all the time, so be careful.”
The Internet and word of mouth are your best friends in conducting research. If you don’t feel comfortable with an artist, don’t be afraid to seek out someone else. For more information regarding questions about microblading, [Click Here].