To have optimum results, the artist has to be able to properly diagnose the skin, and apply the right anesthetic, for the right amount of time.  

Microblade Eyebrows…. plus a beauty mark (above lip) created with a Microblade shading pen at Brows by Bodine!

If you have ever read stories, or heard reports of microblading clients with painful experiences, the cause is almost certainly in the technique of the artist. Proper numbing takes time, and the amount of time is not the same for everyone. On my client charts, I keep track on the speed of numbing, so I can easily allocate the right amount of time in future touch-up sessions.

My experience is that virtually every client can have a very comfortable experience. Throughout the procedure, I check to see if the area remains properly numb, and continue to apply a numbing liquid at 10 minute intervals. On a pain scale of 1-10, most of my clients describe the sensation as ranging from 1-3. Typically, the procedure begins at a 2-3 (similar to the sensation of tweezing or waxing), and continues to become more and more numb, until it is a 1 or a 0.

If you are interested in microblading in the DFW area, Brows By Bodine is the premier salon for beautiful, natural looking brows, and a comfortable experience!

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The healing process varies from person to person, depending on the thickness of their skin, age, skin hydration levels, and their natural rate of healing.

If the microblade artist is careful to limit the number of hair strokes applied in a single session, and to space them with adequate separation between, then the healing process is generally very easy. Flaking or scabbing is usually caused by an artist who does not keep the pigment sufficiently shallow, or who applies too many brow strokes too close to each other, in a single session.   It is always easy to add extra hair-strokes to increase density in the follow-up session.

Another element that makes a dramatic difference in the healing process is the aftercare procedure that is employed. The aftercare ointment provided by Brows by Bodine is made of natural oils and organic waxes that are breathable, and allow oxygen to penetrate to the skin. Vaseline and Aquaphor are commonly used after tattooing, and many microblade artists use it for their aftercare. However, microblading is a very shallow procedure, and these ointments (made of Petroleum and Mineral Oil) are far less effective at promoting quick healing of microblading. I’ve tested multiple aftercare ointments, and have seen a significant reduction in healing time by providing organic, non-oclusive products.

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If your brows have thinned, lost their color, or completely disappeared due to natural aging, or health related issues… eyebrow microblading at Brows by Bodine could be one of the best gifts you have ever given yourself. Wake up each morning with beautiful, waterproof, effortless brows!

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Microblading is a technique where the artist applies a semi-permanent pigment just beneath the surface of the skin, in fine strokes that have the appearance of natural brow hair.  The artist makes a very shallow scratch on the surface of the skin with a microblade pen, and then paints a natural cosmetic pigment over the scratch… allowing it to absorb.  Once the skin closes over the pigment, it is trapped just beneath the translucent top layer of skin, allowing the pigment to be visible beneath. 

Over time, the pigment will gradually exfoliate away as the skin naturally sheds its top layers.  For most clients, this process will take a couple years.  However, after one year the color has usually faded enough to need a touch-up.  The artist applies more pigment to the brow area, directly above the original microblade hair-strokes, to keep the color looking fresh and new.

At Brows by Bodine, I specialize in the most natural eyebrow microblading approach, which creates a very subtle and beautiful natural brow effect.  With two decades of experience as a portrait artist, and 18 years in the cosmetic and beauty industry, I can give you the brows you have always wanted.

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Why Microblading?

One of the hottest new technologies in the beauty industry is eyebrow microblading.

It allows the artist to fill in the clients brows with natural looking, hair-like strokes of pigment.  The pigment generally lasts for 1-2 years, which means the client can enjoy worry-free, effortless eyebrows, with minimal maintenance.  Typically, a touch-up session is needed once a year, to maintain the color.

Microblading is a great solution for correcting these common eyebrow issues:

-Thinning Brows

-Thyroid imbalance, which typically causes hair loss on the outside of the brow area

-Alopecia, which causes total eyebrow hair loss

-Blonde or gray brow hairs that are seem to disappear. Microblading will not affect the natural hair growth. The brow hair that is present, can remain on top of the microblade pigment to create a natural layered effect. and add density to brows that are thin or too light to be visible. The ideal result is to create eyebrows that best enhance the clients features, and look as natural as possible.

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There is really just one fundamental rule that governs the whole aftercare regimen for microblading: Keep the skin clean and protected, so it can fully heal at it’s own pace. The surface of the skin typically heals in around 1 week. However, this time can vary from a few days to a few weeks, depending on each clients natural rate of healing.

Cleaning the brow area during healing involves gently washing the brows with a gentle soap for a few seconds, patting them dry, and applying the ointment we provide. Antibiotic ointment is not recommended for microblading, because it can absorb pigment. (Antibiotic is standard for tattooing, which is probably why some microblade artists still recommend it) Vaseline or Aquaphor are acceptable, but not ideal, because they are so heavy that they suffocate the skin and slow down the healing process. I have tested multiple aftercare ointments, and have found healing to be fastest with a lightweight oil-based ointment, with no petrolatum or mineral oil.

A client will know the surface of the skin is healed when the color of the pigment lightens (on average, it lightens about 40%), and when the surface of the skin is smooth. During healing, there will be tiny scabs above each of the microblade strokes. After healing, these will have dissolved away, and the skin will be smooth.

After this initial healing process, there may still be some residual redness or tenderness under the surface for a couple more weeks. This is the reason we schedule the follow-up session for a month after the initial session, to give the brow area plenty of time to heal.

If the microblade artist allows plenty of space between brow strokes, the healing process will be much quicker, with minimal flaking or discomfort. If the artist applies too many strokes, too close together in the first session, there will be a greater likelihood of flaking, itching, and discomfort. With proper technique, the healing process should be very easy and comfortable.

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Microblading has revolutionized the permanent makeup industry by introducing a technique that lets the artist apply the pigment just under the epidermis (the top layers of the skin) but not under the dermis (the lower layers, where the skin cells are produced). The pigment will be visible, through the transparent top layers of skin, but will gradually shed away as the cells naturally turn over.

This means that the pigment will gradually fade away, rather than fading to shades of blue, green, or red. An annual touch-up allows the artist to re-apply the desired color, to keep the tone correct.

The microblading pen also allows the artist to apply the pigment in fine strokes, that resemble the shape of eyebrow hairs.

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My own experience with numbing the brow area for eyebrow microblading has led to this conclusion: Virtually every client can achieve excellent numbing, and have a very comfortable experience. However, the amount of time, and the type of anesthetic needed to achieve excellent numbing can vary significantly from person to person.

There are two stages of numbing for the microblading procedure:

1. Pre-numbing: This is where an anesthetic (usually Lidocaine or Benzocaine) are applied to the skin before the procedure, to make the initial microblade strokes as comfortable as possible. Since there are no scratches yet, the anesthetic usually takes much more time to work, and is often covered with plastic wrap to help it absorb easier, without drying or evaporating. For some clients, 15 minutes is plenty of time for the pre-numb to take effect. For others, it takes 30 minutes, or even longer. At the initial procedure, I allow extra time, and check the skin at intervals until it is numb. I then mark the time required on the client’s chart, so I will know how long will be required in future touch-ups.
2. During-procedure numbing. Once there are scratches on the surface of the skin, a liquid anesthetic is applied, to allow a full numbing effect to be sustained for the remainder of the procedure. This product tends to be very fast acting, because it has a way to get under the surface of the skin and take effect quickly. For some clients, the numbing liquid needs to be re-applied every 20-30 minutes. For others, it is every 10 minutes. This is affected by metabolism, and micro-circulation under the skin. Different people’s bodies metabolize the anesthetic at different rates, and the frequency of application needs to be adjusted accordingly.

 
The pre-numbing phase varies the most from person to person. It is counter-intuitive, but people with thin skin get numb slower than those with thicker skin, and the artist should allow more time before beginning the procedure. One factor with the speed of numbing is the size of pores. People with thicker skin tend to produce more oil, and they have larger pores. These provide easier access for the anesthetic to be absorbed. Oil based anesthetics absorb best with skin with visible pores, whereas a gel based product is better for skin with small or invisible pores.

Once the artist takes all of these considerations into effect, and selects the right anesthetic, for the right length of time, achieving comfortable numbing is simple.

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At Brows By Bodine, the most frequent client request is for brows that look “natural”. This is my specialty. However, not every client wants natural. Some clients want a more stylized, dramatic brows. In general, natural microblading is designed to look like the person has full, youthful brows. Stylized microblading is intended to replicate the type of eyebrow look that can only be achieved with makeup.

Natural brows have a feathered outline.

Natural eyebrow microblading leaves space between the hair strokes, to create the effect of natural moderate density.

The brows should be a color that is similar to the undertones of the client’s hair. (Brows shouldn’t match the highlights, or be much deeper than the undertones).

• Stylized brows have a defined outline.
• They are more filled in, either with tightly spaced strokes, or with shading
• The color is often deeper, and more dramatic
• Stylized brows look like the client used makeup products to fill in and define the brows.

If a client goes with a natural microblading style, they always have the option of adding a brow powder to add intensity, if they are dressing up and wearing a dark, smoky eye. In general, the brow should be a complementary frame to the eye. If a person wears minimal, or moderate eye makeup, it makes sense to have a lighter, more natural brow. If the eyes are made up with dramatic smoky intensity, the brows should be made deeper to match. The benefit of going with a natural style microblading is that the client can have a natural look most of the time, and easily add intensity with a brow powder if they are making up for a special event.

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The most important way to protect your freshly microbladed eyebrows is to use sunblock on the brow area. UV rays lighten pigment. This is true of both hair color and microblade pigment. Easy ways to reduce the sun’s effects on your brows are to wear sunblock, and also to wear large sunglasses with a UV filter, when you are outdoors, or at the pool.

The fading effect of UV light is most obvious on the lighter and warmer tones (gold, orange, red tones) of microblade pigments. A person who gets frequent sun exposure on their brow area will notice gold, or red tones fading first. This will tend to cause warm brown colors to look more gray. Protecting the pigment from UV fading will keep warm tones looking great.

Since microblading pigment is deposited just below the surface of the skin, over time it will exfoliate away as the skin naturally sheds, and new layers of skin replace the old. To slow down this process, it is advised to avoid any skincare product on the brow area that is designed to speed up cell turnover. These include retinol, Retin-A, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, or Salicylic Acid. These anti-aging ingredients can still be used on other areas of the face, but should be avoided on the brow area.

Protecting your Eyebrows with these simple steps keeps microblading looking it’s best.

-Brows by Bodine, Dallas TX

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