Microblading 101: Top 10 Questions Answered Before Booking

Quick Answer

Microblading solves one major issue, how to get the perfect brows daily without any effort. If your brows are thin, sparse, not symmetric or too light, microblading could be the thing for you.

Below are the one line answers. You should really read into each one for the details.

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  1. How is Microblading Different from Eyebrow Tattooing? Microblading is a more natural-looking technique than eyebrow tattoos with the trade-off of longevity

  2. What's the difference between the different styles of brows? The 3 main styles you can get are hair-like line strokes, makeup-like dot strokes and a combination of the two

  3. Is Microblading Painful? It shouldn't be, but know your own pain tolerance and situation

  4. What Eyebrow Shape and Color Should I Get? Work with your microblading artist to get a good recommendation

  5. How Much Does Microblading Cost in Sydney, Australia? $500 - $1000

  6. How is Microblading Done? See the details below

  7. How Do I Prepare for Microblading? Make sure you follow the steps below

  8. Is Microblading Aftercare Important? Aftercare is crucial to the results

  9. Is Microblading Semi Permanent or Permanent? It's permanent in that it never completely goes away. It's semi-permanent in that it fades

  10. Who Should Avoid Microblading? Please avoid microblading if you have any of these conditions

How is Microblading Different from Eyebrow Tattooing?

Microblading involves using an unpowered handheld tool with tiny needles on it.

Eyebrow tattooing uses a machine that is similar to a regular tattoo machine. The pigment/ink is deposited into multiple layers of skin, resulting in longer lasting brows.

microblading vs eyebrow tattoo table

What's the difference between the different styles of brows?

There are two sub-styles in microblading, lines and dots.

Microblading / Microfeathering

Line style. The microblading artist draws hair strokes. This style is best for people who want the most natural look, as it appears you just have that much eyebrow hair and it's groomed. Although Microblading is also the umbrella term for this style of precise semi-permanent makeup, when looking at a menu of microblading services, microblading usually refers to the line style.

Microshading / Powder Brows / Ombre

Dot style. The microblading artist creates a powdered look (tiny dots). This style is best for people who want a natural eyebrow pencil look, as if you've got perfectly drawn brows.

Combo Brows

A combination of microblading and microshading (lines and dots). This style is best for people who like a natural and low makeup look. At Somibrow we find most people go for this look, but it will depend on your current brows and personal preferences which looks best on you.

Micropigmentation / Nano Brows / Nano Machine Hair Strokes

Line style. Using the eyebrow tattoo machine your brows will last longer than any of the above microblading techniques, but there will be less hairstrokes than microblading. This style is best if you want the longest lasting brows and if your brows are not too sparse, as it is generally the least natural looking style of the four.

Is Microblading Painful?

Most clients say it's not painful. Numbing cream is typically used before your brows are worked on. When the hand tool (or eyebrow tattoo machine) is used on your brows it feels a little uncomfortable, like tiny scratches. When the numbing cream wears off they'll feel tingly. On the other hand, everyone has differing pain tolerance and some people say it hurts.

What Eyebrow Shape and Color Should I Get?

Work with your Microblading Artist to get the right brows for you. Like a financial advisor needs to know your particular circumstances before recommending anything, same with your microblading artist. They should consider your face shape, skin tone, eye color, hair color, dry vs oily skin and how much sun exposure you get as some of the key factors before selecting the right color pigment and brow shape.

Feel free to bring pictures for inspiration, but since the person in the inspo picture likely isn't you, the best brows for you might be different from the inspo pictures.

How Much Does Microblading Cost in Sydney, Australia?

You can expect microblading in Sydney to cost around AUD $500 - $1000 (2024 prices).

How is Microblading Done?

Microblading takes around 2 hours to complete with the following steps:

  1. Planning - Choose the shape and color of your brows. Consider your face shape, facial features and symmetry
  2. Clean up the area - thread some excess hair away and wipe the skin clean
  3. Numbing cream - to lower the pain
  4. Start the microblading process - Carefully add pigment with each stoke. Add extra numbing cream if necessary
  5. Add the final layer of pigment
  6. 4-6 weeks layer - touch up session to fill in any gaps/imperfections

How Do I Prepare for Microblading?

When you've booked in your appointment you're going to want to follow these steps in advance. We want to avoid blood thinners and anything that would aggrevate the area.

2 weeks before

  • No tanning, sunbeds or direct sunbaking
  • No facial peels
  • No botox

1 week before

  • Don't wax your brows (thread, tweeze or pick them either)
  • Don't take Vitamin A, Vitamin E or Fish oil (these can thin your blood)

2 days before

  • No caffeine (coffee, coke, black tea, energy drinks etc)
  • No pain killers (ibuprofen, paracetamol, aspirin)
  • No alcohol

On the day

  • No heavy exercise

Is Microblading Aftercare Important?

Careful aftercare is key to ensuring your best looking brows. Here's an article on Aftercare and the healing process with healing pictures from a Somibrow client. Trust the healing process, you'll have times of doubt and think you made a huge mistake, but after around 2-4 weeks you should be loving your perfect care-free brows.

The process looks roughly like this (full details in the article above):

  1. Days 1-3. Thick and dark brows that feel uncomfortable and look a bit redder than normal due to the scabs forming
  2. Days 4-7. Scabbing, itching and healing. Your brows will look patchy around now and their color will lighten
  3. Weeks 2-4. Towards fully healed. The pigment becomes it's final color and you can plan a touchup appointment if needed to fix up any imperfections

Is Microblading Semi Permanent or Permanent?

Depositing ink/pigment into your skin is permanent in that it will never fully disappear on its own. The semi-permanence/longevity of your brows is referring to the ideal look of your brows, which look perfect for some time, then fade to point where we'd say it justifies a touchup in order to restore that perfect look.

Who Should Avoid Microblading?

However you're still getting cut with tiny needles and having pigment inserted under your skin, in these cases microblading isn't for you:

  • Under the age of 18
  • Pregnant or lactating women
  • Hemophilia (your blood doesn't clot)
  • Currently taking blood thinners
  • Anyone with healing disorders
  • Anyone prone to keloids
  • Anyone with diabetes
  • Currently taking thyroid medication
  • Currently taking accutane or steroids (you must stop taking accutane for a minimum of one year to be eligible for permanent cosmetics of any kind)
  • Anyone with glaucoma
  • Anyone with allergies to cosmetics or pigments
  • Autoimmune disorders
  • Anyone with transmittable blood conditions like HIV or Hepatitis
  • Anyone with uncontrolled high blood pressure
  • Anyone that has easily triggered post inflammatory hyperpigmentation
  • Anyone who has active skin cancer in the area to be microbladed
  • Anyone with skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema and undiagnosed rashes or blisters on the site that is to be treated
  • Anyone with fillers, Juvederm, or Botox in the desired treatment area
  • Anyone with very oily skin - the pigment won't last long

Conclusion:

Now you have a better idea of how to prepare for your microblading appointment. Feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.