TREAT YO SELF
I Have Struggled with my Eyebrows Since I was a Teenager.
They are extra curly and thick yet patchy. I’m a light skinned Black woman with a big forehead; I need a good brow to center my face or it can get scary. So every week or two weeks, I cut, wax, and pluck my brow, and just about every day since middle school, I have drawn in or filled in my eyebrows.
Even no makeup and intense workout days got drawn in brows.
I used the Benefit brow system to draw, fill, & gel down my brows.
However, having children, especially two neurodiverse toddlers, will have you neglecting you. I just didn’t always have time to do my eyebrows, and I would be driving around town looking down bad. So I listened to my husband and all my followers and decided to give myself a small but big treat. I got a combination of microblading and ombré brows from a small Black Woman owned business. The business name is the Enchanted Image Club! If you are in the Snellville, Georgia area, and interested, run! They are having a 50% off sale because they had to move locations. It’s usually a $400-600 procedure and it was $299.
So What is Microblading and Ombre Brows?
Microblading is a procedure performed with a manual hand-tool that implements microscopic drops of pigment in the skin and give you beautiful life like strokes of hair. Ombré brow, also known as Powdered Brows, are a semi-permanent brow styling technique that creates a soft shaded pencil look. This technique make your brows look makeup perfect all day. This amazing technique, first developed in Asia, has been around for decades and has been gradually improving over the years. After a consultation with the owner, we agreed that the combination would be best with more emphasis on the Ombré brows than microblading. Remember, I have thick, curly, but patchy brows. Since every brow is different, I definitely recommend a consultation first.
How was the Procedure?
The appointment was scheduled for three hours. My technician spent about 1 1/2 hours sketching the perfect brow shape for me. She explained to me that was the most important part to her. She told me, “No brows are truly twins but we want to look like close sisters”. She had me review her sketches made on my face and ensure I liked them. When I made the note that I wanted my wing a bit more round and soft. She changed it immediately. She then explained that I would experience pain for a short period of time, about 5-10 minutes per brown, while she outlined her sketch. The pain felt very similar to a tattoo. Once the outlining was complete, she put a numbing cream on my brown and allowed me to relax for 30 minutes while it took affect. She explains the cream should ensure I feel no pain, and if I felt a hint, to let her know immediately. She then filled my new brows using the Ombré Brow method. Once she was done, she presented me my browns and reviewed the aftercare with me.
After Care
So what to expect after the procedure. There is a two week healing process and a recommended follow-up at 6 weeks. The pigment will appear very sharp and dark immediately after the procedure. This is because the pigment is still sitting on top of your skin, and has not yet settled in completely. The color of the pigment will soften gradually. The following is the aftercare instructions given by The Enchanted Image
“Day One (Day of treatment): Wait 1-2 hours and let the wounds weep lymph. After 2 hours you must wipe off the lymph with a moistened cotton pad (use alkaline water is best), then apply a thin layer of aftercare cream, be it Bacitracin, A&D Ointment or Aquaphor with a cotton swab.
At night lightly wash the treated area with warm water and baby shampoo or mild antibacterial soap like Cetaphil. Pat dry ALWAYS. Wash your hands with a disinfectant soap before washing your eyebrows and/or applying the post- care cream. If you have dry skin try A&D Ointment or Aquaphor. If you have oily skin do the Bacitracin or Organic Aloe Vera Gel 100 pure.
NOTE: Do not apply too much ointment. Use half rice grain size on each brow (rice size amount).
Day Two – Nine: Repeat the wiping of the brows at least 2 times a day. At night wash the treated area with warm water, baby shampoo or mild soap like Cetaphil. Wash your hands with a disinfectant soap before washing your eyebrows and/or applying the post-care cream.
DO NOT PANIC: Healing is a process and different for everyone. Your skin may scab very little or tremendously. You may lose more than 40% of your pigment. Some may lose all pigment in the initial healing and then as the skin heals the pigment resurfaces to the top of the skin. Regardless follow the aftercare instructions and we will see you in 6 weeks.
The following must be avoided during all nine days post-microblading procedure:
– Sweating. It is recommended not to sweat for the first 10 days after the procedure. Sweat is salt and can prematurely fade the treated area.
– Practicing sports
– Swimming
– Hot sauna, hot bath, or Jacuzzi
– Sun tanning or salon tanning. Absolutely No Sun, sweating, or tanning prior to the procedure or after the procedure for 2 weeks. Do not have a tan/sunburn on your face prior to your procedure. The tan will exfoliate taking color with it as it fades.
– Any laser or chemical treatments or peelings, and/or any creams containing Retin-A or Glycolic Acid on the face or neck
– Picking, peeling, or scratching of the micro pigmented area in order to avoid scarring of the area or removal of the pigment
– Performing tasks related to heavy household cleaning such as garage or basement cleaning where there is a lot of airborne debris
– Spicy foods
Smoking
– Drinking alcohol in excess, as it may lead to slow healing of wounds
– Driving in open air vehicles such as convertibles, boats, bicycles, or motorcycles
– Touching of the eyebrow area except for when rinsing and applying the post-care cream with a cotton swab
Before showering apply a layer of post-care cream to protect your eyebrows from moisture. During the shower keep your face away from the showerhead.
Itching and flaking may appear during the first seven days after your permanent makeup procedure. However, experience has shown that by following these after-care instructions, these symptoms may quickly disappear.
The healing of deeper wounds might last between 14-21 days. Touch-ups and/or correction of the shape-design is recommended only after this period. Once completely healed, after 2 weeks, always apply a layer of sunscreen SPF 30 up to SPF 50 on your face when exposed to the sun. Sun exposure might cause the color pigment to fade away more quickly.”
