Bold, well-shaped eyebrows can make a powerful statement—often mentioned as a notable feature for celebrities ranging from Emilia Clarke to Cara Delevingne. If yours are naturally a bit thinner, you could spend time in the morning artfully crafting them to suit your tastes—or you could invest in microblading, a process that semi-permanently fills out your brows for an easy, modelesque look. If you think that this is the same as tattooing your eyebrows, then you are not alone. However, the process and results are different, as described below.

What Is Microblading?

Microblading originated in Asia and has been around for roughly 25 years. It reached mainstream U.K. and U.S. salons by 2010. It’s a semi-permanent tattoo technique designed to make eyebrows look fuller or to refine their shape. Every treatment is personalized to the face of the person having it done.

Your technician will start by drawing tiny strokes on your brow using very fine needles. These needles scratch the skin, depositing pigmented ink at the same time to replicate a natural eyebrow. The whole procedure takes about an hour, and then you have a follow-up appointment 4-6 weeks later for a touch-up.

Why Is It Better Than Traditional Tattooed Brows?

Whereas microblading uses fine needles, tattooed brows use the same type of tattoo gun as would be used in a regular tattoo studio. This makes the first option much less painful, although the healing time tends to be the same for both—approximately 10 days.

With microblading, you’ll need to go back to the salon every 12-18 months to replenish the fading pigment. However, this gives you a chance to switch up your look if you choose. If you wait too long to go, the new fullness will fade, but will not look unnatural. Brow tattoos, on the other hand, use ink, and the lines are not nearly as clean. So, not only will a tattooed brow look much heavier and more drawn on, but the color will also likely fade over time to a bluish-green shade.

If you want stunning brows and luscious lashes, make an appointment at Contoured Ink Studio & Beauty Bar in Littleton, CO. Ashleigh Lynnea believes that everyone deserves perfect brows and so she not only practices microblading but also offers a saline tattoo removal clinic for anyone who has experienced a microblading mishap elsewhere. Call the salon today at (303) 994-9439 or visit their website to schedule a consultation.