MY MICROBLADING EXPERIENCE AT MODERN BEAUTY STUDIO

Yup! I did it. I got my eyebrows microbladed. Aside from piercing my belly button in college (that thing is LONG gone by the way and Summer will NEVER know that I did that LOL) I have never gotten a tattoo or done anything to enhance my look. But my brows have always been a love/hate thing for me. So after much contemplation I decided to give them some attention. Today I am going to recap my mircoblading experience at Modern Beauty Studio and answer any questions you may have on the topic.

Like most girls I over plucked my brows when I was younger. Then I started getting them waxed but they never looked how I wanted them to. I used to think some girls are blessed with great brows but then soon came to realize these girls were just getting their brows microbladed.

I still didn’t want to do it so I took a makeup course and learned how to color them in. I used to think I was doing a good job but also came to realize I wasn’t LOL. They were so overdrawn and you could tell I was using a pencil to shape them. And I tried everything under the sun to get it right (pencils, pomade, gels, etc) but they still looked fake.

So when Clara, owner of Modern Beauty Studio, reached out to me about microblading I of course was intrigued.

WHAT IS MIRCOBLADING?

Microblading is semi-permanent makeup. It’s a form of tattooing where a small blade makes manual (all done by hand) tiny cuts into the skin to create single hair strokes. Once that is done pigment is applied to color in those strokes. It is considered semi permanent because the cuts are only made into the top layer of the skin.

It is semi-permanent because the pigment will fade over time. Most mircoblading will last 1-3 years before you need a touch up. Tanning, sun exposure and certain medications can affect how quickly your pigment will fade. In addition, certain skin types may not be the best candidates for microblading. Someone with oily skin will find their brows fading faster because the oils push the pigment out. So if you have oily skin you may require a touch up around the 6 month mark.

IS IT PAINFUL?

Of course this was my number one question as I do not deal with pain well at all. Clara used a numbing ointment that diminished any pain. I was fine throughout the entire appointment. When I felt the numbing fade she would just apply more.

WHAT TYPE OF BROWS DID I GET?

There are many different methods of mircoblading. There is shading, powder brow, needling and many more but I went with the PhiBrows technique because I feel it looks the most natural and realistic. What differentiates PhiBrows from other certifications is that the PhiBrows pattern is the most hyper-realistic in the market. PhiBrows implements smaller strokes that replicate real hair. Other methods prefer long single strokes. However, if you look at your brow, no one has a long single strand. Your eyebrows are made up of individual smaller hairs that connect and form your brow. With PhiBrows you get amazing patterns and every client is designed individually. The designs are based on the clients facial structure. This method does not use sticky rulers, therefore, clients won’t get a one size fits all brow.  Your brows are created for your face.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR APPOINTMENT

At my consult, Clara told me to come in with how I do my brows now. So in I went with my over drawn brows. She then asked to see photos of brows I like to get an idea of what I wanted. From there I laid down for a good 2 hours where she mapped out my new brows. This part is the longest of the entire process. By hand she draws out the outline on my face of how my new brows will look. It really is amazing how she can do that. Once I saw the map on my face she got to work.

After numbing me she started making the tiny cuts into the outline and coloring in with pigment. This took about an hour to complete.

There was never any bleeding during the entire process and once I looked in the mirror I was shocked! No redness, swelling or anything. Just gorgeous new brows that looked so natural and beautiful.

AFTER CARE

Clara sent me home with some simple directions on how to care for my brows. It’s VERY important to follow her directions for proper healing. For the first week I used a neutral soap that she gave me to wash my brows and then a few times a day I would apply her ointment to my brows.

You want to minimize sweating the first week so I did tone down my workouts that week but when I did workout I would apply the ointment to prevent any sweat from touching my brows.

I did not experience any major flaking or pigment loss during my recovery. Yes, your brows are pretty bold right after getting them done but they start to settle in pretty quickly. After a few days I would maybe get a random flake but I would just apply the ointment and that would stop it. After 10 days I could wash my face and resume working out like I did prior to microblading.

FOLLOW UP

You will need to schedule a follow up appointment after getting microbladed. Generally 4-6 weeks after your first appointment. Any color that has faded will get touched up and any strokes that need to be adjusted are done at the appointment. While the first appointment takes 3-4 hours the follow up will only take about an hour. I go back in a few weeks and will have another follow up blog post.

WHERE TO GO FOR MICROBLADIING?

NJ has very strict regulations regarding microblading. You can verify if the person is licensed via the American Academy of Micropigmentation (AAM) https://micropigmentation.org/member-detail.php . Some states are not as regulated as NJ which makes NJ one of the safest places to get permanent makeup. 

To find a PhiBrows certified technician you can check here. https://www.phi-academy.com/community/#

Microblading is an advanced technique and your technician should have a certification along with a NJ AAM license. You definitely want to check with the AAM to verify if the artist is licensed. In the past several years microblading has become such a big thing that people have been taking 3 days and branding themselves as artists without properly getting the fundamentals education required. This practice is illegal in the state of NJ. If  the person is not licensed thru the AAM you should look elsewhere.

Clara Medina of Modern Beauty Studio checked all these boxes for me. Completely professional, highly talented and made me feel at ease from the moment I walked through the door. I never thought I would actually love my eyebrows but she completely enhanced them while keeping my brows natural.

I no longer do anything to my brows. No more drawing, coloring in, nothing! She has saved me at least 20 minutes of agony a day. No joke. If you don’t love your brows I would highly suggest scheduling a consult with Clara to have her look over your brows. It really was one of the best decisions I have made.

You can contact Clara via her website here.

You can check out her Instagram here.

**In collaboration with Modern Beauty Studio. As always, all statements and opinions are my own.