Eyebrow microblading is a hot new beauty trend

Bold, defined brows are so in style right now. Forget those teeny-tiny eyebrows—now every woman wants eyebrows that are full, thick and groomed to perfection.

Accomplishing this look can be easier said than done. The sad truth is that many of us are brow-challenged (myself included), so it can require a lot of pencil and brow powder in order to get that bold definition. Yet, if you apply brow pencil too heavily, you end up looking like Groucho Marx.

https://giphy.com/gifs/henry-fonda-hw3eclcxYl99S

Eek! Luckily, there is a new beauty service that is helping women to get thick, supermodel brows without the dreaded Marx effect.

It’s called eyebrow microblading, and it offers a solution for those of us with sparse and/or lightly colored, barely-there brows.

“Microblading is a form of tattoo artistry where pigment is implanted under your skin with a manual handheld tool … I draw hair-like strokes with the tool to mimic natural hairs in your brows,” microblading expert Piret Aava told Elle magazine. “Even though it’s not as deep as the regular tattoo, it’s still a tattoo because pigment is implanted under the skin.”

This Instagram post from Microblading LA shows how the ink makes brows stand out:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BW0E231jdZs/?taken-by=microbladingla&hl=en

The procedure is modified to your specific face shape and your eyebrow goals— whether you want to look like Cara Delevingne, or you want something more subtle, for instance. The results last for one to three years, depending on your age and skin type (if your skin is oily, it may lose pigment faster than someone who has drier skin).

The procedure is not terribly painful, but it is definitely uncomfortable. Many salons will numb the area before the microblading begins. You will require more than one session. The first will take anywhere from two-and-a-half to three hours, and you have to return in four to six weeks for a touchup, and to ensure that the shape is to your liking.

Here are some pretty compelling before-and-after-shots from Jasmine S’au Microblading:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTrelG_DU4q/?taken-by=microbladingla&hl=en

But here’s the thing: Microblading is costly. On average, it will set you back about $1,500 to $2,000. And be warned—when you leave the salon at first, your eyebrows are going to be super dark. It takes a while for the pigment to settle in, so don’t scream when you look in the mirror for the first time after the procedure.

While the procedure is expensive, it could be worth the money if you are currently spending a lot of time shaping your brows every morning (Plus, let’s face it, eyebrow products can be really costly.) No wonder stars like Lena Dunham say that microblading has saved their brows!

Here’s another brow transformation from Studio Zattar:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXI-lWYAp5a/?tagged=microblading&hl=en

So, what do you think? Would you try this new beauty trend? Or do you think that tattooing your brows is nuts?