Microblading & Me... So Far

Ever since I received my certification in eyebrow Microblading family, friends, and others who know me have consistently asked me questions about questionable looking microbladed brows.

Understandable, right? I mean they now know someone who is trained in the procedure and are seeking answers.

Well, the short and long of it are different trainings, and different learning styles amongst students. All eyebrow mircoblading courses are not created equal and people learn new things in their own way. That’s one of the reasons most companies require post-course case studies before officially handing over a document of certification. At least that is what the company I trained with did.

Hands on learning is one of the most effective ways of retaining information for a good percentage of the population, primarily because it allows one to experience their mistakes and provides the opportunity for correction almost immediately. There are also those who are able to pick up concepts and processes with nothing more than a lecture. I admire people like that because I'm more of a hybrid learner. You know, hands on sprinkled with a little lecture.

When it comes to microblading my theory is that hands-on, paired with a thorough and extensive lecture is a golden combination. I mean that and an instructor who is invested in your success since your work will be a product of their instruction to some degree.

So, why do some brows that have been microbladed look questionable? Perhaps the technician is still early in their microblading career and is still perfecting their craft. You may very well be looking at a photo of someone's case study. Some technicians were only taught one way to create strokes. That happens. Some technicians may actually be self-taught and are limited to the knowledge they were able to obtain outside of an accredited certification course. The possibilities are endless as to why some brows look questionable. Another reason could be lack of aftercare follow through by the client which could affect the appearance of the final product.

In a nutshell, there is no one way to microblade. There are, however, certain universal truths to the process. One being, you never want your strokes to cross over one another. This would create a blur of pigment and the finished product may come out as more of a powder brow than 3D-like strokes. Now, that is not to negate that shading is an actual intentional microblading procedure, but we'll save that for another post.

When the goal is 3D-like hair strokes, a blurred line is a no-no. Personally, I tend to avoid straight lines when microblading eyebrows. Following the natural pattern of the eyebrow hair will help me achieve the most realistic strokes possible and I am trained in three different stroke patterns that span different cultures. I want my work to stand out, but not due to unnaturally obvious patterns.

My very first live model was the most stressful for me. I was so anxious that I could barely eat my breakfast that morning. I also made sure to select someone I’d have access to for the perfecting session. I didn't want to have someone walking around with half done brows. When she came to me eight weeks later for her perfecting session, a lot of her strokes had faded but not too many. That boosted my confidence quite a bit considering my instructor told me that most student work doesn’t take. Well, today her brows are poppin’! They look great.

I practice on my latex skins often. It helps with my comfort and confidence so when the time comes for me to hold that blade over someone’s face I'm less likely to make a mistake. It also shows me where I need to improve. I know how my strokes should look and how they should flow, when I wipe away the pigment and see the inconsistencies, I know what to focus on for the next brow.

I'm not striving for perfection because that would look different for a lot of people. My instructor says, "Practice makes progress" which I couldn't agree more. Looking at my very first set of brows on latex compared to my most recent, some would call my brow work questionable. The moral of the story, different strokes for different folks. (pun absolutely intended)

(pictured above, Robin Hunt, my first live model)