It is never easy to turn a client away or tell them they aren’t a candidate for something but in the case of microblading, clients should know they have other options. While microblading is only good for about 30% of the population, microshading is right for almost everyone. So, what is the difference?
Microblading is tattooing very fine hair strokes that are meant to resemble real hair into the skin. It is done with a very fine blade with little cuts into the brow line. The healing process can be intense, and the results vary depending on the artist, of course, but also on your skin type. If a client has dry skin and the artist is experienced, caring, and talented, the results can be beautiful and very natural looking. However, when microblading is done on skin that isn’t dry (as in dry skin type), the lines can become flat and murky. Those lines against your real hair can look anything other than natural. They are fatter, grayer, and end up looking like stripes instead of hairstrokes. Usually, the only way to fix it is to have it removed or shaded over.
Another thing that can happen with microblading is when a technician isn’t experienced enough to know how deep to go into the skin. If the cuts aren’t deep enough, there is no saturation with the pigment and the client is left with red brows. The redness is usually caused by a combination of iron-based pigment and scarring. It can be difficult to conceal but an artist who understands color correction and microshading may be able to help.
So, what is microshading?
Microshading is a technique known by many names. Micropigmentation, Ombre Brows, Powder Brows and Combo Brows are all forms of this permanent make-up technique. It works by leaving microscopic dots in the brow line to give a filling affect, like what clients would do to fill in their brows with brow powder. When done right, the color is perfectly matched to your hair and skin and is only detectable very close up. It is a gentler procedure, so it is good for clients over the age of 50. It is usually done with a permanent make-up pen machine and smaller needles. The needle size depends on the client’s skin condition.
Clients who have a lot of sun exposure, sweat, or swim a lot or have oily skin will benefit more from microshading as the pigment is implanted slightly deeper into the skin so it doesn’t fade as fast. Touch-ups are usually necessary once per year to refresh the color, but otherwise provides a low maintenance way of life when it comes to daily make-up application.
