I remember it clear as day... the first time i tweezed my brows! I recall reading in a magazine how shaping your brows a bit can make a world of difference in your overall appearance. After all, the brows truly do frame the face. I began by tweezing just enough to create a sharper arch and thought, wow... what a difference this little adjustment made! Then i went HAM! Seriously wishing someone slapped the tweezers out of my hands and sent me straight to ' Over Tweezers Anonymous' but sadly, no such luck! Fast forward to a few years ago when i felt this immense determination to grow back my brows! I equipped myself with all the necessary (so i thought) ingredients! Castor oil, brow serums... you name it, i tried it. Sadly, operation 'grow your lashes back' failed miserably and i found myself having to engage in the arduous daily task of filling in my non-existent brows! I tried a ton of brow products but was truly married to just a small few. One in particular i simply could not live without. This product alone set me back $34 per month! I've been using this product and more for years and truth be told, it adds up. Last year, i began hearing more and more about microblading but the thought of a semi-permanent tattoo-like situation on my forehead scared the heck out of me! My assistant had hers done and i thought she was quite brave for doing it. She has dark hair so initially, it was a bit difficult to grasp how dark they were. She kept assuring me that the pigment would fade to a perfect match. Then she began scabbing and i immediately decided... nope, not doing it! Still, a part of me was curious. As time went on, more and more friends and followers shared their experiences with me (mostly all positive) and i began feeling a bit more convinced. This new year's, i decided there were a few things i just need to get out of my system. Sometimes, you just have to book an appointment and not give it too much thought! So i did... for lash extensions! I'd been dying to try them and i thought that was a great way to begin this year's 'bucket list' journey. As soon as i did my lash extensions i decided that i was going to bite the bullet and get microblading done as well!
My 'barely there' brows before Microblading
This is one of those things where you have to do a little research! I asked my instagram followers for help and boy did they come through with amazing recommendations. After carefully researching all the recommendations sent my way, i narrowed it down to two places. I began following both on instagram and watched their work come to fruition via every single picture/video post. I decided that once i returned from vacation, i was going to book an appointment and just do it! Well, interestingly enough, i follow Lauren Manzo of the Real Housewives of NJ on Instagram and she posted herself getting microblading done by one of my top two places of choice. Her brows look amazing and so i felt that i was being guided in the direction of Jennifer at Dr. Jeffrey Wise's office in Wayne, NJ. Coincidentally, while i was away on vacation, Jennifer DM'd me and offered to have me come in for a session. It's so funny how life works sometimes! Obviously the universe is guiding me to this person because that's the right person for me.
I was definitely scared, but Jennifer gently set me at ease!
I felt so many emotions going into this but Jennifer was so kind and reassuring. Truthfully, her work speaks for itself and i knew i was in the best of hands. Besides, i gave birth to TWINS, i can certainly handle this right?! My appointment was August 1st. I walked into Dr. Wise's office and instantly felt at ease. The office environment is serene, the staff was incredibly lovely and courteous, and the space was impeccable to say the least. After filling out some initial paperwork, Jennifer came to greet me with a welcoming smile and honestly, we just vibed! The space where she performs microblading is very comfortable. There was a large flat screen TV showing Fixer Upper (love me some Chip and Joanna Gaines) which immediately set me at ease. Jennifer began to place numbing cream on my brows and told me i needed to sit and wait for about 20 minutes. This was the perfect time for a little Q&A! To those who left questions on my insta-stories, i asked every single one!
Q & A with Jennifer
Q: Does it hurt?
A: It shouldn't because we are not going deep into the tissue. Microblading is superficial and this is a medical office so we use medical grade numbing which is nice! I numb you throughout the entire process. Actually, the second passing that i do becomes more numb than the first.
Q: How long does it last?
A: Depending on the person! People maintain microblading differently. So if you have oily skin it doesn't last as long. Also, people who get a lot of sun, it doesn't last as long. Lighter colors will fade faster. Patients are getting touch-ups anywhere from 6-18 months. In terms of longer, by the two year mark it's pretty much softened to the point where you won't have much left.
Q: How long does the actual procedure last?
A: So your first appointment is two hours because we are really fine tuning the shape that is going to be aesthetically pleasing for your brow and your structure. The second appointment is about an hour and a half because I'm not as worried about creating a shape but more filling/shading in the brow where it needs to be touched up.
Q: Who can we trust to do this:
A: There are different laws in different states. In NJ you have to have a licence. A lot of people have the misconception that if someone is certified, they can get microbladed which is not the case. They have to be licensed. I think pictures speak volumes so licensing and pictures are the way to go.
Q: What is microblading exactly?
A: Microblading is a technique where we use a tool that looks like a blade but it's not. It's made up of little pins and I'm drawing in the strokes which makes it a very artistic treatment also! We draw in these strokes in the superficial layer of skin with pigments not inks.
Q: Does it work on all skin tones?
A: It does but thicker more oily skin types, microblading might not be the best option for them.
Q: Oh is there an alternative?
A: It would be the old permanent makeup that we do... powder brows we call them now. So it gives more of a penciled/powdered in effect. It's softer so you don't see the definition of the hair strokes and I'm using a permanent makeup device to shade them in.
Q: What is the range of cost for microblading?
A: I think for someone who is really skilled and licensed, the going rate in the New York, New Jersey area can be anywhere from $800 to $1,500 depending on your technician.
Q: Is the one month follow up included in the initial price?
A: Mine is though I'm not sure about others.
Q: What is the cost of maintenance?
A: So typically it's about half the price of the initial cost. Your brow shape should still be somewhat there but the idea is that you have one appointment to redefine and boost the color.
Q: How many visits overall?
A: The initial visit and one touch up. After that, you can schedule a maintenance visit according to your needs. You will know when your brows begin fading and you're due for a touch up (as mentioned above, anywhere from 6-18 months).
Q: Since you have to get them touched up yearly, will there be any scar tissue build up?
A: Because we are only in the superficial layer (the epidermis) there should absolutely be no scar. If there is, someone is absolutely going too deep!
Q: Should you pencil in your brow shape prior to the appointment?
A: I think nice to see how comfortable someone is with their brows look. I think it's a good idea to see what they're comfortable with, how they like their arch, what color they're using to get a general idea. It doesn't mean that you have to necessarily follow that but it's a good guide.
Q: In the long road, is it financial worth it?
A: That is entirely up to you! Is it worth it to pencil in your brows every day? I've never met a person who said 'i miss filling in my brows'! Besides, brow products get expensive too! It is life-changing for a lot of people!
Q: Do you get microblading? You seem to have a lot of eyebrow hair!
A: Yes! While i have a lot of hair, i don't necessarily have the shape i long for. Microblading gives me the perfect arch! I actually have a hybrid brow!
Q: A hybrid brow? Please share what that is!
A: So different techniques... Microblading is a technique where you're drawing in strokes. Microshading is a technique where i can tap in the pigment and create this powder effect to give the brow more density. Stroking alone can sometimes look very flat, especially if you don't have a lot of hair so it just creates a 3D effect. I would say that 90% of the people that i do are a combination of microblading and microshading!
Q: Are you able to get waxed microblading?
A: Absolutely but i don't know many people that would want to considering you have this beautiful shape. You can simply take a tweezer to clean up the area.
Jennifer applying the numbing cream on my brows!
Once Jennifer answered all of my questions, she proceeded with the next step which was to measure and sketch in the brows. She really takes her time with this process. Most brows are somewhat asymmetrical (remember they're sisters, not twins!). Once she sketched in the brows based on my shape request, she sat me up to take a look. This was important because i could essentially decide if they're the perfect arch, thickness etc. I loved the shape she created so thankfully, there wasn't a need for any further changes.
Getting my brows sketched in
At this point, Jennifer began her work. A few seconds in and i asked her if she had already started? She assured me that she had so i quickly exhaled a sigh of relief because all i felt at that moment was a slight tapping on my brow. Kind of like a q-tip tapping, so no pain whatsoever. That isn't to say that i didn't feel anything, i did! In fact, when she began to sketch in the strokes, i felt them. The pain was dull and tolerable. She numbed my brows multiple times during the entire process which as so helpful. She created a hybrid brow (see above) by shading in a portion of the brow and leaving a portion with sole strokes to give the brow some depth. The entire process took about two hours. When she finished, she sat me up to take a look. My first reaction was WOW, i was so happy with the shade/color. It wasn't too dark, the arches looked great and overall it was just a world of difference from what i walked in with. I asked her to add a few strokes to the inner parts of the brow, but other than that, her work was perfection. I was SO PLEASED!
Jennifer gave me a sheet containing instructions on how to care for my brows over the course of the next month. Mostly, I'm suppose to keep them dry (especially the first 7-10 days). It also lists what to expect in terms of stages. She disclosed that you don't really get the full effect of what the brows will look like until about two months in. This is because after your touch-up, you'll need to go through the healing process again! I will be documenting the healing process along with the touch up session which I've already scheduled for the end of August. I will write an updated post so that you could get a better visualization of what the entire process entails.
Thank you so much for reading and i share another update in a few weeks!
Xo, Carla - FMM
*This service was complimentary however all opinions are my own based on my own experience.
