Many clients often have a challenging time navigating through all the terms for permanent cosmetic choices. Eyebrows being the top choice and with so many styles to choose from can be confusing. One thing to note is that any professional tech is going to create a customized brow for you regardless of the label, often we blend multiple techniques as well to create the best outcome. Often this is dictated by what the clients skin can tolerate. Here are the basics
MICRO BLADING: Micro blading is only used for eyebrows. This is a tool and technique that creates very fine lines and “hair strokes”. Manually applied with different types of micro blades. The size the thickness of the blades can determine how the hair stroke will look. We often use thicker blades to create thicker more coarse looking hair strokes, there are also blade counts such as a 7 or 12 that will dictate what type of hair stroke the artist wants to create. This is also one of the more intense procedures and can have some sensitivity to the client.
DIGITAL HAIR STROKES: Creating hair strokes with a digital or “machine”. Often using different needles as our paint brushes we can create hair strokes and this is often the choice for skin that cannot tolerate the micro blade. This creates a more diffuse hair stroke.
POWDER/SOLID: Powder brows are meant to create a powder look much like topical powder make up. They are not for creating hair strokes at all and are best for clients that want a more solid looking brow or have brows but want a base color. Solid brows are similar but usually have more density to create that “pin up” look or “vintage” look.
COMBO: Often we use combo techniques to combine powder with micro blade or hair strokes. Combo are good choices for clients that have little to no hair at all and may not be able to handle only microblading. It also helps to create more natural shading and dimensions.
Just like any procedure in beauty you really need to trust and communicate with the artist. There are to many details we are trained on to explain it all to a client but understanding some basics helps and showing pictures of what you desire does as well. Bring in your favorite looking brows and also showing what you do not prefer will go a long way in decoding the communication gap. Most techs will also show you the design and color choices before starting the tattooing and you should approve this.
For more information, visit Vine Studios, located in Seattle
