Thinking about getting your brows done? Then you’ve come to the right place lovely. Pour yourself a cup of tea & get comfy while I tell you all about what it’s really like to get an eyebrow tattoo. Being a cosmetic eyebrow tattooist who has also had her brows done, I can tell you all about it!
Find Your New Brow Best Friend
Firstly, you’re gonna need to really trust your tattooist! Do your research, check out their work & ask for a consultation with them before going ahead. Ask for examples of healed eyebrow photos so you know what your results will really look like. This is your FACE lovely and you want your brows done by someone who really knows what they’re doing!
Find out more about the Soft Powder Brow Tattoo or see examples of healed work.
Once you’ve decided on your new brow best friend (aka eyebrow tattooist), get ready for some soon to be fabulous brows! But first? A little preparation….
What To Do Before You Tattoo
-Don’t pluck or wax your eyebrows for at least two days prior to your procedure. This is because plucking & waxing can cause swelling to the area which may affect the results of your tattoo.
-Don’t take alcohol or aspirin for 24 hours before your procedure.
-Make sure you are a suitable candidate for cosmetic tattooing, as certain health conditions & medications are not appropriate for tattooing. Find out if you're ok to get cosmetic tattooing here.
It’s The Big Day!!!
Make sure you leave up to 3 hours for your eyebrow tattoo procedure. It sounds like a long time, but tattooing is not something you want to rush!
When you arrive at your appointment, you’ll fill in a client history form & have a good chat with your tattooist about the results you’re looking for. A patch test can also be done to see if you have any sensitivities to tattoo pigment.
Now it’s time to talk colours! Your tattooist should analyse your skin tone & hair colour then test colours with you. As there are many different factors in how cosmetic tattoos heal, it’s important to remember that your colour may not look exactly how it looked during testing. It will be very close however and a good tattooist will be able to recommend the best colour for you, whilst taking your personal preference into account.
PRO TIP: Ask your tattooist whether they use iron-oxide or organic pigments. Trust me, it can mean the difference between normal or pink eyebrows in the future. Read more about pigments here.
Your New Eyebrows
Next stop… shaping! This is the most important stage in the tattooing procedure in my opinion. The shape must be absolutely perfect for your unique face shape & existing brows so it will take a bit of time to get right. Your tattooist will use measuring tools to draw on the perfect brow shape for you which you can check multiple times to make sure you love it!
Once you’re totally happy with the shape it’s time to get down to business. Tattooing will feel different to everyone, some people feel a bit of discomfort whereas other clients I’ve had have literally fallen asleep during their procedure! I check in with clients often during the procedure as their comfort is top priority.
Then drum roll please…… And say hello to your brand new brows!!! You may be a little in shock when you first see your new brows because they will be dark. This is totally normal, don’t worry! What you are actually seeing is pigment still sitting near the surface of the skin. Brows fade about 30%-50% once they have healed & become much lighter & softer.
The Healing Journey
So begins the healing process! This takes between 5 - 10 days and your brows need to be kept dry for up to 7 days. Every tattooist has their own aftercare advice which should be thoroughly discussed with you during your consultation.
During the healing journey, your brows may feel a bit itchy but no scratching! Any scratching or picking at your brows will disrupt the healing process and affect the result of your eyebrow tattoo. So they just need to be left to their own devices. Your brows will begin to start peeling which is exactly what they should do. You’ll notice the skin underneath looks much lighter in comparison to the skin that is peeling off. The skin underneath is the actual tattoo colour. This colour will fully appear within 4 weeks, after your immune response has resolved healing the tattoo. You’ll be given aftercare cream and instructions on how to best look after your tattoo during the healing process. Then once it’s all healed… time to come back again!
One More Time
Again?! Why do I need ANOTHER session of tattooing?
You’ll need a perfecting session for your new brows as cosmetic tattooing is a two step process. The perfecting session (done 6 weeks after your first procedure) allows the opportunity to perfect the shape, colour and density of the original session. There are many factors which influence pigment retention, making it hard to predict exactly how the pigment will hold after your first procedure. Just remember, it’s worth doing two sessions to have perfect brows for a year! Imagine waking up with perfect brows for a YEAR. Yes please.
Have a question? Want to find out more about the Soft Powder Brow tattoo?
Book in for a free, no obligation consultation here & let’s talk BROWS!
Elise Louise is the client certified 'brow wizard'. Seriously, she has the certificate her client made her to prove it.
Find her in her Melbourne salon, specialising in the Soft Powder Brow Tattoo, the Keratin Lash Lift and expert brow services.
Check out more of her blog here.