Tattoo. You hear the word and immediately think “permanent”, “painful”, “expensive” and sometimes “regretful”.
But did you know cosmetic tattoo is actually semi-permanent? In the cosmetic tattooing industry, we use pigments, not inks, and your body actually slowly breaks it down and eliminates it over time hence requiring an annual touch up to keep them looking like they did when you first had them done.
Is tattooing the same as microblading? No. Microblading involves a thin blade made up of small needles that is dipped into pigment and then pulled through the skin to make a line that mimics a hair. Microblading can look fabulous when done by someone who is very skilled but can be detrimental to the brows if done by someone who doesn’t really know what they’re doing. Because microblading involves slicing the skin, hair follicles can be damaged in the process and can lead to patchiness where hairs will not be able to grow back. Also, if the artist slices too far down, the strokes will blow out over time and merge together, leaving you with a less than desirable look which will require correction or laser removal.
Is brow tattooing the same as body tattooing? In some respects, yes, a tattoo machine is used in the process with very fine gauge needles so that fine lines (nano strokes) can be produced and also small areas of shading can be completed. Brow tattoo, like body tattoos can be painful for some clients and tolerable for others – all of my clients are offered numbing cream before and during the procedure depending on their pain tolerance. Because the face can be a sensitive area – brow tattooing is completed very gently and there should be minimal (if any) blood as it’s only the top layers of skin that are being punctured with the needle. Your body produces a watery substance that can sometimes look honey-like, called lymph. This is the body’s way of responding to trauma to ward off infection and start the healing process. Having beads of lymph on the surface of the brows during and immediately after tattooing is completely normal and expected.
Why should I get my brows tattooed? If you fill in your brows every day and like your brows to be more defined then tattooing is definitely the more budget friendly way of achieving this, in the long run. Initially the cost of brow tattoo can scare clients away but the cost of tinting every few weeks and buying brow pencil or pomade every few months all adds up and you’ll end up saving money further down the track. Brow tattoo makes your morning make-up routine much easier and you’ll be more motivated to go about your day make-up free as your brows will look snatched and fabulous from the moment you wake up. There are also multiple styles you can choose from so you’re not stuck with a one-brow-fits-all kind of deal.
Ombré, Nano and Combination – what are they? Brow tattoo styles change over time, we know this from looking at make-up techniques through the decades. Thick brows were all the rage in the 80s and then all of a sudden, every woman and their dog became tweezer-happy and basically tweezed their brows to death until there was nothing left! Because trends come and go, there are a few brow tattoo techniques that will look great over time which are the styles I use at L’artiste Brow Studio.
One technique of brow tattoo that looks incredible on every one is Ombré. Literally translated to “shade” or “shadow” in French, it gives a lovely pencilled in look to existing brows. Brows are darker and more defined at the tail and then the pigment is lighter as you get to the head of the brow. It gives a super sleek, crisp looking brow that ends up looking like natural perfection once healed.
The next technique is called Nano and it is basically microblading without the microblade. Thin, hair-like strokes are placed throughout the entirety of the brow to give them more fullness but with a softer effect. They can create a more streamline looking brow and can help fill in any sparse areas without the harshness of solid colour.
And lastly, we have combination brows which is a combination of ombré and nano brows – ombré brows with hair like strokes just at the head of the brow to give a more natural effect. This brow technique is great for anyone who lacks hair in the head of the brow and loves a laminated look.
