My Brow Tattoo Experience!

This is Day 1 directly after the tattoo service: (ie: freshly inked) It will take 14 days to heal and lighten up to reveal the lighter, true natural color. SEE days 8 and 14 below! 

MY WHY:
As a former make-up artist, busy aesthetician & yoga/fitness instructor I was 
​SO OVER dealing with a make-up pencil to shade-in my now sparser-by-the-day,
post-menopause brows! Even more frustrating, they rarely lasted the day,  usually getting wiped off after a sweaty yoga class or the ever so sexy color outside the lines mid-day smudge that I didn't notice until I got home....PRETTY...LOL  
So when I learned about the newest techniques for semi-permanent brow tattooing that were smudge proof AND waterproof ...
I definitely raised these eyebrows and decided to take the leap!  ​

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The BEST Soul Warming Benefit that happened! 
Hearing from all the people that were inspired by my experience. I LOVE THIS! I've had a grandmother contact me about her granddaughter with alopecia, A cancer survivor whose brows never grew back the same and so many women from my both my spa and yoga studio that had either lost their brows to hormonal aging, over-plucking back in the day etc. that never knew natural looking opportunities like these were available to them. ​​

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​READ ON...
to learn more about my brow tattoo experience
OR JUST SCROLL DOWN
to see the final results after healing

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First The Choices! 
Where to go and what technique to choose?

The most important this to do is find a reputable technician that has plenty of experience, pictures of their work on display to check out and happy, happy customer reviews!
I chose Megan from Best Brows Microblading in Madison. She had all the check marks! 
(I posted her business info below.)
 
Microblading, Nanoblading and Ombré Powder Shading?
Microblading and nanoblading both use soft hair-like strokes while ombré powder shading uses a soft pin point technique to shade and fill in brows similar to how it looks when using your eyebrow pencil. Sometimes these techniques  are used in combination and all can provide a realistic, beautiful natural looking brow. Great for filling in sparse, light, non-existent brows or simply enhancing the ones you have. Because I had a fairly good brow shape that was simply getting sparser due to hormone changes, 
 Megan and I chose the ombre' powder shading technique. ​

THIS PICTURE IS A CLOSE UP RIGHT AFTER THE PROCEDURE.
The final color will be approximately 50% lighter as they heal and shed...for me it was around days 8-10 that I noticed the difference. See my pics for days 8 and 14 below. Notice also how she enhanced my natural shape to create more lift and symmetry.

How Long Does It Last? 
Depending on which technique you and your technician choose they will last between 1-3  years or literally as long as you want with a color boost every few years to keep them looking fresh. 

How Will I Know If It Will Look Good On Me? 
A good technician knows their stuff and takes their time! Megan spent 
2 1/2 hours with me discussing what I wanted, mapping out the correct shape, matching pigment to my hair color and skin tone, pre-drawing and making sure everything was perfect before beginning the tattoo procedure. She paused and handed me a mirror several times throughout the procedure to ask me questions and point out areas she wanted to shape or fill in, asking my opinion along the way.  It was fun seeing the progress and being a part of the process! 

Does It Hurt? 
A little in spots but it was really minor. Megan lightly numbed the areas she was working on to keep the me comfortable during the whole process.  When she was working on the inner corners it really triggered an urge to sneeze but OMG...I surpressed them because I'm guessing that might have not gone well with a tattoo tool in her hand!  

​Healing Time and Upkeep:
For 14 days, You can't get them wet which makes it VERY tricky to wash your face or shower. I did get mine wet a couple of times and simply blotted them dry right away. You don't want to expose them to the sun or rub them during the healing time, You also can't allow ANY products to get on them. Basically, during the 14 day healing process...simply leave them alone. 

Day 8
My brows began to lightly flake as part of the tattoo healing phase and they were also lightening up to reveal my true color...I was REALLY excited for this but dang, did they ever itch during this phase! 

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THE ITCHING DAYS: 
DAY 7-11:  They began to go through a flaking process and I basically wanted to itch my eyebrows off!  I found that just tapping around the brow helped to alleviate the urge to itch. It's also important to let the shedding happen naturally so you don't prematurely pick off pigmented areas not ready to shed yet. Basically, no itching, no picking, no rubbing...this phase was a bit harder to keep hands off for me!  With the Ombre' Powder Shadow technique the shedding was actually pretty minimal and I sailed through it really well. 

Day 14 -My thoughts on the final results  
I'm so glad I made the decision to have them done!
They are perfect for me and my lifestyle...I LOVE them, my husband loves them, my dog loves them! They've inspired & started conversations, 
and those make-up pencils...GONE!  
In 6 weeks I'll be going in for my complementary post tattoo touch-up.
After that, I'll be good to go for a few years until a color boost! 
This ​Maintenance Free Beauty Boost
Was Definitely Worth The Eyebrow Raise!
Thank You Megan at Best Brows Microblading! 

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Oh Yeah, Almost Forgot ! How Much Does This Cost?
It can vary based on location and technician. Mine were **$325 plus optional tip. As a service provider myself,  I personally know how wonderful it feels to receive a gesture of gratitude from your clients for the extra care and excellent work that's provided. Take care of people...It comes back to you!  
**Her pricing also includes a free touch up 4-6 weeks after your service.  

 I hope You Enjoyed Learning About
My Brow Tattoo Experience.
​xo, Cathy  

This is where I went to have mine done: 
​BEST BROW MICROBLADING-Megan Mackowiak
433 Grand Canyon Dr. Suite 6, Madison, WI 
906-553-2924 
You Can Also Find Her On Facebook