At a tender 12 years old, I butchered my eyebrows. For some reason, I thought ONE line of hair was an appropriate width for an eyebrow.
By high school they were thicker than one hair, but not by much. This photo was from my junior year I think. I lived in a time before selfies, if you can imagine so there is little documentation.
One day I was asked a question that left me feeling so self conscious about my brows, “where are they?” It makes me laugh now because really, where were they? They surely didn’t grow back!
After years of spending lots on products and time filling my brows, I took the plunge and got them microbladed the first time. I was so nervous to do something so permanent to my face, well, I guess semi-permanent. I did a ton of research and realized I had to go somewhere that was reputable. I didn’t want to end up with botched eyebrows!
I chose to go to Brows by Milly in Alpharetta, Ga. I ended up making my appointment with Niki.
What is microblading?
Microblading is a semi permanent tattoo procedure done on the eyebrows. It lasts up to three years and is done using a small tool that cuts tiny little lines in the skin that are then filled with pigment. Mine seems to last about a year and half max.
The Procedure
The procedure started with Niki looking at my face, drawing where she thought my brows should be, taking a picture to study it, and making sure I’m on board with her opinion.
At first it seems weird and my brows seemed they would be too large. I trusted her opinion though, and it just ends up my brows were that small. Don’t be afraid to speak up if you don’t like what they are doing, but if you are in a reputable location you don’t have to worry about designing your own brows. That’s the idea is they know what works because they are the expert. You shouldn’t have to guess!
The Pain
After the outline is determined, the blading starts. The first part is uncomfortable and stings. It’s not the worst pain ever, but I can not say it feels good. This step gets the initial lines on your face.
I took this photo below from the Brows by Mily site of how they draw them on.
If you chose to have numbing (lidocaine) cream you won’t feel a thing after. You can’t have this procedure done during pregnancy, but they will during breastfeeding. Some people may avoid the numbing while nursing, but I would say just wait all together without numbing because it will hurt so bad without it. I did use it, but that’s a personal choice. Some people don’t use numbing and are fine during, we all have different pain tolerances.
The pain to me feels like a cat scratch. Thin cuts and very stingy! It also makes me sneeze. It hurts some after; but totally manageable. The first time it hurt the worst after for a day or two. The initial touch up and this one didn’t hurt as bad.
Once your skin is numb, more deeper micro blades are done. The lines are filled with pigment and it sits for a few minutes. Once the pigment is done sitting, the brows are cleaned up and that’s it!
Pigment and Shape
As I mentioned above the reason you go somewhere with experts working on your brows is because it’s a science of symmetry and color. The pigment matters almost as much as the shape. The color fades after a couple of weeks so picking the right one should also be left up to an expert.
Post Care
It takes about 10 days for the brows to heal. Mine get a little flaky. You can not get them wet, sweat, or use facial chemicals during this time. Keep the healing period in mind when booking yours appointment. You have to follow the after care instructions to insure the microblading lasts. You will receive all the instructions after your procedure.
My Results
I went for the first time about 2.5 years ago.
Initial before and after:
The first time I went my brows looked great, a few months later they faded a good bit and needed a touch up. This is recommended the first time to come back within a couple months. After this initial touch up then my brows lasted about a year and a half.
After first touch up:
By this time I was filling areas in that had faded but overall the brows were still much better than before .
After a year: (sleep deprived with a three month old 🙈)
The fill in is so quick and way less involved. It took less than an hour for the fill in.
Day after fill in: (still sleep deprived just with makeup 🤣)
This is the day after the fill in. My brows will lighten significantly from this starting point.
Pricing
The price for this procedure can range dramatically . As I mentioned above, the reputability is so important! I paid $450 for the initial micro blading and the first touch up is $200. The annual touch up is $300. All the info is on the Brows by Milly site.
It’s not cheap, but when I add up spending 5+ minutes a day filling and working with my brows, it’s so worth it .
I would highly recommend Niki, and Brows By Milly in Alpharetta, Ga for your procedure. You can see a ton of transformations on their Instagram page that I’ll tag in my stories.
