Permanent eyebrow makeup: Anyone with experience?

OMG, I'm reading your post, and I'm just thinking about the same thing myself! In particular, I've been reading a bit about the Japanese method of drawing eyebrows, or microblading as some people call it. My optician had it done recently and her eyebrows look positively fantastic - very natural, very nice shape, just nice. If you go to Google images though, you will also get to see some results that aren't that great, to put it mildly.

I was watching this video about a clinic in Manchester, I believe, and although it was all done very properly and hygienically, the eyebrows looked very square (pretty much what you are saying you have and don't want, right?) and not natural at all. I suppose it's very important that you go look at the work before going ahead, and also that you chose a shape that really works well with your face, and a colour as well.

Hi,

I understand that having barely-there brows isn't something you like, and that drawing them on every morning is a pain. Getting permanent eyebrow makeup is really no different than having any tattoo on your face though. OK, if it's done very well and your brows look natural, it will not look anything like a tattoo. But it is one. Good tattoos are great, but bad ones on your face can really disfigure you, affecting your confidence and how others react to you severely. I'm sure you've seen women with terribly artificial looking brow tats. Sometimes they even go green or purple after a while.

If you are going ahead, you honestly want someone who is really, really good at what she does. I'd ask to see their portfolio and even ask to speak to people whose brows she'd done before. Make sure that you spend ages deciding the shape and length, as well as thickness. It shouldn't be a whole block, but individual hairs that are tattooed on. And they should definitely be certified and a member of a professional association. Ask what pigments they use and then Google those too. Look around on the web for reviews of the person you want to do your brows. And finally, I know brow tats are expensive. Don't cut corners on the price. What you pay for is what you get, right?

It's me again. You could also consider brow extensions instead. The good thing is that they use real hairs which they carefully apply to your natural brows. The shape can look radically different though you might expect it and they can use natural hair that matches your own. From what I have heard, brow extensions can last up to 3 weeks if you are careful with them. And if you don't like the shape... you are not stuck with them for the rest of your life. That is a huge plus.

God, I have looked at pictures of eyebrow tattoos before. My eyebrows aren't exactly the picture of beauty, but GOD I really decided against it after seeing what can go wrong. Lots of those ladies look like they have been STAMPED with a kiddy stamp. You can see their eyebrows a mile off. They positively look like clowns. Imagine turning into an old lady having charcoal black eyebrows looking back at you in the mirror. What's worse (ok, not sure if it's worse) is that many of these eyebrows have this surprised look built in where someone perpetually looks as if they've just found out that they had been going around naked. Not willing to risk looking this awful. I'd rather pierce my tongue than do this. And I hate piercings.

My problem with eyebrows is actually that I overplucked them. Looking back at pictures from before I started using the dreaded tweezers, they weren't actually really a bad shape to begin with. I'd be happy if I could just get my original shape back, I'm telling ya. I won't lie, I've seen the horrendous eyebrows myself and I didn't even have to Google to come across them... Bad shapes are one thing that's harder to prevent (though you do get an idea of what the shape looks like before the procedure), but the weird colours are mainly down to pigments that aren't used any more if I understand correctly. It's the iron oxide that makes eyebrows turn weird colours, specifically. So make sure you don't get that, and you will probably not end up with the creepy looks, you know? Course I'm still too chicken to get permanent eyebrow makeup done right now, and I'm tended more towards the extensions or something. But I did want to say that it isn't accurate to say that everyone who gets permanent brows ends up looking like Frankenstein. Some of the more modern ones look so natural that you can't tell the difference.

YEP! ME!!! Just had my eyebrows done a few days ago!!! I'm loving the shape and can already see they will look awesome. Right this minute they look a little darker than I was hoping but I've been told they they will start fading over the next few weeks and that this is completely normal. I'm just having to trust the process and hoping that it will happen that way. Also, after it's all done healing you have to go back and get it redone one more time. Then, you hopefully end up with great looking eyebrows with a really nice natural looking color!

My experience with eyebrow tattoos (done about six years ago).

First, the beautician shaped my eyebrows with a regular eyebrow pencil, to determine the shape. She said she could shape them differently if I didn't like them the way she did them, but I did. I have eyebrows with an arch that look basically perfect in shape. I still love the shape, six years on.

It took about an hour and it hurt really badly. I got a tattoo on my lower back a few years after and honestly that hurt nowhere as much as the eyebrows did. So be prepared for that part, girls. It was hard to stay still and I was scared that she was going to mess my eyebrows up.

Afterward my beautician told me not to touch them again until healed. So it will peel, but don't rip off the bits of skin that are hanging loose, just leave them be. If you do pick, your tattoo will be ruined. They looked amazing right after it was done. During the healing period they looked thicker than I wanted, but that faded within the first month. I used vaseline on them during the healing period. You have to keep it moisturized to prevent scabbing and to make the peeling look less.

So in short I looked embarrassing for about a month. Since than they have looked awesome. Now they have faded some to the point where I should probably be thinking about getting a touch up and I do use some eyebrow pencil again.

It's not something I regret though. I seriously looked like I had no eyebrows before having them tattooed and now they are still keeping their shape, albeit a bit faded.

Oh, and when I tell people I have tattooed eyebrows, they are really surprised, so it must look natural.

Eyebrow tattoos can transform your look — both positively and negatively.

I too shaved my eyebrows off (yes, OFF) during my teens, and was left looking less than wonderful. Spending so much time and effort on getting the perfect brows each day was disappointing, not least because they never ended up looking perfect. I finally decided to get eyebrow tattoos done. I love mine. You do need to know that eyebrow tattoos have changed lots over the last 10 or so years, and the ones you will get now are only going to last you up to two years, fading with time. That is a GOOD THING: If you get bored with the shape or just don't want them any more, they will go away eventually. Unlike another posted here, I didn't think getting my eyebrows done hurt as much as regular tattoos. Not unlike a regular tattoo, the aftercare makes or breaks your new tattoo. If you do not follow instructions, you will lose out.

Now I won't lie. Though I was super excited to get my eyebrows done to restore them to their full glory, it did take me a while to love them. It was just me, looking differently. I have had them a year now and they have already faded some, but I am very happy I had them done now and will probably have it done again when the time comes.

Technology has moved on. The pigments they use now make your eyebrows look very realistic. Don't worry, AS LONG AS you have chosen a reputable place to have it done and are very sure you like the shape.

Alright then, your post and Tickels' post have got me wondering about them eyebrow tats again now. I mean, you've gotta be really bl**dy careful that you get it done at the right place, obvs. That's where I get cold feet. 'Cause how do I know for sure that I'd be happy with the result unless I got it done? What if it doesn't work out the way I want it to? Yeah, it's comforting to hear that they go away again, but two years, yeah, that's a long way to wait, innit? I'd like something more like my natural brows and to be honest, I'd rather have a good tat than those products which they say can cause all kindsa pigment issues and even darker eyes and stuff. Do you wanna talk me into feeling confident about the idea of getting my brows tattooed?

Hi Londongirl, nobody should have to talk you in to getting a treatment you are not sure you want. The salon you are going to should speak for itself, so that you do not have to wonder whether you will end up with something wonderful or something horrendous, but you are just excited to have your brows done. Since this is an international board, it is probably best if you find some local board where you can ask for recommendations. You can also use the internet to search for best salons on your area. Then, look for both positive and negative reviews. And always, always, always ask to see a portfolio. If it is a good salon, half the people working there should have had their eyebrows done there so you can see the results for yourself as well.

I had Brow Resurrection done and I am a very satisfied customer! Like so many here, forever seemed a touch too long for me, and that is why I went for Brow Resurrection as opposed to Brow Resurrection Define, which lasts a lot longer. These results are mean to fade completely in two years, and I might need touch ups every six months or so, which is fine with me. The best is that, from a short distance, my eyebrows absolutely look like normal actual hairs and not a tattoo. I would advise anyone wanting eyebrow makeup to look into Brow Resurrection.

To add, thanks to the numbing cream that was applied during the treatment, it did not hurt much at all. The shape and color of the eyebrows was analyzed in detail before the treatment and the pigment matches the color of my own eyebrows very well. There was some blood. The staff are all trained in Singapore and very competent and nice. It is possible to get your eyebrows done for much cheaper elsewhere, but Brow Resurrection beats the other options because it is so meticulous.

Me. I got permanent eyebrow makeup and they look terrible. I have only had them for two months so far and I look cheap and artificial. The shape did not come out the way I was expecting it too, they are much darker than they should have been, too dark for my natural hair color, and I am very unhappy every time I look in the mirror. I am already thinking about how I can get them removed with a laser. If you have a natural stop mechanism that tells you not to get this done, you are so right. This is honestly one of the biggest regrets of my life.