New Cosmetic Tattoo Technique Raising Eyebrows
The latest trend in makeup is raising an eyebrow or two among women. Thick, lush and sculpted eyebrows are in, and the craze won’t be fading anytime soon. Tattooed eyebrows are semi-permanent.
The new beauty trick can thank microblading, a term for the somewhat permanent and now mainstream tattoo technique that ensures women will no longer leave home without their makeup in proper order.
Instead of traditional tattoo machines, microblading involves hand-held tools similar to X-Acto knives, but made up of a number of mounted needles. The microblade makes incisions in the dermal layer of the skin – one line at a time -- that are much shallower, tiny hair-like strokes compared to those made for tattoos.
A trained cosmetic tattoo artist can then insert a permanent makeup pigment where the lines were cut. These inks are created specifically for microblading.
Best results are achieved by inks that match the red or pink undertones of skin, said Gustavo Mitchell, president of Monster Steel, a Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.-based e-commerce provider and supplier of a full line of products for the tattoo industry including permanent makeup ink for 3D eyebrows.
“Each ink is custom-blended to match the subject,” he said. “Microblading has become extremely popular with women who no longer want to rely on pencils and pomades for bold and bushier eyebrows.”
Microblading can require up to two weeks to heal and sometimes a month for the color to fully take effect. The cosmetic tattoo procedure can take 60 minutes and last 18-24 months depending on the number of touch-ups.
“Eyebrows are in the spotlight now more than ever,” said Emily Joy, owner of Dollistic, a Washington, D.C.-salon that offers microblading. “The right eyebrows can make or break your face.”
The trend has transcended to include freckles as well. The “little stings” drawn in patterns across a forehead, nose or cheek, may have reached a pinnacle of attention when Kylie Jenner posted a photo of herself and her freckles – makeup free on Instagram.
Thanks to social media, Amber Gotmeister, who opened the Good Geisha tattoo shop in Toronto, said 10 percent of her clientele requests similar freckles or beauty marks. Microblading has also been beneficial in camouflaging scars and masking other reconstructive surgeries from cancer.