What is Microblading?
And why does Haiku Ink no longer offer it?
What is it?
Microblading is a form of Cosmetic Eyebrow Tattoo done with a tool that is made up of a row of needles to slice the skin surface and allow ink to be pushed into the cuts.
Yes, you read that right - it is cutting the skin and pushing ink into the cuts.
It is often touted as the most natural looking permanent or “semi-permanent” eyebrow cosmetic tattoo option. We all thought it was going to be amazing because all we saw were the freshly done photos. And trust me, those photos were stunnnnning.
BUT it is a tattoo and it is NOT semi-permanent no matter what others call it. It does lighten faster and more unpredictably than Powder Brows but it will not disappear completely.
As Microblading fades, each individual line (aka “hairstroke”) will fade at different rates and most become spotty and dotted instead of the whole line fading uniformly. This results in eyebrows that lose their shape and become wobbly looking after 6 months to a year or two.
Cutting the skin repeatedly, year after year, in the exact same place results in scar tissue buildup as well and may also result in raised keloid scarring.
“Haiku Ink does not offer Microblading, Combo, or ‘Nano’ Hairstroke Eyebrows as these techniques do not offer natural looking longterm healed results.”
The truth is that 6 months to 2 years down the line, all Microblading or Hairstroke eyebrows blur out and become “Powder” Brows.
The dirty secret in the Permanent Makeup Industry is that Microblading can only be successfully touched up 1-3 times before every client has a filled in brow and then only solid Powder Brows can be done going forward.
Each touchup decreases the negative space between the lines and when all the negative space is gone, you have a filled in, solid brow.
For my clients, I prefer to be honest and let them know that the initial natural look of Microblading doesn’t last very long past healing and every single client who starts with Microblading will convert to a Powder Brow service eventually.
Examples of Healed Microblading
1-2-3 Years Later
Microblading Examples
These are not botched jobs - these are all done by professionals with professional products (most of them done locally in the DMV area).
This is what Microblading looks like a year or two or three later.
Some of these clients had several Microblading touchups, and some had just the initial sessions. Some of them were perfect candidates, some were not.
Some were very happy with their results for a year or two, but ultimately every single one had to have a Powder Brow to cover up the Microblading and correct the color(s).
Please zoom in on this photo to see how healed Microblading looks up close.
What about “Nano Brows”?
Microblading is cutting the skin, “Nano” is using a single needle to tattoo tiny lines that mimic the pattern of microblading. It is better in the sense that it is not cutting or slicing the skin, but it still has the same long-term look as microblading. It will never look like hair that has grown naturally, and over time it still has a spotted or splotchy flat look. The neat, thin lines become blurry and the negative space between the lines disappears leading to a solid yet uneven look that can only be fixed by laser removal.
Here is how you can confirm for yourself : Look at the “healed” nano brows on any nano artist’s social media. They are all 6-12 weeks. Maybe MAYBE they show one or two clients a year out as proof. But if they are doing hundreds of nano clients a year, then they should be excited and proud to show off their nano clients’ pictures from 1-3 years later before touching them up again. Because their clients would be ecstatic and coming back to their original artist for years and years.
In fact what you will only see is photos of nano clients that are AFTER their touchup is done. There is no photo evidence from before the touchup because it looks bad, and those clients were walking around with those brows for months if not years before they were faded enough to allow a refresh.
What about Combo or Combination Brows?
This is a mix of microblading or nano “hair strokes” at the front plus shading or powder style through the tail of the brow blended into the fronts. It is touted as even more natural looking than microblading or nano strokes alone. I find that the “powdered” part of the brow holds up but the lines at the front make for a speckled or spotted look after a while. Eventually all “strokes” have to be covered by powder brows because there is a point in time when you can no longer realistically make the tiny lines stay neat and tidy.
NOT MY WORK : Example of healed combination brows over time
Luckily, You Made it to the Haiku Ink Website
You have taken the time to research and you have finally found a studio that is willing to shed light on these industry secrets.
Powder Brows
So with all of that information on microblading, and why I don’t recommend it, what is the solution?
Powder Brows.
It’s not the solid scary old school tattoo brows of the past. Powder Brows can be very delicate and blended.
Instead of cutting the skin, we use a tattoo machine and fine gauge tattoo needle cartidges to tattoo a soft, powdery brow shape and color. Think of it like airbrushing or soft focus brows.
Here are examples of how Powder brows look on my clients after several years :
Did you have Microblading Done in the Past?
You are not alone. At Haiku Ink, I receive multiple inquiries per day asking me to fix their microblading done at other local studios. No one explained the ultimate outcome they should expect from Microblading and they no longer trust their artist to take the best course of action for their face.
Sadly, most of these inquiries need to be referred to a laser tattoo removal specialist or they must go through 3-5 sessions (12-24 months!) worth of saline tattoos removal at Haiku Ink.
If the previous microblading is too dark or too saturated or too DEEP, then we cannot fix it by adding more ink over top of it.
Please visit the Policies Page to learn more about my corrections policy of working over top of any previous work, not matter how faded or light it is.