5 tips for a perfect microblading treatment

I’m a self-employed technician about to start offering microblading at a salon. Do I need to buy the license or should the salon cover it? 

Karen Betts, chief executive of HD Brows and K.B Pro, says microblading technicians need their own licence to work in a salon or clinic, whereas if the tech is employed by the salon then it’s the salon owner who must obtain the licence. However, Brenda Griffin, director of training and business development at BCI, advises that the salon or clinic must also have a special treatment licence. Always check with your local council as licensing laws vary around the country.

My client’s brows aren’t healing well; they’ve turned yellow and there’s a lot of redness. What can I do?

“This sounds like an infection,” says  Griffin. “This could be due to mismanagement of aftercare. Ask the client if they’ve been applying post-procedure product with their fingers instead of a clean cotton bud, or perhaps they’ve been rubbing the area because it is a little itchy as it heals.” Advise the client to see a doctor, who will, if necessary, prescribe topical antibiotics.

Griffin adds: “Sometimes if the brow is blocked with too much cream the skin can’t heal properly and the cream seals in the infection. The area needs to be cleaned with sterile isotonic saline solution and left to heal.”

Why is the finish on my client’s brows uneven and how can I resolve this?

Betts stresses the importance of really understanding the microblading process and explaining this to clients. “Within the first five days of the healing process, the skin can exfoliate and make the colour look uneven. Some of the colour is likely to flake off and this can happen in just some areas,” she explains.

“I explain to clients that it’s like when you paint a wall – after the first colour application it’ll look perfectly even but when it dries you’ll notice lighter patches. In that first treatment, you’ll be putting 80% of the colour in, and once it heals the client will come back for the second coat of paint. It’s a two-part procedure,” she says.

How can I make sure I’m buying high-quality pigments and equipment?

Brow Perfect’s trainer and microblading expert Emma Apps says it’s vital to make sure all the products you use “uphold EU specifications, with blades thoroughly sterilised”. She adds that you should be able to buy all the necessary products directly through your training company, if it’s reputable. “This should ensure your blades are constant in their shape and needle spacing and all pigments reliably consistent in colour.”

Check that the company has a number you can call for advice before and after sales, advises Tonya McGee, Finishing Touches’ micropigmentation master, adding: “All pigments, needles and blades should have an expiry date and lot number that should be logged on the client’s treatment plan for insurance purposes. All companies that sell pigments should also have MSDS sheets for the ingredients that go into each pigment and these should be easily accessible.”

How do I choose the perfect shade for a client?

This is primarily about having a firm understanding of advanced colour theory, but there are some other elements that come into ideal colour choice. “Ask what shade of brow make-up they currently use, whether this is this their natural hair colour and if they will be changing it any time soon. Also find out if the client is wearing fake tan,” says McGee. “You don’t want to be trying to find a perfect shade for your client’s skin tone only to find out that it’s actually tan. For the same reason, never test pigment over make-up,” she says.

Apps reiterates that “the colour in the pigment bottle will not be a true reflection of the final colour on the eyebrows”, adding “as the skin heals following the treatment, the colour will change. Your colour choice at the top-up session will be a reflection of how the first session has healed.”

This is an extract from an in-depth feature on microblading, which appeared in the April issue of Professional Beauty magazine, which is out now. A digital version can be bought online for £1.49 – or it's just £9.99 for 12 issues. The print edition is just £37 for an annual 12-issue subscription. Make sure you’re always the first to read the news and trends by subscribing online.