(Video) Microblading and semi-permanent make-up: when brows go bad

It’s the age-old question – should you correct another technician’s bad brow work? Karen Betts, permanent make-up expert and founder of KB Pro, reveals when to turn away work, when to take on a correction and which pigment colours should be avoided. 

“One of the reasons why with semi-permanent make-up and microblading we’re seeing so many bad brows in the press is because of the inadequate training some of the artists are going to now,” says Betts. “They are doing two or three days training and it’s not sufficient. They come out with a certificate but no confidence.”

How do I approach a brow correction?

Betts advises asking this important question before deciding if you’re going to take on a correction – does the client want a correction for work that somebody has just done or is it a correction for a treatment that was done several years ago?

“If a client has just had a treatment done then I would always say refer them back to the person that did the work. Don’t get yourself tangled up in ‘he said, she said’, let the artist do their second procedure because it gives them the opportunity to change that shape and do what the client wants,” explains Betts.

“On the other hand, if a client comes to you anywhere between 12 months to a couple of years after having the treatment done then you have to analyse if the shape is something you could go over, if it suits the client’s face and whether the colour is a colour you can correct. If it’s not then I would send them for laser so you can start with a blank canvas.”  

Which colours should be avoided?

“When you’re doing a correction, your understanding of colour theory and knowledge of pigments is absolutely paramount,” says Betts.

“It’s easy to change a shape but when doing a correction you’ve now got a base colour you’re working on. You’re not just working on the skin, you’re working on what’s been put there the first time and you have to correct that colour.”  

What’s the biggest mistake artists make when doing a correction?

Betts says a big non-no before accepting correction work is not looking at the client’s brow shape enough. “If the shape is far too high or far too wide, basically not a good shape that you can correct over, then don’t do it,” she advises.

“Send the client to be lasered instead and work from there. You will be the last person on their face and remember it’s your reputation on the line. They will be telling people that you did their brows.” 

For more helpful advice and tips, visit Professional Beauty’s YouTube page. 

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