Imagine: the weekend is coming, you’re going out with your friends to a new club on 17th Ave, and you’ve got to look your best. Maybe next week, there’s a big work event at the Telus Convention Centre. Or, you’ve got an outdoor wedding to attend in six months on Prince’s Island Park, and you’re going to be in a lot of photos. Here’s something you can do to help with all of those – you can get your eyebrows looking their best.
When you’re ready to seriously step up your eyebrow game, there are a few options to truly set you apart in any crowded room. Waxing and plucking have their place – but the future of brows that wow is in two procedures: microblading and tattooing.
If you’ve considered either of these before, you’re likely wondering, What’s the difference between microblading and tattooing? Here are some of the big things you should know.
Microblading Pigment and Traditional Tattoo Ink
In both procedures, something is placed under the skin – a special pigment for microblading, and a more permanent ink for tattoos. While these have some different qualities, it’s important to know that no matter which one you choose, the colour and its “pop” will fade over time. Even black “life-long” tattoo ink will change eventually, becoming more blue, green, or brown as years go by.
Microblading uses a more temporary pigment which is expected to fade, becoming lighter but remaining the same shade as the colour of your eyebrows. This means a more natural look, even after months or years, with the trade-off being more visits to refresh the look over the long-term.
The Depth of Colour for Microblading vs Tattoos
Because tattoos are meant to be permanent and the ink lasts longer, tattooing injects the ink to a deeper level (about 1 mm) than microblading pigment (about 0.1 mm). This means that tattooing is generally more painful, since the ink is going further down. In comparison, microblading isn’t so bad – most people compare it tweezing out hair.
This also means application is a bit different. Using a numbing agent for tattoos – especially eyebrow ones – is rare, but it’s normal for a microblading session to help make it less painful. This is because tattooists can use templates and a machine to work quickly, but microblade technicians have to go by hand, drawing fine individual lines to simulate real hair. A full eyebrow session can take a few hours!
Imagine the weekend is coming, you’re going out with your friends to a new club on 17th Ave, and you’ve got to look your best. Maybe next week, there’s a big work event at the Telus Convention Centre. Or, you’ve got an outdoor wedding to attend in six months on Prince’s Island Park, and you’re going to be in a lot of photos
Appearance of Microblading Brows vs Traditional Tattooing
The whole point of microblading – which actually began as an offshoot of eyebrow tattooing – is to better copy the appearance of natural brows. It’s more detailed, with less solid colours and colour bleed, adding oomph to brows that are thin or light. Without a closer look, they can easily be mistaken for fully natural brows!
Tattooed eyebrows, on the other hand, look more like a “brow filler.” They tend to be solid blocks of colour beneath the hairs, which can lead to brows that appear flat and “drawn on”, like a stencil. Of course, fashion changes over time and every style finds a home somewhere, but it’s important to know what to expect before you make a big – and permanent – decision! (Although we also do laser tattoo removal, just in case).
Microblading in Calgary, Alberta
While we do specialize in fine line tattoos, we believe that nothing makes a great smile shine quite like a pair of perfectly bladed brows. You’ve probably got more questions about microblading (or maybe about other types of permanent eyebrow makeup, too, and that’s okay – we love to chat!), so if you want to find out more, reach out to Haven Beauty today and we’d be happy to give you all the details. We can’t wait to hear from you!