In June of 2020, I finally got my eyebrows microbladed, and now I’m ready to answer 13 of the best microblading frequently asked questions!

If you’re following me on Instagram, you’ve probably already seen a lot of my microblading eyebrows before and after pictures. Now that they’ve completely healed, I’m excited to share my experience with microblading. 

To give you a little backstory, before I ruined my eyebrows, I had a unibrow. Then, I went to high school from 1999-2003, when it was cool to make your eyebrows super thin and nearly non-existent. 

In fact, my eyebrows were so on fleek back in the 2000’s, that people used to ask me where I got my eyebrows done. Maybe that even makes me partially responsible for the sparse brows that many of my classmates’ have today.

After years and years of tweezing, it’s definitely the reason why my eyebrows never grew back, despite my constant efforts. 

I tried EVERYTHING to get my eyebrows to grow back.

At first, I didn’t touch my eyebrows for at least 4 months. I didn’t wax or tweeze a single eyebrow hair. I looked ridiculous. 

Then, I looked up the highest rated eyebrow girl in Cincinnati, and went to her from 2016 – March 2020.

She was great at shaping them so that I was able to fill them in. My eyebrows are almost black, though, so it’s still hard to fill them in while still trying to make them look natural. 

You blondes really don’t know how good you have it.

During my time of eyebrow waxing and filling in, I did all the things the internet suggests. Castor oil, Grande Brow, Latisse, microneedling, ACTUAL ROGAINE ON MY FACE, and every single brand of “eyebrow growth serum” that exists.

Honestly, I wish I could tell you that any of those things at least kind of worked, but they didn’t. Do not waste your money. With all the money you will save by not buying that worthless garbage, you will have enough money to get semi permanent eyebrows.

However, please note: Latisse does work on eyelashes. It will also probably make your existing eyebrow hairs grow faster and longer, but it will not make hair grow where there is not hair. 

I don’t even have to get my eyebrows waxed anymore, so if you think of it this way… Let’s say you spend $25 a month on getting your eyebrows waxed, and then buy Grande Brow for $70. That comes to a total of $370 a year, which is more than the cost of microblading eyebrows.

Microblading Before and After Pictures

The before picture is really embarrassing, but oh well. My eyebrows will never look like that again.

Microblading Day by Day Pictures

I documented my microblading day to day on Instagram stories. Here are the photos. 

13 Answers to Microblading Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve been asked a lot of questions since getting my eyebrows microbladed, so I thought it may be easier to put this in a Q&A format. 

What is microblading?

I got my eyebrows microbladed at Better Brows in Cincinnati. I will let Alexia answer this, since she’s the one who’s trained in microblading! Click to watch this video for her answer to “what is microblading?” She even has an entire microblading frequently asked questions section on her website.

“Microblading is a form of semi permanent makeup that gives the illusion of real hair-like strokes. It is done with a manual hand tool where pigment is inserted into the top layer of the skin, giving very natural results.” – Alexia, Better Brows

How much does microblading cost?

Obviously, it’s going to depend where you go. I researched microblading in Cincinnati for a long time before I decided to go with Alexia at Better Brows. She really is the best!

Mine was $350 for the initial microblading, and $50 for the touchup at 6-8 weeks.

Does microblading hurt?

This is my #1 microblading most frequently asked question. I would say that on the 1-10 pain scale (10 being the worst pain imaginable), it was about a 2-3. It really doesn’t hurt, and the part that does hurt, doesn’t last that long.

After the first past is done, she used numbing cream, so I really didn’t feel anything at all. You can just hear the scratching sound. Then, during my eyebrow shading I could feel the pressure from the poking, but it didn’t hurt.

Speaking of hearing, here’s another fun fact. Before I went in, I was expecting it to be some loud machine like at a tattoo salon. It’s not like that at all. 

I’m not really sure how to describe it, but the device she used was basically just some small handheld thing, with a bunch of little needles lined up together. It’s not electronic at all. She just scrapes it against your eyebrow to make hairstrokes. 

Anyway, your eyes may water a little (mine did, and it’s common), but they weren’t watering because I was in pain and crying. I think it just has to do with having a stinging sensation so close to your eye. 

How long does microblading take?

I’m sure it’s going to be different for everyone. I actually got microblading and shading done, and mine took around 2.5 – 3 hours. 

That may sound like a long time, but here are all the things that go into the appointment: filling out paperwork, consultation, having your eyebrows mapped out according to your face ship (this is the longest part), the actual microblading process, and going over aftercare instructions.

How long does microblading take to heal?

It takes 10-14 days to get past all the flaking and for the color in your brows to return, but I was told that it takes 30 days to fully heal. 

Can you wear makeup after microblading?

Out of all my microblading most frequently asked questions, this is one that I was most concerned about. I don’t leave the house without makeup.

You should not wear makeup on your brows for at least 30 days after getting your eyebrows microbladed. You’re also not supposed to wear makeup on your forehead for 30 days, because it can seep down into your brows.

But since I’m not going to lie to you, I thought I only had to go 7 days without makeup, so I definitely had makeup on my brows before the 30 days were up. I wouldn’t recommend doing that, but it didn’t seem to make any difference with mine. I was told mine healed perfectly. 

Can you shower after microblading?

You can, but use shower shields for the first 7 days so you don’t get your eyebrows wet. They actually work very well.

Can you go tanning after microblading?

If you’re in the sun or use a tanning bed within the first 30 days of getting your eyebrows microbladed, wear a hat or put a towel over your face.

Honestly, though, I’d always recommend doing that. I hate the way my face looks after it’s been exposed to too much sun, so I always cover my face in the tanning bed. Hopefully, it will prevent wrinkles, melasma, and keep my eyebrows from fading.

Can you go swimming after microblading?

You can’t get your brows wet for 7 days and you have to avoid the sun for 30 days, so I would advise against it. It might be okay if you wear a hat in the pool from days 7-30, though.

Does microblading scab?

Your eyebrows shouldn’t scab after microblading, but they may flake. Mine flaked a little, but not to the point where anyone but me could notice it. 

During this time, they’re also a little itchy. Don’t scratch the flakes off, though!

I found if I applied the ointment with a q-tip while they were itchy, it kind of helped to make them less itchy.

How long does microblading last?

From what I’ve been told, this depends on a few factors, but the biggest one being how oily your skin is. Apparently, if you have oily skin, microblading brows may not last as long.

Being in the sun and getting makeup on your brows may also cause them to fade quicker.

When do you get a microblading touch up? 

I’ve been told 6-8 weeks after your initial eyebrow microblading session. The process is basically the same as the first time around, but cheaper. My touch up was only $50.

Then, most people will need a touchup sometime between 6-18 months after that, depending on your skin type.

Since I just got mine done in June, I’m not sure how long mine will last. Obviously, I’m hoping I’m one of the lucky people that last 18 months or more!

Do you still have to fill in your eyebrows after microblading?

I do, personally, but I don’t feel like I have to. I wear foundation every day, so sometimes it gets on top of my microbladed eyebrows. Plus, like I said, my eyebrows are nearly black.

I have to make mine dark or they’re not going to look right. 

Microblading Recommendations

After going through this process and going through my microblading most frequently asked questions, here are a few things that I recommend.

Aquafor

I was given some type of balm to use, but if you need to get your own, Aquafor is the best. Honestly, if you don’t already have Aquafor, it’s great for a lot of things. 

Q-tips

I used q-tips to put the balm / Aquafor and the micellar water (more below) on my brows.

Micellar Water

Remember how I said you’re not supposed to get makeup on your brows for 30 days after microblading? Sometimes, that’s impossible. Then, it’s hard to get the makeup back off your eyebrows without completely ruining your makeup.

Here is my solution.

Saturate a q-tip in micellar water and then rub it over your brows to remove the makeup. I do this every single day.

Saran Wrap

For the first 7 days after getting your eyebrows microbladed, you’re supposed to be very cautious when you sleep. If you’re a side sleeper, it could make the “tails” of your eyebrows fade and disappear. 

The solution to this is to stick a thin piece of saran wrap over your eyebrows when you sleep. Don’t worry about it falling off. Once you have the Aquafor on your brows, that will keep the saran wrap from falling off. 

Shower Shields

You cannot get your eyebrows wet for 7 days after getting them microbladed. If you plan to take a shower during that time, it will be nearly impossible to avoid getting your eyebrows wet… unless you have shower shields.

I swear they work. I didn’t think they would stay stuck to my forehead the entire duration of the shower, but they do!

NYX Eyebrow Powder

Before I got eyebrow microblading done, I used lots of different products to fill in my brows. Power, pencil, dipbrow gel, you name it.

Now, I only need to use this NYX eyebrow powder and an eyebrow brush.

You may not even need this, though, unless your brows are super dark like mine. If you do end up needing it, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s a very quick process once you have perfect eyebrow “tattoos” to guide you.

Eyebrow Brush

Here is the eyebrow brush I use and it’s amazing.

Those were my microblading frequently asked questions, and I hope you found the answers helpful. If you have any additional questions, leave a comment below and I’ll try my best to answer it!