THE SCOOP ON MICROBLADING YOUR BROWS 🔪

Late 2019 I went down the internet rabbit hole of all things Microblading. I researched high and low and read everything I could about people’s experiences with the procedure, coming to the conclusion that in fact - yes, I must try it. So off I went to make my appointment for early 2020, and started counting down the days.

*Plot twist* I chickened out 😬 and rescheduled to May so I could give myself a bit of leeway in order to make sure it was what I wanted.

And then (of course)…the pandemic hit.

I couldn’t help but take the appointment change plus the temporary closing of the studio as a sign from the universe that maybe in fact, I should not get this done. So ultimately, I shrugged it off and filed it under ‘maybe next time’.

Cut (no pun intended) to 4 YEARS LATER - and here I am, freshly tatted 🌟 Below you will find my own personal experience going under the knife 🔪 (aka small, harmless, and painless brow scalpel) and why I think it was one of the best decisions I’ve made.x

Late 2019 I went down the internet rabbit hole of all things Microblading. I researched high and low and read everything I could about people’s experiences with the procedure, coming to the conclusion that in fact - yes, I must try it. So off I went to make my appointment for early 2020, and started counting down the days.

*Plot twist* I chickened out 😬 and rescheduled to May so I could give myself a bit of leeway in order to make sure it was what I wanted.

And then (of course)…the pandemic hit.

I couldn’t help but take the appointment change plus the temporary closing of the studio as a sign from the universe that maybe in fact, I should not get this done. So ultimately, I shrugged it off and filed it under ‘maybe next time’.

Cut (no pun intended) to 4 YEARS LATER - and here I am, freshly tatted 🌟 Below you will find my own personal experience going under the knife 🔪 (aka small, harmless, and painless brow scalpel) and why I think it was one of the best decisions I’ve made.

Here’s the tea 🍵 ⬇️

WHERE: STUDIO SASHIKO LANGLEY ‘The Home of the Fluffy Brow’

I felt so confident in my previous research that I booked right back with the artist I had originally secured. Studio Sashiko, established in 2015, is very well known as the OG top-of-the-top studio to have your brows microbladed within the Lower Mainland (surrounding Vancouver). As stated on their website, the space is ‘recognized for creating hyper-realistic results and an all-inclusive approach to cosmetic and restorative tattooing, Studio Sashiko provides a welcome space for clients to express themselves and artists to work in’.

The co-owners, Shaugnessy and Kyle, have since opened up a second studio in LA, California.

THE PROCESS:

Pre-appointment: When booking the appointment online, a 50% deposit is required to secure the spot.

Day of the appointment: It was super chill going into the studio (far less intimidating as I was actually anticipating). Getting a tattoo of any kind would rank anxiety levels decently high, so getting one on your face left me feeling a little unhinged. But as soon as I stepped in, was greeted, and then ushered into a private room I felt super calm and at ease.

From my research I knew that my artist, Nicole Johnston, has experience in Hair and Makeup (she even went to the same school as myself so it was fun having that in common). She is also extremely skilled in super realistic drawing and tattoo camouflaging for scars. I came with inspo in mind, and had sent in photos ahead of time (hot tip: pull those from your artists own portfolio), but once I saw her and we started chatting I noticed how perfect (of course) her brows looked. I couldn’t help myself from asking ‘sooooo…do you do your own brows?”. They looked so similar to her own work that of course her answer was yes. When I heard ‘I just trust myself, I’m so particular’ I knew I was with someone after my own heart.

Once the pre-appointment consult was done, I realized what was next. I feel like you get to a point in a situation where you quite literally have to just give in and let go of any control. And this was one of those times. I was at the stage where I needed to just lay down, and put my whole trust into this person I just met who was about to be cutting into my face 😬

Ok, the drama…I know 🙃 But it’s true, nonetheless.

The environment was super sterile and sanitary (tip: this is a non-negotiable, if you feel weary about the state of cleanliness at the studio you are going to - high tail your tush out of there). Nicole had a set up with different shades of ink that she custom mixes for each client according to skin tone and hair colour, etc.

The first appointment, I was told, is meant to see how the skin takes to the ink - so erring on the side of caution and starting on the lighter/natural side was standard protocol.

Nicole applied a topical anesthetic cream from Zensa Skin Care to numb the area before proceeding. This was left on for ~30 minutes, and could be re-applied halfway through the procedure if I noticed it wearing off.

NEXT:

The cream was removed and the cutting began 👏🏻

I kid you not, I was anticipating the feeling to be at least a little uncomfortable, but personally for myself - it was far from it. My sister-in-law (who had her brows done from the same studio) pre-warned me that if anything you just hear a bit of a scraping noise (which she actually confessed to be quite soothing). So honestly, that was about the extend of the actual scalpel part.

The blade used has tiny little points in it to mimic the look of your natural brow hair.

The overall process was quite quick. Nicole did one ‘pass’ (which is a round of cutting, followed by the application of ink, then left to set in for roughly 10 minutes). A second pass is made to solidify the shape.

She let me take a look at the end and after one micro adjustment - I was on my way 💁🏼‍♀️

My Before and After:

I knew my brows were on the thin and light side - but it isn’t until actually looking at the before and afters that I realize how much of a difference this treatment makes. Even for those that have a fairly fluffy and defined brow - a little finessing really adds that special touch (as I’ve seen with some of my own clients).

HEALING PROCESS: I was all set to take photos every day, etc etc, to show how the brows changed during healing *however* it truly was the easiest and somewhat most uninteresting part of the entire thing. I remember asking Nicole about aftercare and scabbing and all of those things, and she nonchalantly said it wouldn’t be too bad. Which, admittedly, made me nervous at first, but I now fully see what she meant 💯

We followed a wet healing protocol - which is basically patting the area with a damp cotton pad every 2-3 hours and then patting it dry. There was no ‘oozing’ (which is what I read about others experiences from different studios), there was no scabbing, and there was actually hardly any itching - which is another common post-treatment side effect.

It was literally: Don’t touch, rub, scratch the area - and DO NOT let it get wet outside of the damp cotton pad ⚠️ You need to make sure you apply a thin layer of the aftercare cream that they give you both morning and night. And I also slept with a travel pillow to make sure I didn’t roll onto my fresh tatts 😅

These instructions were followed for 2 weeks, although I extended that a bit just to be extra cautious. I’m at 5 weeks now and totally back to my pre-treatment beauty routine. Moving forward it is advised to avoid any type of retinol, acids, peeling products on or around the brow (this will basically exfoliate the tattoo away), and ALWAYS protect the brows with SPF any time you leave the house (sun exposure will fade the brows 100Xfaster).

VERDICT: 10/10 would recommend.

I’m due for my follow up visit in a couple of months (done 8-16 weeks after your first appointment), which I am eagerly counting down the days for (in true excitement) ✨

Watch Behind The Scenes: