Eyebrow Tattoo, Credits: Emmagem.com

The main difference lies in the final look after getting them done as well as the techniques used during the procedure.

Eyebrow Tattooing, the first generation of its kind, generally produces a very unnatural crayoned effect similar to the regular tattoo on any part of the skin. The eyebrows will look harsher and have an imprinted effect, which could potentially make your eyebrows the centre of attention in any make up look. The process of eyebrow tattooing involves the use of a machine operated single needle moving at high speed, where ink is deposited deep in the dermis layer. Eyebrow Tattooing will also fade into shades of green and blue over time as well as look patchy due to the nature of the insertion of dye into the dermis of the skin layer.

On the other hand, Micro-Blading/Eyebrow Embroidery is the latest technique where a semi permanent pigment is pushed into the skin surface using a fine blade, which mimics the growth of your existing hair strands, creating more natural looking brows. The depth in which the embroidery blade cuts the skin surface is less than that in the Eyebrow Tattooing, which minimises permanent damages and also could allow you to change your brow shape in a year-year and a half when it fades away. Micro-Bladed  eyebrows will fade off together, allowing you to alter them wholly when this happens.

What is the difference in terms of procedures?

Though the processes of both Eyebrow Tattooing and Eyebrow Micro-Blading are very much similar, the exact procedure will differ slightly depending on the skills and the equipment used by the different artists.

The pigmentologist will first snap a photo of your existing eyebrows and provide an analysis as well recommendations on what should be done to your eyebrows to enhance your face shape and features. You can also let your brow artist know about the woes of your current situation and what you expect to get out of the whole procedure. Basically, the first step will be to make your desires known by having a discussion with your brow artist with regards to the type of shape, colour and thickness of your eyebrows.

Next, the pigmentologist will use an eyebrow pencil to draw in the brow design that is previously discussed, so as to allow you to have a better sense of the final look. Do not worry if the design looks too thick or dark as it is just a rough guide for how your brows will look and a guide for the brow artist during the actual process.

Numbing cream will be applied to your eyebrows after you’ve decided on the design. You will have to wait between 15-20mins for the numbing cream to take effect. This is to minimise the pain during the actual tattooing or micro-blading process.

The actual process differs in that Eyebrow Tattooing will involve the desired permanent pigment colour to be injected to the dermis top layer with a vibrating needle machine while Eyebrow Micro-Blading uses a special a manual instrument to create hair like strokes on the top layer of the skin and a colour pigment will be applied to the skin for absorption.

How long will the procedure take?

The actual procedure takes between 30-40min. However, you might need extra time to decide on the design of your brows, shape and colour of the dye, which will prolong the whole process up to 2 hours. Since such treatments are semi –permanent and will last for quite some time, it is better not to rush the process so that you can get your desired look.

Is it painful?

Both processes are slightly painful, for which the pain is comparable to eyebrow plucking and is likely to cause some skin redness and swelling around the brow area. The use of a good numbing cream can significantly reduce the pain or even make the pain dissipate totally.

How long will they last?

Eyebrow Tattoo can last between 2-3 years and it is the most permanent brow solution available out there. Also, it doesn’t come off easily even for oily skin.

Eyebrow Micro-Blading on the other hand is semi permanent and can last 1 year up to 18 months, depending on the skin type. It also requires touch ups to maintain the intensity of the brow design.

How do I take care of my eyebrows after treatment?

The aftercare process for both are similar in that the colour of your eyebrows will look very dark immediately after the treatment for about 5 days, but after that the colour will fade off to 40% of what you see on day 1.

Keep your eyebrows dry for 1 week. Pat dry your brows if you are sweating and after washing your face. This is to prevent the colour from fading and allowing the colour to be fully absorbed into your skin.

After 3-7 days, the colour pigmentation will fade off and the skin will begin to dry up as well as flake off. Apply the treatment gel/cream provided by the pigmentologist and do not peel off the scab on your own but let them peel off naturally to allow a better penetration of the dye into the skin. Some people will experience more scabbing than others; so do not worry if your eyebrows start looking scraggy.

Colour absorption also varies with skin type. Some skin types are able to absorb the dye more completely while others see only a minimal absorption of the dye, resulting in patchy recovery. This can be easily rectified with a touch up to fill in those empty/faded parts. However, you can only touch up after 28 days due to the skin regeneration renewal process. The secondary touch up session will allow for the tuning of colour and shape if needed.

What about the cost?

Depending on your area in the US , anywhere from $400 to $800 is average.