Eyebrow microblading - what's your experience?

[Lottapianos]

I have pretty thin, sparse brows caused by plucking the hell out of them when I was a teenager! A very reputable salon near me is offering microblading for £150. I already go there for leg and bikini waxing, and have always been very happy with the service. There are excellent reviews online for their microblading service

If you've had microblading done, would you recommend it? How long did your brows last before they needed redoing/ top up? Was the process painful? Were your brows looking good straight away, or did they take a few days to settle down? Thanks!

It hurts a lot while it's being done. And they look very dark/patchy/scabby for about 10 days and then again after the top up. After that they were amazing for about 18 months until the next top up.

I've now had them done three times over about 5 years. The practitioner then recommended I let them fade before having them done again so she could update the shape and colour to allow for my aging and changes in fashion -that was two years ago and although the colour has faded a lot the shape and definition are still there.

I've attached before and after of the first time.

Oh my gosh, they look fabulous, FeelingWeary! Such a lovely shape 😍

The first time I got them done they hurt a lot! But the second time I went to someone else and she used numbing cream, the difference in experience was night and day!
I'm very happy with them and recommend to a lot of people IRL.

I'm shamelessly place marking as I'm considering this too. I'd like to know how people choose a salon - it's a big risk having something done in your face and I'm scared.

'But the second time I went to someone else and she used numbing cream, the difference in experience was night and day!'

The salon I'm looking at says on their website that they use numbing cream so phew!

Not painful just a bit scratchy, that's with the numbing cream.
First appointment I asked for very natural and I loved them right after they were done, then they faded a lot in 6 weeks. At the top up appointment (included in the cost) I asked her to go darker and it initially looked too dark (DD12 screeched "omg, what have you done to your eyebrows?!") but they faded to the colour I wanted in a few days.
I like them a lot. I am only a month or two in though so not sure how long they will last.
I was more careful with the aftercare after the second appt as the first time I was swimming about 5 days later (they did seem to have healed tbf but I was determined to let them bed in properly after the top up appointment and keep them as dry as poss)

I had mine done just before having chemotherapy, then had to wait quite a while before I could get them topped up (because of chemo) I was very happy with them. I've always had blonde, fairly thin brows and it made a huge difference, and obviously all my natural brows fell out with chemo. I was anxious that they weren't too overdone and she showed me lots of before and after pics. She used Emla cream (numbing cream), but that doesn't really work on me so it was a bit painful towards the end. A few days of scabbing etc and you have to follow the aftercare instructions.

They lasted really well, it's now over three years and I have to fill in with brow pencil so I'd like to get them topped up when I can afford it.

Definitely recommend getting it done.

Mine don't look particularly "done". Just like I have eyebrows again, or am wearing a little bit of brow pencil, which is what I wanted. **

I had micropigmentation
Pic without brow gel and with (I use a tinted one as my hairs are so pale so it colours the hair IYSWIM)

Had mine done, it was a bit sharp during them. My lady made some strokes, then swabbed with lidocaine. Wasn't excruciating but wasn't comfortable either.

The brows were super dark and swollen after, and definitely a 'what have you done' moment, even though I was expecting it. Was a ballache trying not to get them wet during the 2 weeks. The scabbing phase looked even worse.

I had mine done in December and they've faded a lot. Still look good up close, but in distance photos I've got back to looking like I having nothing there.

Mine were £280, and I don't think I'll have microblading again. I need something better.