Eyebrows
Eyebrows are the focal point of the face,
yet is as unique as you are.
Eyebrows don't just frame the eyes and complement face shape, it must also complement your other facial features, personality, and life style.
In addition to shape, clients have a choice of brow types, including hairstrokes, hybrids, or powder.
Different needles and application techniques are used to achieve desired brow type.
Read more on the different application types below to help you decide which is right for you.
Image credit: Shay Danielle
What is an Ombre Brow?
An 'ombre' brow is a gradient of color that begins with a lighter shade of color or a color wash at the frontal bulb of the brow and gradually darkens throughout the body of the brow.
When we look at a natural brow, the frontal bulb area is lighter in color with a little less hair in this area. As the natural brow moves closer to the brow body, we see more dense hair creating more dense color.
The ombre effect seeks to achieve this natural eyebrow look rather than one entire block of color from beginning to end. There are a few various shapes and techniques that can achieve the ombre effect. The gradient can move from front to back, front front slope, or outer perimeter. The choice is yours.
The ombre effect can be achieved through various techniques, through micro hair strokes or through micro shading, more commonly known as "powder" shading.
The degree of ombre effect is a simple matter of personal preference, ranging from slightly ombre or more dramatic.
MANUAL MICROBLADE
Also known as "microstroke" or "micro hairstroke"
"Microblading" is the manual application of micro-strokes using multiple needles in a straight row that, at first glance, looks like a 'blade' hence, the name micro'blade'. It is not an actual blade but multiple micro needles acting like a blade.
The goal of the microblading technique is to create thin, crisp lines that mimick the look of our own natural eyebrow hairs. This technique is often used for restorative purposes. It is also for those looking for a more natural looking cosmetic brow.
What is very important to realize, is that not all skin types are conducive to microblading. For the majority of observed healed applications, while the the hair strokes look beautifully thin and crisp immediately after the procedure, it won’t always remain that way. For a good majority of the skin types, the lines will eventually begin to shade, resulting in somewhat of a shaded effect.
Why is this?
In order to achieve the desired thin and crisp effect, pigment is implanted at a more shallow depth than machine shading method. For this reason, skin that is thick and oily tend to lose pigment retention, or, tends to blur the lines, from a little to a lot.
The best skin type for microblading is one that is on they dry side with medium thickness.
Please keep these factors in mind when selecting your eyebrow type procedure, and be open to a procedure method that is more conducive to your particular skin type.
MACHINE HAIRSTROKES
Also known as "Nano Strokes" or "Nano hairstrokes"
Another micro hair-stroke technique is applied by machine. Like manual microblading, nano-stroking seeks to create thin, crisp, natural looking hair lines. Also like manual microblading, the strokes may not remain thin and crisp when healed. In some cases, the line may begin to shade almost immediately upon application.
However, unlike microblading, it uses only one “nano” needle as opposed to multiple needles in manual blading. The term “nano” is short for nano technology, and is defined as ‘very, very small, or minute”. The actual gauge, or diameter, of nano needles range in size from .18 to .25 in diameter. These are one of the smallest gauge of needles used in the permanent cosmetic industry.
Again, please keep this in mind when selecting your eyebrow type procedure, and be open to alternative options.
HYBRID
Also known as "Blade and Shade"
A hybrid brow fuses hair-strokes with manual shading. Hair strokes are first implanted throughout the entire brow body from the frontal bulb all the way to the tip of the tail, and then over-layed with some manual shading, using a manual shading needle. The shading is applied with a little more density and saturation throughout the horizontal center and length of the brow, giving it a very natural eyebrow look. This hybrid creates a beautiful natural looking brow.
Again, however, please keep in mind that the hair strokes, as in manual or machine hairstroke brows, may not remain as crisp as it was immediately after the procedure. For some, the loss of crispness occurs faster than others.
COMBO
Frontal hair strokes with machine shading
An combo ombre brow is created using a combination of both micro machine hair-strokes and micro-shading. Machine micro hair-strokes are use for the frontal bulb area and optionally over the upper brow body. Micro-shading is then added over the rest of the brow.
POWDER
The look of soft, shaded, powder makeup
Unlike micro hair-strokes, powder ombre adds fullness and definition to your natural brows through a technique called micro-shading or powder shading.
In this application technique, a shader needle is used to implant pigment by machine.
In powder brows, there is no hairstrokes, only machine shading.
The healed results of this application technique is a more solid brow color with a more solid outline of brow body than both manual and machine hairsroke method.
However, powder technique has shown more consistency in pigment retention than the hairstroke method.