With any eyebrow enhancing method, getting the shape right is the prerequisite for a successful treatment and a satisfied client. This applies to all brow grooming techniques, tinting, but especially to brow tattooing, since the effects are so long-lasting.
But creating the perfect eyebrow shape can be a challenge, particularly for beginners who don’t have that many pairs of brows under their belt.
That’s why we prepared a short guide on key principles to follow when mapping in order to give each client the perfectly customized eyebrows shape.
Key Principles of Creating the Perfect Eyebrows Shape
Before you get into actual outlining, you should know some theory behind it. But we don’t mean the strict mapping rules and procedures they teach in class. Of course, already established mapping and measuring techniques are important, but you can’t follow them blindly.
Here’s some general advice you should bear in mind when trying to come up with the perfect eyebrows shape for your client:
Perfect symmetry isn’t always desirable
Nobody’s face is perfectly symmetrical, and neither are their brows. Therefore, symmetry should not be your absolute no. 1 priority when pre-drawing the shape of your client’s future brows.
Experienced artists like to say that eyebrows are sisters, but not twins.
Think about it – if the 2 halves of a face are slightly different (maybe one eye is positioned higher than the other, or their shapes are different), you can’t just slap on 2 identical brows and call it a day.
You should do the perfect eyebrows shape for each brow independently, and then revise your outline. If they are visibly different, make tweaks to each of them to get them as similar as possible, but don’t try to make them identical at all costs.
Image source: Instagram @dldbrows
EXTRA NOTE
A common challenge artists come across is one natural brow being somewhat higher than the other. The solution here is to make the lower brow a bit thicker on top, but don’t go overboard. If you go too far out of the natural hairs on just one brow, the place where natural brows end and PMU starts will be too visible.
The best mapping technique is the one that works best for you
Your course probably taught you a mapping technique. Or, your trainer may have demonstrated several of them.
But when you start practicing those techniques, you may find you’re having trouble getting the outline right. Of course, it will be challenging at first, but if you can’t seem to get the hang of it no matter how many times you repeat it, perhaps you should try a different technique.
Try out different mapping methods and tools until one clicks. At the end of the day, the best mapping is the one that suits you best and allows you to create the perfect eyebrows shape as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
You may also find that one and the same technique doesn’t work equally well for every client. That’s another reason why you should test out different techniques and have a backup plan if your go-to method doesn’t give the perfect eyebrows shape for everyone.
You can find tips on mastering mapping in this article.
Image source: Instagram @erin.beautymethodco
It’s better to start thinner than to go too thick straight away
Once you tattoo the shape on, your client is stuck with it. Okay, you can always correct it once they’re healed but if you go too thick straight away, your correction options are limited.
So if your client isn’t absolutely sure they want thick eyebrows, it’s better to go thinner at the initial session, and if they want them thicker, make them wider at the touch up. Remember, with brow tattoos you can always add, but you can’t take away (unless your client gets removal).
Listen to your client
The perfect eyebrows shape is the one your client loves. You may measure and calculate the perfect proportions, but if they don’t like it, it simply won’t work.
So when you create the outline, let your client assess it carefully. If they want a different shape, listen to them and don’t insist on the outline you think is best. Maybe they’re used to drawing their brows in a certain way so much they aren’t willing to deviate from that too much.
Of course, you’re the expert and you should advise them, but don’t be rigid. At the end of the day, they’ll be wearing the brow tattoo for months and years, not you.
For hair stroke brows, the spine line is just as important as the outline
You already know that there are different spines you can create when doing hair stroke brows, either with microblading or with the nano brows technique. We won’t go into too much detail – your course already covered that.
But we will emphasize the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to mapping and taking the spine line into consideration when creating the perfect eyebrows shape. In fact, you should always include the spine pre-draw into the outline, especially for clients with sparse to no brows.
It will help you place the upper and lower strokes with more precision.
You should explain to your client what the spine is and make sure they are comfortable with it. The flow of the strokes is just as important as the arch shape.
Image source: Instagram @phibrows_juancordero
Final Tip
You’re probably familiar with different mapping tools, but did you know there are apps you can use to create the outline? They can calculate the ideal shape according to the client’s features.
That said, no artificial intelligence can create the perfect eyebrows shape, so you should use these apps as a starting point, and not a template. You can use them to get a general idea of the direction to take when outlining, but adapt them to the wishes of your client and your own judgment.
You can find mapping app suggestions in this article.
Cover image source: Freepik
