So you booked your microblading treatment and feel excited about your new brows. Everything looks good after the treatment but as the brows start healing, you notice your brows are gone and your microblading didn’t take!
Today we are going to discuss the possible reasons why this happened and try to give you the solutions.
Why My Microblading Didn’t Take?
Microblading is a form of tattoo, which means that the skin is opened with a manual blade so that the incisions can be filled with pigments. After the treatment, the healing period starts and it lasts for 6-8 weeks. The surface of the skin is supposed to close up in around 2 weeks, but the skin underneath keeps recovering for longer.
The healing period and the aftercare during this time are very important and can affect the results. So, if your microblading didn’t take, here are the possible reasons why that happened.
1. It’s a Normal Part of the Healing Process
While the brows are healing, they will form thin, filmy scabs at some point. After the scabs peel off, they take a certain amount of pigment with them and leave young pink skin underneath. For some people, the pigment may seem barely visible, as if microblading didn’t take.
This is called a ghosting phase and it’s a normal part of the recovery process. The pigment is supposed to reappear. But if it doesn’t, then you can say that microblading didn’t take and look for other reasons.
2. The Artist’s Technique Was Bad
As said above, microblading is a tattoo, and the pigments should be deposited into the dermis, the second layer of the skin. It’s very hard for inexperienced artists to find the so-called sweet spot, where they need to microblade. Being afraid they will go too deep, some artists go light on the pressure and microblade too shallow, in the epidermis.
This layer of the skin sheds too fast, so if the artist has microbladed here, you can expect that the microblading won’t survive the healing process. It will just disappear after 2 weeks when the scabs peel off.
Alternatively, there may have been a problem with the quality of the pigments and the tools that were used. Maybe they used a pigment consistency they’re not used to, or a different blade than usual.
What to do?
Contact your artist and discuss with them if that may have been the problem. This is something that can happen if the artist is a beginner and hasn’t had many clients so far. Experienced artists know how deep they should microblade to ensure good pigment retention.
The artists may be able to fix it at the touch up appointment – to microblade deeper this time. If you are not sure they can do it, find another microblading artist.
3. Too Much Bleeding and Lymph Oozing During the Treatment
If you are bleeding too much during the treatment, this can interfere with the pigment implementation and push out pigments. Some pinpoint bleeding is normal, but excessive bleeding can really ruin the whole process.
The reason for this may be that your skin is overly sensitive, but some other factors can be included as well. Most artists will advise you to skip caffeine intake for 24 hours before the treatment, to prevent excessive bleeding, while others say that it doesn’t really matter.
But just to be safe, if you are preparing for a microblading treatment, perhaps skin your daily dose of coffee.
Image source: Instagram @xara_beauty
4. You Have Oily Skin
If you have oily skin with large pores, microblading may not be the best treatment for you. Sebum pushes out the pigment and the brows fade more quickly, and sometimes the brows don’t even survive the healing process.
What to do?
If you really want a brow tattoo, maybe choose a different style or technique. Brows done with a machine give better results on oily skin, so maybe consider powder or ombre powder brows.
5. Poor Aftercare
If the artist has done everything correctly, and microblading still didn’t take, you might have messed up something during the aftercare.
Aftercare is very important in the first 2 weeks. It’s important to avoid activities that will make you sweat too much or get your brows wet. But you do need to wash your brows properly and keep them dry afterward to avoid heavy scabbing. Refrain from picking the scabs and apply the healing ointment if advised.
If you do something wrong and mess up the aftercare, it can affect pigment retention. Learn more about proper aftercare in our guide: Microblading Aftercare: Day by Day.
What to do?
If you mess up the aftercare and that’s why your microblading didn’t take, maybe the artist can fix it at the touch up by adding more pigment.
Image source: Freepik
6. You Already Have an Old Brow Tattoo
If you already have an old brow tattoo and you want a correction, eyebrow tissue may be too scarred to retain new pigment. Microblading is not the best option for correcting old PMU work – powder brows or shading may be a better option.
7. You Developed an Allergic Reaction
Some people may be allergic to pigments or numbing solutions used during the treatment. Allergic reactions will lead to an unsuccessful treatment.
In order to make sure you are not allergic to the substances used, it is required to do a patch test before the treatment. If your microblading artist doesn’t offer it, feel free to ask for one yourself.
8. Or an Infection
Infections are not that common but can happen due to the unsterile environment in the salon or some factors while the brows are still healing. For example, using makeup during the first 2 weeks after the treatment is strictly forbidden.
If you develop an infection, contact a dermatologist as soon as possible.
9. Your Skin Just Doesn’t Take Pigment
This is very very rare, but some people’s skin just doesn’t take pigment. If this is the case there is not much you can do.
Conclusion
Microblading is a safe treatment but only if it’s done properly, by trained, certified and experienced artists, and if the aftercare instructions are followed. So, make sure you do the research and find a good artist before you book a treatment and care for your brows properly afterwards.
Cover image source: Freepik
