The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Eyebrows are the most prominent feature of a person’s face. They affect its attractiveness to a large degree. That is why microblading eyebrows is so popular. It is a treatment after which you have impeccable brows for months, even years.
However, there is the other side of a coin. Your brows will not look so good immediately after the treatment. There is a healing period, which is 4-6 weeks long. It consists of a few stages and the nastiest one must be scabbing. Here is everything you need to know about the microblading scabbing process.
Microblading is similar to traditional tattooing. While traditional tattoos are permanent, microblading is semi-permanent, which means it fades away after some time. This is because the pigment is not inserted as deep as with traditional tattooing. When it comes to microblading, the pigment only goes into the epidermal junction of the skin. Small cuts and incisions are made which cause scabbing to occur.
Microblading scabbing is a normal part of the healing process. It is pretty annoying because your eyebrows are itchy, but you are not allowed to scratch them. They start flaking lightly and scabs fall off naturally.
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Scabbing starts approximately 5 days after the microblading treatment. It lasts around 7 days.
Scabbing is definitely the ugliest part of the microblading healing process and that is why you should plan your microblading appointment carefully. You don’t want to attend an important event with your eyebrows flaking off. Besides that, you are strictly forbidden to wear makeup at the beginning stages of the healing period.
Therefore, schedule your microblading appointment at least a month before the important event, or, for better results, two or three months.
Days 1-5 Your brows look too dark and swollen. Some redness is included. Don’t worry, the color will fade.
Day 5 Microblading scabbing process starts. Eyebrows might become itchy.
Day 6 Scabbing continues. Eyebrows are becoming patchy. Some parts of your brows are too light while the others remain dark.
Days 7-8 More scabbing and more patches. Eyebrows are losing pigment in this stage.
Day 9 Most of the scabs have fallen off so far.
Day 10-12 Scabbing stopped. Eyebrows too light. Pigment seemed to disappear.
Days 12-28 Pigment retains. Your microblading is showing again.
Days 28-42 Eyebrows are recovering, taking its final shape and color.
While light scabbing is completely normal, heavy scabbing is not. It can be caused by artist placing strokes deep into your skin, deeper than it should. It is often a sign of infection that is usually followed by inflammation and redness.
Don’t worry in advance, it is not very common. However, If you notice your brows scab extensively, speak to your microblading artist. You will be advised about how to treat the microbladed area. Don’t do anything on your own.
If you experience heavy scabbing followed by inflammation and redness or pus after day 5, it is highly likely that you developed or are about to develop an infection.
Unfortunately, scabbing cannot be prevented. This stage of microblading healing process is the most annoying one and it requires a lot of patience. There are some rules you need to follow in order not to ruin your microblading.
The most important one is not to touch or pick the scabs. Under no circumstances should you scratch your eyebrows or peel off the scabs. If you do that, the pigment can fall off and your microblading is ruined. If you are prone to picking scabs or wounds, make sure to inform your artist about that habit before the procedure. It might adapt your healing process accordingly.
There are two ways of treating your brows during scabbing. The first one is dry healing and it is said to give better results. Dry healing means letting your brows recover naturally, without using any cosmetic products.
On the other hand, there is ointment healing or wet healing. It means applying an ointment or a cream on your microbladed eyebrows. Ointment healing can reduce and soothe scabbing. However, the results might not be as good as with dry healing.
If you are not sure which type of healing to opt for, discuss it with your microblading artist. Your artist will know which type of healing is better for you depending on your skin. If you are irritated by scabbing and you can’t resist scratching your microbladed brows, your artist will suggest ointment healing.
Also, you are strictly forbidden to wear makeup or any other cosmetic product not recommended by your artist during scabbing. Makeup can lead to an infection.
Source: YouTube Screenshot – Tina Davies Professional
If you scratch your brows and peel off some scabs accidentally, you risk microblading scabs coming off with pigment. If you are worried that you might have ruined your microblading, contact your artist. Send them a picture to see how big the damage is. It should be fixed at the first touch up, after the healing period is over (4-6 week after the treatment).
Scabbing leaves your eyebrows patchy and light. They are sometimes so light that you might be worried that your microblading disappeared. It is completely normal in the healing process. The pigment will start to show again. If your eyebrows are still patchy after the healing process is finished, there is a touch up to fix them.
Scabbing as part of healing process is completely normal. It can be emotionally exhausting, but you must be patient. It is a waiting game and does not require any special care. In the end, you will realize that it is a small price to pay for perfect eyebrows.
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