Before mypowder browsexperience, the last time I let anyone touch myeyebrowswas in sixth grade.
Her technique was to pluck mercilessly until my brows formed two slim hills of single-file hairs.
This was not the confidence-boosting experience the schools brochure or my parents had promised.
Courtesy of subject
Meet the experts:
What is the powder brow technique?
Like microblading, powder brows are done by a permanent makeup artist (PMUA).
What’s the difference between powder brows and microblading?
My natural arches, pre-powder brows treatment.
You could say the two techniques are arch rivals (get it?
The great thing about powder brows is that its versatile.
I’ve experienced this myself, Ferguson said.
Medetskaia prepped my natural brows before the treatment began.
It just does not stay.
If a client with oilier skin is looking for something longer-lasting then powder brows is a great option.
There’s also the potential for an allergic reaction to the pigments, said Dr. Garshick.
My slightly red — but much fuller and more shapely — brows immediately post-powder brows treatment.
Microblading and powder brows cost about the same, depending on location and the PMUA.
For me, the confidence, convenience, and woke-up-like-this natural color and full-looking shape were worth the investment.
What’s it like to get powder brows?
My eyebrows before powder brows and after my six-week touch-up.
My brief was essentially to design a set of powder brows that transformed my face but looked perfectly natural.
My natural arches, pre-powder brows treatment.
Medetskaia eyed my scrappy brows like a house flipper casing a fixer-upper.
I could see a plan brewing in her eyes.
You must have the perfect brows in life, she said serenely.
I scoped out her own brows.
Permanent makeup can be beautiful, delicate, and natural, she said.
This is all about enhancing your natural beauty.
Comforted by Medetskaias modus operandi, I bid her farewell and promised not to bail.
A week later I was back at OR-UH, feeling a little nervous, TBH.
After being brow-starved for so long, fullness can be intimidating.
I was afraid of going too big, but it was too late to go home.
Next came the brow mapping.
Then I use a caliper tool to measure and verify everything is symmetrical.
Medetskaia prepped my natural brows before the treatment began.
If youre thinking about trying powder brows, ask your PMUA if they use a template.
As Ferguson told me, Brows are sisters, not twins."
Since natural brows arent identical in shape, your powder brows shouldnt be either.
If your PMUA puts a template on your forehead and starts tracing a generic brow shape, politely run.
Then came the color selection.
After looking at three pigments, Medetskaia and I decided on the middle shade.
Once she got started, the process was actually pretty relaxing.
I closed my eyes while she gave my brows two passes, or layers, of pigment.
My slightly red but much fuller and more shapely brows immediately post-powder brows treatment.
After two hours of buzzing and true crime podcasts, the machine stopped.
Medetskaia wiped the excess pigment off my brows and I felt a tinge of nervousness creep back in.
We approached the mirror for the big reveal, and… Unsurprisingly, on day one powder brows look much darker than they will when they fully heal.
you might always cancel if you dont need it.
My eyebrows before powder brows and after my six-week touch-up.
How do you care for powder brows?
After Medetskaia managed to pull me away from the mirror, we went over the aftercare process.
It can take approximately four to six weeks for the brows to settle, Dr. Garshick later confirmed.
There are two ways to tackle aftercare, but the dry method works best for most skin types.
Sun exposure can lighten your brows, especially when the ink is fresh.
Only after your eyebrows are completely healed can they be exposed to the sun, Medetskaia said.
Should be easy since you’re alreadywearing sunscreen every day, right?
Around day five, my brows started to get flaky.
This is the skins way of exfoliating and healing.
It’s super important not to pick or peel the scab because it will remove pigment, Ferguson said.
Not flicking flakes out of your eyebrows takes an incredible amount of willpower.
Visualizing each flake as a $20 bill helps.
Do you need a touch-up for powder brows?
Even if your shape is still tip-top, a touch-up can help make your investment last longer.
Turns out Im a brow girl after all and I will be returning yearly for upkeep.
It could be eclipse season orlucky girl syndrome, but my money’s on the powder brows.
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