ARCH NEMESIS
Controversial microblading treatment might fill in thin brows, but botched jobs can lead to serious side effects
PERFECTLY groomed brows can do amazing things for the face: They act as an elegant frame, imparting a more youthful, lifted appearance, and add structure that helps define features. Maintenance with waxing, threading, plucking and other grooming procedures is effective but time-consuming and requires daily upkeep. So, a growing number of women, including Lena Dunham, Minka Kelly, Mandy Moore and Bella Thorne — as well as hundreds of beauty buffs on Instagram — are turning to a permanent-makeup solution, crediting microblading for their miraculous brows.
The procedure, done with a hand-held device containing small needles, uses short strokes to replicate hairs. It first emerged around five years ago, marketed as microblading despite the fact that no actual blade is used. It has become so popular that the cosmetic treatment Web site RealSelf.com had close to a million searches for it in 2017.
But, along with the success stories come reports of gruesome results: A slew of horrifying microblading mishaps have been pop- ping up online, ranging from unflattering shapes and faded tinting to scary scarring and infection.
“A lot of people are walking around with eyebrows that are theatrical or cartoonish,’’ says NYC-based makeup and brow designer Paulo Siqueira, who prefers more traditional techniques. “Many model agencies are forbidding their girls from getting microblading because the process can go so wrong. They send me new faces and the bookers say, ‘Please don’t give them those eyebrows that look
like black electrical tape or they won’t get jobs.’ ”
In the ’60s, when permanent makeup was first introduced for women with thinning brows, it was a costly option performed mostly in medical offices. A tattoo machine was used to shade in sparse areas. By 2016, the rebranded and refined microblading technique had become a more affordable procedure, offered at hair and nail salons from Manhattan to Miami for as low as $400 (rates average $800 to $900, but can run as high as $4,500).
The increased popularity has led to an army of under-qualified practitioners who are quickly taught the technique in order to keep up with demand. “So many people are trying to make money by offering training. There are courses lasting just two or three days, and those people are being let loose on the public,’’ says Jeffrey Lyle Segal, a permanentmakeup artist who has been enhancing brows since 1991 and now works at the Upper East Side’s Paul Labrecque Salon, as well as the office of cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Howard Sobel. Although scarring and infection are rare, precautions should be taken, according to Dr. Sobel. “You should avoid the procedure if someone has a history of keloid [or raised] scars, but as long as the area is cleansed thoroughly with antiseptic, and sterile or disposable instruments are used, there shouldn’t be any chance of infection,’’ he says. Without proper research, however, people like Arlinda Balidemaj, a 29-yearold event planner who lives in Wayne, NJ, are asking for trouble. “I went to a local hair salon for microblading and I didn’t like the shape,’’ Balidemaj says. “Then the color started to fade into a weird brown. I hated it and was really upset, so I went to Sania’s Brow Bar [in Chelsea] and Sania [Vucetaj] showed me how to camouflage it with a pencil.’’
Vucetaj, who has been tending to the brows of stars such as Hoda Kotb for more than 20 years, discourages her clients from microblading. “If it goes wrong, you are stuck with the shape forever because it never fully fades and leaves an unattractive discoloration.’’
Xeviare Elezi — an office manager for a construction company who sought out Vucetaj after her bladed brows turned “bluish gray” — says the risks of microblading are not worth it.
“If you get a bad tattoo on your back at least you can hide it,” Elezi says. “When you get one on your face it’s pretty embarrassing.”
Here, the pros weigh in on what wouldbe ’bladers need to know.
Ask if your skin can handle it
“Clients with large pores and oily skin aren’t good candidates for microblading because the color doesn’t show up well and can look blurry,” says Jeffrey Lyle Segal of Paul Labrecque Salon. “And those
with rosacea have a tendency to bleed too much.”
Make sure your pro is actually a pro
“Ensure that the artist has reviews and referrals, and make sure he or she is CPCP [Certified Permanent Cosmetics Professional] certified,” says Kendra Bray, owner of Nolita salon Better Brows & Beauty.
Karina Freedman of KarinaNYC Lash & Skincare on the Upper East Side, adds that it’s important to go with someone with several years of experience so that they know how the color wears. “This can’t be a guessing game,” she says.
Seek out an age-appropriate look
“An elegant middle-aged woman should go for a more delicate, natural look,” says Freedman. “She can’t get away with a thicker, fashionforward shape the way a girl in her 20s can.”
Try before you buy
“Ask the artist to draw on your brows first what he plans to do with the machine,” says Danuta Mieloch, owner of Rescue Spa in Flatiron, which offers a program for brow growth using RevitaLash serum and expert tinting. “That way, you can see if you are comfortable with the way it looks before committing to a long-term result.”
See for yourself
Skin-care guru Yasmine Djerradine, who has veteran permanentmakeup artist Fabrice Condemi visit from Belgium once a month, recommends checking out the artist’s before-and-after photos.
“You want to make sure you like the style and taste of the person working on your face,’’ she says.