Can You Do Microblading On Your Own?
Microblading eyebrows has become a fascinating trend these days. Since it lets one skip daily make-up, people find it very convenient. However, it comes at a price many may find beyond their affordability. So they look for a cheaper option, AKA DIY microblading. Yes, you can do microblading on your own.
Microblading on your own involves getting the supplies first. Then, prepare your desired brow shape, apply a topical anesthetic, make strokes with the microblading device, and clean up the blood and pigment afterward.
Let me give you a heads-up here. The procedure is not nearly as manageable as it may have seemed. Doing microblading on your own without professional experience and education is unsafe as it involves your skin and health.
So, I discussed the risks before explaining the treatment. I strictly suggest you read them carefully first. Then, if you still stick to your decision, proceed. Remember to be extra alert with hygiene.
Good luck.
What Is DIY Microblading?
DIY Microblading implies that you will buy the necessary supplies and perform the process on your own. Anyone will find the PMU supplies available, but using them safely and efficiently requires substantial practice with knowledge.
People without a license, training, or certification should not microblade themselves or others. If they do, there will be skin and health damage.
What Is Microblading?
Microblading, a permanent eyebrow makeup solution, gives you an appearance of accentuated, redefined, and enhanced brow arches. As a perk, you will not need to put on any makeup.
The procedure involves the implementation of natural pigments into the skin’s upper dermis layer in small incisions. They emulate the natural brow hair look with the application of a manual microblading machine.
The pigment penetrating your skin will take around 2 years to fade gradually. They will stay longer with regular touchups. That means you will not have to spend on smudgy makeup for some time.
What Are The Risks Of Microblading On Your Own?
Experts often warn about the risks of performing DIY microblading, which range from unattractive and uneven results to severe and permanent skin and health hazards. I will give you the details below.
Infection
Professionals maintain a sterile and hygienic environment in their salons. They take special training to learn about sanitizing their tools and not getting them contaminated during the process.
Dipping the tool and the needle into ethanol will not ensure sufficient sanitization. Also, it is unlikely there will be an autoclave around you.
Apart from that, you cannot let the pigment come across any surface except for your skin, which you must clean beforehand.
No matter how clean it is, your home does not meet the definition of sterility in a case like this. And so it does not make an eligible environment to perform a treatment that requires your skin to open up. The odds of it causing an infection are drastically high.
Not every skin infection is crucial, but the ones that are demand medical assistance. If not treated timely, they can damage your skin permanently.
Symptoms include high itching, swelling, fever, pain, blistering, redness, and pus. Even if they seem mild and harmless, you should pay attention immediately. Since it was a DIY activity, the chance of it being a critical issue is not negligible.
Scarring
Applying improper techniques while operating the microblading device through the brows can create permanent scars.
How much pressure you put on your needle determines how deep the pigment will penetrate your skin. You should inject in the place between the dermis and the epidermis. It is the basal membrane.
If you do not go that deep, it will be too shallow with no retention. But if you go deeper, there will be skin damage, permanent scars, and excessive bleeding. Moreover, the color will not come out well, and the fading will be uneven.
Therefore, you must have sufficient knowledge and experience to learn the exact spot. Trained technicians take months, even years, to perfect the technique. That is why they cannot do microblading on people before gaining expertise with practice props.
Unattractive Outcome
Most people who try DIY microblading get botched outcomes. You might get away with scars and infection, but that is the furthest you could dodge it. Unnatural shapes, wrong color settings, and asymmetrical arches are almost inevitable.
But those are the things you will not go through if you get it done by a professional. Every microblading beautician has to study how to do the proportion right by creating the most suitable arch shape based on your facial characteristics.
So, if you have been dreaming of doing it on your own by recreating your favorite celeb, you are looking at a lost cause. The output will be nowhere near your desired one.
Speaking of the suitable color, artists have to have an educational background in that too. Pigments look different after being injected. So, while it may look simple to choose a color resembling your natural brow hair, it, in fact, is a tricky job – one that requires knowledge.
A technician knows how shades settle differently into different skin textures and tones. That is how they can mix them to create the closest match. Selecting the wrong one will give your brows a red or unattractive grayish/bluish hue.
That is how it ends up being a curse for you – you have to live your life with a pair of brows you never wanted, which will get worse for 2 years. That is unless you want to go for a painful and costly removal process. See, you will have to spend your money anyway, and that too for undoing your brows.
Painful Procedure
Yes, buying a topical anesthetic will rid you of the pain. As mentioned above, the needle should penetrate 0.15 mm deep into your skin. Contrarily, going any deeper will be so painful that the numbing lotion will not help you alleviate it.
Hidden Costs
The top-quality tools for microblading are expensive. But even with that, the cost of doing it yourself is significantly lower than having it done by a licensed artist.
Then where are the hidden costs? As the chances of your getting a removal in the case of dissatisfying results are high, you will need to contact a certified, trained professional. (I am guessing no one will look for a DIY removal!)
Fixing that mess will take lots of effort for a beautician. So they will charge you high for it.
If the case is beyond professional help, your last option will be a laser, glycolic acid, or saline. The same applies to pigments deposited deep into your skin.
So, if you manage to do everything by the book, and the microblading turns out well, you get to save a chunk of bucks. But if you cannot (where there are more odds), you might have to spend a bigger fortune. The cost and benefit calculation is up to you to decide which one is worthier.
Okay. That Means I Can Microblade On My Own, Then?
Technically, you can. But the question you need to ask is – should you microblade your brows on your own?
Yes, there is no denying that DIY microblading is the more affordable, considering the touchups that will follow if you get it done by a professional. But that is the only plus point that comes with it.
You might have seen tutorials about DIY microblading that got your hopes up and boosted your confidence. But they do not show you the entire picture, certainly not the part where it runs severe risks of skin damage. That is why I discussed the risks first. (Sorry for the reality check, but it was necessary.)
So, I strongly suggest you read and consider those risks before proceeding with the treatment. Then, if you still deem it worthy, scroll down to see how to pull it off.
How Can I Microblade My Eyebrows At Home?
You will need the following supplies to DIY microblade your eyebrows at home:
- A microblading kit (You might have seen people using a razor in different YT tutorials. But that is not safe.)
- Pigments (Try to figure out which color is the most suitable for you. You can browse the internet to research that.)
- A numbing cream
- A pair of surgical gloves
- Cotton swabs
- Alcohol
TIP!
There are different types of microblading blades in the market. It is not easy to work with hard blades, which only experienced artists use. Since you will DIY the procedure, buy the flexible ones. They are easily workable, and they absorb the pressure to some extent.
Besides, it helps if the blade is U-shaped. It is an all-rounder that can work for each area of the eyebrow arch. Instead of getting thicker and thinner blades for the spine and the inner end, it is more straightforward with a U-shaped one.
5 Steps For Performing DIY Microblading
Step 1: Drawing The Desired Brow Shape
Use a thin and surgical marker to design the brow shape you desire. If possible, get a white marker because the dark ones tend to leave marks within the incisions.
NOTE!
If you cannot find a marker, do not do it with an eyebrow pencil. It will smudge and cause irritation (and maybe even infection) once your skin breaks.
As an alternative, you can buy some sticky stencils that come with ready-made arch shapes.
Step 2: Applying The Topical Anesthetic
When you apply the anesthetic, wait 15 to 20 minutes to let it start working before wiping it off. Pinch the area to see if it is in effect. If it hurts, put it on again and wait longer this time.
Step 3: Getting Ready
In this step, you should be ready to get down to business. Wear your surgical gloves, prepare the pigment, and get the microblading device from its package without contaminating it. Remember not to touch any place except your skin (which should be neat and clean).
Step 4: Doing The Microblading
Take the blade and gently make strokes through the brows after dipping it in the pigment. Do not apply too much force to the device.
Do the microblading by imitating the direction and length of your natural hair as best as you can. Afterward, wait several minutes to allow the color to sit with the incisions.
Step 5: Cleaning Up
There will be pigment outside the treated area with blood. Rub those off with cotton swabs.
What Are The Aftercare Instructions For DIY Eyebrow Microblading?
- The aftercare instructions do not differ much from those of professional microblading. The basic ones are as follows.
- Do not let the brows get wet within the first 24 hours. Wipe them slowly with a clean and soft cloth to remove pus and lymph regularly.
- Wash them slowly with a mild soap or foaming cleanser. Dry the brows with soft taps, and do not rub. It might ruin pigment retention.
- Do not return to your daily skincare habits for 1.5 to 2 weeks. Some skincare products do not have compatibility with PMU. They can effectively cause faster pigment fading. Buy PMU aftercare ointments and balms. Follow the instructions on their packages until the recovery period is over.
- Avoid wearing makeup for 2 weeks. Also, avoid long showers, tanning, sun exposure, and swimming pools.
- Make sure your pillowcase is clean.
- Finally, do not do any activity that can cause sweating.
However you get your brows microbladed, it is mandatory that you follow the rules. But in the case of DIY microblading, the consequences of not following them will be worse as it is riskier. So, if you experience discomfort during this period, do not leave it unattended. Talk to a professional ASAP.
Where Can I Get The Supplies?
You will get the supplies at any tattoo store. There are some popular brands that sell microblading kits online. They have a set of all the tools you will need to do the job at a price range from $200 to $400.
Wherever you buy the tools from, check their authenticity. And do NOT make do with any household objects. It is the last thing you want. It could be extremely harmful to your health.
Final Words
If you have noticed, the article said more about why you should not do DIY microblading than how you can do it. And I hope you understand why.
Yes, DIY microblading is doable and easily affordable. But it can be risky and dangerous too. It is also irrational to expect a satisfactory result at the first attempt with zero experience, whereas artists spend hundreds of hours to learn it.
If money is the only concern, you can look for beginner artists who do not charge high. Although they have just started, they have the minimum expertise in this area. So you can rely on them to get your desired result.
Nevertheless, if you have made up your mind to do this, be as safe and hygienic as you can and follow the aftercare routine perfectly. Who knows, maybe you will get your dream brows!
Again, all the best!
