The decision to have microblading is not a light one. Because the procedure is semipermanent, many people as, “What does microblading look like after 2 years?” Well, after two years you are going to see the last layers of colour in the skin. In other words, you are able to see the last colour that makes up any given colour.
For example, brown is not just brown. It is made up of a mixture of primary colours. Depending on the base of the chosen colour, red is usually the last to leave the skin. Therefore, you will see a peach undertone or light pink/mauve colour after two years.
However, the answer to the question “What does microblading look like after 2 years?” is not the same for everyone. Some people’s skin retains pigment exceptionally well. We have seen some clients whose microblading lasted over two years. Due to their natural hair colour, the remaining pigment blends right in. That is the reason for the major flexibility with our Refresher.
The Refresher can be booked anytime from 6 weeks to 12 months following the initial procedure. We ask that a minimum of 40% of the initial shape must be present for the Refresher. As stated above, this time varies per person.
While there are many pros to microblading, like anything else, there are also cons. Many of you know the pros, for example, full, natural looking brows that do not wash off. However, some of you have asked,
“What are the negatives to microblading?”
In our opinion, the number one negative is the pain. Unlike a brow waxing service where you get through that little bit of pain, microblading takes much longer. While we use numbing cream to minimize discomfort, we have seen a full spectrum of pain tolerance. To clarify, most clients take well to the numbing cream.
Another negative to microblading is the recovery time of the service. This is where some people may have trouble. People may reconsider their decision because of the look of the brows during the recovery period. Brows in recovery can either look extremely dark or off due to the swelling.
During the recovery phase you are limited to what you can do afterwards, not only because of the skin recovering but also because of the look of them.
A third negative we can think of is specific to people who have really thick and/or oily skin. Their pigment retention is lower so they will have to get their refresher sooner rather than later. We recommend refreshers as early as 6 weeks post procedure and as late as 12 months post procedure.
A minimum of 40% of the initial shape must be present for your Refresher. This time varies per person. Oily skin reaches a 40% fade rate closer to the first 2-3 months, while other skin types can stretch the refresher closer to 10-12 months post procedure.
Your safety is our first concern. While most people meet medical eligibility for the microblading procedure, there are contraindications that prevent some people from going “under the blade”.
Pregnancy
Microblading is nor recommended for pregnant women. The procedure requires us to cut into the skin potentially causing unnecessary stress. High levels of stress could consequently affect the fetus; Its best to wait. However, this comes down to personal preference because there is no research to date that has linked microblading to harming the baby.
Blood clotting abnormalities
People with blood clotting abnormalities because they are going to bleed a lot and the chances of them retaining colour is very slim.
Keloids
A keloid scar is thick and raised.
People prone to keloid scarring should definitely avoid the service unless their service provider is comfortable doing it and a test patch is done.
Senile skin
In old age, the skin and the blood vessels become more fragile. As a result, skin bruises easily from minor trauma. Senile skin does not have much adipose tissue. Without that “cushioning”, the incisions split open. In addition, the skin does not recover as quickly.
Other questions?
Call us or submit your questions to our “Ask Dérmica” feature.
Let’s measure pain on a scale of 1 to 5; With 1 being the lowest, and 5 being the highest amount of pain felt during the procedure. With proper numbing and preparation of the skin, most clients will report a 0.5 at the beginning and a 3 towards the end of their service.
On the other hand, some people don’t feel anything the entire time. It comes down to how the person’s body takes to topical anesthetic. For instance, if you don’t do well in dental procedures involving anaesthetic, chances are your skin won’t take well to topical anaesthetic used for microblading brows.
In addition, personal pain tolerance also has a lot to do it. To decrease pain level, we recommend following the precautions prior to your appointment. Examples include avoiding all forms of caffeine, and getting enough sleep the night before. For women specifically, menstruation may cause extra sensitivity.
Medications and Microblading
There are some medications that add to skin sensitivity. If you are taking any medication we recommend talking to your pharmacist. Some medications are a contraindication to microblading, for example, blood thinners.
Blood thinners are used by people that have high blood pressure and/or are prone to blood clots. They thin the blood which causes you to bleed more during microblading which can in turn result in less retention of pigment.
Does microblading ruin your natural brows?
Microblading does not affect the current growth of the brow. It can however stimulate hair growth because of the layers that we are cutting into. Some of our clients report new hair growth where hair growth had been lost.
Other questions?
Call us or submit your questions to our “Ask Dérmica” feature.
As Service Providers, we see all types foot conditions including bruised nails. We’ve answered some common questions below that we receive during pedicures.
Do bruised nails grow out?
Yes, they do grow out. However, if there has been trauma to the matrix of the nail, there may be permanent damage such as ridges. The matrix is where the nail is developed, in other words, a damaged “nail factory” will produce damaged nails.
How long does it take for a bruised nail to grow out?
The answer to that question depends on where the trauma is located on the nail. Typically it takes about a year for the nail to fully replenish itself; that is assuming the bruise is at the base of the nail.
On the other hand if the trauma is midpoint, it is safe to estimate it will take about 6 months to grow out. If the nail trauma is a quarter of the way down, it should out take about 3 months, and so on.
Does a new nail grow under the bruised nail?
No, a new nail does not grow underneath, but it grows behind it. So, if the trauma to the nail is bad enough, then the nail will eventually fall as the new nail starts to push out that damaged nail. Depending on how bad the bruise is, sometimes the nail will just slowly grow out.
Home care tips for bruised nails.
Keeping them clean and dry will prevent your vulnerable feet from developing other conditions, such as athlete’s foot or nail fungus. Avoiding tight shoes will prevent unnecessary pressure and will therefore allow normal blood flow to the feet. We recommend wearing sandals in the summer time, it is safe to cover up the bruise with nail polish.
If it is a pretty bad hematoma (bruise) it is recommended to have it drained by a doctor to alleviate some of the pressure.
Pedicures not only help wit the esthetics of a bruised nail, they also remove any collection of tissue and blood that collects between the nail and the nail bed.
Foot corns are not caused by virus or bacteria. They are caused by pressure between footwear and the bone. In other words, they are strictly due to friction.
The early stages of corns are soft corns. After they build the callous they become a hardened overgrowth of skin.
Foot corn removal
Treatment is simple when addressed promptly. Soft corns can be treated with corn pads to cushion friction areas. On the other hand, hard corns are treated with regular pedicures. Calloused areas are removed with pedicure tools, for example, blades and rasps.
If the corn occurred due to wearing bad shoes during a short period of time, for example, during a vacation, a pedicure is great for foot corn removal. However, if corns are due to bad bone alignment, we recommend wearing cushions regularly.
Have you ever “broken in” a new pair of shoes? You’re not actually breaking in the shoes. Instead, you are inadvertently breaking in your feet! Sometimes a corn will start off as a blister. If you continue to use the problematic shoes after the blister pops, it will build a callous in those tiny spots. The callous buildup becomes a corn.
Our recommendation? Discontinue use of tight footwear to alleviate the pressure if they are the cause. In addition, light buffing in the shower over the corn will help reduce symptoms.
Regular Pedicures
Our pedicare treatments provide all the benefits of a traditional pedicure combined with our treatment approach and signature touch of luxury. Above all, regular pedicures are important to maintain foot health and keep feet looking their best.
