What's the difference between eyebrow microblading and tattooing?

I recently wrote an article about a course I did on microblading (you can catch up on that here) and it's the latest kid on the semi-permanent brow block. We received so many questions after it was published that it underlined to me that understanding all the different semi-permanent brow procedures out there can be a bit confusing. And so I wanted to give you a clearer idea of what each one is so that you have a clearer idea of what you're signing up to when you make a booking for your brows.

Going to the wrong technician can leave you in a very bad position for up to (if not over) a year and sometimes brows just don't recover. And believe me, I have seen some terrible work out there.

So what's the difference between microblading and tattooing?

Well, microblading is basically a semi-permanent makeup treatment that allows the technician reconstruct the eyebrow fully. It enables the technician to draw hair-like strands to fill gaps, to thicken or lift and can give you a natural or bolder looking finish. It is done manually using a hand tool to deposit pigment under the first layer of the skin. There is not a huge amount of discomfort during it, as you're not going too deep and there is only mild breakage on the skin.

With semi-permanent tattooing on the other hand (or brow), you are using the machine and the major difference in my opinion is that you don't get as thin or crisp hair strokes, meaning that the hair doesn't look as natural. In addition, the microblade is several times thinner than the needles used for tattoos and the microblade strokes heal better.

I'm a convert to microblading. We've come so far in the last few years when it comes to semi permanent brow technology that I'm excited to see what the next big trend will be. And I'll be first to tell you all about it.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please leave them below.