Brows

Microshading is a form of a cosmetic eyebrow tattoo that gives your brows a soft shadowy effect, similar to the look of wearing a brow powder. It fills in any sparse patches and gives the brow volume and thickness, plus it can modify its shape to best suit your features. As a result, a powdery eyebrow effect is achieved, and misty, powdered brows are created. The technique is similar to microshading, but the results are more dramatic. The whole powderbrows procedure resembles the procedure of microblading, but the technique used is different, and so is the final outcome. Keep reading to find out what’s the difference between powder brows and microblading. The whole procedure is a two-step process, and it consists of the initial insertion of the pigment and the touch-up that takes place 6 – 8 weeks after the initial procedure. Powder brows create the desired fullness of your eyebrows in a bespoke arch shape that best suits your facial features and brings out your natural beauty.

If you’ve decided microblading isn’t quite what you’re looking for, or you have particularly oily skin and your artist has advised you to go for machine shading instead, powder brows offer several patterns to choose from. One of them is ombre eyebrows. Ombre eyebrows have emerged as a very sought-after procedure. What is ombre brows, who is it for, and what is so special about them? Inspired by the ombre hair trend, ombre brows (or ombré eyebrows) have become a huge trend in semi-permanent makeup for eyebrows. Just like the basic powder brows, it’s a procedure that gives you the look of filled-in, shaded brows, but with a special twist – the ombre effect. All semi-permanent makeup procedures imply injecting pigments of natural origin between the upper and the middle layer of the skin, and the same goes for powder ombre brows. The pigment is inserted using a dotting technique called pixelization, giving a 3D, fluffy look to the eyebrows. The procedure is done using a machine specially designed for permanent makeup by a trained and licensed permanent makeup artist and has two steps: the initial pigmentation, and the touch up after 6 to 8 weeks. The powder ombre brow effect is easily recognized by the color gradation that starts at the beginning of the brow arch – known as the head of the brow – in the center of the forehead and gets gradually darker towards the tail. This creates an illusion of fading. Ombre powder brows are a subcategory of powder brows and are basically just a particular shading pattern

It is done manually, with a microblading tool – a blade consisting of several tiny needles – which is used to make thin incisions on the skin that look like natural brow hairs. They imitate the length, color, thickness and shape of the actual hairs. Special pigments in the color of the natural hairs are then deposited into the skin, and the result is an illusion of thicker arches with a modified shape that best suits your face. The results are very realistic and virtually unidentifiable, which is why this treatment is sometimes called 3D microblading.

In some cases, powder ombre brows are an even better option than microblading, for example, for people with oily skin, large pores, or alopecia, as these characteristics tend to be problematic for drawing microblading strokes. Also, they’re more suitable for people who spend a lot of time in the sun, as sunlight can make microblading strokes fade unevenly. With dotting, this is not so obvious

Similarities Both ombre eyebrows and microblading are semi-permanent eyebrow styling techniques. Pigments are injected into the skin and the results are relatively long-lasting. They don’t wash off or smudge, but do fade over time. Part of the pigment wears off mechanically, as the skin renews itself and dead skin cells are shedded, while the rest is absorbed by the body

• Differences DIFFERENT TECHNIQUE. The biggest difference between microblading vs ombre brows is the method used and the results achieved. Microblading is done by manually creating micro incisions on the skin surface and filling them with pigments. The strokes through the skin resemble hairs. Ombre powder brows are done by dotting (some artists call this method ‘pixelization’, others call it ‘airbrushing’) in a specific pattern, where the dot saturation is gradually increased towards the tail, so there is no dragging through the skin.
• LESS INVASIVE. There is less pain and bleeding with microshading/ombre powder brows. The ombre technique is less damaging to the skin, as there is no constant opening and dragging of the blade through the skin. Of course, every skin will behave differently and there is no way of knowing until the procedure starts, but this is a general tendency.
• MORE LONG-LASTING RESULTS. The average lifespan of microbladed brows is 18 months to 2 years, while ombre brows last longer due to the technique used – 2 to 3 years, but they can last even longer with touch ups.
• Hypertrophic scarring. Without a shadow of doubt microblading creates scarring. It can be seen long after the ink has faded. I don’t know about you but scarring up the skin is the exact opposite of what our goal is. Scar tissue will make it difficult as the years progress to touch up evenly. P

What Is the Difference Between Microblading and Powder Brows?

Even though the two procedures are somewhat similar, that is, both involve the artist inserting the pigment into the surface layers of your skin, the technique used is different, as well as the result, which is the biggest difference between powder brows and microblading.

Wait, Didn’t You Just Describe Powder Brows?
Yes, microshading and powder brows are very similar and the line between them is thin. So many artists consider them to be one and the same. However, there are a few differences. The biggest one is that microshading often includes hair strokes, too, while powder brows do not. Powder brows are only done with a PMU machine, while microshading can also be done manually, for a softer effect. Powder brows can only be done by artists certified for that, while manual shading can be performed by microblading artists, too. Another difference is in the results. Powder brows are more dramatic, and they give a more solid, opaque shade. Microshading is more misty, and it’s often combined with hair strokes. Of course, you can get more saturated microshading and it can look a lot like powder brows. Again, a thin line between the two