The Art and Science of a well groomed Brow!

Brows are ALL the rage and I groom A LOT of brows.

Brow shaping is artistry and a science. Brow hair commands respect because if you have unwittingly over tweezed yourself or had the misfortune of a terrible eye brow shaping by a professional, you know it takes years, literally years, for them to regenerate. In some cases, the damage can be permanent.

**In general, for anyone who has over tweezed or had a bad experience, I recommend letting your brows grow for 8-12 weeks before seeking the assistance of a professional.**

No two brows are alike and trends on Instagram would have you believe otherwise.

Brows are sisters, not twins, and sometimes they are second/third cousins. This is our biology. In the majority of the population, the human face is asymmetrical. One eye is larger than the other, one nostril is wider than the other, and so on. If you look at only half of your face, odds are the brow on that half of the face is complimentary to that specific side and the same is true for the other half of your face. My goal while shaping brows is to create the illusion of balance, and what can’t be created through natural shaping can be enhanced with tinting and the application of brow makeup.

About brow makeup….

If I can see your eyebrows a mile down the road, you’re over doing it. Brows are an enhancement of your natural beauty. They are a frame for the face and “oversee” the creation of balance and proportion for your face. They are holding the “team” together but are “team” players. Beauty is about proportion and balance; therefore, some women have full-thick eyebrows and others do not. Just like some of us look good in a pencil skirt while an A-line is flattering for others.

The golden ratio is the most popular guideline for a well-shaped brow. Holding a straightedge vertically, a well-shaped brow begins at the inside corner of the eye, the arch peaks above the outside of the iris, and the tail sits at a 45-degree angle to the outside corner of the eye. Then, holding the straightedge horizontally, the inside-bottom corner of the bulb should be level with the end of the tail. Sounds easy, right?

Unfortunately, the golden ratio doesn’t work for everyone’s symmetry. This is why finding someone who understands the nuisances of brow artistry and natural shaping is so important. Eyebrow shaping takes into account the bone structure of the face, the frame of the eye and the health of the brow hair.

Restoring your brows:

Brow hair is the Joshua Tree of human hair. It has the longest dormant cycle and shortest growth cycle of all hair found on the human body. Patience is key to naturally restoring your brows. I discourage new brow clients from using brow enhancements like serums with peptides or growth factors for the first 12-24 months of the regrowth process. This way, we know what the body is willing to give back. In most but not all cases, clients do not feel the need for product enhancement after the initial wait-and-see period.

Permanent makeup and your brows:

For those who do not have success naturally restoring their eyebrows, there are other options available. For younger women with good eye sight and a steady hand I recommend topically applied makeup, brow tinting, brow Henna, or a brow growth stimulator. In my opinion, no one under the age of 40 should have permanent makeup done to their brows. Gasp, I know…

Here’s the deal. I studied at one of the most expensive and well-recognized permanent makeup schools in the US. I spent a fortune on travel, education, and time away from my clients. I was enamored by the artistry, process, and result. BELIEVE ME, permanent makeup is a true art form. Working on a living medium is really difficult and I still find myself in AWE of the beautiful work being produced locally and nationally. Here’s the problem, it does not last and it discolors as it fades (yellow, purple, orange, and in some cases blue). The popular media would have you believe that the fading is expected and annual touch-ups are recommended for this reason. I believed this to be true when I first offered the service. However, after speaking with successful PMU professionals with decades of experience who were perplexed by clients that were no longer retaining ink after 10 years of touch-ups, I recalibrated.

Microblading:

Pause for a moment; microblading and powder brow applications are tattoos, which by default create scar tissue that remains invisible to the naked eye. Touch-ups, recommended annually, create more scar tissue and from what I gathered talking to honest providers on the “DL”, the tissue loses its ability to retain new ink. The fine print, included in my paperwork, stated that at some point touch-ups might no longer be doable. Aside from the obvious contraindications that could prevent one from having a touchup, is this also due to the fact that the skin can only absorb so much ink over a lifetime? How much? Who knows. Our bodies are all different.

For this reason, I fully support and see the value providing PMU services for older clients or clients who’ve been through chemotherapy, but not as a substitute for makeup. I’m not shaming anyone who has it done or provides it as a service. However, I think the industry could be more transparent about the process and pitfalls of starting permanent makeup too early in life.