Beauty

I started out my teenage years with full eyebrows enviable to even Brooke Shields, and while most of my eyebrows survived the 90’s, even few were left after being a guinea pig for services while in Cosmetology school. Over the years I acquired eyebrow pencils, brow stencils, brushes and promises of products to bring my brows back to pre-wax and tweezer days. In a nutshell makeup camouflaged the problem but never truly solved my brow problem.

So, when I heard about Microblading I was excited to have eyebrows again that didn’t require buying stock in Sephora or worrying what my lack of eyebrows looked like when waking up or while swimming! About 2.5 years ago I had a Microblading procedure but wasn’t completely happy with my unnatural results.

I decided to try Microblading again and so glad I did! Shannon of The Housley Institute in Cincinnati, OH took on my brow project and added shading to match the shapes more evenly! I am so thankful I found someone who I could trust and wanted to share my experience!

Microblading is a semi-permanent tattoo service that uses a specialized hand tool to draw hair-like strokes to correct or enhance eyebrows. Microblading is ideal for brows that have been over-plucked/over-waxed, alopecia of the brows, or loss of brow hair loss due to chemotherapy.

My microblading procedure took about 2 hours from start to finish. Shannon started with a very thorough consultation noting hair loss areas, arch height and tint coloring. From there she mapped out my new brows and used a topical numbing agent for the brow area. Overall, I was thankful numbing was allowed/offered for this procedure. It didn’t hurt, but did make the procedure more comfortable. I remember joking to her that I could have fallen asleep during the procedure! Once the shape of my eyebrows was established Shannon numbed the area a second time to put in shading. Shading in the eyebrows helped to add depth and definition to the area. Upon completion Shannon and I went over my eyebrows to note any areas where I would like additional color or anymore hair strokes. I was thankful for her input and attention to detail!

Once completed Shannon scheduled my 5-8-week touch-up session. The touch-up session is done on completely healed brows for any areas that need to be perfected. Shannon also went over Microblading aftercare instructions and what to expect over the next few days and weeks.

I am almost to day 7 and still loving my shape, color and definition. Overall, I am thankful for Microblading because while I don’t know if I could ever rock the big full eyebrows I started life out with I do love that I am able to have eyebrows 24/7 that fit my face and look beautifully doing so!

If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with Shannon of The Housley Institute, click here: www.housleyinstitute.com

What I have learned about Microblading:

1. Research your Microblading Artist-they need to be certified and licensed!
2. Talk to your Microblading Artist about their training/apprenticeship and photos of their work.
3. Ask about topical numbing-not 100% needed but you will be more comfortable.
4. Take time during your consultation and be realistic of what you want your eyebrows to look like.
5. Microblading is a semi-permanent tattoo, so follow preparation steps for the best results.
6. Aftercare Instructions are important for healing and long-lasting results.
7. How do you put a $ on waking up with amazing eyebrows that even my husband noticed the very first morning after! I justified price based on how much time and money I was spending at the makeup counter on the latest and greatest brow fixes that left me hanging.
8. You may have an awkward day while they are healing (some flaking or scabbing) but shrug it off because beautiful eyebrows await!
9. Show up for your touch-up appointment! Even if you don’t want the color adjusted or think a brow stroke is missing-great eyebrows really are an art form and your Microblading artist will guide you on this!
10. Girl, you got beautiful eyebrows and more time for selfies now!

Are you familiar with the hit show on TLC, Dr. Pimple Popper? Maybe you recognize the name Dr. Sandra Lee from YouTube? After just a few episodes of the show I have tuned in every week to watch Dr. Sandra Lee aka Dr. Pimple Popper access dermatological conditions and treat them while maintaining the bedside manner of a close friend! Dr. Lee has crossed over from the internet and television and onto the bookshelves with her recently released book, titled: “Put Your Best Face Forward : The Ultimate Guide to Skincare from Acne to Anti-Aging”. I didn’t think it was possible, but reading this book makes me love Dr. Lee even more!

Dr. Sandra Lee, a board certified dermatologist started out posting pimple popping on YouTube (www.youtube.com/user/DrSandraLee) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/@drsandralee). She was able to show viewers an in-depth look at dermatology and educate people about skin conditions. Her views on YouTube topped over 2.5 Billion (with a B folks)! That’s a lot of interest in pimples! TLC came along and signed her on for a show. Watching the show sometimes can be hard to stomach because it is showing what is inside the pimple, zit or large cyst. However, it is comforting to see her patients get the help and treatment they need for their skin problems. A lot of Dr. Lee’s work goes beyond just pimples and is an example of how her job affects the patient’s self-confidence!

Reading Dr. Lee’s book, she shares how she got to where she is in life and dermatology and makes the reader feel like you are spending time with a friend talking skincare. Having a background in beauty and skincare myself was one reason I enjoyed the in-depth information she delivered about skin conditions both common and uncommon. Dr. Lee’s book relays skincare information including anti-aging, skin health tips, skin cancer and acne treatment through her book with an approach that I have not seen before.

Within days of reading this I had already spoke about it to at least 5 people who I felt could benefit from the knowledge in this book! As you can see, I would personally recommend this book to teenagers struggling with acne to adults who aren’t sure what the bump is on their arm and wants more information.  Meanwhile, I am thankful for Dr. Lee’s approach to skincare and popping the stigma of skin conditions and looking forward to her next episode!

*New Episodes air Thursdays at 9/8C on TLC