My Microblading Touch Up Experience

I cannot believe it’s been almost two years since I first got my eyebrows microbladed with Vivi! I first met her when she was operating out of a back room at a hair salon in Lincoln Park and now she’s opened her very own salon, Embellash Beauty Bar, in Pilsen. The salon is absolutely adorable and here to serve all of your eyelash and eyebrow needs. Check out their full list of services here; they do lash extensions, lash lifts, along with waxing, threading, and eyebrow tinting. Today, I want to talk exclusively about my microblading touch up experience, which is recommended to maintain the shape and color as your microbladed eyebrows start to fade (typically after the first year). Note that this is considered an “annual touch up” appointment; when you first get your eyebrows microbladed, you’ll be instructed to come back about 8-12 weeks after your first session for what is also considered a touch up appointment.

Like I mentioned, I previously had my eyebrows microbladed back in 2017 and wrote a very detailed post talking about my experience and along with all of the basic facts you need to know (the important consultation appointment, what the actual “tattooing” part felt like, what the healing process consisted of, how much it costs, etc). If you are considering getting your eyebrows microbladed, I highly recommend checking it out!

My microbladed eyebrows have held up really well and I only started to notice they were fading a couple months ago. Embellash recommends going in for an annual touch up once a year, but it really just depends on how your brows are holding up. Some people, myself included, may be able to wait until closer to the 2 year mark. There are a lot of factors that determine how long the pigment will last; unlike a regular tattoo, microblading only permeates the very top layers of the skin, so certain factors, such as sun exposure, can really intensify the fading process. Getting certain facials or using skincare products with Glycolic Acid can also speed up the fading. Even your overall skin type will dictate how the pigment holds up— it really differs for everyone.

My touch up appointment was way shorter than when I went in for my initial microblading session. Vivi had to trim and do some minor cleanup around my eyebrows and outline the eyebrow shape before we got started. I’ll be honest with you guys… My initial appointment did not hurt at ALL. The numbing cream did it’s thing, and I remember barely feeling anything. This time around…. Yeaaah not so much. It was pretty grnaly to be honest hahaha. After Vivi drew out where my eyebrows were to be filled in, she had to microblade the entire outline before she could put any numbing cream on. I basically had my fists clenched the entire time and just focused on taking deep breaths. It helped that I was lying down, super comfortable, with great music to listen to in the background. After that, she was able to put on the numbing cream which made a huge difference. That part probably took 20 min total— 10ish min for each eyebrow. So, not my favorite thing in the world but definitely not unbearable. All in all, I was in the salon for just over an hour and a half.

Another thing I noticed was that my healing process was a little bit different this time around. I still had the same steps to follow: you can’t get your brows wet for 7 days (lol yes, you will need to get creative when it comes to showering and washing your face), and you need to apply aquaphor to them twice a day. Again, this time around was so so different for me! I basically had the easiest healing process and didn’t have any of the nasty healing side effects (itching, peeling, scabbing, etc). It wasn’t too bad this time; they definitely were itchy for the first few days, and I experienced just a tiny bit of scabbing throughout the week. I also noticed, and apologies if this is slightly tmi lol, but my eyebrows low key smelled… weird… for the week after. I’m not sure if this was due to the aquaphor or what (I would do my best to remove the previous application but I’m sure it ultimately just got layered up). Once I was able to shower again it was all good. But something to consider if you have any special events or trips planned in the week following your appointment; I would recommend having nothing scheduled for least 10 days after your session, since you won’t know how your skin will react.

Lastly, I wanted to throw in the prices that Embellash offers at their salon:

1st microblading session: $350

Mandatory touch up (8-12 weeks later): $150

Annual touch up (1-2 years after initial session): $250

Big thank you to Vivi for having me in again! I seriously could not be happier with how they turned out. I love how they look super natural and just reinforce my natural thick, dark brows. Microblading has seriously changed my life when it comes to doing my makeup and I couldn’t imagine my face without these killer brows!