faq: Permanent brows

How much do permanent brows cost?

Initial appointments (for all new clients): $425 and the remaining $115 for 6-8 week touch up.

This pricing is for ALL new clients. Clients that Terah has approved with ink from a previous artist are charged $100 more for corrective work.

Clients with previous work from another artist must send in photos or book a consultation to discuss how to proceed further.

Yearly touchups appointments are reserved for Terah’s current clients only, these are clients who do not have work done by a previous artist and have had only one initial appointment and 6-8 week touchup by Terah. These sessions start at $180.

What is permanent brows?

This is the process of tattooing pigment into the skin in the brow area to give the appearance of natural hair/fuller brows. Although it does fade over time, it is considered a tattoo and permanent makeup. Touch ups are recommended once a year in order to keep the color fresh and the shape precise.

Permanent brows are meant to be a subtle, natural enhancement and looks the most natural on clients with a naturally semi-full brow who just want to perfect their shape. The more hair a client has the more natural the results appear.

What is microblading?

Microblading is a form of permanent makeup using a blade to create hair strokes throughout the brow. This subtle enhancement is used on ONLY clients that have young, healthy, normal/dry skin. Oily skin, thin skin and mature/aging skin clients are not good candidates for this method as results will not heal well or appear as natural. If you are in this category, you will be a better candidate for combination or powder brows.

What is combination brows?

Combo brows are a form of permanent makeup using a blade to create hair strokes in the very front of the brow and sometimes throughout the entire brow, while machine shading is done in the rest of the brow and especially throughout the tail. This is a beautiful look for most, if not all, clients as it heals very soft and natural yet defined. Perfect for those who fill in their brows daily and is most oftentimes needed for most clients seeking permanent brows.

What is powder brows?

The powder technique is a form of permanent makeup that uses machine shading only in the brows to create defined and fuller looking brows. Powder brows looks and heals beautifully on all skin types! This method is especially recommended for anyone with oily or porous skin in the forehead area, mature/aging skin and thin skin.

Which method of permanent brows looks the most natural?

All of them! Although at first the color, darkness and boldness is most apparent within the first day as well as 48 hours following the procedure, healed brows are always light, powdery and should blend in with any brow hair seamlessly.

The difference in techniques truly comes down to skin type as we want the treatment to heal beautifully, always. This is all discussed in consultation either in person or through email!

Who is a good candidate for permanent brows?

Anyone with sparse, over-plucked, uneven brows who want to correct their shape or those with substantial amount of brow hair/even shape but want a more filled in, symmetrical look.

Who is not a good candidate for permanent brows?

Anyone who frequently tans or exercises daily to the point of sweating and aren’t willing to give up these behaviors while the brows are healing.

Anyone battling an immune disorder, diabetes, etc. should receive medical advice and clearance for the service as sometimes there can be difficulties when healing, causing poor retention.

Skin disorders present on the face and especially in the brow area such as eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, etc. should consult with a medical professional as well as notify Terah beforehand as these can also cause poor retention issues during healing!

Also, anyone who refuses to follow any and all of the aftercare instructions provided. Doing these things while the brows are healing WILL NOT retain the pigment and therefore it’s money down the drain.

How should I prepare for my appointment?

Feel free to bring in reference photos or wear brow makeup as you normally do as well!

No botox, fillers, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, or retin-a use on the forehead area at least 2 weeks before or after your appointment.

You’ll need to avoid getting your brows wet for 7-10 days after your initial healing process immediately after your appointment. This includes excessive sweating, pools, lakes, salt water and sun exposure so plan your vacations accordingly!

!What to absolutely avoid before your appointment!

Doing any of the following will cause excessive bleeding during your procedure and WILL hinder your final result!

Do not workout the day of your appointment.

Do not take any blood thinning medications, including aspirin/ibuprofen, 72 hours before or immediately after your appointment.

Do not drink alcohol within 24 hours of your appointment.

Avoid caffeine for 12 hours before your appointment. Caffeine increases blood flow and will affect your healed results.

Is a 6-8 week touchup appointment necessary?

Yes! All permanent makeup treatments require two sessions. Your follow up appointment gives us a chance to assess your pigment retention and make any changes to color, shape and density. This is a perfecting session, although some clients need more perfecting than others the second session provides an increase in the longevity of the service!

How long does an appointment take?

Most initial appointments take approximately 1.5-2.5 hours and includes in depth design/brow mapping, numbing the area and the treatment itself. Expect touchups to take around 1 hour to complete, more or less.

If i already have permanent brows from another artist, can i come to get a touchup/correction at aura?

Technically no but that doesn’t mean we won’t see you as a client! Consulting in person is going to be the best way to evaluate the situation in order to discuss how to proceed further as it totally depends on how much the old pigment has faded.

Well lit, up close, non-blurry photos can be sent to aurapmu@gmail.com (natural light is best, near a window or outside) for Terah to review and discuss options going forward as well.

All new clients, even those coming from another artist, are considered new clients at Aura and are expected to pay full price for an initial appointment which includes a 6-8 week touchup.

What can i expect immediately after my permanent brow appointment?

Within 48 hours after your appointment, expect your brows to appear much darker and bolder than how they will heal. This is due to oxidation in the surface layer of the skin, once the skin heals over the next several weeks, you’ll see color fade to about 30-50%. The pigment could appear warm in tone and your skin could look and feel like a sunburn, you may also experience very mild swelling in the treated area. All of this typically disappears within 48 hours and is completely normal.

On or after day 3 you could potentially notice flaking and maybe even light scabbing in the treated area, DO NOT PICK AT IT, doing so can result in permanent loss of pigment. Brows may appear spotty/patchy until the brows have fully healed.

You may also notice color completely disappear and reappear as your epidermis becomes thicker while healing. This causes muting of color, hiding or diffusing of pigment underneath.

The epidermis does normalize over the next 4-6 weeks and softened pigment should appear more clearly on the surface of the skin.

At 6-8 weeks your brows will be fully healed and whatever pigment that does not return will be addressed at your touchup appointment or if you would prefer darker, bolder brows we can always add more color or choose another method such as combo/powder.

you cannot receive permanent brows if you are:

Pregnant/Breastfeeding

Currently using accutane or have used accutane within the past year

Have a freshly tanned or sunburned face

Are on blood-thinning medications or antibiotics

Have rosacea or any skin disorder in the brow area

Currently undergoing cancer treatment (must be off chemo or radiation for 6 months)

Battling an immune disorder and cannot get a doctors clearance to move forward

What factors could affect my permanent makeup results?

Oily skin: increased oil production can cause hair strokes to blur and heal unsatisfactory

Use of retinols/retin-a on the forehead/brows: these products are not to be used after receiving permanent brows as they cause discoloration of the pigment. Use of these products are fine to use below the eye area but must be avoided on the forehead altogether to ensure color remains intact.

Sun exposure: increased sun exposure and tanning beds will cause premature fading. You will want to use sunscreen on your brow area to protect the pigment from the sun during and after healing.

Bleeding during the appointment: excessive bleeding during your appointment will greatly affect how your body retains pigment. While this is not entirely in our control, it is very important that you follow pre-care instructions to help minimize bleeding.

How long will permanent brows last?

Cosmetic tattooing is designed to fade with time. Factors such as skin type, lifestyle, age, metabolism, sun exposure, medications, skincare and pigment color affect the longevity of the tattoo.

The sun and tanning beds can affect the rate at which the pigments are broken down. Take care of you investment by following all aftercare provided and touchup your brows every 12-18 months or as needed. Touchups are normal and expected when receiving this treatment.

Final results vary and CANNOT be guaranteed due to the nature of skin as it heals. A follow up appointment is necessary at 6-8 weeks to ensure we can assess your pigment retention and address any other concerns you may have/make any changes necessary.