Ask Cathy – August 2018

 Dear Cathy, I hardly have any eyebrows and have to draw them on everyday which takes quite a while, and of course every day they look different.  I get so frustrated but Permanent Makeup has always made me a little nervous, I’m concerned if I don’t like it or I want a different color as my hair color changes? But I need to do something.  Now I hear about Microblading, what is the difference between Microblading and Permanent Makeup? – Michele in SCV
Dear Michele, Permanent makeup is wonderful for those like yourself who don’t have much brow hair, or who’s eyesight isn’t what it used to be, unsteady hands, or just busy. It’s a definite time saver! Not to mention you wake up with the same Beautiful Brows each morning and not have to wonder what shape they will take on that day! To put your mind at ease, the way I work is you will see it before we actually do it, so there is no guessing whether you will like it or not.  If we are doing permanent eyebrows, I’ll numb the brow area with an effective topical numbing technique that makes any pain minimal. Then draw on to fill in your brows, measuring and getting them looking technically as close to perfect as we can, and in the shape that flatters you.  It is not until we have them just the way we both want the brows to look, that we move into the permanent makeup room. I go over color and use my expertise to guide you to the most complimentary color for your skin tone, hair and eye color, etc. Once we start the actual procedure it takes under 30 minutes. You will be happy to know, that we can change, lighten or darken the color of the brows, eyeliner at any time, to suit your needs or desires.  Permanent makeup will get softer in time. I recommend having a color boost every few years to keep it looking fresh. Do not let anyone tell you it will last forever! Permanent makeup is the perfect solution to enhance the appearance of sparse brows using my new hair stroke hybrid method for a super natural, fabulous brow.   Now for the difference between Permanent Makeup and Microblading.
Microblading is an Old Asian technique, made popular again, using a $10 to $15 hand tool with several needles together, resembling an Xacto knife. Done in a rocking like method to apply pigment for each hair stroke, this takes a lot more time and fades much faster than Permanent Makeup.  Clients have been coming in lately that have had the Microblading done elsewhere and not been happy because after a few months they are having to use makeup to fill them in again.  The Permanent Brow procedures I apply are done using a unique technique I perfected which is a combination of individual hair strokes and a soft powder looking fill. That way you have the most natural looking brows and you don’t have to fuss with them.  I use the current state-of-the-art digital machine, few technicians use this equipment because the machine and its specialized needles are quite expensive (ranging from $2,500 to $3,500). But my clients deserve the best and there is a big difference in time, price and results! When clients see the results they say, they wish they had done it sooner!  This is the time when that old saying “you get what you pay for” really applies.
For a complimentary permanent makeup consultation call Cathy Isaacs, 661-259-6117 at Cosmetic Concepts. Cathy is a licensed esthetician for over 30 years, licensed by the Health Dept and voted number one in SCV for Permanent Makeup!