So, here's the scoop: back when I was about 14 years old, I begged my mother to let me wax my eyebrows. Being a typical persistent teenager I eventually wore her down until she agreed to let me go in for a "clean up." That's when everything went downhill.
I started watching everyday for any hairs growing back in and was so obsessed over my lines being perfect that eventually my plucking got completely out of hand. By grade 10 my eyebrows were basically non-existent, and since my brows have refused to grow back in.
It didn't matter how much time had passed or how strong a serum was, NOTHING was bringing my old eyebrows back.
One day I was introduced to a new service being offered at Ritual called eyebrow embroidery. Immediately I was intrigued and booked a consultation to learn more about it. Eyebrow embroidery is semi-permanent and can last about two to three years.
I'm sure you are probably picturing eyebrows you've seen tattooed in straight lines with ink that fades to colours that no eyebrows in reality are. Embroidery, on the other hand, employs a surgical blade that strokes a layer of the skin with pigment in a feathered motion to mimic the look of actual hair!
There are different blade sizes used depending on the thickness of you current eyebrows, and the pigment is mixed together until it matches your current colour, making the end result very natural-looking once healed.
The appointment starts with a numbing agent applied to your brow area to reduce a bit of the pain. Once that has been absorbed into the skin, the next step is drawing on your brows exactly to how you want them to look. When the look is to your liking the magic begins.
The blade strokes are short and quick, and with a high pain tolerance I didn't find the overall experience to be that bad. The areas are gone over three separate times so it does get more tender as you go. After the appointment you can expect a bit of redness and swelling, but that will for the most part be gone the next day.
The healing process takes about 10 days in total. It starts off a tad tender, and then there are a few tight and itchy days as it's healing. Then areas will start to scab off, revealing brows you've never had before.
Eyebrow embroidery is excellent for those who already have good brows but are looking to fill in any sparse areas to thicken up their look. It's also great for those who want to darken their brow area.
I love a good contrast even though I am quite blonde, so this was also something that was important to my results. It is common where people feel it is too dark, but trust me that with time it does fade about 70 per cent, resulting in a very natural look.
Then there are the cases like mine where we have over-plucked, and I'm happy to have the shape that I now do because of this. I have finally found an alternative that helps me get a pretty good brow game, something I never thought I would be saying.
Because this is semi-permanent, it is something that you will have to go back to re-do or touch up, but that's the beauty of it: because beauty trends change just like fashion, by the time you return you might want to alter that shape or colour.
If eyebrows have been that one thing bothering you, too, I highly recommend booking a consultation to feel it out. Having a set of brows is pretty life changing!
For a more detailed write-up on my experience visit my blog.
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