I would be a very wealthy—but still very irritated—lady if I had a dollar for each minute I spent painstakingly drawing in my eyebrows in front of the mirror. It was my disgust at needing to use brow pencils, brow gels, brow pomades, and even soap (yes, soap brows) on a daily basis that ultimately convinced me to give semi-permanent brow tattooing—microblading—a try. I realize that comparing microblading to a “brow tattoo” could seem a little frightening, but when done correctly, it has a remarkably simple (and nearly painless) healing process and doesn’t last forever.

Read More: Raleigh Permanent Brows

Thus, you’ve come to the correct location if microblading even marginally interests you. Because I wanted to know exactly what microblading is, how painful it is, how much it costs, and how soon it fades, I spoke with dermatologist Tracy Evans, MD, brow artist Alixandria Capparelli, and cosmetic tattoo specialist Piret Aava. Continue reading to see all the before and after photos from the Cosmo editor who gave it a try.

Describe microblading.

A semi-permanent type of cosmetic tattooing is called microblading. However, microblading use a blade-shaped equipment with a row of tiny, hardly noticeable needles to produce hair-like strokes over your brows while depositing pigment into your skin, in contrast to typical tattoos, which utilize a tattoo gun. What was the outcome? eyebrow hairs that seem realistic and last for a year or more before washing off.

What does microblading entail?

Although microblading is a form of tattooing, it is not as permanent as traditional tattooing. Traditional tattoos employ concentrated tattoo ink, whereas cosmetic tattoos use smaller pigment particles. The two also require distinct application methods. Unlike traditional tattooing, which applies color deep into your skin layers where it remains permanent, microblading applies pigment topically to your skin, where it will ultimately be metabolized by your body and go away.

Unlike typical tattoos, which are opaque and brilliant, microblading results in a semi-permanent “tattoo” that is soft and subtle due to the pigment used and the application technique. If you have a tattoo on your body, the edges may turn blue-green as the ink fades, but the pigment on your brows will lighten a shade or two over time.

Who makes an excellent microblading candidate?

Your skin type is more important in determining whether or not you are a good candidate for microblading than how much or how little brow hair you normally have. Do you have extremely sensitive and reactive skin? Does your forehead have keratosis pilaris? Do you often or now battle with cystic acne or outbreaks around your brows?

If so, you might not be the best fit right now since microblading will initially produce some irritation, which can aggravate skin issues and interfere with the healing process of your tattoo. Similarly, oil can accelerate the fading of microblading, so if you have really oily skin, you won’t get as much time with your microbladed brows.

“When patients have sensitive skin or are prone to allergies with other topicals, I try to warn them against microblading,” Dr. Evans adds. She also notes that some individuals who undergo microblading may develop allergic contact dermatitis, which may cause an irritating, scaly, cracking rash. If a response does happen after your session, phone your cosmetic tattoo artist and let them know about it. Your dermatologist can prescribe a steroid to reduce symptoms and protect your tattoo.

Just so you know, most brow artists won’t microblade customers who are expecting or nursing in order to reduce infection concerns (sorry!). Make an appointment just six weeks after giving birth and ceasing to nurse your baby after seeing your doctor beforehand. Furthermore, since Accutane causes extreme sensitivity and bleeding, you should wait to receive microblading until after you’ve finished taking the medication.

Is microblading appropriate for sparse brows only?

For people with thin, sparse brows, microblading can be a terrific way to add definition and fullness, but Capparelli cautions that the results might not seem as natural as those whose hair is visible through the drawn-on strokes. If you’re concerned that your microbladed brows may appear too drawn on, your brow artist can apply shade to cover up the hair-like strokes, making the spaces between them less obvious.

Microblading may create a very natural look for people who already have some eyebrow hair and only want a little fill-in or improvement to their natural brows, according to Capparelli. But, if you have a lot of natural eyebrow hair, microblading might not be for you because the only thing it will do is make your brows appear fuller rather than brushed up or groomed—brow gel or brow lamination can achieve that.

What drawbacks does microblading have?

As with any cosmetic operation, there might be drawbacks to microblading. According to Capparelli, the main worry of her clientele is potential future changes in brow trends. Consider the incredibly popular, thick, and strong brows on Instagram in 2016—were they not? essentially nonexistent a year later, which might not be the best option for someone who wishes to modify their tattoo after getting one done.

Furthermore, microblading can take one to three years to naturally fade, so if you’re the type of person who constantly changes their makeup to fit in with the latest trends, you might want to think twice before getting microblading and instead go for a really soft, natural brow that you can always fill in and style as you please.

How painful is microblading your eyebrows?

Although microblading may cause some discomfort, how much pain you experience will depend on your natural pain threshold. The benefit? Before starting, your brow artist will apply a numbing gel, and they could apply an additional coat of gel in between each pass.

However, Capparelli (as well as many others) compare the discomfort of microblading to that of a cat scratch, saying that “microblading is more like tweezing your brows on a scale of tweezing your brows to getting a bikini wax.” In other words, you should anticipate some discomfort from the pain, but nothing too severe.