Microblading With Different Skin Types

How microblading results are affected by skin type

Why does skin type matter with Microblading?

Skin type is an important consideration when microblading as it plays a very important role in healing and how well skin will hold the pigment. The first step is to understand the different skin types and determine which one you are microblading. Knowing how each one responds to microblading will help facilitate the best possible outcome.

There are four common skin types: normal, dry, oily, or combination.  Skin’s sensitivity is also an important factor, although this is not technically a “skin type”. Even the size of the pores should be taken into consideration. Small pores tend to hold the pigment in where large pores tend to release more of the pigment.

Does microblading work on every skin type?

The simple answer is yes, but every skin type has its own challenges. Oily skin is technically the most difficult to microblade as the pigment can fade quicker and will require more frequent touch-ups. The easiest skin to microblade is dry skin with small pores as this holds the pigment the longest and often heals better. Most people have skin types somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. The key is understanding the skin type you are working with and educating your clients on the results they should expect.

Overview of Skin Types and How They Heal

 

Oily Skin

Microblading oily skin is the most difficult skin type to work with. Oily skin is naturally more hydrated and tends to hold a lot of moisture which keeps it looking young. However, this moisture is also the challenge as it tends to dilute pigment leading to a softer looking brow once it is healed. There are variations of every skin type and very oily skin will be more difficult than only slightly oily skin would be. Oily skin tends to look the best with powder or hombre brow styles as this skin will not heal as crisp as a drier skin type would. The more oil in the skin, the more diffused the strokes will look as the pigment spreads out when mixed with the oils on the skin. Strokes tend to blend more into each other as well.

Many professional brow artists learn to spread out the hair strokes more on oily skin to reduce the amount of bleeding into each other once healed. Understanding this challenge and ensuring your client is aware of how the results will look once the healing is complete is the key to successfully microblading people with oily skin types.

Combination Skin

Combination skin can have oily areas and more normal areas.  Generally, the oily areas are on the t-zone and chin. The t-zone is the area running across the brows horizontally, and down the center of the face vertically. The cheek area may feel drier and experience some flaking, or it could be normal skin. Combination skin will generally heal like normal skin unless the brow area is overly oily.

Normal Skin

Normal skin type are not as prone to breakouts and the t-zone generally stays well hydrated. Normal skin type tends to heal very well, and the pigment remains for a longer period of time. The healing is generally even and doesn’t tend to spread out too much. Microblading on normal skin types will last anywhere from one to two years before a touch up is needed. 

Dry Skin

People generally know if they have dry skin. Pores are often small and harder to see. The skin can get flaky and will feel tight as the day progresses. Dry skin can be frustrating and require regular moisturizing, but it is excellent for microblading.  Dry skin tends to heal very clean, and the pigment stays crisp and vibrant as there are no oils to dilute the affect. Hair strokes heal looking sharp and defined. Microblading on dry skin lasts the longest of any skin type and can often go over one and a half years before any touch ups are needed.  

Sensitive Skin

Skin sensitivity is not technically a skin type, but sensitivity can affect microblading outcomes. People with sensitive skin generally know they have sensitive skin, and this should be discussed before the procedure. Sensitive skin can lead to prolonged redness, swelling, pain, and longer healing times. People with sensitive skin may require more post procedure care, but they generally have excellent results.

 

Skin Type	Qualities	Pigment Retention	Healing
Oily	Skin with lots of moisture that breaks out more easily	Pigment gets diluted by the oil on the skin and doesn’t last as long	Can take a bit longer to heal and the lash strokes  don’t stay as sharp
Combination	Dry skin on the cheek areas and oily skin on the t-zone and chin	This depends on the oiliness of the eyebrow area as more oily skin tends to release pigment easier	Heals well with enough moisture to keep skin supple and dry enough to hold the pigment
Dry	Dry flaky skin that can feel tight	Excellent retention with longer times between touch ups	Heals quickly with sharp brush strokes
Normal	Skin that is not too oily and not too dry	Holds pigment well with a good amount of time between touch ups	Heals well with some diffusion of brush strokes but remains vibrant
Sensitive	Burns easily, turns red, sensitive to products	Holds pigment well and can last a good amount of time	Healing can be more difficult if the skin turns red or swells and post care is especially important

 

Does microblading work with any skin type? Is it recommended with Oily skin?

Excellent microblading results can be achieved with any skin type. It’s important to set proper expectations and understand what you are working with. There are tricks for working with different skin types and a skilled brow professional will understand this and work with each person’s individual needs. People should understand that skin type will have an affect on how often touch ups will be requires, and how the microblading will look once it’s fully healed.