Frequently Asked Questions

Semi-permanent makeup/permanent makeup/permanent cosmetics involves the use of sophisticated techniques and hand tools to implant pigment safely into the skin to create a variety of cosmetic effects that lasts over a long period of time depending on the client's skin type and lifestyle. Some examples of PMU include: microblading, microshading, lip blush, or eyeliner work.

Most clients seek microblading services because of the convenience it provides. On average, brow makeup takes 10 minutes, 7 days a week. That's a total of 3,360 minutes, or 2.33 days of extra sleep a year. Microblading done right saves lots of time for those wanting to not have to draw in their eyebrows everyday. These services are also perfect for clients who naturally have little to no brow hair and want that extra boost of confidence. Even clients who are blessed to have plenty of brow hair seek to have a more refined look and added definition which can be achieved through these services.

If you want to get any brow procedure done, it would be considered a cosmetic tattoo and is technically both semi-permanent and permanent. Semi-permanence refers to the nature of the tattoo in that it fades over time. If you choose to not do your annual touch-up and let it fade completely over the years, it is possible, but some remnants of the tattoo may remain depending on yoru skin and lifestyle. It is also possible that the tattoo may completely fade and not show any signs of visibility to the naked eye. The cosmetic tattoo in this day and age is completely different than in the 1990's in that we do not go too deep into the skin which would cause the brow tattoo would stay forever. Instead, we go just beneath the layer of the skin in the epidermis layer - the 'sweet spot' which allows the tattoo to last enough until your annual touch-up. We would not want your tattoo to stay forever in the skin as this would not allow to make room for changes in shape and color when it is time for an annual touch-up. Our face shape will change throughout the years as we age so having room for such adjustments is important.

I cannot guarantee how long permanent makeup will last for each individual as results will differ from client to client. Typically, a procedure may last anywhere between 9-18 months depending on the client's skin type, sun exposure, and lifestyle. Depending on how frequent someone goes in for their original touch-up, or how bold someone prefers their brows to be, the brows can last up to 2-3 years. For example, those who tend to have a more active lifestyle and sweat more, or those who tend to get facial treatments very frequently may need to schedule their touch ups earlier than others. An annual color refresh session is recommended to keep the color and shape looking its best.

A brow tattoo, or any permanent makeup is meant to fade / lighten over time because it is NOT considered a traditional body tattoo. PMU tattoos are meant to enhance one's features so the goal is to achieve soft and natural, healed results that are undetectable to the human eye.

Your makeup routine will be much shorter, but will not be cut completely depending on how natural, or bold of a look you prefer. The brow tattoo is meant to be a stencil, or guideline for brow makeup application to darken up the results if desired. We apply the tattoo into the layers of the skin that sheds over time, and our face naturally exfoliates itself every single day. This allows the artist to make any shape, or color adjustments over the years as our face shape changes. Now, some of my clients may find that they may not need to use a pencil at all, but this may not be applicable to everyone depending on how thick/coarse/thin/light the brow hairs are and the look each individual prefers.

You can maintain your results with an annual touch-up every 9-18 months, or 1-3 years depending on how natural, or bold of a look you would like. If you are not sure if you are ready, or would like your annual refresher done, you can always consult with your cosmetic tattooist.

This is a required perfecting session and is not included with the initial cost as it is not always necessary to have one depending on how well a client adheres to the strict aftercare instructions and other many factors as well. Some clients can get beautiful results from just the initial appointment so I would not want anyone to pay for a session they would not need. However, I do recommend getting the initial touch-up done to complete the whole procedure. The initial procedure is a test run to see how well the skin takes in the ink and color. Not everyone will heal perfectly from the initial procedure so the initial touch-up is needed to make all the adjustments to the shape and color and to spot treat all areas that have faded more than others from the healing process.

The skin can be an unpredictable canvas so retention can vary from person to person from the initial procedure. Everybody’s skin heals differently after the first appointment. Some people may retain color very well while others may heal very light, or patchy. The initial procedure is not meant to heal perfectly which is why touch-ups are necessary to see how your color and shape healed and how the look is meeting your personal expectations. We are very conservative with the shape and color as we are tattooing live skin in the initial procedure, so if you prefer a bolder look, it is best to build up the brows over the touch-up sessions to go thicker, darker, or longer once we see how you have healed for longer-lasting desired results.

I recommend a more conservative brow shape and color for your very first appointment. After your initial appointment, you'll be pre-booked for a two month follow-up appointment to allow me to assess the shape and color of your brows in person to see if a touch up is needed. Please note that as I am doing the procedure, I am assessing the skin at the same time. Depending on the client's skin sensitivity level and reaction to the procedure (as anything can happen), a client may need more touch ups than others. This allows me to break up the skin trauma done during the procedure into multiple touch up sessions if needed as I cannot overwork the skin. Although this may not be common, few individuals may require 2-3 touch ups to achieve their desired brow look due to having stubborn skin, improper aftercare, or scarring from previous tweezing, or to achieve a bolder look.

An annual color refresh service is for those who have already received their 1st required touch up from me. After 9-18 months, most people are ready for a color refresh depending on the desired look (natural / faded vs bold / more filled in look).

This service allows us to define and adjust the shape while boosting your color. No touch up is needed, and you'll be set for another 9-18 months.

A form of manual tattooing and type of permanent cosmetics. With microblading, a small, disposable, sterilized blade is used to carefully deposit pigment into the dermis layer of the skin, just beneath the surface of the skin. The thinnest strokes are then created individually to emulate the look of realistic, crisp, and natural-looking brow hair. Depending on your makeup needs, microblading can create a very natural look which may eliminate the need for brow makeup,Most clients are not ideal candidates for this type of procedure as the necessary skin types needed for microblading range from dry to normal skin type.

Microshading is another form of tattooing which may be used with a manual, sterilized tool containing a small configuration of needles, or a machine to create a soft, pixelated wash of all-over color for a borderless brow definition versus the look of hair strokes alone. This may also be known as 'ombre brows' as a gradient of depth and color is achieved across the brow. This service is recommended for those who desire a more perfect and finished look. If you already have a lot of natural brow hair, then this procedure alone may be for you.

This procedure is suitable for any age and skin type, and is ideal for those with more oily, or delicate skin as microshading is more gentle, or less traumatic to the skin than microblading. Microshading also lasts much longer on oily, or non-ideal skin types and will always be my #1 most recommended service for everyone who can receive these services. Microshading can improve hair growth by mimicking microneedling, which stimulates blood flow and collagen growth which leads to hair growth (BONUS!)

The combination of natural, realistic hair strokes created by microblading the front of the brow to create fluffy fronts plus shading all throughout the entire brow. Hybrid brows are great for those who want the combined look of density and hair strokes. Microblading alone yields a subtle, natural look that so often, clients are frustrated that they are still using a pencil/powder to fill in their brows. This look will provide that extra 'pop' and definition at the same time. This style and microshading are the most requested procedures.

I use only the best, highest quality and highly effective medical-grade topical anesthetic cream before and all throughout the entire procedure. While pain threshold levels may differ between each individual, I will do my best to ensure that you stay comfortable throughout the entire procedure and will happily re-numb you if you feel any irritation during the procedure. There may be some people who may feel little to no pain, or some mild discomfort, and there may be some who may fall asleep comfortably during the procedure.

Please note that having this procedure during your menstrual cycle may increase discomfort. If you are also a frequent smoker, topical anesthetic may not last as long. If you have also been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, be aware that this may also affect your sensitivity tolerance to the procedure.

Please note that having this procedure during your menstrual cycle may increase discomfort. If you are also a frequent smoker, topical anesthetic may not last as long. If you have also been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, be aware that this may also affect your sensitivity tolerance to the procedure.

Please don’t! This type of brow procedure looks best when there are natural brow hairs in place. It looks more natural when added on top of your textured hair. Please note that if you are bald, or have very little to no hair, this may not look as 3-D, or as realistic without that extra layer of textured hair. PMU is still a nice, conservative alternative to doing your brow makeup everyday though.

You might as your hair will still continue to grow (as most brow hairs grow out asymmetrically), but maintenance will be a lot easier though.

Microblading done right does NOT damage your brow hair, or hair follicles. When the procedure is performed correctly, the blade and incision does not go anywhere near the hair follicles. Use of proper depth and pressures are cautiously taken into consideration with every client’s skin type to ensure the integrity of the skin and how the pigment (ink) will heal.

At this time, I am not offering a removal service. I highly recommend to do laser removal if you have had previous work that is very dark or may hay have permanent scarring.

You may email me 3 clear photos of your brows (makeup-free, filter-free, in natural lighting | one straight on, one on each side showing the brow tails) with your full name in the email subject line to browswithnana@gmail.com so that I may assess if I can work over them. Usually, the tattoo must be very faded in order to be worked over, or corrected. If it is much darker, then a removal session may be needed.

If I am unable to work over them, or if you do require a removal procedure/color correction, I may refer you to another artist who I highly trust to accept correction work, or to legally perform a removal in Texas., Usually, working over another artist's work is often times more work than working on a blank canvas so if you seek a color correction from an artist, you can expect to pay a little bit more than the cost of an initial brow procedure instead of a touch up fee. Extra fees for color correction work may apply depending on the artist.

Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee anything as everyone’s skin heals differently and there are many factors to take into consideration as to how an individual’s brows may heal over time. Each person’s skin type, skin sensitivity levels, diet, lifestyle, stress levels, and facial routines all contribute to how well the pigment will hold and heal which is why it’s important to know that more than one touch-up may be needed. What I can guarantee is that each and every client’s face is important to me and that I will do my very best to ensure that you are happy with your choice of shape and color before proceeding to the tattooing procedure. A bulk of my time spent in the initial procedure is actually during the consultation and brow shaping process where you get to be as picky as you want before we begin the numbing and tattooing process. I can also guarantee that I will use all my knowledge, expertise, and efforts into making sure that you are satisfied throughout the process. You as the client are involved in every step of this procedure from beginning to end. However, there are no guarantees in this industry so please give think it through deciding.

All brow procedures are considered to be semi-permanent makeup, meaning they will fade over time. I will work very conservatively with your initial procedure so that there’s room to make additional changes if desired/needed, at your touch-up appointment. We will work very closely together to ensure that you are happy with the color choice and brow shape before proceeding. You will have the most control during the procedure so that there is very little room for error. If you do not like the decision you have made, the touch-up appointment can be canceled and the pigments will naturally fade over time. If you have any reservations about making this decision, please opt into a more temporary option. I do not do refunds for these procedures because I can assure you that we will agree on a color and shape together.