Ways To Prevent Pulling After Eyebrow Microblading




Whenever I am asked questions about microblading (a form of semi-permanent eyebrow tattooing that I've written about many, many times before), the same few things seem to crop up. Does it hurt? How quickly do they fade? I'm worried they won't look natural and will pulling my eyebrows ruin them? That last point is something that I (and I'm sure so many other trichsters who have had their brows microbladed) struggle with. The reason we are having them microbladed is to cover up our hair loss- to hide the gaps or baldness that has come from pulling the hairs out.

When you have your brows microbladed, you cannot touch them for a few weeks. You can't even get them wet for the first week or two! This is to give them a chance to heal; during the first two weeks after the procedure, your brows will naturally start to heal and scab, with these scabs falling away to reveal the pigment that will continue to push through over the coming weeks. As with any healing and scabbing process, this can be incredibly itchy and the temptation to subdue this itch is strooonnnggg AF. As you cannot touch your brows, this urge is bad enough, but when you also have trichotillomania, the itch can be incredibly triggering and almost impossible to ignore.

I find it difficult to resist touching and feeling through my brows at the best of times, but when they are itchy post-microblading, my strongest will-power often isn't enough. For someone with trich, this is probably the single most difficult part of microblading that you have to deal with. As I have had the procedure three times now, I've learnt a few techniques that don't make the urges go away, but at least make them easier to manage in the short term whilst you wait for your brows to get through that healing stage.

A lengthy discussion and brainstorm with brow maestro Samantha Trace (who I most recently had my brows done with) also really helped with coming up with new creative techniques to try. So, if you're currently waiting for your brows to heal or thinking about having them done, here are some things you might want to try!




1. False nails. I've recently re-discovered my love for false nails, and they were so useful during the healing process. After my treatment with Samantha Trace, I took no chances and whacked on some falsies straight away because I knew they would help prevent my pulling. I've tested a couple of different styles, and have found that a pointed shape is far better than square. I prefer the look of square but found I could still pick at my brows with them on- the same goes for shorter nails too. Pointed, slightly longer styles make it near impossible to grab at tiny hairs growing through- so much so that I found I stopped trying in the first place. They are a great deterrent, even if you just use them for the two weeks. I found Elegant Touch and Kiss were really good quality, and I also really rate Primark ones (although not their glue!).


2. Blot with tissue. It's easier said than done, but you are supposed to avoid touching your brows whilst they heal. You're technically dealing with an open wound that can be prone to infections- plus when the scabs start forming, accidentally knocking them off with your fingers whilst feeling through your brows is so easily done. To try and avoid this altogether, Samantha came up with the genius suggestion of really lightly putting a bit of tissue over the brows if they get super itchy. This way, you're not wiping them at all or transferring potential germs, but you're still doing the comforting thing of putting your hand to your brows and subduing the itch (albeit temporarily).


3. Itching tool! After your appointment with Samantha, you get an aftercare package which contains these two little tools; these are super thin applicators with a minuscule brush head which are designed for applying and removing balm with expert precision. Although I dry healed my brows and only used the balm once, these tools came in handy when it came to overcoming trichotillomania urges. Whenever I got an urge to pull, or whenever the itching got unbearable, I simply gently poked the source of the itch/urge with one of these tools. It's definitely a short term solution, but almost tricks your mind into thinking you're doing something to succumb to the urge. The black tool is thinner than the blue, but both work really well. I always kept one in my bag for emergencies and think that this could be a good tactic even after your brows have fully healed!


4. False lashes. I've used false lashes since I was about 16 in order to deter pulling, but I found I needed them after microblading too. As I couldn't pull my brows, I found myself reaching for my lashes more than usual- and it's an important thing to consider if you pull from more than one place. My hand went more and more to my eyelashes to make up for not being able to go near my eyebrows, so wearing false eyelashes helps to create that little bit of an immediate barrier. If you pull your lashes, you end up pulling the whole lash strip off! Although when at home this doesn't deter me massively, when at work or out and about, it really helps me to stop and reconsider whether I should pull.


Do you have any little tricks to help deter pulling? What have your experiences been with the microblading healing process?




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