How the Procedure Works

First I assess:

• the shape and proportions of your face
• the position and natural shape of your brows
• symmetry
• the direction your hair grows
• how your face moves when you speak and smile
• the individual features worth emphasizing or visually correcting

My job is to find a shape that works with your face in particular — not to repeat the same template on every client.

Before the procedure begins I draw a preliminary sketch. You see the future shape, the width, the arch, where the brow starts and where the tail ends, and the overall proportion against your face.

This means you can see the direction of the result before any pigment is placed, and adjust the shape if you want to. We only start work once the result you want has been agreed.

The same technique cannot work the same way on every skin. Before the procedure I assess:

• skin thickness
• density and structure
• whether the skin is oily or dry
• porosity
• sensitivity
• the condition of the skin in the working area
• any existing permanent makeup

This determines the choice of instrument, the working parameters, how densely pigment is placed, and the overall approach to the session.

After the skin assessment I set the working parameters individually:

• needle type and configuration
• the technique used to place pigment
• the intensity of the work
• the number of passes
• the working depth required

The aim is controlled, delicate placement without traumatizing the skin more than necessary.

A pigment cannot be chosen by how it looks in the bottle. I take into account:

• your skin tone and undertone
• your natural hair color
• the existing color of your brows or lips
• the intensity you want
• the composition and behaviour of the pigment
• how the shade will read through the skin once it has healed

The final choice of color is a combination of color theory, the characteristics of your skin, and the result you are looking for.

Once we have looked at the face, the skin, and the color, we decide what the finished effect should be. For brows that might be:

• the most natural possible hairstroke effect
• soft powder shading
• a combination of hairstrokes and shading
• a more defined, fuller result

For lips, the options include:

• a natural nude effect
• a fresh, semi-transparent tint
• a richer, more decorative effect

The result is chosen not only from a photograph you like, but with an eye to what will genuinely suit your face and your skin.

Before work begins, the skin is prepared. Professional materials, sterile single-use supplies, and single-use needle modules are used throughout, selected for the chosen technique and for the characteristics of your skin.

Pigment is placed gradually and under control. Throughout the session I am watching:

• how the skin is reacting
• color saturation
• how evenly the pigment is distributed
• the shape
• symmetry
• the density of the result

The goal is not to place as much pigment as possible. The goal is a clean, predictable, attractive result with the least intervention the skin needs.

This is the single most important thing to understand. Right after the procedure the color usually looks brighter and more saturated than it will once it has healed, and over the first days the shade keeps changing as the skin recovers.