Microblading VS Permanent Makeup: What's the Difference?

Looking at brow pictures on Instagram, it's often hard to tell the difference between Microblading and Permanent Makeup, and while there are many similarities, there are some key differences. Read on to find out!

It's safe to say that Microblading is a bit of a "buzzword" in the industry - it may be one of the most popular eyebrow treatments, but many people don't know much about it and there's a lot of misinformation so let's cover the basics first!

Microblading is a method of implanting pigment into the skin designed to enhance your brows for better shape and clearer brows and to make your grooming routine easier. Making these brows requires a hand tool, you guessed it - it's called a microblading tool! At the end of this tool, you'll find fine needles held together that deposit pigment into the skin, leaving those beautiful, natural hairstyles that are so much sought-after. 

Microblading is actually a permanent makeup. Anything that involves implanting pigments into the skin to achieve a cosmetic effect will be classified as permanent makeup, the method of application does not matter. So whether your artist chooses a microblade tool or a digital machine to create your brows, both are types of permanent makeup, and both are forms of eyebrow tattoos!

There are a lot of artists out there who like to compare the two methods, often listing the ones they don't use to convince their clients that their methods get the best results - but that's simply not true! Both methods give equally beautiful results, however, the results depend entirely on the artist's skills, not the tools they use. 

Both can achieve stunning natural results

Both use the same pigment

Both can create hairstyles and shades such as combo or gradient brow styles

Both involve the implantation of pigment into the skin

Both contain the same risks

Both depend entirely on the artist's skill to produce good results

Microblading uses hand tools, while digital machines are powered by electricity

Certain skin types may be better suited for digital machines than microblades (but again it depends on your artist's skill level)

Digital machines are a harder skill to master

That's it, the difference between microblading and digital machine brows is almost imperceptible when performed by an experienced and highly skilled artist.

Now as I've mentioned, both microblading and machines can produce amazing results, and it's simply impossible to determine that one technique is better than the other. But there are a few things to consider...  

Longevity - So, how long does permanent makeup last? In general, eyebrows created with a digital machine may last longer than microbladed brows, but there are many other factors that can affect the longevity of the effect. Your skin type, the paint you use, and the depth of your artist's implantation of paint will all play a role. Any pigment that is implanted too deeply into the skin, regardless of the technique, will take longer to fade and will not produce a natural result. Again, these results won't hold if your artist implants the pigment too lightly into the skin via microblading or a machine. 

Many artists like to claim that Microblading is the best tool for creating those ultra-fine hair strokes that look realistic, and it all comes down to your artist's skills. Just because you want microblade brows, doesn't mean you'll get those natural-looking results. The same fine, realistic hair strokes can be created with a machine - I always tell my clients that the result is exactly the same, just a different method of application.

But one major thing to consider is your skin type, it's much more difficult to get good results with microblading in oily, thicker skin types. In general, hairstyles for this skin type can be tricky and often we advise clients to opt for combos or ombrés for the best results.

Having said that, hair strokes for oily skin types aren't totally out of the question, just be aware that your brows may fade sooner than you'd like. I can only hope that each artist is honest enough with their clients to recommend alternative services such as brow stickers if the services requested by the client are not suitable.

My main advice is to choose artists based on their results, not necessarily how they create. A good restoration is a combination of many things...from pigment choice to skin type, to the skill level of the artist and the technique they choose, these are all things to consider when choosing your brow artist. A good artist should be able to discuss the pros and cons of each treatment and give honest advice on which treatment is best for you, whether they offer it or not!

The above introduces the difference between micro-blade and permanent makeup. If you want to buy these two kinds of micro-blade tools or permanent makeup tools, please contact us.

Charming Tattoo is a professional custom permanent makeup machine and ink manufacturer. We have professional production equipment and a 100,000-level dust-free workshop in line with ISO9001 standards. We provide a professional product, packaging, post-design, and professional pigment knowledge support. In order to achieve a win-win situation, our company has developed a policy to protect customer privacy.