FAQ's
When deciding between Machine Hairstrokes (Nano) or Powder Brow, we often ask what your day-to-day makeup routine feels like and what you’re wanting to see.
If you are wanting a super natural look that appears to be your own hairs growing more consistently through your brow, then Nano may be the right choice for you.
If you’re thinking you’ll want more coverage and the look of more fullness to your Nano Brow, add Targeted Shading and Jillyan will carefully add some light powdering through your hairstrokes to make them appear denser where hair naturally collects.
If you’re used to seeing more of a filled in look because your makeup routine is to draw them in, Powder Brow is what we’d recommend. You’ll wake up and they’re already done for you.
Machine Hairstrokes (Nano) use a machine with a single needle to create hairstrokes. This technique results in minimal skin trauma; there’s little to no bleeding, and less pigment is deposited in the skin, resulting in a more natural looking result for longer. With Machine Hairstrokes, we open ourselves up to a more artistic, hyperrealistic outcome. We are able to use different needle configurations to add variety to the weight of the hairstrokes, we can layer colors and crisscross strokes to create a completely customized hair pattern and texture for each client.
Microblading is done with a manual tool that uses a grouping of needles to make incisions in the skin to deposit the pigment. With this technique, trauma leading to scar tissue often occurs and continues to get worse over time with the annual touchups required. With each stroke, a large amount of pigment is deposited into the skin which makes it very difficult for your skin to break it down, causing your hairstrokes to blur together and turn grey or blue.
Long story short; EVERYONE.
All skin types are a candidate! From clients with alopecia, oily skin, textured skin, melanin rich skin and mature skin types- we can confidently go into each appointment knowing that the results will heal beautifully.
Microblading can only heal well on those with no previous permanent makeup, normal to dry skin (no skin conditions or chronic conditions), little to zero visible pores, naturally full brows with no significant hair loss with a fine hair texture. In reality, that’s 5-10% of our clientele.
Nano is inclusive all the way around and offers better looking results for longer.
Since this technique uses one singular needle, it is minimally invasive. This means that there is barely any bleeding or trauma that’s caused to the skin. The feeling is often described as a “light scratch”. The majority of our clients rate their pain level at a 1-3 out of 10 and often take a nap during the procedure.
Due to primary numbing altering the skin texture, this can cause the needle to create excess trauma. To avoid this, we do not use topical numbing before making the first pass. During the second and third pass, we are able to utilize secondary numbing to ensure we don’t wake you up from your brow nap.
Typically, Nano can last anywhere from 1-3 years. We usually don’t hear from our clients for a refresher until the 18-24 month mark. We discourage frequent touchups to avoid the possibility of over saturating your skin. Your skin is like a sponge and can only hold so much pigment before it becomes permanent. We are always going to look out for your best interest so your brows can look better for longer!
With almost 20 years in the cosmetics industry and a lifetime background of visual arts, trust and believe that Jillyan has you covered. Shape and color is determined with a variety of factors in mind. Jillyan will ask you targeted questions to get the answers you need to achieve the ideal results for you and your lifestyle. Your appointment will begin with Jillyan taking a series of measurements to determine the ideal shape and then modify to accommodate your preferences. Your color will also be determined with your preferences in mind- but be sure to trust the process! This is a science and Jillyan will be able to understand the molecular breakdown of these colors and how they will lay in your skin long term.
We can not work on any clients who are pregnant or breastfeeding to avoid any complications, risks, or infection that could result from the procedure. We recommend waiting 3-4 months after you’ve finished breastfeeding before getting your brows done. This will allow time for your body to regulate and it’s hormones and achieve the best results possible!
Depending on your previous permanent makeup saturation, we may need to start fresh by removing the previous pigment. If the previous pigment has faded enough, we may be able to work over them. Our goal is to create NATURAL looking healed results for our clients and if your previous permanent makeup is very saturated and looks more like a tattoo than skin, or has a grey/blue or any other funky color, it’s not possible to create natural looking hairstrokes on top. Regardless, if you do have previous work and are considering an appointment with us, your eligibility must first be determined by Jillyan at a Previous Work Consultation PRIOR to booking a service appointment. There you will be able to go over your options and determine the best steps to move forward.
It is crucial that you follow all pre-care and aftercare instructions. If pre-care isn’t followed, we will not be able to work on your brows. If aftercare isn’t followed, you will not have satisfactory healed results.
Please see Special Instructions on our Home page.
If lack of hair kept you from getting your brows done, Jillyan would be out of a job! Bushy brows or baby’s butt smooth makes no matter. Jillyan will design a brow from scratch so you never have to worry about those no-growing-brows again.
Simple answer: NO. Towards the end of your appointment we will use a numbing cream that temporarily blanches the skin- reducing signs of redness and inflammation. People often go back to work or run errands instead of rushing home. While that numbing will work for a while, you will eventually see a little redness around your brows followed by them looking a little dark. Almost all of our clients comment that “it was nothing,’’ and never had to compromise their routine due to their brows looking bad.
Since this technique uses one singular needle, it is minimally invasive. This means that there is barely any bleeding or trauma that’s caused to the skin. The feeling is often described as a “light scratch”. The majority of our clients rate their pain level at a 1-3 out of 10 and often take a nap during the procedure.
Due to primary numbing altering the skin texture, this can cause the needle to create excess trauma. To avoid this, we do not use topical numbing before making the first pass. During the second and third pass, we are able to utilize secondary numbing to ensure we don’t wake you up from your brow nap.
For Nano Machine Hairstrokes, we schedule 4 hours. While we often do not need that amount of time, Jillyan prefers to have the time and not need it rather than need it and NOT have it. This service requires lots of time and patience, that’s why not many offer it. Jillyan takes great care to layer hair strokes to achieve a hyperrealistic look, utilizing different shades to give the illusion of dimension that you see through a natural brow.