What is microblading and is it different from cosmetic tattooing?

At its core, any form of implanting pigment into the skin, whether microblading, using a machine, or a manual tool is a form a tattooing. However, in daily usage, when we refer to cosmetic tattooing, we are differentiating the use of a tattoo machine on the skin for the purposes of permanent makeup (PMU) from traditional body art tattooing. To confuse things even more, the term permanent makeup itself is often used interchangeably with cosmetic tattooing.

Cosmetic eyebrow tattooing involves outlining the eyebrows and filling in that outline by implanting pigments into the skin, almost always with the help of a machine. The machine is held at 90 degrees and the pigment is implanted into the shallow layers of the skin. In traditional tattooing, the machine is held closer to 45 degrees and the pigments are implanted deeper to achieve a more saturated look. 

On the other hand, microblading is a manual method of implanting pigment in tiny, hair-like strokes into the epidermis. With the help of a sharp, hand-held manual blade, a PMU artist creates little incisions on the eyebrows, which are then filled with pigment to create these hair-like strokes.

Unlike a cosmetic tattoo, which fills in an outline of your brows, microblading uses a manual blade and only targets three layers of skin. Because the pigment sits so superficially in the skin, the strokes are sharp, crisp, and they mimic the look of real hair.

Regardless of which technique is right for you, both cosmetic tattooing and microblading can benefit those from all walks of life regardless of age and sex. They can be especially beneficial to those who are affected by alopecia, cancer (chemotherapy), genetic anomalies, vitiligo, and scars.