Name calling is so rampant from grade school to high school that some kids get tainted for life. Lucky for you if you haven’t experienced it. Unlucky me, I have been called quite a few names just because of my barely-there brows.

Mona Lisa. The name that constantly followed me all through college. Before all the hype of kilay goals or on-fleek eyebrows, I have already got my eyebrows on point. Well, try getting name called then.

All these years I have tried numerous eyebrow products such as pencil, powder and felt tips pens. The type of products I use depends on the events I would go. But normally I would opt for my favorite powders because it is easier to apply and do touch-ups. For concerts and swimming, these are for waterproof felt tip pens.

Despite having temporarily remedied my Mona Lisa brows, there are still some downside and probably some skills gained:

1. Getting playful with my nieces (hugs, kisses and nibbles) then suddenly they have addtional brows on their foreheads.
2. I love to sleep during long travel and waking up with brows on my right arm.
3. Sudden downpour while running would cause such dismay. But hearing another runner took the words out of my mouth- Akong kilay! Ma-erase!- turned it into a hilarious situation.
4. Swimming without getting my face wet in case they would snap a picture. Only to find that my face is so burnt compared to other parts of my body.
5. Wiping the sweat on your face without including my eyebrows.

Due to numerous reasons, I finally had the courage to undergo the microblading procedure. I decided to get my eyebrows embroidered to lessen my morning and night routine.

Day 1. Grooming and Shaping.

The aesthetician measured the  length of each of my brows, from the tip of my nose to my brows and from the side of my nose to the tip of my brows.

After putting marks and filling them I was thinking that we are done for the day. She took a picture of me as I smiled.  As we reviewed the picture, there was something off with my brows. The tip of my right brow would go up compared to my left brow when I smile. So she adjusted the shape so it would look balanced when I am smiling or just the resting bitch face.

Satisfied with the alteration, she ultimately outlined my brows with blue markers and requested to not scrub them for tomorrow’s microblading procedure. That lasted for two hours.

Since I still got time on my hands, I decided to get some quiet time at a tea shop and did not give a damn of people staring at my blue brows.

Day 2. Microblading.

I have successfully retained the blue markers on my brows. However, some portion were erased so the aesthetician marked them again.

Numbing cream was applied on my brows and was left for thirty minutes. Since I have black hair and I’m not planning on coloring for the next ten years, we chose the darkest pigment color, Dark Choco.

Two blade sizes will be used, sizes  3 and 9. Size 3 is to create an outline and size 9 is for more definition in order to provide a more realistic set of  brows. The aesthetician started on the size 3 and drew on my brows.

At first it did not hurt but as she moved to the center of my brow; it did become painful.

She constantly asked me if the pain was not bearable so we can apply numbing cream, however we still need to wait for it to set before we can proceed. I passed; so we moved on and she worked on the left eyebrow.

I complained of the pain after quite sometime, so medicine was applied on my left brow and she worked on my right eyebrow. The medicine slightly eased the pain.

Halfway through the procedure, thoughts ran through my mind. Why did I undergo the procedure in the first place? The pillow they gave me was the only thing I was holding on to, like dear life. Every time the blade would go through my skin, the pillow gets squished a bit more.

The aesthetician asked her assistant to get me a mirror after finishing the first blade. “Hala! naa nako’y kilay” was the only thing I exclaimed despite the blood still dripping from my brows. I took little notice of the blood.

The change was astounding. Something I would not think possible. We cannot proceed with the second blade since my brows are somewhat swelling. During the re-touch after a month, the second blade and I shall meet.

Day 3 to Day 10. After care.

The clinic provided me with a sheet of instructions on what and what not to do. Generally, the entire brow area is a fresh wound. So for the pigment to remain at a longer time, two years maximum, after care is really important.

1. Brows are not allowed to get wet for seven days. So no exercise and wetting the brows. Mind you it is a challenge to get a shower.
2. Apply the after inked cream before shower and going to sleep.
3. No picking of scabs.
4. No sun exposure.
5. No beach for a month and no pools for a week. The water baby in me got really sad.

Day 31. Re-touch.

The same procedure was done. Numbing cream was applied and left for thirty minutes. Size 3 was used for areas wherein there are vacant spots. Actually I tried counting the strokes, but that lasted until fifteen since I was concentrating on trying not to cry. The second blade was now used to define my brows.

Day 32-38. After-care part 2.

No additional after care procedure was provided . I just followed the same procedure and showering is still challenging.

The results are really amazing. It could pass for real brows.

This might sound shallow since it is improving one’s physical features. But how you look at yourself can translate into how you feel about yourself. Hence, confidence will follow which in turn can make oneself do more and achieve more given only a slight tweak in one’s physical appearance.

But before making that appointment read on the following tips.

1. Research. There are a lot of beauty clinics providing the same procedure but they do differ in the prices. You might find a clinic within your budget.
2. Read reviews. It is possible that the clinic do offer a cheaper rate, but ensure that they also provide quality service.
3. Undergo assessment. Visit the clinic and get your brows assessed. This is also the right time to know if the aesthetician is certified and ask for questions with regards to the procedure. Do not worry assessment is free. I got microbalding procedure from  Loveli Skin Beauty Center located in Mandaue City. They  answer inquiries through facebook messenger and advises you to come over to have your eyebrows assessed. (Here is the link of their facebook page.)
4. Follow pre-procedure requirement and after-care procedure. This is for your  own comfort during the procedure and quality of the brows embroidered.
5. No pain, no gain. We all differ in our tolerance of pain. But no need to worry it is manageable and you can always ask for a numbing cream to be re-applied.

There is just one thing I am quite frustrated about and that is not getting my brows done earlier. I am a very satisfied customer. No need for me to apply brow products and no more struggle in keeping them on. I can go swimming, yoga and running without worries.

For now, Mona Lisa is dead for two years (if I religiously apply sunblock) and let’s just say that she will probably stay dead.