Microblading eyebrows may be risky business for customers

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Microblading concerns. About 300 words.
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By JANIE HOYT
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Microblading, an eyebrow-shaping trend popping up on social media feeds, isn’t regulated and may come with health risks, according to experts.

“Generally, microblading is small incisions into the skin, implanting pigment under the skin in the upper dermal layer,” said Adele LaVoie, a licensed aesthetician and owner of French Method Salon in Phoenix.

The procedure lasts 12 to 18 months and requires frequent touch-ups, LaVoie said. She also acknowledges the health risks that come with microblading.

“The biggest risk is infection,” LaVoie said. “There are risks for people who have autoimmune disorders with the infection not being able to heal properly.”

“When a consumer goes into a licensed salon, they’re assuming all the services are regulated by the board, and that’s not the case all the time,” said Joanne Ayotte, compliance department manager for the Arizona Board of Cosmetology.

Microblading is not regulated in Arizona, so it’s also a case of buyer beware.

“The simple fact that there’s an incision in the skin puts that particular service beyond our scope of practice,” Ayotte said.

Lavoie suggested microblading isn’t regulated because it’s so new, but Ayotte said that’s not the case.

“It has nothing to do with the fact that it’s new, it has to do with the fact that it’s invasive,” says Ayotte.

People who are considering microblading their brows should research extensively to make sure your technician is experienced, LaVoie said. It will lower your risk of infection or a botched job.

“There are a lot of people who can just go on Amazon and buy some needles, buy some pigment and start doing it. That’s perfectly legal,” LaVoie said.

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Erin Cook, 34, a behavior analyst who works with autistic children, said she routinely relies on microblading to have her eyebrows shaped. (Photo by Saeed Alshamisi/Cronkite News)
“I set up my room to be a little more clinical, more as a doctors office, because the safety and the sanitation is i feel the most important part of it being a safe procedure for the client,” Adele LaVoie, a salon owner who does microblading a new procedure to shape eyebrows that is not yet regulated in Arizona. LaVoie said customers should thoroughly check out the person performing the procedure. (Photo by Saeed Alshamisi/Cronkite News)
Customer Erin Cook says the microblading procedure isn’t painful. “It’s not like a tattoo. It just feels like a gentle scraping of your skin.” (Photo by Saeed Alshamisi/Cronkite News
Adele LaVoieMicro makes a small incision to implant pigment under the epidermal layer of the skin. (Photo by Saeed Alshamisi/Cronkite News)
Salon owner Adele LaVoie prepares Erin Cook for the microblading procedure. (Photo by Saeed Alshamisi/Cronkite News)
Salon owner Adele LaVoie said microblading costs vary from technician to technician. (Photo by Saeed Alshamisi/Cronkite News)
Salon owner Adele LaVoie wants microblading to stay affordable and safe. (Photo by Saeed Alshamisi/Cronkite News)
According to salon owner Adele LaVoie, tattooing and permanent and semi permanent makeup has been around since the 1990s. (Photo by Saeed Alshamisi/Cronkite News)
Customer Erin Cook, 34, said she plucked her eyebrows thin and they never grew back. She switched to microblading, a trend popping up rounds on social media. (Photo by Saeed Alshamisi/Cronkite News).
Salon owner Adele LaVoie, wearing purple gloves, demonstrates how to care for your eyebrows after microblading. (Photo by Saeed Alshamisi/Cronkite News)