Are People Starting to Regret Microblading?

Image Source: Getty Images and Photo Illustration by Keila Gonzalez

It's not uncommon to hear people say that they regret some of the more invasive beauty procedures that they've gotten, like breast implants in the case of Kylie Jenner or facial fillers for celebrities like Courteney Cox and Ariana Grande. However, there's another beauty treatment many have admitted to regretting of late: microblading.

Though the procedure first gained traction in the United States around 2010, it exponentially spiked in popularity in 2018 with the rise of "I woke up like this" makeup. It felt like no matter where you turned, people were showing off their fresh, microbladed eyebrows to anyone who would listen. Fast toward to 2024, and some of those once-ardent fans are now starting to take a step back.

"Do not get your brows microbladed," influencer Farah Vargas told her 163,000 followers in a recent Instagram post. "I know they show you the pretty pictures, but I've yet to meet someone who years down the line is still happy with their results." In the video, you can see that her brow tattoo has faded to an uneven grey shade.

Similarly, influencer Casee Brim posted a video asking her followers if anybody else regrets the treatment, as she now has to get her eyebrows laminated every month to cover the fading ink. These are also conversations Eric Podnar, brow specialist at Striiike Beauty Studio in Beverly Hills, is having with his clients often.

"There are a few reasons why clients want to soften or remove their microblading," he tells POPSUGAR. "The most common is that their pigment has faded to an unnatural-looking tone such as grey, black, peach, or pink. Some people are also seeing shifting and spreading of pigment to an uneven shape. As a result, they want a more natural-looking brow rather than one that's overly filled in and 'blocky.'"

This is why Podnar and Striiike founder, Kristie Streicher, developed the Pigment Removal Service, which removes unwanted color in the brow area caused by permanent and semi-permanent makeup services. While this isn't the first or only microblading removal option in the US (many tattoo parlors also offer laser removal, and select beauty studios can perform saline removal), it is a proprietary treatment that makes the process easier. Read ahead to learn more about the cost of the treatment, risks, and healing time.

This treatment is a way to remove your permanent makeup without completely ruining your eyebrows. "This two-step process utilizes a device that creates micro-perforations in the skin," Podnar says. "An alkaline oxide solution is then applied to the area and bonds itself to the pigment, extracting it through the skin."

This removal solution acts like a magnet to the pigment, bringing it to the surface of the skin through the small wounds created at the beginning of the service. When it is lifted, the pigment is then wiped away. This procedure must be scheduled at least eight weeks after a semi-permanent or permanent cosmetic tattoo procedure to ensure the skin has fully healed and is ready for removal. If you've had your microblading for longer, this removal service can still work for you, it may just require more sessions for the pigment to completely disappear.

You may lose a few brow hairs in the process, but not an alarming amount. "It is not uncommon to shed some brow hairs during any brow treatment, including a simple brow tint or shape," Podnar says. "Our pigment removal process doesn't damage the hair follicle or cause an unnatural amount of brow hair shedding. The device that we use only penetrates .5 to one millimeter into the epidermis, whereas hair follicles grow from the dermis, which is a deeper level of skin tissue."

Additionally, there is a risk of scarring if the treatment is done incorrectly, so it's important to go to a trained professional. "Clients that are prone to scarring or keloids are given an additional step to treat prophylactically," Podnar says. "Since it is not possible to 100 percent guarantee no scarring, our service and aftercare significantly diminish these risks."

At Striiike, you can expect to pay $250 per removal session. "Each session is approximately 60 minutes, including 30 minutes of numbing," Podnar says. You will need to allow six to eight weeks of healing in between procedures and the number of times that you come back depends on how old your permanent makeup is.

As with any beauty procedure, what you decide to do with your body is entirely your choice. However, for more permanent procedures like traditional microblading, it's important to understand alternatives should you decide to course correct in the future. Options like henna, powder, or even ombré brows, are known to fade more naturally and are great options to consider if you're looking for fuller brows.