Eyebrows are a very important feature. Depending on the shape and thickness of the arches, they can open up the eyes, as well as give a lifting illusion and make you look 5-10 years younger.
Microblading for older ladies is the perfect way to give the brows volume and definition. As we age, our brows lose their color, but they also become sparser and thinner. Some women experience brow hair loss during menopause, or due to different conditions.
So many mature women need to enhance their brows daily. But the problem is, age also brings about deteriorating eyesight, or shaky hands. Two fundamentally harmless conditions, but they sure do make drawing your brows on difficult!
Microblading gives a very natural look, and that’s why it’s so beloved among women of a certain age who generally tend to wear less makeup.
This is why microblading is something mature women love. And gentlemen, for that matter!
How Is Microblading for Older Ladies Done?
The microblading technique implies making tiny incisions on the skin which are filled with pigments. Once healed, they imitate real hairs. The application involves a very fine blade that only goes as deep as the upper dermis – a layer of skin close to its surface where pigments are retained for a relatively long time, but do fade eventually. This part is the same for every client regardless of skin maturity, but here are a couple of adjustments that have to be made at each step of the process when microblading for older ladies:
Mapping As we age, our skin loses firmness and inevitably succumbs to gravity. As a result, it becomes looser and fine lines and wrinkles appear. It eventually starts drooping a bit from the brow bone, and its surface isn’t as smooth anymore. That’s why mapping out microblading for older ladies should always be done with the client sitting up, not laying down. If you map out the brows while the client is laying down, the outline won’t suit their features once they sit or stand up. You need to observe the features while they’re sitting.
Pressure
Mature skin tends to be thinner, so the pressure needs to be adjusted. Due to the thinness of the skin, the layer the artist aims for is reached with lighter pressure. If you press mature skin as much as you would younger skin, it will probably bleed and scar more easily.
So go with a very light pressure.
Skin Stretching
When microblading mature skin, make sure to stretch it out as much as possible. You need a smooth surface to work on, and mature skin needs to be stretched out more than younger skin, because of the fine lines and wrinkles. Hold the stretched skin firmly and don’t let it move around when creating the strokes.
Stroke Pattern
Pigments tend to spread more on mature skin, so you need to space out the strokes further apart. If you draw them on too close together, there’s a high chance they’ll blur together and merge relatively quickly. You need to bear in mind that it’s highly likely the pigment will fan out and bleed out and expand the strokes after some time – it can be years, but still, better safe than sorry.
It’s also a good idea to use the thinnest blade you have when performing microblading for older ladies, again, since the strokes will spread a bit.
Color
Pigments tend to heal and fade ashier and cooler on mature skin, so it’s a good idea to choose a warmer shade. Let the client pick a shade they want, and add some warmth to it.
It’s also very likely it will fade quite dark, so be careful not to make the pigment shade darker than the client wants it thinking it’ll fade significantly. Pigments don’t lighten as much during healing on mature skin.
So go warmer and lighter with the shade.
Healing Process of Microblading for Older Ladies As we age, our system slows down. As a consequence, wounds of all kinds heal slower. This includes the micro-traumas of microblading. It’s possible mature clients will need more than 6 weeks for their brows to heal completely, so the 1st touch up should be booked a bit later than for younger clients. 8 weeks or slightly later should be fine. Another important thing to bear in mind is the fact that pigments take more time to show back up after scabbing on mature skin. Clients should be warned that their brows won’t take their final color as quickly – it might take several weeks longer for pigments to reemerge after scabbing.
Lifespan of Microblading for Older Ladies
Mature skin tends to be drier, so the pigments won’t be pushed out by sebum. Plus, the skin cell turnover cycle is longer. As we age, the regeneration process of skin slows down, which causes slower healing, but also makes pigments last longer. So mature clients can expect their microblading to last longer than the average 18 months, and need less frequent touch ups.
Final Word
Due to mature skin being so thin and delicate, many artists strongly advise their mature clients to go for nano brows or powder brows instead of microblading.
Machine strokes are safer for mature skin because the nature of machine application is gentler on the skin. They will also blur less with time. What makes the case for powder brows is not only the fact that machine application is gentler, but also the fact that pigment migration isn’t a problem here, because there are no strokes that would blur. However, they cannot give the natural, no-makeup look of microblading.
So perhaps the best compromise is combo brows – microblading or even better, digital strokes combined with light shading.
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