Permanent Makeup: A Two-Step Process
Why does Microblading/Microshading require two sessions?
This is a common question that is best answered with visual aides. The following photo series is a great example of the purpose of the perfecting session done 8 weeks after your initial treatment.
Like many clients, this lovely lady wanted to be conservative for her first treatment, and requested a subtle result without changing her original shape too much or going too dark. Her "before" photo is on the left.
The second photo shows her HEALED results at 8 weeks after the first treatment, when she returned for her perfecting session. She had excellent pigment retention, and could easily have opted to leave her brows subtle and defined. However, she loved her new brows so much that she wanted even more! She asked me to square off the bulbs for a bolder shape, and add more density. This was an easy tweak, and we were both thrilled with the final result! Check it out for yourself in the third photo.
In addition to the benefit of having a chance to "tweak" the shape, color or density of the original work, the perfecting session has other important purposes. While the above client had nearly perfect retention, there are many factors which can effect pigment retention, making it hard to predict how well the pigment will hold after your first treatment. These factors can include:
* skin type
* how well the aftercare instructions are followed
* exposure to sun, water, or skin care products during the healing period
* certain medications or health conditions
If the pigment doesn't retain well, it's easy to reinforce the work during the perfecting session. Some skin just needs two applications to hold pigment. In rare cases, a third session may be necessary to fully perfect the design.
As you can see, even when retention is great, very minor changes can make a very big difference in the final result. It's well worth coming in for the perfecting session to discuss your options. This is why many artists include both sessions in the cost of treatment. Each session is equally important to the final outcome!
~Whitney Moon, L.E, I.C.T.