That discount microblading deal you found online may seem attractive, but it could end up costing you more than you think.

That’s what happened to 42-year-old Jami Ledbetter.

Ledbetter, who was born without eyebrows, was excited when she received a Groupon for microblading as a gift.

But, her excitement soon faded after she had the procedure.

Ledbetter redeemed her Groupon with a woman who said she was certified in microblading, a cosmetic procedure that tattoos semi-permanent pigment under the skin to fill in eyebrows that are sparse, thin or nonexistent.

“The procedure uses a small handheld tool that contains several tiny needles or a tiny blade,” said Dr. Mayli Davis, a board-certified ophthalmologist in Colleyville, Texas.

Instead of getting the brows of her dreams, however, Ledbetter ended up with eyebrows that were an eyesore – both literally and figuratively.

Her new brows were uneven and unsightly, and they also felt bruised and burned.

“These are not normal side effects of the procedure,” Davis said.

Ledbetter tried to cover her botched brows with makeup, which is also a no-no post-recovery.

“Microblading breaks the skin, and while you’re healing after the procedure, it’s important to keep lotions, makeup and even water away from the treated area for up to two weeks after the procedure,” Davis said.

Ledbetter went to another provider, who attempted to camouflage the flawed brows. It didn’t work.

She finally landed with a licensed and insured tattoo artist in Lee’s Summit, Kansas, who worked to remove the bad brow job with a product known as Li-ft.

Li-ft is a pigment-lightening solution that’s tattooed into the bad ink. Tattooing the solution can create scabs, which help to pull out the initial pigment.

The lightening solution has to be applied in eight-week intervals.

The state of Missouri, where Ledbetter lives, does not regulate tattooing and considers the practice as “semi-permanent.”

Regarding microblading, the state’s Office of Tattooing, Body Piercing and Branding says that, although the practice has “the potential for public safety issues, the office has not been given specific statutory authority to regulate this practice.”

In nearby Kansas, regulations are in place for individuals who apply permanent makeup. Requirements include licensure and 1,200 hours of training, and those seeking a license are required to complete at least 50 procedures that can be verified.

Additionally, they must complete an apprenticeship and fulfill a few other requirements set forth by the state’s Board of Cosmetology.

“For any cosmetic procedure, from a facial to waxing to microblading to more invasive procedures such as dermal fillers, it is important to go to someone who is both educated and experienced to perform the procedure. You are putting your health into someone else’s hands,” Davis said.

Source:

KDVR. ‘I looked hideous!’: Botched microblading procedure leaves Kansas City woman with ‘crazy brows’. 12 April 2019.