We find out what exactly entails the process of embroidering one’s eyebrows and why it is currently the number one choice of eyebrow designing.
Eyebrows, long regarded as the ugly stepsisters of the more delicate, demure and attention-catching eyes, have long been the bane of many women’s existence. Whether too thick and bushy or thin and sparse, many methods have been conceived from centuries back to achieve perfect brows that will not only balance out one’s entire face, but accentuate and highlight the best of one’s features too.
“When people look at you, your brows are actually one of the first thing people notice. It structures your face,” says Esther Kerk, founder and general manager of Erabelle Prestige, one of the leading brow experts in the country. “It enhances your eyes, your nose, your face shape.
Esther Kerk, founder and general manager of Erabelle
Now the world is turning to eyebrow embroidery as the solution to beautiful brows. Eyebrow embroidery offers beautiful, natural-looking brows that lasts so you don’t have to redraw them on everyday yet not have to commit to a lifetime of two harsh lines that turn an odd blu-ish green hue after a number of years tattooed onto your browbone. They are the answer to smudge-proof brows that stay even through rain and shine so you can be rid of one more waterproof makeup product in your makeup bag.
We find out more about what exactly entails the process of embroidering one’s eyebrows and why it is currently the number one choice of eyebrow designing.
1. Eyebrow embroidery is semi permanent
Unlike the more traditional method of tattooing on the shape of the brows, embroidery fades in about 6-8 months, depending on the rate of one’s skin-shedding. Pigment is embroidered onto only the epidermis layer of the skin, or in other words, the topmost layer. The pigment sheds along with dead skin cells over time, with the average time being about 6 months before it fades completely. “That’s why you’ll need to come back every few months to touch it up because it gets lighter and lighter,” shares Kerk. On the plus side, you can change your eyebrows to keep up with the newest trends.
2. Your brows will be shaped to suit your face, not by the specialist’s fancy
There is no one brow design that works for different faces. To get the best ideal brows to suit yours, everything else on your face fro the size of your eyes to the length of your nose, the pointiness of your chin and width of your forehead is taken into consideration before it is embroidered. At Erabelle Prestige, a detailed consultation of your face is done before your eyebrows are designed to ensure they best complement your face shape. “We will first draw the new shape in in pencil for the customer to see then if she is satisfied then do we proceed to the embroidering,” says Kerk.
3. You can control the darkness of your resultant new brows
Also unlike tattooing, embroidery of the brows is done in multiple layers, the more layers resulting in richer and darker colours. The first layer goes on almost non-existent, providing only a rough outline that the subsequent layers will use as a stencil. Usually about 4 layers go into creating the average embroidered eyebrow of regular intensity and starkness. Should customers feel like they would like it darker, a couple more layers can be added until they are satisfied. “If we know our customers are from abroad and won’t be able to return anytime soon, we would encourage them to do their eyebrows a little darker,” advises Kerk.
4. There is no bleeding involved whatsoever
Done the right way, eyebrow embroidering should result in not a single drop of blood being drawn. Clear fluid called plasma might surface when the colour pigment is being embedded into the skin using a micropen but never blood. The sight of blood is the sign that the embroidery needle has gone in too deep and pierced the second dermis layer. Moreover, bleeding results in scabbing and when a scab falls off, a big chunk of colour pigment goes with it so what you get are irregular and patchy brows. “Once the skin starts bleeding, the colour isn’t going to stay so the good eyebrow embroidery places will do it in a way where there is no bleeding, “ asserts Kerk.
On top of that, a numbing topical cream is applied to the area to be embroidered so there is minimal discomfort during the procedure as well as a prep brow mask following that to encourage colour retention. "Some of our customers even doze off when getting their brows done," shares Kerk.
5. You can lighten the appearance of your new brows by scrubbing
In the unlikely event that you find your new brows too dark for your liking, you can accelerate the lightening process by using a gentle facial scrub. The scrub will lift dead skin cells and along with it, colour pigments embroidered inside, so less colour is left on. “To avoid that, we embroider the layers based on the preference of the customer so he or she decides how dark it gets,” tells Kerk.
6. Colour pigments are allergy-tested behind your ears before going onto your face
A very small percentage of people develop an allergic reaction to the ink. To avoid a full-blown allergy, a small dot is tried and tested on the neck area right behind your ears first. It is left on for about 20 minutes and in severe cases where the customer has very sensitive skin, 24-48 hours, for a test run before the rest is embroidered into your brows. Erabelle Prestige uses only the best-grade pigment that is FDA approved and imported from Germany to give you the safest and longest lasting treatments.
7. The full brow is not embroidered in
After an embroidery session, one would notice that there are lines that have been left empty. This is to give the impression of ultra fine hair strokes, simulating the look of real hair. Where necessary it’ll be combined with soft shading for the most natural-looking results. The proper way to embroider eyebrows on is to use a softstroke technique, much like that of an artist painting with watercolour. Resultantly, one will not see a solid stroke of eyebrows. Instead fine empty lines intersperse the stroke of colour to fake the look of thicker brows. “Not only is this more natural, you can fill it in and darken it with eyebrow pencil if you like,” offers Kerk. Kerk recommends Erabelle Prestige's own Erabelle Long-Lasting Brow pencil that has won two awards in two years.
8. Embroidered brows can last up to 2-3 years with the full course of treatments and proper care
Regular touch ups and proper care (that means, no picking and scratching at the area immediately after treatment!) can help lengthen the lifespan of your brows so you’ll need to go in to the salon less for touch ups. Whenever possible, apply sunblock to keep UV rays from unnecessarily fading out your brows. Most of all, keep the area well moisturised so no flaking occurs that could potentially lose you a lot of precious colour pigments.
Before and after comparison of a bespoke eyebrow embroidery procedure at Erabelle Prestige
Erabelle Prestige is a holistic luxury facial spa centre catered for Asian women. It provides a whole range of beauty regimes from spas, facials, and baths, but it is most renowned for its bespoke eyebrow services that include shaping, designing and embroidering. To date, the brand has four outlets open in Singapore and the one in The Gardens Mall is its first outlet in Malaysia after 10 very successful years in the industry.
Erabelle Prestige is open daily from 10.30am-9.30pm and is located at FF-227, 4th Floor, The Gardens Mall. For more information on its eyebrow embroidery or other range of services, please call 03 - 2282 8889 or visit the official website at www.erabelle.com.
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