Bringing life to brows

Brow Resurrection at Browhaus

Once upon a time eyebrows were only remarked upon if they were too bushy or were a mono-brow. Nowadays you can’t move for strong eyebrows; they dominate most selfies and not always for the right reasons.

I’ve spent a fortune over the years on eyebrow pencils, gels, brushes, powders and had them tinted, threaded, plucked and waxed. I’d heard talk of a semi-permanent ‘tattoo-like’ treatment that would mean the colour and shape would last for up to two years, meaning I could empty out a whole drawer full of brow-related products, and I was sold!

Bringing brows back to life

Cue me visiting Browhaus in Holborn. One of several branches and with many years of experience, they offer a ‘Brow Resurrection’ procedure which sounds right up my street. It’s their version of ‘micro-blading’, a form of semi-permanent make up that partially or fully camouflages missing eyebrow hair with the appearance of simulated hair using fine deposits of cosmetic tattoo pigments. It uses an advanced embroidery technique to create natural-looking strokes, resulting in a finer finish compared to some other semi-permanent brow treatments that simply weave in parallel hair strands.

The Process

The process starts with a full consultation. My eyebrows are measured and who knew, one arch is a good centimetre out of sync with the other. Having never put a ruler near my face I had no idea I was so lopsided. Mind you, as the old adage goes, eyebrows are meant to be sisters, not twins!

My brows are pencil marked on, and lo I have matching brows for the first time in my life. We discuss the shade, taking into consideration my skin tone and hair colour and I get the chance to say yay or nay before the treatment commences. There is a go- slow approach as there is no eraser here and you have to be sure. We agree on a bespoke mix of medium and ash brown shades with a view to being able to top it up if required. Numbing cream is applied and left on for a relaxing 20 minutes as I read a magazine on a heated bed.

The actual process is pain-free. There is a gentle tugging and scratching feeling and the area is gone over twice to make sure the coverage is even. The whole process including the consultation takes around an hour and half. It’s pretty relaxing and I chat away with my therapist who tells me she’s treated so many brows she could do it with her eyes closed now. I encourage her to keep her eyes open for me!

The verdict

Finally I’m presented with a mirror and two very dramatic new brows glare back at me. They are darker than I expect, looking a bit like when they’ve just been tinted. I’m reassured, however, that this is normal and that they will pale over the next 10-14 days. It is a pretty strong look to rock when I get back to work and I have a lot of second surprised glances, but it’s so worth it as they settle into their new and permanent look. The healing process is very straightforward and I’m given some ointments to apply to keep them clean and help them heal, and aside from a little itchiness and the occasional prickly sensation, there are no problems.

After a couple of weeks it’s become difficult to tell what’s my actual eyebrow hair and what’s my new embroidered-on hair! I go back after six weeks for a final tweak and top-up and I could not be happier with them. They should last between 12 and 24 months and then I’ll definitely be back for another session as I’ve got no brow products at home anymore!

Fabric reader offer

Browhaus are giving Fabric Magazine readers an exclusive discount to receive 10% OFF all of their brow and lash treatments until 30.04.18 when you use code FABRIC10 when booking. Offer valid Monday – Sunday across all of their London locations.