A lot of people are familiar with the term microblading but may not know about the other eyebrow tattooing techniques on the market like nano, powder, combination or ombré brows. All of these techniques, including microblading are eyebrow tattoos. The main difference between them is that microblading, unlike the others, is not done with a machine. Microblading is done with a manual tool that has a row of needles that act as a blade and the ink is scraped into the dermal layer of the skin in hair-like strokes and lasts anywhere from 6-18 months before a touch up is needed, however the pigment may never fully fade out of the skin even if you don’t touch it up. The other aforementioned techniques are done with a digital or rotary tattoo machine where the ink is implanted into the same layer of skin (the dermal layer) but because it is done with a machine and implanted instead of scraped or scratched in, it is much more concentrated and precise. Nano brows are similar to microblading where the desired outcome is hair-like strokes. Powder, ombré or shaded brows are all variations of shading the eyebrows so they look more bold and similar to brow makeup. Combination brows are combination of nano or microbladed strokes mixed with a powder or shaded effect.  These machine techniques will last quite a bit longer, anywhere from 1-3 years before a touch is needed.

 If you know you want your eyebrows tattooed but are a little more apprehensive, microblading is a good place to start and is usually the most natural looking. If you have already had your eyebrows microbladed and want something more bold or more permanent or you are a first timer but like a bolder eyebrow then a variety of machine techniques might be a better option for you.