Cosmetic Tattooing differs from traditional tattooing, as it is done at a shallower depth in the skin. The goal of cosmetic tattooing is to enhance your natural features, or replace what's lost (faded freckles, hair loss in the brow)

In the case of freckle tattoos, a special pigment is used that is designed to fade naturally over time.

I now only offer machine based techniques, but here is a breakdown as to why nanobrows and powderbrows are the best technique for your skin and long term results! Here is a tiktok video I made explaining the following with visual examples!

Microblading is and was only suitable for very few types of skin. Microblading involves making tiny cuts within the skin to fill with pigment to create the illusion of hair. This is very traumatic to skin, and repeated touch ups can quickly lead to oversaturation/scarring. There are no benefits to choose microblading over and above machine work.

Nano Brows are most similar to 'microblading,' in that it creates the illusion of hair in the skin by tattooing tiny hair-like strokes. This technique is best suited to those with thinner, drier skin with smaller pores, and is not suitable for all skin types/mature skin. Tattooing Nanobrows on thicker/oilier skin will result in blurred brows.

Powderbrows are great for creating shape adjustments, and are either a great supporting act to existing brows, or for creating new brows from scratch. This technique is great for all skin types and hair types, including mature skin.

These two techniques (powder & nano) differ in that one creates the appearance or illusion of hairstrokes, and the other of shading/powder. Each technique has its unique benefits, and people often ask, but I love each technique equally & fun fact: the only difference on my end is the way I move my hand while tattooing!

Powderbrows or nanobrows as a technique is by and large chosen by not only your brow goals but your skin type and hair type.

The goal is always to choose the most natural looking results for my clients, and we always choose the technique that is going to provide the best long-term healed results.

Another common question I get is ‘How do you pick the colour?”

Short answer: years of experience seeing healed results and assessing undertones to match the tattoo with your brow hair!

How Skin Type Factors into the technique?

Having one or a combination of these will largely dictate which technique will look best on you long term. This is a rough breakdown on the impact each of these have on the long-term results.

Dry vs. Oily

Dry skin tends to hold onto pigment for longer than oilier skin. Oily skin is often combined with thicker skin, and tends to have a blurring effect on hair stroke techniques

Small vs. Large Pores

Pore size is often linked with skin thickness, larger pores can break up the look of hair strokes and often are linked with thicker skin, both best suited for powderbrows! Small pores do not affect either technique.

Mature vs. Young

Younger clients typically fade slightly faster and they produce more collagen/the skin regenerates faster. Depending on age/skin condition, mature skin can sometimes be too delicate to tattoo hair strokes on. Any existing wrinkles in the brow will distort the look of hair strokes and mature skin is most often best suited for powderbrow techniques!

Thick vs. Thin

The deeper the strokes sit beneath thicker layers of skin, the thicker/blurrier they get. In the case of dry, medium thickness skin- hair strokes aren't a problem! But generally thicker skin is best suited for powderbrow techniques for better long-term results.

Stretchy vs. Taut

Skin that has a great degree of elasticity (I know this sounds a little funny, and if you don't spend the majority of your day touching skin, might not make sense!) tends to blur hair strokes regardless of any of the other factors! Stretchy-er skin is always best for powder and tends to heal beautifully, and skin that sits more 'taut' tends to allow for either technique.

Coarse vs. Fine Hair

Very thick, coarse dark hair often will overshadow the look of hair strokes and up meaning your brows are best suited for powderbrows, where we can more easily blend in the density of your hair with the tattoo. Fine hair works great with both powder and nano.

Tattoo Process

1. You book your appointment online

2. At your appointment we have a consultation to either

a) talk about your brow goals, do a skin assessment and pick the right technique for you between Nanobrows or Powderbrows (hairstrokes vs shading) with your long term results in mind.

b) talk about your freckle goals/look at reference photos

3. We draw the desired shape/placement, shape the brows if necessary and only move forward once you approve the pre-draw!

4. Do a quick, gentle tattoo pass that's less painful than plucking hair.

5. NUMB!

6. Sit back and relax.

7. C U AGAIN IN 4-10 WEEKS FOR YOUR TOUCH UP ;)

Is cosmetic tattooing right for me?

Barring any health concerns (refer to contraindications) cosmetic tattooing is available to everyone! I always recommend clients flip through my instagram (the FAQ highlights especially!), portfolio and read through the FAQ to learn about the techniques and what is best suited to their skin type before coming in. This way you're best prepared for my recommendations on which technique is best for you when you arrive.

If you're ready for freckles, or new brows feel free to book in online now— a little unsure? book a free consultation for brows!

Some conditions or concerns may prevent us from proceeding with cosmetic tattooing, others may just require us to take some special considerations prior to booking. Please read ahead to see if any apply.

You *CANNOT* be tattooed if you:

- are currently pregnant

- are on blood thinning medication

- have taken accutane in the past 12 months

- are prone to keloid scarring (scar tissue that grows bigger than the initial wound, and often has a 'bubbled' look-- if your only keloid scar is from a cesarean, you're a-okay)

- have recently undergone chemotherapy

- are on antibiotics (you must wait two full weeks after your course is completed)

- have laminated brows (just wait 10 weeks after your lamination, and you're good to go!)

- have diabetes (if you have diabetes, please reach out before booking, in some cases we can proceed with tattooing)

- if your skin is damaged or compromised in any way, including but not limited to; sun burns/damage, recent chemical peels, laser treatments, or freshly waxed skin.

- over moles

- over top of acne; often times in the brows a pimple can be tattooed around and a touch up scheduled when the skin clears up, but unfortunately for freckles acne covering the cheeks and nose may temporarily prevent tattooing

- have used growth serums/retinoids/retinoids in the area in the past six - two weeks, respectively.

Skin must always be in good health to tattoo!

You *MAY* be tattooed but should contact me first if you:

- have an autoimmune disorder or HCV, these may not barr you from being tattooed, but may require some consideration around treatment times/medications/doctors notes etc.

- have any skin conditions that afflict the area to be tattooed including but not limited to; psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, keratosis pilaris, etc.

- have vitiligo

For brows; all skin types, textures, tones and all types of brows can be tattooed. I have tattooed clients with complete hair loss to clients with the bushiest of brows— barring any skin concerns listed above, there are no brows we can’t tattoo. You can always send me a photo beforehand but the final call on technique can only be made day of. My best advice to new clients wondering about their results is to look through my portfolio of work/instagram to find clients with similar brows to get a sense of what results are possible.

Don’t hesitate to reach out via email for any questions that haven’t been answered here or book a consultation if you would like to meet in person and have a predraw done before booking!

BEFORE & AFTER

You can find a list on how to prepare/what to avoid both before and after your appointment here.

AFTER

Outside of following the aftercare procedures of cleansing and moisturizing the fresh tattoo- you must, MUST avoid sweating & sun during the first week of healing. Your tattoos will disappear, and in some cases be light and orange in appearance. It can be tempting to squeeze in some gentle yoga, enjoy the sun or even bike to/from your appointment and feel like a gentle sweat shouldn't make that *big* of a difference, but it's truly not worth the time/investment to sweat your brows/freckles away!

Long-term aftercare?

~*~SPF SPF SPF SPF SPF ALWAYS!~*~

Cosmetic tattooing was originally marketed as being semi-permanent. This speaks more to the need for touch ups over time, and less to it being guaranteed to fade away. Ultimately, as soon as you enter the skin with pigment, there is no guarantee it'll fade away completely. That being said, in the case of brows, working within the natural shape allows for less maintenance and less obvious fading.

How long do Nanobrows or Powderbrows last?

This answer is largely dependent on a few factors like; age, skin type, lifestyle, aftercare etc. Skin most likely to hold onto pigment for longer is dry, mature, thinner skin-- whereas younger, thicker and/or oilier skin will fade slightly faster. Fading is typically in a range between 18 month to 3 years.

How long do Freckles last?

In the case of freckle tattoos, the pigment used is very intentionally meant to fade away. There is no guarantee that every freckle will fade, but they are tattooed with the intent to fade after around 18 months in order to mimic the appearance of natural freckles. Regular SPF use will preserve freckles for longer!

Follow up Appointments

All cosmetic tattooing is done as a two part appointment. It is highly recommended to both plan for and anticipate booking your follow up appointment. As these tattoos are done on the face, we take an extra gentle approach and it generally takes two appointments to build up the brow, or freckles to achieve the desired effect.

Part of why following aftercare is so crucial before your appointment is that this touch up let’s me see how your skin heals. Being able to see the healed potential in your skin let’s me make fully informed decisions to create the best brows or freckles possible for you!

'Yearly' Touch Ups

These are by no means necessary, and are done as needed. Depending on skin type/SPF use, brows can last 18 months to 3 years. I always ask clients wait *as long as possible* before returning for a touch up to let the brows fade as much as they can stand it. There is no such thing as maintaining the results, rather just replacing whats lost/faded away!

If you aren’t sure if your brows are faded enough, you can send me a photo at hello@forgooddays.ca— ready to book? Go ahead and do so here!

• What’s the best way to contact me? Email! Myself or my assistant will reply during business hours. Do not send follow up emails or DMs.

• Are tips expected? Tips aren’t expected, but they are appreciated!

• While I do love to have a bit of a chat, it’s always fun to get to know you— just please bear in mind that tattooing does require a great deal of focus and sometimes I’ll need to tune into the work once the tattooing starts! You can always throw in an ear bud and listen to an audiobook/podcast and keep one ear out for instructions if you want!

• Our studio is an inclusive space with lots of 2SLGBTQ+ artists & clients, myself included, so please be mindful with pronouns in the studio— you are always welcome to ask someone’s’ pronouns (mine are she/her!)

Brows can be an integral part of someone’s gender expression and affirmation. This can include feminizing, masculinizing or ‘neutralizing’ someone’s brows for a more androgynous look.

If you are interested in gender affirming brow services please email me! I have limited slots offered on a sliding scale each month <3