Not All Microblading Apprenticeships Are Created Equal
The title speaks for itself. A quick search for microblading education on the internet will give you plenty of options to choose from in your pursuit for microblading education. But how do you choose the right one? More importantly, how do you choose the right one for you? In a number of states, including Nevada, the requirement for gaining licensure as a microblading artist involves a 6 month apprenticeship. The apprenticeship is required to make sure all tattoo artists are well versed in body substance isolation and sanitation protocols. It has nothing to do with your abilities as an artist as more traditional apprenticeships would require. Nor are you a slave to your mentor having to work for free, because you're the one paying for the apprenticeship. Having said that, different apprenticeships will bring about opportunities and not all apprenticeships are created equal.
The minimum requirement
The minimum requirement by the health department to satisfy apprenticeship requirements is time under the mentorship of a accredited artist. When we say “time,” we mean that a full 6 months has to pass from the day you receive your temporary apprentice permit. The health department does not require anything else. No hours to fill, no extra tests and requirements are necessary. In our eyes, thats a major problem. We have seen educators out there who will take your money for nothing more than a signature. Though technically not illegal, it's the worst thing a new artist can do to herself. We at NeenaJayBrows are accredited to fulfill all apprenticeship requirements.
Pick and choose the right apprenticeship
In-House
The in-house apprenticeship is our favorite type of apprenticeship. You can learn a lot in a 3 day microblading course. But thats nothing compared to experience you gain over a 6 month apprenticeship where you're in house and able to shadow your mentor a number of times a week with regularly scheduled class times to help you along the way. Our 6 month in-house apprenticeship and course is a perfect fit for those who have the time.
Hybrid Online
We at NeenaJayBrows strive to empower women. Having said that, its very difficult for a single mom working full time to take an in-house apprenticeship. With that in mind, we have created a hybrid online apprenticeship that demands much less house in house while giving you homework to complete at your leisure, in your free time. This allows working moms a chance at going at it alone and becoming their own bosses while increasing their revenue. A hybrid course is perfect for anyone who feels time is a scarcity in their life. Typically you will meet once a month for class sessions. The rest is done electronically over the internet.
So when you decide you want to complete an apprenticeship, make sure you take one that is right for you. Make sure to ask the right questions so that the curriculum works with your schedule while maximizing your ability to gain the most important thing a new microblading artist needs, experience.
The Next Big Thing in Microblading Training - One-on-one Training
As an educator who has helped hundreds of women gain the confidence and abilities to go out into the world and slay brows, I have developed a keen insight on the education process and its highs and lows. You see, theses days there are so many microblading courses offered, a far cry from the early years where you couldn’t even find an artist in your city, and with that comes a decision in choosing the right type of education approach for your personal needs. From the typical 3 day course to an extended 5 day course, you can pick and choose between instructors based upon their work and credibility. But, in reality, microblading isn’t as simple as just taking a 3 day course and, poof, you're an artist. It just like any other skill, it takes time and patience to develop the necessary skills you need to go out there and do your thing.
We’re not bashing the 3-5 day course. We think its a great way to gain the fundamental knowledge you need to arm yourself with before going home and practicing on lots and lots of silicone tattoo skin and have taught such a course hundreds of women. But realistically, if you really want to get the most out of your instructor and education, nothing beats one-on-one training. In this setting, you have the undivided attention of your instructor for a number of days so you can really grasp the understanding you need for the fundamentals. We have been offering one-on-one training at NeenaJayBrows and have come to find that those who complete this type of training are much more likely to succeed.
If you live and plan on practicing locally in the las vegas area, the one-on-one course is especially beneficial for you, because its a 6 month program where you meet once a week and complete assignments, all with the ability to come in and shadow NeenaJay as she is working on live clients. More importantly, it also fills your apprenticeship requirements. In this scenario, you're not given a crash course on fundamentals over a 3-5 day period in a group setting. Instead, you're fed the information in a timely manner so that you can better absorb what you are being taught and learn from experience as well. This best mimics the tradition of tattoo artists that would take on apprentices and help them develop their skills more as a protege than a person taking a course. Being in the shadow of NeenaJay as she works is an amazing way to pick up on the experience you’ll need to venture on your own.
NeenaJayBrows is a licensed and accredited with the Southern Nevada Health District to fulfill apprenticeship requirements as a mentor.
What Tools Should Every Microblading Artist Have?
You have just finished your training and you’re ready to start your exciting new business as a microblading artist. Yay! So, what do you need to get started? How much space will you need? What are the best pigments and blades to use? Most states will require you to have a minimum 10’x10’ space for tattooing so you’ll need to design a functional space that will contain your bed, storage, work tray, sink, artists’ chair and all your supplies. Read below to see what will set you apart from the competition.
Carrying high-quality pigments and blades will be instrumental in your success. Some of the top contenders are Li (Lasting Impressions) and Permablend Pigments. These pigments have proved to implant, heal and age well in the skin. You can expect to spend around $30.00USD for a 15ml bottle of pigment. Sharp and well-sterilized blades are equally important for creating great work. Whatever blades you chose, slope/slant or U blades, should be individually packaged and marked with a lot #, method of sterilization and expiration date. Some of our favorites are Everlasting Blades, Tina Davies Blades, and Chuse blades which are available on Amazon.com
So now that you’ve got the tools to create good work, you’ll need great lighting to capture photos to advertise with. You can chose to use a mobile phone camera like an Iphone or Samsung or you can purchase a DSLR camera. As long as you have good lighting, most mobile phone cameras today take amazing pictures. NeenaJay’s favorite is the 14” Neweer Ring Light with the wall mount and phone mount. These are all available on Amazon.com too. Use these pictures for print, you can create a cool collage or print a CHATBOOK for your clients to browse through, for your social media pages and for your website.
Keep in mind that safety and sanitation should always be at the forefront of every procedure. You’ll need a stainless steel tattoo/medical tray, a sharps container, gloves, and if you’ve decided to use reusable handles (metal only), you’ll need an autoclave or sterilizer unit. NeenaJay uses 91% isopropyl alcohol to prep the skin and a 50/50 combination of witch hazel and distilled water to wipe during microblading. Keep barrier film on hand to cover any items that are not disposable like your liquid bottles, light stand, work surface and any other surfaces you may come in contact with during your procedure.
Now that we’ve covered the serious stuff, we want to give you the deets on all the little tools that NeenaJay uses and teaches her students to use to design a perfect brow every time! You’ll need a good marking pencil like the Sharpie PEEL-OFF China Marker to make a crisp outline that will last you until your second pass. Use a straight-edge razor to sharpen the pencil to a chiselled tip. A jaw caliper can help you measure each brow and ensure symmetry. Cotton rounds and great to use to wipe instead of bulky paper towels and they have them at the dollar stores which make them cost-efficient too! Microfiber swabs make mixing pigment a breeze and you can buy ring cups in bulk in all kinds of fun colors.
The best tools will always be the ones you were born with. Your hands and eyes will serve you for a long time so take good care of yourself. NeenaJay loves to start each day with a yoga flow and get regular reflexology massages.
Will Microblading Rule The Beauty Industry?
Microblading has easily become the hottest new trend for brows in 2019. Women all over America are seeing the benefits of the sharp crisp look that microblading offers. Using a manual blade, pigment is implanted into the epidermis of the skin, only penetrating 3 layers. The results are breathtaking, making it virtually impossible to tell the difference between real hair and those that have been added. Given that microblading lasts up to 3 years and that women are finding that their eye brows are on point without having to be touched, it has taken the world by storm.
Microblading is a manual method of implanting pigment in hair-like strokes in the epidermis to create the look of fuller brows. This form of tattooing is the newest trend in Semi-Permanent Makeup. The natural-looking results are achieved with a sharp, hand-held manual blade made up of 7+ micro needles. Instead of outlining and completely filling in the outline of your brows with color, microblading actually allows for the placement of hair like strokes into the skin. Whereas traditional tattooing uses needles on a rotary/coil machine to push ink 7 layers deep into the skin, microblading uses a manual blade and only targets 3 layers of skin. Because the pigment sits so superficially in the skin the strokes are sharp, crisp, and they mimic the look of real hair! Your new brows will last anywhere between 1-3 years predicated on the environmental exposure it receives. Microblading pigments are all organic and will not change color as they lose saturation over time. Thanks to the 1-3 year expected life of the semi-permanent makeup, the client can change the way their brows look as trends change.
Microblading was virtually non-existent in America as little as 6 years ago. Since then, the demand for artists has been booming, leaving a large gap in the cosmetic industry to be filled. Microblading training is a some form of formal study of the necessary knowledge and skills to become a microblading artist. You can find a variety of different microblading training courses by searching for them online. While there are many different training courses out there, you should always check the course agenda to make sure it is a comprehensive and hands on. In this article, we will discuss what we believe should be the agenda of every microblading course, as this is the agenda of our own course here at NeenaJayBrows
So when it comes to microblading we dont think it will rule the beauty industry, we think it already has!