Does microblading hurt, and what does it feel like?
Key facts
- Numbing
- Cream before treatment, topped up during it
- Feeling
- Often compared with threading or light plucking
- Time
- About 30 to 45 minutes of microblading within a 1 hour 30 minute first session
- Price
- £320, including numbing and one perfecting session
- Patch test
- Free for new clients, at least 24 hours before treatment
Microblading can feel uncomfortable, especially towards the end, but most clients tell me it was easier than they expected. When clients ask me does microblading hurt, I tell them people feel it differently. One stretch of brow may feel quite different from the next. I use numbing cream before I start and top it up during the treatment. I’ll explain each part, including the scratchy sound that can take people by surprise.
What does microblading feel like?
Most clients compare the feeling with threading or light plucking. To me, it feels oddly similar to threading, though in places it isn’t as sharp as threading can be. I often hear from clients who expected something much worse and are surprised by how manageable they find it.
That’s their experience, not a promise about yours. One part of a brow may feel more sensitive than another, and two people can describe the same part differently. I’d rather tell you that plainly than suggest you won’t feel anything. The feeling also changes as I work, which is why it helps to know what each pass involves.
What does the numbing cream do?
I put numbing cream on the brow area before I start, and I top it up during the treatment. The cream needs 20 to 30 minutes to work. While it does, we choose the pigment colour.
Numbing is included in the £320 price. It’s part of how I make the appointment easier, but people still feel things differently. Before I begin the strokes, I map your brows to your face and show you the drawn shape in the mirror. You can check it before I start working with the tool.
What is the scratchy sound?
The slight scratchy sound comes from the hand tool as I make each fine stroke and the pigment goes in. I use the tool to make hair-fine, shallow cuts along the brow for the pigment to settle into. That’s the part you can hear.
I find the sound odder than the feeling. Clients tend to notice it at first, then tell me it fades into the background. Music plays during the appointment. You’re also welcome to bring headphones if you’d rather listen to something of your own.
What happens during the three passes?
I work in about three passes. Each pass has a different job, so the feeling isn’t exactly the same from start to finish. I spend about 30 to 45 minutes doing the microblading strokes.
The first pass is what I call the skeleton pass. I set out the structure of the shape I’ve drawn, so I can wipe away the pencil without losing that shape. In the second, or builder, pass, I fill the spaces between those first strokes.
The third pass is the quickest. I go over the strokes, refine the shape and make both brows even. By then, clients may notice more feeling. That’s when they tend to understand the comparison with threading. I may take a photograph or measure again with my string to spot a stroke I’ve missed. My mapping string has ink on it and marks where your brows should sit, using your own features as a guide.
Allow 1 hour 30 minutes for your first session. I use that time for the consultation, brow mapping and numbing as well as the microblading.
Could I feel more sensitive on the day?
You may feel more sensitive just before or during a period, if you have periods. It’s something to bear in mind when you choose your appointment date.
There’s also a list of what to avoid for the 24 hours before your appointment on my microblading page, linked below. It’s worth checking when you pick a date, so you know what the preparation involves.
Do powder brows feel different?
Powder brows can feel different because I use a machine rather than the microblading hand tool. I’d describe the feeling as more like a tiny pinprick than a scrape. Clients tell me micro-shading feels no worse than threading. Towards the end of the session, they say it can feel a little like mild sunburn. My powder brows page explains that treatment, and the microblading vs powder brows guide helps you compare the two.
Can I find out what it feels like before booking?
No, I don’t offer a scratch test, so you can’t feel microblading before you book. You can meet me for a free 15-minute consultation to talk it through and ask questions before you decide.
If you’re a new client, you’ll also need a free patch test at least 24 hours before the treatment. It takes 10 to 15 minutes. Without the patch test, I can’t do the treatment. My patch test page explains how to arrange one.
Clients usually find their brows feel back to normal 1 to 2 hours after they leave, once any swelling or mild redness has settled. They usually find the perfecting session easier and quicker, because I have less area to cover. If you’re thinking beyond the appointment itself, my microblading aftercare page covers what to do afterwards. I see one client at a time at my studio in Patcham, Brighton, so there’s time to talk it through. My microblading page has the preparation list and the full treatment details.
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