Are you training to become a microblading artist or have recently completed a microblading certification course? Congratulations! You’re about to enter an exciting career but before you get to a blading spree, here are some things you need to know to start your career on the right track.
These tips are simple and may even seem too obvious but when followed with commitment, they will work wonders for you in the YEARS to come.
1. The Equation: Artistry First, Business Second
You must remember, your business thrives on enhancing people’s looks. Which means if you can’t make someone look and feel beautiful, you have no business. The first part of the equation is making sure that you get really, really good at your techniques. No one will come to you if your work is not polished enough. This is why the quality of training you get is super important.
Let’s break it down.
Mastering Techniques
In an interview with MicroBladers owner and master artist, Danielle Greisen in this post, she talks about how mastering the craft takes time. Mistakes are inevitable and more than that, it’s an important part of your growth process. In mastering your microblading techniques, be prepared to make mistakes. Do not be discouraged when you don’t get it right the first few times.
Having said that, it will be helpful if you’re working hand-in-hand with someone who can guide you in these early stages of your career. Is your trainer present during your first appointment? Are they available to answer your questions while you are doing your work on your first client? Choose someone who will be patient with you while you are learning and at the same time, will help you trust yourself that you will eventually be able to do the work on your own. It’s also not good to be too dependent. Listen to what other students are saying on their reviews. But where will you get such guidance? The answer — microblading apprenticeship.
Classroom training is not enough. You might have come across some training establishments that promise you can start taking clients in a few days. An artist who immediately starts official practice is a lot more likely to produce below average results compared to one who has practiced a minimum of six months. This is the ideal length of an apprenticeship program, so make sure to check these details before you enroll in one.
In some cases, we see apprentices do excellent work after taking in some clients early in the program. This allows them to already start taking more clients while being an apprentice. It all depends on your pace and how quickly you become comfortable with your tools.
Starting Your Business
More than likely, the business side of things will take care of itself if you took the time to master your skills. But it is also important to receive business support from your training establishment. A good sign that an apprenticeship program is really built to help you succeed is when it offers marketing and business support to students.
Building your business involves growing your clients, learning how to market yourself as an artist, and using social media to thrive in the microblading industry — all these are discussed in depth in this post.
2. The Artist’s Tools: Making Your Magic Come to Life
So, we’ve talked about you and your skills. But you don’t work with your hands alone. In microblading, you use tools —tools that will help you achieve the best results. In art, they say it’s not always the tools that matter but how you use them. That is true in some cases but in microblading, you are working on people’s skin. Please keep this in mind at all times. It is not a canvas that you can throw away if the work isn’t good. As you’ve learned in training, microblading is semi-permanent makeup. Any mistake done on a client’s skin might stay on for years. There is the option of PMU correction but it’s always best to do work that doesn’t need one in the first place.
The pre and post care products that you use will affect your client’s skin which in turn affect the quality of your work.
Here are some of the most crucial things to consider:
Pigment
Using reputable pigment lines will ensure that you get the color and shade you envision for your client’s eyebrows. In training, you’ve learned that pigment appears different from when it’s freshly applied versus when the brows are healed. Some pigments might not have the same expected results, especially when it’s incredibly cheap.
Which pigment lines do your trainer and training establishment use? How about the industry experts? The quality of the product will also have an impact on their work. It doesn’t hurt to check their before and after photos on social media or website. Keep updated because there are always new products that will be more superior than older ones.
PMU Machines
Some permanent makeup machines allow beginners to do excellent work while others are more suited for experienced artists. If you’re more comfortable with your tools and are ready to experiment with more techniques, you need tools that have more versatility. Here is a great introduction to PMU machines.
Disposables
Here at MicroBladers Studio + Academy, we strictly implement the use of disposable needles for each client. Same with gloves, masks, bed covers, etc. The State of Nevada considers tattoo artists including PMU artists as high-risk to infectious diseases, which is why you’re required to get a Blood Borne Pathogens Certificate. Never re-use needles and know how and where to dispose biohazard supplies.
Blades
The blades on your microblading pen serves two purposes. One is to create the micro incisions on the skin and another is inserting the pigment, both done at the same time. Learn as much as you can about the different needle points and sizes because these determine the width of hair strokes you create. Here is an in-depth discussion about micro blades.
Information on products such as aftercare and cleansing solutions can be found here.
3. Sharpening Your Eyes
The great thing about microblading is that your progress is always visible and measurable. As you work on more clients, you will be able to see how much you’ve improved by taking photos. Always document your work from first application to healed results. Over time, you will have a sharp eye to determine if you or even other artists have done excellent work and see what else could be improved.
But your eyes are not the only ones that should look at your work. Ask for feedback from the experts and be open when they offer suggestions. These experienced artists have seen and worked on maybe hundreds of brows. They they’ve mastered their techniques and they can help you perfect your craft. Trust their eyes.
4. Growing with the Industry. Microblading is An Ever Expanding Career
Microblading has opened doors to more career opportunities for artists than any other beauty specialization. Do not stay put. Ride on the growth of the industry or get left behind. Sure, you could be doing really well doing just one or two treatments but if you don’t get out of your comfort zone, your career will plateau or worse, go downhill. What this means is that new techniques are always emerging. Microshading has been making waves and recently, Nano Strokes.
Our master instructor here at MicroBladers, Danielle Greisen, recommends that artists take advanced classes after practicing microblading for some time. Microshading is one example of an advanced course. Here you will learn to master both manual and machine methods. As you advance, you will also learn how to do combination brows and many more.
Learning advanced techniques will help you expand your career and diversify your client pool. What if a client is not a good candidate for microblading? What if they want a bolder finish on their brows? Will you lose them and allow them to go to someone who knows Microshading because you don’t? These are opportunities you will miss, and it will hurt your business in the long run. If you’re able to do multiple techniques, you will get more referrals because your clients know you can handle anything. Do not doubt it.
5. Practicing Sub-Skills
At this point, this will sound repetitive but listen: There is a difference between putting countless hours practicing your skills and deliberate practice.
They say it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. And yes, it’s important to practice as much you can but what counts more is practicing very specific skills. Lost? Read on.
In any skill, there are a certain number of sub-skills to be learned. You don’t just learn microblading —you learn color theory, hair strokes, pressure, control, among many others. These sub-skills are what make up one specialized skill. Allot yourself time to practice each of them as much as you can. More importantly, keep practicing them even when you think you’ve mastered your technique. Skills can decline. If you don’t keep doing them, it is possible to unlearn or forget them. Successful artists are always practicing. They never stop learning.
6. Committing to the Routine
What does this mean? In any type of work, there are always parts that you will find boring. Taking hygiene measures is one routine work for microblading artists. Making sure your work area is clean is also important. Whatever you do, never skip the routine work.
Any oversight can cause great damage even if it’s as simple as forgetting to wash your hands. An artist who is really passionate and committed to their work is also committed to the simple and sometimes mundane tasks. Cleaning your work area after a treatment, wearing scrubs and gloves, they’re all little things but it says a lot about your character.
This also includes being thorough when talking to your clients during their consultation. You will have to repeat the same information time and time again. It can get tiring and you will be tempted to skip some important details. Don’t do it. It is part of your job and your clients trust and pay you for information you provide as much as your service.
7. Integrity is the Lifeline of Any Business
Finally, as you grow, you will find that more people will trust you. It’s easy to get caught up in your initial success and take for granted why they trusted you in the first place. When you’ve reached a point where you have plenty of clients, you may think you no longer have to be careful about your business practices. This doesn’t always happen but some may start charging for more than what their services are worth thinking they won’t lose any business since they’re already established. They may start using inferior products and tools in order to earn more than what they are providing. You will see that in all types of businesses every day. This will only work for a limited time. People will start noticing, they will start talking, and they will walk away. Do not doubt it.
Here at MicroBladers Studio + Academy, we foster creativity but most of all, we guide our artists to become successful microblading artists in all aspects of their practice. We welcome any question you may have about our training programs. If you’re ready to learn from the best, we encourage you to become an apprentice. Get started today or contact us for more information.