It’s time to step out of the guided work setting and let your hands take over —your tools, techniques, and your soon-to-be thriving business. When it’s time to take on the real deal, how do you prep for your first microblading appointment? A lot of preparation tips are probably already in your training manual but the comprehensive information in this guide cannot be found elsewhere.
Whether you’ve just finished your Microblading Certification Training, completed your apprenticeship program, or are still in one, you should already be thinking about the first time you are going to perform your treatment. While this topic seems self-explanatory, this guide covers plenty of things that not many artists have thought through before they went in to their treatment rooms.
If you want to avoid their mistakes, read on.
Working on your first official client is not like working on live models during your apprenticeship. It can be pretty intimidating and it’s normal to feel a little nervous, but keeping calm and affirming to yourself that you’ve got this, will be your lifesaver.
But, before we give you a list to memorize, how do you keep calm when there’s so much pressure?
A Firm Foundation
No amount of affirmation or positive thinking will help keep you calm if you don’t have a firm foundation of your skills. It is your first and most important defense against nerves and self-doubt.
Which all goes back to the quality of your training. What kind of microblading school did you choose? It’s not enough that they seem to be a reputable establishment. A great sign that a microblading academy is delivering their promise is when they are able to produce artists who, not only delivers excellent results, but also are able to establish themselves: business-wise and community-wise. This means being able to establish their network and grow their business once they’re on their own.
How would you know this? Take a look at the artists working at that establishment or if not, their private studios. How do they compare to other microblading training establishments in your city and state? Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing microblading training hub in the US. If you intend to practice there, you need to check out how they perform compared to their many competitors. Check their work in their portfolios or Instagram accounts. If you see their former students thriving, this is a really good sign that you’ve chosen a top microblading training establishment.
These artists also tend to be well-rounded professionals, meaning they are able to perform different types of treatments and know when and how to combine techniques to get the best results. If you are part of such a training community, you’ve won half of the battle.
Preparing for Your Appointment: What Nobody Told You
Know Your Challenge
New artists don’t normally start doing complicated or advanced treatments. It is most likely that your first appointment will be a microblading client. Unless, you’ve done extremely well in your apprenticeship that you can immediately do shading or combination brows. Even if you’re doing a basic microblading procedure, you need to know what the challenge is —every step of the way.
You’ve memorized the procedure, you know what to do first, what should be in your tool kit, and maybe even prepared yourself a script to say the right things. Those are all very helpful. What you might not have thought about are the challenges that could arise while you are doing the treatment.
First, think about your weaknesses. Yes, the things that you get nervous about.
- What makes you panic? Is it an unexpected trickle of blood?
- Do you lose your focus when someone else is working beside you?
- Which part of the procedure are you still unsure about and might need guidance on?
- Do you feel calmer when there’s music? How about when there’s no music?
See, these are all so simple that they’re easy to take for granted. But if you don’t think about them in advance, they can affect your work.
Even if the chances of bleeding are rare, you need to come up with a plan on what you can do to stay collected if and when it happens. Plan a strategy on how you can keep focused while your peer is working on the other treatment bed. There are most likely plenty of things you can add to this list and plenty of ways to overcome them as well.
Communicating with Your Client
Aside from preparing what to say in case things go wrong, you need to be prepared to communicate with your client —before, during, and after their appointment.
Even if you’ve already discussed their treatment in detail during their consultation, it helps to remind them of the standard procedures. One of the most important things is when applying the numbing cream to their treatment area. Talk to them and let them know that doing this will help minimize any discomfort they may feel. This helps build trust and keeps them calm during the entire procedure.
Talk them through the process as you are going through it. This makes them feel that everything is under control and that you really, really do know what you’re doing. If you do this, chances are, they will be extremely happier with the results, not just because you’ve done excellent work!
Give Yourself Ample Time the Day of the Appointment
It’s your first appointment and there’s a good chance you might forget something. Arriving at your workplace early and checking your work station will help you eliminate having to rummage through things later.
This is in relation to knowing your challenges. What are the things you usually forget to bring or do? If you tend to lose your pencil or any other particular material, keep two, maybe three of those and place them in different places. Maybe one in your kit, one in your purse, or one in a secure space in your workplace, if that is possible. Do you forget to take out and wear your gloves? How about put them right beside your blade or pre-draw tools so you will be reminded to wear them first thing. You can only do this if you have ample amount of time before your appointment.
Damage Control
Expect to make mistakes. Prepare enough so you don’t have to make them, but in the event that you do, you need to know how to correct them.
In the beginning, this could be as simple as knowing that your instructor would be there to help you. Know when to call for assistance and don’t wait till the damage is too big, whether it’s just a simple slip-up. This is why it’s very important to choose Master Instructor who has been known to be very patient and encouraging to their students. Will your trainer be there to guide you during the early days of your practice?
What you should NOT do is panic and whatever you do, do NOT show that you are panicking, in any way, shape, or form. Things to avoid:
- Saying “Ooops”, “oh my ***”, and other profanities you normally use (It’s okay to express some shock, but don’t make it too dramatic or obvious because that can scare your client and cause them to cancel.)
- Walk around and around looking for something that makes you appear like you don’t know whatever it is you’re looking for
- Drop items when you’re feeling nervous. Once is enough, two is too much. You know what three is.
- Shout, scream, or cry
So, what CAN you say or do?
- Say that you are making an adjustment, calmly and in a tone that says you are still in control. Example: Miss (client), I am just going to do some adjustments on this particular area, just to make sure that everything looks perfect, okay?
- Your client is in pain. Say: Would you like to take a little break for now? Don’t worry, this will not last much longer and I promise you, the results will be worth it!
As you can see, these statements all depend on whatever mishap you may have experienced. This is not a script you need to say verbatim so feel free to say what you think will best reassure not just your client, but you to get things back in order.
Preparing Your Devices
It is a best practice when you’re doing any treatment, to take before and after photos of your client’s brows. Make sure that your device is charged, whether you are using your mobile phone to take photos or a camera. You should also note the tips in taking excellent before and after photos to add to your portfolio. You might also need your mobile phone for other purposes. Here at MicroBladers, for example, we use a mobile app to allow our artists to schedule appointments and make payments.
Part of your devices, though they may be property of the studio, include your lighting. Make sure that they are plugged in securely and that the lights are in optimal condition. This also includes any other devices you may use when you are working.
Another point you may easily forget when it comes to mobile phones is to please, keep them on silent or on airplane mode to avoid distractions or making your clients feel uncomfortable when it rings or makes notification sounds.
Hygiene Measures
Last but not the least, make sure that you take appropriate hygiene measures. Missing a step as simple as washing your hands can cause big problems. You can read more about proper hygiene for microblading artists here.
Of course, you need to follow all protocol when you prepare for your first microblading appointment. Hopefully, this guide gave you additional information to prepare you not just mentally, but also emotionally.