r/PMUandMicroblading

I got my eyebrows microbladed about a year ago, absolutely loved what they looked like just after, but within 10 days they had faded hugely and the strokes had blurred and mainly disappeared. This wasn't just the ghosting stage, they never came back. My technican said that can happen and that's what the top up is for, but unfortunately the same thing happened after the top up. I got in touch and she offered me a 2nd top up for free, but again the same thing. I didn't lose the colour completely and they didn't look bad but within 2 weeks all the definition was gone and they definitely didn't look like the healed photos I've seen here or on her website.

Fast forward a year and I saw she was now offering nanoblading so I got in touch so see if that might be a better option for me as my brows had faded almost completely. She agreed it would be as the microblading made me bleed quite a lot which can affect how the ink takes, and nanoblading is better for sensitive and oily skin. I wouldn't say my skin is super oily, but it's more on the oily side than dry. I had my eyebrows nanobladed 10 days ago, and unfortunately exactly the same thing has happened, huge fading, the strokes have pretty much completely disappeared or blurred out, and I'm just left with undefined colour behind my brows. Again, it doesn't look bad, it just doesn't look like I've just had them nanobladed, there are none of the natural hair like strokes I've seen in photos.

She said I might need a top up due to the change in technique, but I'm wondering if it's even worth it if the same thing is going to happen again? Im not sure I want to go through the time and inconvenience of healing if the results are only going to last a week again.

Is it possible this just won't work on my skin? I followed all the aftercare instructions to the letter so I'm starting to think it's just not for me.

NYC PMU student here starting with nano brows 👋🏽
One thing I keep hearing is that PMU school teaches technique, but real clients are a completely different experience.
What caught you most off guard once you started working on actual people?

Was it:
consultations?
mapping on different faces?
skin types/healing?
nervous clients?
retention?
business/marketing?

Tired of finding out your “certified” PMU artist never trained on real skin?

This is the part most people overlook, and it matters more than anything else. Certification should never be taken at face value. It should be verified.

There are artists being “certified” through online-only courses with no hands-on supervision. No instructor present. No correction on live work. That means they are learning theory without ever being properly guided on real skin.

For any permanent makeup procedure, that is unacceptable. Hands-on fundamentals training is a requirement, not an option. When it comes to advanced procedures like nanobrows or paramedical tattooing, the risk is even higher because mistakes can cause serious and lasting damage. I’m seeing this more and more and it’s extremely dangerous for the public.

If someone has not worked on live models under supervision, they should not be certified.

Clients also need to take more responsibility in the decision process. Many people will spend more time researching a clothing brand than the person tattooing their face. That should never be the case. Stop trusting Instagram and pretty before and after photos. They can be stolen, AI, or photoshopped.

Ask to see certifications. Then verify them. Look into the organization that issued them and what was actually required to earn them.

At American Academy of Micropigmentation, there are clear expectations. A minimum of 100 hours of foundational training. Proof of completed procedures, typically five or more depending on the state, and in some cases up to fifteen along with an apprenticeship. Artists are also required to carry insurance, maintain proper business licensing, and operate within state regulations.

This helps narrow your search to professionals who are trained, accountable, and following proper bloodborne pathogens protocols.

Because the reality is this. There are people working without properly wrapping their machines. Working out of homes without hand-washing stations. Using the same unprotected equipment on multiple clients. Presenting altered or stolen images as their own work.

That is how infections happen. That is how people get hurt. And how permanent damage can happen to your FACE.

This is your face and your health. Do the research. Verify everything.

If you need help confirming credentials, reviewing work, or checking for insurance, you can use micropigmentation.org as a resource to guide your search.