INKD Academy by Hayley McGowan

There’s something really special about welcoming a returning student back into my INKD academy 🤍

Six years after first training with me, Lisa travelled from Tipperary to complete my INKD Signature Nano course and continue building her skills.

I love seeing artists stay curious and committed to growing in an ever-evolving industry 💪🏼

Thank you, Lisa, for trusting me again, it was such a pleasure having you back ✨

Thinking about refreshing your skills? Learning never stops. 📚

Have a question about the course? Pop it below or send me a DM 💌

✨ Some brows are more than a transformation… they’re a confidence boost. 🤍

This beautiful result was created live at the recent PMU Community Event on a client with alopecia. Every stroke was placed with intention to create soft, natural-looking brows that truly suited her. ✍️

For me, nano isn’t about memorising a pattern, it’s about understanding skin, placement, and creating brows that heal beautifully. 🌿

These are the skills I love sharing with my students. If you’re ready to refine your technique and take your nano work to the next level, I’d love to teach you. 💛

📩 DM “NANO” for upcoming training dates.

One thing I noticed from two major PMU events here in Ireland out of 70+ artists was that there were only two people in the room that put their hand up that they still do microblading. That means the industry has massively shifted in the last couple of years.

Nearly everyone in the room did powder brows and yet artists were scared of Nano. They felt they didn’t have enough experience or artistic skill to master it.

Being nervous of something means you care, it shows you want to achieve something.

Powder & Nano are part of the same skill, the same family. If you can master the skill of powder, using a machine and a needle, with correct guidance, support and practice you WILL MASTER NANO.

If you provide a PMU brow services, your clients deserve the choice of both ❤️🫶🏻

❤️

🧬 What really happens to PMU ink after it’s implanted into the skin?

One of the biggest misconceptions in our industry is that pigment sits permanently inside a single macrophage cell forever. The reality is far more fascinating. 🤩

Macrophages are part of your immune system’s cleanup crew. When pigment is implanted into the dermis, these cells immediately recognize it as a foreign substance and engulf the particles. However, unlike bacteria or debris, PMU pigment cannot be broken down.

Here’s where it gets interesting:

➡️ An individual macrophage only lives for a few months.
➡️ When that macrophage dies, it releases the pigment particles back into the surrounding tissue.
➡️ New macrophages quickly arrive and re-engulf those same particles.

This continuous “release and recapture” cycle is what keeps pigment visible in the skin for years.
PMU pigment isn’t frozen in place, it’s constantly being recycled through an ongoing biological process.

Over time, some particles gradually escape this cycle and are transported away through the lymphatic system. Combined with other factors such as UV exposure, skin metabolism, pigment chemistry, and implantation depth, this is why permanent makeup slowly fades and softens over the years.

Understanding the science behind pigment retention helps us make better decisions as artists and better educate our clients.

Science > myths. 🧠✨

If you like this kind of post please share and comment below for more educational videos. 🫶🏻