Microblading Brows by Emily

Worried your brows are going to look too big? THIS is why the mapping stage can be deceiving.

One of the biggest concerns I hear from clients considering microblading or nano brows is that they want fuller brows, but they’re terrified of them looking too dark, too thick or obviously tattooed.

And then they see the pre-draw. 😂 Here’s what you’re actually looking at.

The black outline is simply my working template. It gives me an area to work within, but it isn’t a representation of how your finished brows will look.
Look closely at this photo. One brow still has its mapping outline, while the other has had its hairstrokes applied.
Notice how much softer and smaller the brow appears once those individual strokes replace the solid outline?

The aim isn’t to give you completely different brows. It’s to give you YOUR brows, with a little more of what they’re missing.
More fullness. Better definition. Less time spent filling in those annoying gaps every morning.
Whether you’re considering natural microblading or machine hairstrokes, the technique and shape should be tailored to your skin, existing brow hair and desired result.
Because the best brow enhancement is the one that makes your morning routine easier without making you feel like you’ve permanently applied your makeup.

📍 Natural-looking brows in Poole, Dorset.
Ready to ditch the daily brow pencil? Book your consultation through the link in my bio.

REMOVAL DOESN’T ALWAYS END IN A REDO.
Every set of brows in this carousel is at a different stage of its removal journey — and every one has had just 1-2 laser sessions. Yet look at how differently they’ve responded.

That’s because laser removal isn’t a simple case of “X number of sessions and the pigment is gone.”

Previous work can contain different pigment formulations, different colours layered together and different combinations of carbon-based and inorganic pigments such as iron oxides.

Pigment may have been implanted at different depths, at different densities, or layered repeatedly over previous work.
All of that can influence how laser responds.

Sometimes removing the darker component exposes warmer tones underneath. Sometimes the lift is significant after only a couple of sessions. Sometimes we need to proceed much more cautiously and allow the journey to take longer.

And sometimes… we stop before everything has disappeared.
One of the ladies shown here originally had really lovely hairstroke work — it was simply too dark against her blonde brow hair and carried too much visual weight on her face.
After removal, we looked at what remained and actually agreed that she didn’t need another set of brows.
She had enough natural shape and the previous stroke work she had done was now light enough to leave alone.
The remaining tone sat much more softly against her colouring.
So we stopped- because removal shouldn’t automatically be a conveyor belt towards another treatment.

My priority throughout removal is not chasing quick pigment at the expense of the skin. If someone eventually wants new brows, I want the skin underneath to be in the best condition possible to receive them.

These images show varying amounts of pigment lift, but importantly, without obvious significant trauma to the skin.
Different pigment. Different depth. Different history. Different response.
Laser removal is a process — not a race.

We’re so focused on making brows identical that we sometimes forget to look at the face they belong to.

1. Different bone structure — from the curvature of the frontal bone (forehead) to the shape and height of the orbital ridge (the bone surrounding the eye).
2. Different muscle movement. Different natural hair growth. 3. 4. Different brow placement.

And yet, we’re expected to create perfect symmetry?

But what actually is perfect symmetry?

This before and after shows just how much we can improve brow asymmetry. But there’s a difference between correcting an imbalance and forcing two identical shapes onto a face that isn’t symmetrical to begin with.

In this case, one side of her frontal bone is more curved than the other. To create a more balanced result, we worked with the upper edge of one brow and the lower edge of the other, rather than simply removing natural hair to force them into matching shapes.
Because sometimes, achieving a perfectly matched pair would mean compromising the shape, position or natural structure of one brow.
And for what? For them to still look different because of the underlying bone structure and muscle movement? 🤷🏻‍♀️
We’re working on living, moving faces. Not flat pieces of paper where symmetry has no limitations.

The goal is to make the brows work together on YOUR face.
Good brow design is about understanding the anatomy, recognising the limitations and knowing when to stop correcting.
Sometimes, a little asymmetry is exactly what creates the most balanced result.
What’s your take on brow symmetry?

Brows created like they always belonged
Hairstrokes to recreate natural volume loss. Hyper realism or nanoblading , will create beautiful hairstrokes that don’t look stamped on.
EMILY MOORE | The Brow Haus and Co. based in Poole , Dorset

Long appointments because……. It’s your face after all 💁🏻‍♀️

More hairstrokes were not the answer here.

Look at the before image- the last slide and straight-on.

There was existing asymmetry, which meant simply adding beautiful microbladed strokes wouldn’t automatically create a more balanced result.
This is where understanding when to shade becomes just as important as knowing how to blade.
During this 1:1 Blade & Shade training session, we used hairstrokes for texture and softness, then introduced shading strategically to create density where it was needed and bring the brows into better visual balance.
Because good brow work isn’t just about creating the prettiest stroke pattern.
It’s about looking at the whole canvas.

🧡Shape.
🧡Existing hair.
🧡Density.
🧡Asymmetry.
🧡Skin.

And how both brows read together from a normal viewing distance — not just through a close-up lens.
Sometimes hairstrokes alone are perfect.
Sometimes shading is what takes a set of brows from technically nice to properly considered.

And this is exactly the part of training I love teaching — not just how to perform a technique, but why you would choose it in the first place.

If you’re a microblading artist who wants more education around pattern choice, correction, blade & shade and the actual decision-making behind great healed work, follow along.

No gatekeeping. No technique wars. Just better brows and better education. 🤍

Save this one for the next time you’re tempted to think “I’ll just add more strokes.”

A touch-up isn’t transferable. I’ll say it!

And this might be one of the most misunderstood things I hear as a brow artist.

If another artist originally created your permanent makeup, booking an appointment with me doesn’t make your next appointment a *touch-up*.

Why? Because I’m not simply topping up my own work.

I’m working with somebody else’s shape, pigment choice, colour, depth, technique and previous placement — and I have no way of knowing exactly what was put into the skin before you arrived.

Sometimes existing brows can be worked with beautifully.

Sometimes they need correcting.

And sometimes the best thing I can recommend is removing old permanent makeup first so we can actually create the brows you came to me for.

That isn’t me being difficult or refusing to “just go over them”. It’s because I care about how your brows will look not only when you leave my clinic, but months and years later.

So if you’re looking for a brow artist in Poole, Dorset for microblading, nano brows, hyper realism, machine hairstrokes, combo brows, permanent makeup brows, brow correction or old PMU removal, please don’t worry if you already have previous work.

Send me a clear photo first and I’ll happily advise you on the best next step. 🤍

Clients — save this if you have existing PMU and aren’t sure what you need.
Artists — share it if you’ve had the “can I book a touch-up?” conversation more times than you can count. 😆

Follow EMILY MOORE | The Brow Haus and Co. for honest brow advice, healed results and a little less confusion around permanent makeup.