Ask The Kit is the real-talk advice column you never knew you needed. Every week, editor-at-large Kathryn Hudson answers your pressing beauty and style questions. What’s the best blazer for work? How should you deal with errant chin hairs? What’s the best way to fight frizz? Send your Qs to ask@thekit.ca.

“I am contemplating tattoos for my disappearing eyebrows. Any advice? I am retired and ordinary looking.” —Gail, Hamilton, Ont.

I am not someone who gives much consideration to mantras. I have never read The Secret. I don’t have a book of inspirational quotes on my bedside table. The closest I ever came to buying in to that vein of affirmation was when I was regularly attending a yoga class taught by a woman who was certainly one of the most charming creatures I have ever encountered. We’d all line up eagerly on our mats, waiting for her to pause at our side to correct a posture, because when she did, she’d always whisper something like, “What can you achieve? You are astounding.” It sounds so cheesy in retrospect, but every time, I suddenly felt as tall as a skyscraper. Then, after class, the feeling would fade. One day she moved to Australia and we all slunk around the yoga studio like lost puppies. My friend got one of her oft-repeated uplifting sayings tattooed on his arm: That was the extent of her power.

All this to say, while I may not often go in on affirmations, I believe in the power of language. So don’t describe yourself as ordinary, please. I’m sure you contain multitudes. You deserve to acknowledge and celebrate the parts of yourself that are glorious. You deserve to spend your days—yay retirement!—reaching for the sun.

That’s the advice you didn’t ask for—but to garner the advice you did request, I called up Veronica Tran, a seasoned pro and founder of Pretty in the City Brow and Lash Bar in Toronto. “About 25 years ago, when I was 18 and very impulsive, I got my eyebrows tattooed—and it was really bad,” says Tran with a sad laugh. “There was no laser tattoo removal at that time, so for about 10 years, I saw a lot of permanent makeup artists who tried to help me remove them, and in speaking to them, I realized it was my future. So since 2005, I’ve been working to help people get a natural result they’ll be happy with.”

Microblading is one of the methods that has taken off in North America since Tran suffered at the hands of an overzealous tattooist. (It’s been big in Asia for about 20 years, though.) “It’s a form of eyebrow tattoo that uses a manual tool that looks like a blade but is made up of several needles, and that the artist uses to draw strokes into the skin with pigment to mimic hair and blend in with your existing eyebrow,” she explains.

But even though it’s wildly popular, it’s not well suited to everyone. “It’s good for someone who has some hair but wants to fill in gaps and create fullness,” says Tran. “It’s not for someone who doesn’t have any hair—because it won’t look natural—or who has really oily skin because the strokes will blur out.”

The ideal candidate has normal-to-dry skin, so being in your retirement years helps on that front, since skin tends to get drier as we age; in that case, the effect could last as long as two years.

There’s another method that is rapidly overtaking microblading, however, known as the “ombré powder brow.” (A very silly name, but for a very good technique, Tran assures me.) “The finished look simulates brow makeup, but can look very natural—more so than microblading at times—and it’s great for oily skin, too.” This process is achieved using a permanent makeup device (a fancy moniker for a piece of tattoo equipment) that uses a single needle “almost like a paintbrush to mist color into the skin, building sheer layers, to give the brows shape and dimension.” The ideal, says Tran, is to recreate the look of children’s brows, which are full, but lighter at the inner corner, and therefore relatively natural looking. (It’s also a little less painful than microblading, although aestheticians should be using an anesthetic either way.)

Whatever process you’re considering, know that the bill is steep: Tran, who says her services ring in around “the middle of the road,” charges $685 for the treatment and follow-up appointment. Some newbie artists might charge $400, while others net more than $1,000. “Remember: It’s your face, so be cautious of anyone charging $199,” says Tran. I’d add that salons having e-blast sales to drum up business should probably not be your first call, either.

“Of course, check qualifications and how long someone has been doing it. They have to be inspected and certified to be doing this service legally—not doing a mobile operation or doing it at a party,” cautions Tran. “Also, it’s really important to see what someone’s work looks like when it’s healed, rather than fresh, because that’s when you can truly tell if the work looks natural.”

You should also make sure you’re on the same page as any potential aesthetician, since you’ll have to live with it for at least a calendar year. “Everyone has their own style, so make sure you like that look,” says Tran. “To make sure someone has realistic expectations, I always ask for three pictures: one with no makeup, one that shows how they apply their makeup day-to-day, so I can tell how they see themselves, and one inspiration picture that shows the look they’re going for.” She then works to create a look that blends reality with possibility. So, no matter who you’re talking to about a service, bring three pictures—or better yet, send them in advance when you book your appointment.

The aftercare for permanent makeup is relatively simple: Keep it clean, avoid strenuous exercise and sweating for about two weeks, avoid the sun, don’t use skincare on the area until it’s healed and expect the colour to start off really dark, and then peel slightly as it settles into the final shade.

If getting your eyebrows touched up will help you feel wonderful—and the price tag doesn’t rattle you—then go ahead and book a session with an experienced artist. Otherwise, feel free to snag a simple shaping appointment at your local brow bar and ask for makeup tips while you’re there. Either way, know this: You are not ordinary. None of us are.

Shop the Advice

  • To Easily Shape

    These products can help you create fuller brows on the daily.

    Benefit eyebrow pencil in neutral medium brown, $32, benefitcosmetics.com

  • To Keep Them Looking Healthy

    RevitaBrow eyebrow conditioner, $82, nordstrom.com

  • To Add Thickness

    Milk Kush fiber brow gel, $26, sephora.com

  • To Lift and Fill

    Lise Watier eyebrow duo, $34, shoppersdrugmart.ca

  • To Fill in Spots

    Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in taupe, $28, sephora.com

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