Microblading vs powder brows: how to choose

If you want the two techniques side by side in a table, it's on our microblading page. This guide takes a different route: it starts with you.

Start with how you do your brows today

Your daily routine is one of the best clues to what you will be happy with.

• You brush and gently fill the gaps with a pencil. You like a natural, hair-like look, which points towards microblading.
• You fill your brows in with powder or a soft pencil every morning. A finished, shaded brow is what you are used to, which points towards powder brows.
• You use a bit of both. You may be a good candidate for combination brows.

Five questions worth asking yourself

1. Do I want my brows to look like makeup?

Powder brows are designed to look softly made up. Microblading aims for the look of natural hair. Neither is more correct, but you'll know which version of "done" appeals to you.

2. How oily is my skin?

Very fine strokes can soften or blur sooner on oilier skin, so artists often discuss shaded techniques for that skin type. Your artist should look at your skin in person before recommending anything.

3. How defined do I want them?

Hair strokes tend to give a lighter, more textured finish, while shading usually allows a stronger and denser look. If you picture a clearly shaped, filled-in brow, shading may get you there more easily.

4. Do I still have a lot of my own brow hair?

Strokes blend most convincingly when there is natural hair for them to sit alongside. If your brows are very sparse, shading may give a more even result, though this is exactly the sort of thing a consultation will answer.

5. How do I feel about change over time?

Both techniques fade gradually, and in different ways. It's worth reading our guide to how long semi-permanent eyebrows last so there are no surprises.

What a good consultation should cover

You shouldn't have to pick a technique on your own. A good artist will look at your brows and skin, ask how you style them, and explain why they recommend one approach over another. Ask to see healed photographs of work they have done in the technique you are considering, and ask what they would do differently for your face.

If you can't decide

It's completely normal to arrive at a consultation unsure. Bring photos of brows you like and, just as usefully, ones you don't. The guide to semi-permanent eyebrows and the FAQ are good places to read more first.