Eyebrow 'Microblading' For Chemo-related Hair Loss
- Approximately 65% of people going through chemotherapy report hair loss — including on the eyebrows
- A semi-permanent tattoo technique called microblading is meant to offer a more realistic eyebrow
- The service is expensive, but some salons offer free microblading for those with cancer
- Most doctors do not recommend tattoos or piercings during chemo, so microblading is usually given before treatment begins or at least six months afterward
Hair loss due to chemotherapy can be crushing to some, and this goes not just for hair on the head, but for areas such as eyebrows. Even those who believe they’ve come to terms with it can find the reality somewhat shocking. It’s also not unusual to feel accompanying shame in the sudden change in features that once were so prominent.
Read MoreWhat Is Microblading?
Traditionally, the most popular ways to replicate eyebrows are either temporary fixes — such as makeup (penciling in your eyebrows, using a brow-enhancing wand, etc.) — or visiting a tattoo artist to secure a more permanent (and smudge-proof) solution. Microblading falls in between these two options. It’s a semi-permanent tattoo method that creates fine, vertical lines that mimic real eyebrow hair. Microblading artists use fine needles and natural pigments — as opposed to machines and carbon-based ink, which are used with traditional tattoos — and with the light, fine strokes of pigment, can offer a more natural, realistic eyebrow.
Is It Difficult to Find a Practitioner?
Beauty salons that offer microblading services are not as ubiquitous as tattoo parlors, but not terribly difficult to find, either. A simple web search produces thousands of results.
Is It Affordable?
Yes, and no. Microblading costs can range anywhere from approximately $200 to $1,000 and, unlike wigs, insurance companies aren’t likely to cover the procedure. But an encouraging number of microblading salons do claim to offer free services to people with cancer or alopecia (hair loss).
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The BBC recently reported, for instance, that a U.K.-based beautician named Laura Woodward offers free microblading services to people going through cancer once a month through her company, GirlBoss Permanent Cosmetics.
“I know when health takes over, it can take away your career, your looks. … I just wanted to give something back really,” Woodward told the BBC.
Can I Get Microblading During Treatment?
It’s important to note that during chemotherapy, patients usually are told not to get any sort of tattoo or piercing. Chemotherapy drugs can often weaken or wipe out your immune system, making you susceptible to infection. It can also make it harder to heal.
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That’s why, as Woodward tells SurvivorNet, most of the clients will come see her either before their treatment begins or somewhere around six months after it ends, once their doctor has given the green light.
While gentler and less permanent than a traditional tattoo, the technique still uses needles. It’s important to talk with your doctor before deciding to go for the microblading technique.
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