Brow FAQ

Cosmetic tattooing, also commonly referred to as permanent makeup or pmu for short, is the process of implanting pigment beneath the surface of the skin to mimic the look of cosmetic makeup and to enhance the natural features. Cosmetic tattoos can be done to enhance lips, eyes and brow, but here at Liz Koss Brows we focus on creating beautiful, natural brows and faux freckles!

Cosmetic tattooing is generally meant to be softer and more subtle than body tattooing and is performed with inks that are designed to fade over time. This gradual fade allows the artist to adjust the shape and look of the cosmetic tattoo over time. However, a common misconception is that a cosmetic tattoo is not going as deep into the skin and that is why it fades. Without going too deep into the science of skin, all tattoos must hit the second layer of our skin in order to stay in the skin, so both tattoos and cosmetic tattoos are hitting the same depth. The reason that cosmetic tattoos tend to have a bigger fade factor is due to the technique and inks used.

Anyone who wants to enhance their natural features! Whether you have a lot or a little natural brow hair a cosmetic enhancement can help you to achieve your desired shape and fullness. To ensure you are a good candidate please read through the candidate guidelines!

Unlike traditional tattoos, cosmetic tattoos are designed to fade over time. The degree to which it will fade varies from person to person, but typically clients come in for colour refreshers every 1-3 years. No guarantee can be made that the pigment will ever fully fade away. Clients are never obliged to continue touch-ups and can allow the tattoo to fade away and use the fading pigment as a guideline to fill in their brows!

Everyone's pain tolerance is different, and it is reasonable to expect some slight discomfort throughout the procedure. But no need to fear, we do use a topical anesthetic during the procedure to keep you as comfortable as possible. Many clients fall asleep during the procedure and have also said it is not as painful as brow threading. Please ensure that you eat properly before your appointment as that can help to ensure you are more comfortable during the procedure. Anesthetics used may contain lidocaine, prilocaine, trilocaine, benzocaine and epinephrine.

Hot tip - The procedure might be a little more painful during your period, so try to plan it for a different week!

Upon arrival at the studio we will discuss your daily brow routine and your brow goals, you are welcome to show up in your regular makeup, bring pictures of how you do your make up or of inspo pictures of brows. I will then fully draw in the brows using a pencil to give you the best idea of the final outcome, there will be lots of opportunity for back and fourth on the brow shape. Once we are both happy with the shape we will pick out a brow colour together and then start the procedure. Depending on the type of service we are performing the whole appointment can take anywhere from 2.5 - 5 hours, but don’t worry we aren’t tattooing for that whole time, most of the appointment is the prep!

The healing process can be a bit of an emotional roller coaster, but just remember to trust the process! In the first few days the brows will look darker and bolder and the colour may appear more warm (orange) toned than expected. This stage can be a little scary, but it is only temporary and a very normal part of healing! Within a week the brows will start to flake and may look a little patchy, but the flaking should finish after about two weeks. At this point they will look a little faded, but the colour will come back and final results can be seen after about four weeks.

Initial touch ups are highly recommended! Both nano & powder brows are a building process and everyone will retain pigment differently depending on lifestyle, adherence to prep and aftercare instructions, genetics and skin type. For most clients the pigment will fade 10-40%, the strokes will shrink about 10-15% and some strokes may fade more than others. A touch up done between the 6-10 week mark will allow us to make any necessary adjustments to perfect the brows once we have seen how they heal in the skin. Some clients may need additional touch ups to achieve desired results.

My philosophy when it comes to cosmetic tattooing is that less is more. I want to create something that is soft and subtle, will blend in with my client’s natural hair and look good over time, so regardless of the style of brow we choose we can achieve a natural, subtle result. Something I constantly remind my clients is that we can always be more conservative at the first session, see how the brows heal and build them up at future touch ups.

I offer 3 different types of brow services:

Nano brows: Natural looking hair strokes created with a single needle tattoo machine, ideal for all skin types.

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Combo brows: A few hair strokes (either nano or microbladed) at the very front of the brow with only shading throughout the rest of the brow, suitable for any skin type.

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Powder brows: Soft machine shading throughout the entire brow. This type of brow can heal beautifully on any skin type.

Both styles of brows involve creating natural hair-like strokes to mimic the look of real hair, the difference between the two is how these strokes are created! For microblading, a manual tool is used that has a row of tiny needles lined up to form a blade. This tool is used to create small little cuts in the skin, similar to a paper cut, in which pigment is placed. Whereas nano brows are done using a tattoo machine with a single needle. Strokes are created by gently stroking the skin with the machine to slowly build up a hair-like stroke.

Both techniques are beautiful, and the right option for you will depend on your skin type. Microblading is best suited for clients with normal to slightly dry skin that already have a decent amount of natural hair. Nano brows tend to be a little gentler on the skin and so are suited to a wider variety of clients! Nano will be better suited for clients with oily skin, sensitive skin, very dry and thin skin and also for clients with less natural hair. If you are unsure which service is the best option please send me an email!

I do not touch up other artists work, I will only touch up my own work. This is because each artist has a unique style and technique and doing a touch up is not as simple as just going over the previous work. Also every artist will use different tools and pigments and so I treat every client that is new to me as a new client and redesign their brows fully.

If you have previous tattooing and would like to book in you must send me pictures before booking to ensure that I can work with the previous pigment. I need a picture front on and from each side in good lighting emailed to info@lizkoss.com In some cases the old pigment may be too dark and you will need to go through removal before booking. If you book in without sending me pictures and show up with pigment that is too dark to work with you will lose your deposit.

Please note friend referrals are for brow clients only! I always appreciate when my existing clients trust me enough and like my work enough to refer their family and friends to me! So as a little thank you, I offer a referral bonus of $25 off to both the new client and the referring client.

To get the referral bonus, the new client can simply put the name of the client who referred them on the booking form and then at the time of the appointment I will give them $25 off. They must still pay the regular appointment deposit. The existing client that referred them will also get $25 off towards a future touch up, which I keep track off and apply at the time of their touch up.

I will also apply the friend referral discount to two friends who book at the same time! Please note the appointments don't have to be on the same day, the clients just must book at the same time and write each others names in the referral section!