To tattoo or not to tattoo?

Several members have already told me having their brows tattooed was one of the best things they have done to help them deal with AU, though as the appointment to have mine done is only a few days away now i've become full of nerves and "what if"s" what if they are to dark/thick/bold un-natural looking, what if my own grow back higher or lower, basically what if i hate them!! I'm now wondering if i should stick with pencils for a while longer & see if mine grow back ( i have lost them over the last few months, rest of body hair over last 18 months) I think i probably booked my tattoo appointment rather hastily but that is because whilst i can deal well with no hair on my head & now happily go bald, i cannot bear to see myself with out brows.

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Permalink Reply by Mary on February 28, 2011 at 5:52pm
I felt the same way, but I love having them. You do need to be careful that the operator gets them where you want, and in the shape you want. Do you have any photos of you with your original brows that show where they were?

The woman that did mine drew them first so I could see where she was going to put the tattoo. Even so, she ended up making them without enough of a "peak" in the center...she went more "fashionable" and straighter. I had her redo them to add more of a peak.

I suggest you have her draw EXACTLY where the tattoo is going to be, using your old photos so if your hair grows back (as mine does sometimes) it will be in the right spot. Also, you can go with a lighter color at first. They can be darkened, but not lightened, as I understand tattoos.

My tattoos (3 years old almost) have faded a bit, but they give me enough color so I don't look "blank" in the morning or when swimming. I quickly put on some brow powder and sealer, using the outline of the tattoo, and I'm ready to go. This photo from last Fall shows how they look without any powder - this was taken after a day of diving when I hadn't put on any makeup:

http://www.alopeciaworld.net/photo/celebrating-400th-dive?context=user

Good luck!!!

Mary
Permalink Reply by Mary on February 28, 2011 at 9:10pm
congratulations, Aimee!
Permalink Reply by Karen Smith on February 28, 2011 at 9:39pm
Go lighter and thinner than you actually want and you can always darken later. My daughter's are growing back but they are so patchy that the tattoos just make up the difference. Bring an old pic of yourself so they can copy your brows. It will save you alot of time.
Permalink Reply by Lee on March 2, 2011 at 2:44am
I agree with Karen. An old pic is a great idea. I got mine light, and they are already very faded ( had them done about 2.5 yrs ago) and I'm happy they faded because I didn't like the woman's work. Make sure if you want them to look like strokes of hair, that you tell them, and they can do that. Take your time and look at their work. I rushed in too fast. I should have paid more and gotten them done from a better artist.
Permalink Reply by Amy on March 1, 2011 at 1:46am
I had my brows done about a year ago and love them! At first I thought I had made a huge mistake because they were dark and seems too thick. My make-up artist told me they would fade, which they did. It took some time to get used to having brows again after so many months of not having any. After a few weeks I was used to them and wished I had done them sooner! My brows are starting to come back now and are not all growing in the tattoo. I just wax using the tattoo as a guide and they look great! In December I went back and had my brows touched up and darkened and also had my eyeliner done.

Do your research on people in your area and find one you feel comfortable with. If you're ever up in Calgary, Canada, I can give you the name of my lady. She does the initial tattoo and a free touch up session.

Good luck!
Permalink Reply by Lindsay Walter on March 1, 2011 at 8:43am
I had mine tattooed! I had no hair at all throughout my whole body, and after I got my eyebrows done it helped stimulate hair growth and now my eye brows grow! I even have to pluck them, because there is so much hair! I still don't have any other hair growth, but my eyebrows! So I would try it!!
Permalink Reply by Kate on March 1, 2011 at 9:21pm
Wow, Lindsay - that's great!! All of you shared such good information -I'm going to see if my sister might be interested in the tattooed eyebrows...thanks! Kate
Permalink Reply by Patricia on March 2, 2011 at 12:10am
Mine have been tattooed for 1 year now. I didnt hesitate getting mine done at all. I couldnt wait actually as i didnt want to see my self without eyebrows. The lady that did mine did such a fantastic job. I love them more than my own. Firstly she tattooed them lighter and thinner, then 6 weeks later after they had healed my second included appointment we went slightly darker and thicker. I actually prefer the shape of my tattooed eyebrows. Makes my face look softer and they are actually in the position they should be for my face structure. Im getting a few eyebrow hairs growing for the first time this week since last year. And i think i would keep the tattooed ones over my real ones if they decided to fully grow back. So many peole that now i have AU say they prefer the tattooed ones to my natural. I'd have to agree with them.
And it dosnt hurt :)
Good Luck!!
Permalink Reply by Susan P aka DGADBS on March 2, 2011 at 7:41am
I had my eyebrows done this winter and I love them, one less thing to do in the morning. This picture was taken right after so the white outline is from the numbing cream. I'd do it again in a heartbeat as I was getting so frustrated trying to draw them on or stick them on and I could never get them on straight. Mine are not permanent so they will fade over time and are done like brush strokes so they look like real hair. Good Luck
Permalink Reply by LisaGunner on March 2, 2011 at 8:48am
KAREN, LEE,AMY,LINDSAY & PATRICIA, Thank you all so much for your replies, i am going ahead with them tomorrow & will be armed with some old pictures, the place i'm booked in at has recently won an award for cosmetic tattooing & has some good reviews, i plan to look at pics of her work & ensure that she shows me in pencil first.
MARY:you look great after a day diving, & i wanna know how many hours are in your day!! 400 dives, always have time to reply with positive helpful info to many of us on here & dancing with Strangers ( loved your videos) you certainly keep busy, i love your attitude & hope to adopt the same over time.
AIMEE: i admire your courage to go back for more after your first experience, and i'm so pleased that this time you're happy with them
SUSAN: if mine look like yours i'll be happy, they look great, very realistic! i'm booked in for brush strokes so fingers crossed
I'll post a pic once i'm done, unless of course i hate them.....................
Permalink Reply by Susan P aka DGADBS on March 2, 2011 at 9:45am
Thanks Lisa, I hope you'll be as happy with yours as I am with mine, I got my fingers crossed too!
Permalink Reply by Mary on March 2, 2011 at 10:49am
Thanks, Lisa. That photo with the 400 dives cake was celebrating my 400th dive since I began diving in 1986. On the Indonesian trip, I did rack up quite a few - doing 71 dives in 23 days of diving, and some of the dives lasted up to 80 minutes. We were doing 3 to 5 dives a day on the trip. We only go diving once a year, on average.

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