When you’ve just had your hair done, you look and feel great, and perhaps the same can be said for your eyebrows. Let’s be honest, most of us don’t have eyebrows like Cara Delevingne, and when we’re not using an eyebrow pencil or a fab gel, we are thinking of ways to make our eyebrows look good, which is why microblading is becoming so popular. But is microblading really the solution for lasting, defined brows?

Here’s everything you need to know about the semi-permanent beauty treatment.

Firstly, to know whether microblading is an option for you, it’s probably best to be clear about exactly what it is: it’s a semi-permanent tattoo method that creates hairlike strokes designed to mimic natural hairs. What this does is fill in thinning brows or those that just refuse to grow, and according to Huffington Post, the aim is to get full brows, without the help of any additional beauty products. This means you can ditch your gel or eyebrow pencil, and according to a review on Cosmopolitan, it creates an appearance of natural brows.

There is, of course, a downside to this technique because it definitely does not come cheap and according to the Huffington Post, microblading can cost between $500 and $1,600. The inks are also more degradable in cosmetic tattooing and cosmetic tattoo artist Piret Aava told the publication that it lasts for an average of around one to three years, depending on your skin and lifestyle. Oily skin is reportedly harder to work with, and less likely to retain the ink, or it could cause the ink to sort of blend, instead of retaining the clear, single strokes.

Something else you should know is that it usually takes two sessions to get the perfect brow, according to Aava — the second one is usually for touch-ups. Aava also told Elle that ahead of the procedure, you should avoid anything that could potentially make your blood thin. One week ahead of treatment you should avoid alcohol and aspirin, and stop retinol treatments.

And what about pain? Well, there is some pain involved, although overall it reportedly feels like scratches and is not unbearable.

There’s also some aftercare involved, and brow expert Cynthia Chua told Marie Claire that for ten days after the procedure it’s necessary to keep the brow area dry because water can wash the skin out. You should also avoid activities that would make you sweat.

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