EYEBROWS (PMU)

Permanent brow makeup replaces the pencil and gel you reach for every morning. Pigment is placed into the upper layer of the skin with a digital machine, so the shape stays put through the gym, the pool and a Vancouver November.

I'm Katrin Brant. I've worked in permanent makeup for ten years, won the World Universal League of Permanent Makeup championship, and I now judge international competitions and train other artists. I work in Yaletown, Vancouver, and see clients from across Metro Vancouver — Burnaby, Richmond and the North Shore.

WHICH BROW TECHNIQUE IS RIGHT FOR YOU

Powder Brows — initial CA$400 · touch-up within 4–8 weeks CA$200 · refresh at 6–12 months CA$250

Soft, diffused shading across the whole brow, from a light misty finish to a defined ombré. It reads like brow powder applied well, not like a tattoo. Best for oily and combination skin, for anyone who fills their brows in every day, and for covering older work that has faded unevenly. Holds 1.5–2 years.

Hairstroke Brows — initial CA$450 · touch-up within 4–8 weeks CA$200 · refresh at 6–12 months CA$300

Individual strokes drawn to follow the direction your own hair grows. The most natural option at close range. Best for normal to dry skin with small pores, and for clients who have decent hair of their own and want density rather than colour. Strokes soften as they heal and need refreshing sooner than powder — figure on 1–1.5 years.

WHAT HAPPENS AT YOUR APPOINTMENT

Shape, 30–40 minutes. Measured to your bone structure and drawn on with pencil first. Nothing starts until you've seen it in the mirror and agreed.

Colour. Pigment mixed to your natural hair, your skin's undertone, and how warm or cool you want it to heal.

Numbing. Topical anaesthetic before and during. Most clients describe the sensation as scratching rather than pain.

The work. Two and a half to three hours depending on technique.

Aftercare. You leave with written instructions and everything you need for the first week.

HEALING, DAY BY DAY

Days 1–3. Colour looks 30–50% darker and sharper than the final result. This is normal and it is not what you are keeping.

Days 3–7. Light flaking. Do not pick — pulling a flake pulls the pigment out with it.

Days 7–14. The ghosting stage. Brows look patchy and far too light. Almost everyone panics here. The pigment is still under the surface.

Weeks 3–6. Pigment resurfaces and the true tone settles.

Week 6. You can finally judge the result — and your touch-up should already be booked.

AFTERCARE

Keep the area dry for 7 days: no swimming, sauna, steam room or long hot showers.

Blot with a clean tissue and apply the ointment thinly. Smothering it is worse than using too little.

No makeup on the brows, no exfoliants, and no retinol on the forehead for two weeks.

Keep them out of direct sun. Once healed, SPF on your brows slows fading more than anything else you can do.

Sleep on your back for the first few nights if you can manage it.

ABOUT THE TOUCH-UP — READ THIS BEFORE YOU BOOK

The touch-up is a separate appointment at a separate cost. It is not included in the first session, and it is not optional if you want the result to last.

The first session builds the shape and lays the base. Your skin then pushes out 20–40% of the pigment while it heals, and no artist can predict exactly how much or where. The touch-up fills what the skin rejected, corrects the tone, and locks the result in for the next year and a half to two years. It has to be booked within 4–8 weeks of the first session — after that the pigment has settled too far to be built on, and the treatment has to be started again from the beginning at full price.

WHEN BROWS AREN'T THE RIGHT CALL

I don't work on anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, on active skin conditions in the brow area, or on fresh Botox or filler in the forehead — wait two weeks. Skin that has had a chemical peel or laser treatment needs four weeks to settle first.

If you are on blood thinners or Accutane, or being treated for a skin or autoimmune condition, tell me at consultation. Some of these mean waiting, some mean no. Raise it before you book — it saves us both a wasted appointment.

QUESTIONS I GET ASKED

Will it look drawn on? Not if the shape is measured to your face and the pigment is matched to your hair. Fresh work always looks stronger than healed work — judge it at six weeks, not on day one.

How long does it last? Roughly 1.5–2 years for powder, 1–1.5 for hairstrokes, then a refresh. Oily skin, sun exposure and exfoliants all shorten it.

Does it turn blue or orange? Old-generation pigments did. Modern ones fade lighter within the same colour family. Refreshing before the pigment fully breaks down is how you avoid it entirely.

I already have work from another artist. Send me a clear photo in daylight, without makeup, before you book. Some old work can be covered, some needs lightening first. I'd rather tell you honestly at the photo stage than at the appointment.

BOOK YOUR BROWS IN YALETOWN

Message me on WhatsApp and I'll answer you myself. A 20-minute consultation is CA$1 and comes off your treatment.

1003 Cambie Street, Yaletown, Vancouver · Sunday to Friday, 10:00–19:00 · (672) 998-0990