Boobies and brows

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. And this year it means so much more to me.

When someone I love dearly came to me recently and told me she had the big C, I lost it.

She was actually quite calm and poised and matter of fact. She understood what was wrong and understood what the next steps would be. I, however, was a full-on mess and she apologized for upsetting me.

Of all the things that were troubling her, the one she was really aggravated about was the fact that she’d probably lose her eyebrows while undergoing chemo.

Now, you’d think she’d have bigger fish to fry than worrying about her eyebrows. But when you think about it, that’s a pretty significant issue. We all hear about hair loss, but hats are in style and the wigs out there are nicer than natural hair, so that’s easy. But a face really does look odd without eyebrows, and she was really bothered by it.

So I asked her why she didn’t just go ahead and get microblading.

“Micro-whaaaaaat?” was her answer.

Apparently, not everyone is aware of micro-blading. And while it’s actually quite a cool cosmetic procedure for those that want the perfect arch and tail, for someone undergoing chemo, it’s a minor procedure that brings a modicum of normalcy back to a situation which is anything but normal. Both men and women can do microblading.

Part of cosmetic tattooing, microblading is essentially much like tattooing, giving long lasting – but not permanent – results. The shape is outlined, the colour is chosen, and fine, hair-like lines are inked in, creating the shape, fullness and brow style you desire. This is done with a pin-like instrument and not an ordinary tattoo gun, though there is a specialized machine that is used for micropigmentation, which is more of a permanent procedure.

The first thing to note is that, like a tattoo, microblading needs 7 to 14 days to heal. When you’re about to start chemotherapy, this is an important detail. It has to be done at least a week ahead of the start of chemo so that the healing can be complete by about day 7, before the body’s white blood cell count starts to drop. Otherwise it will interfere with the healing, and that is not a complication that anyone undergoing chemo needs.

Some microbladers won’t perform the work without clearance from the oncologist.

But my friend had the all-clear. She had 12 days until the start of chemo and was ready for brows.

We checked with several shops. There is a wide range when it comes to microblading. But what it comes down to is, it’s very important to go to an experienced microblader with the credentials to prove it. Plus, a referral from someone with nice brows goes a long way!

We looked through a number of them, even got some recommendations on Facebook (which was nice, because then we got to look through people’s profile pics, heavily judging their brows).

I’d interviewed the owners of The Good Geisha, a shop in Toronto, a few years ago, and I liked them. It’s not a salon, it’s got the aesthetic and swagger of a tattoo shop – it’s where the cool girls go.

I knew The Good Geisha was the only place for my friend’s brows to happen.

And so it did.

Owners of The Good Geisha: Amber Gotzmeister (l), and Anna Chow (r)

Owners Amber Gotzmeister, who holds the designation of CIDESCO in medical esthetics, and Anna Chow, a trained and expert cosmetic tattoo artist, took care of her. She left quite satisfied with the results.

As time passed and treatment got underway, my friend lost her hair – brows included. But her eyebrows still look great.

One thing to note about microblading – it’s often done in 2 sittings: The first is pretty comprehensive, and then the second sitting is to fill in anything that may be missed. But with chemo patients, often treatment has to start quickly, and though there may be enough time for the first sitting, often the second sitting can’t be done. Going to a professional who understands this specific situation will help the outcome.

It’s also extra important to seek out someone with a great personal referral, lots of experience and a great portfolio because, as you lose brow hair, the technique and quality of microblading will be more prominent. Good technique is key to natural looking brows.

Microblading lasts anywhere from 18 to 24 months, long after treatment is complete. My friend will be going through the ringer, with many more months of chemo, treatment, poking, prodding – and major surgery. But at least we were able to fix one single, small issue on the long list.

And it’s made a difference.