It's a tattoo on your face: Experts say do homework before indulging in microblading

(CBS 12) — Microblading is the latest beauty craze that promises full and perfectly arch-shaped eyebrows, but experts say make sure you do your homework first.

Some customers can end up with an infection, allergic reaction or mismatched brows.

Celeste Buccino is one who recently indulged in the hot beauty trend.

"I'm not a big makeup person, but I wouldn't leave the house without doing my eyebrows," said Bainbridge Island's Buccino.

Instead of penciling in her thinning brows, she is lying back and letting Jacqueline Perry of Bellevue's Permanent Appeal do the work.

Perry applies a numbing lotion and waits 20 minutes.

"I'm ready," said Buccino, who's been looking forward to this touch-up appointment, the second in a series of two microblading sessions with Perry.

She describes microblading as semi-permanent tattooing to the face that can last up to 18 months, depending on the client and how their skin reacts to the procedure.

NOT ALL MICROBLADERS CREATED EQUAL

Perry, along with other industry insiders, says microblading appeals to men and women with thinning brows, patients who've lost their eyebrows for medical reasons or just those not born with a thick, full set.

At an average cost of about $500, microblading clients with their tattooed brows can shave precious minutes off their daily makeup routines.

"It is trending everywhere," said Perry, who compared microblading's popularity to that of eyelash extensions a few years back.

Inside a spotless, tiny, box-sized studio surrounded by glass, mirrors and white leather, Perry swivels on a stool around a reclining makeup chair and uses feather-like strokes to begin Buccino's session.

With a precise hand, Perry penetrates the skin with a microblade to resemble hair strokes, adding pigment to each tiny feathering stroke to match Buccino's hair color.

When done right, it looks like the real thing.

"Oh, I love it," said Buccino, checking herself out in a mirror. "See how it just lifts [your] face?"

But not all microbladers are created equal.

There can be a risk to this beauty trend that's not pretty: botched brows -- everything from allergic reactions and infection to scarring and bad design work.

"It's a tattoo on your face! You have to do your research," implored Perry.

COMPLAINTS POSTED NATIONWIDE

We found microblading complaints nationwide posted on YouTube.

"I have clients all the time coming in crying," Perry said. "I had a girl who dropped to her knees."

One of her clients got botched brows out of state. They were so bad, Perry couldn't do much and sent her to a plastic surgeon.

"She has literal zebra stripes on her eyebrows," said Perry.

That client told me she had color correction, but has been left to cover her brows with makeup while she waits for the pigment to fade.

It's been seven months and she says the pigment has barely faded.

"This is an advanced procedure for us, absolutely advanced, we are actually slicing into the skin," said Penny Rudy of Chrysalis Clinic of Permanent Cosmetics in Arlington.

Rudy has been in the industry for 16 years. She is certified in microblading and is a microblading instructor.

She said with the procedure's popularity, she, too, has seen an increase in bad design work.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Rudy and Perry insist doing your homework can be the difference between bad or beautiful brows.

"I love it! Thank you," said Buccino, with one last look in the mirror at her new brows.

She chose Perry based on a friend's recommendation, but also checked out her testimonials on her Instagram page, made certain she was certified and checked out her salon before going under the microblade.

She's so glad she did.

Cancer and chemo robbed her of her brows, but microblading made her feel like herself again.

"This is what I need to do because it makes me feel better," said Buccino.

"I love the ability, whether they are a cancer survivor or not, to change their life with something so subtle and simple and make it so they're happy when they leave," said Perry.

So, what can you do to make sure you are dealing with a trained professional? References, references, references.

The Society for Permanent Cosmetic Professionals promotes permanent makeup safety, professional standards, and provides education, certification, and industry guidelines.

SPCP requires a minimum of 100 hours of training and has a link to technicians who have been properly trained through its certification recommendations; it also offers a link to each state so customers can check out any state requirements or rules.

In Florida, there is no microblade training required. Just apply for a license from the Florida Health Department, take a blood borne pathogen course and you're in business.

Check out your tattoo artist's license by going to FloridaHealth.gov http://www.floridahealth.gov/statistics-and-data/eh-tracking-and-reporting/tattoos.html

Story contributed by MICHELLE ESTEBAN, KOMO News (Sinclair Broadcast Group, INC)