Anyone interested in their appearance and make-up knows exactly how important eyebrows are to their face. Eyebrow expert Shelley Hendrickson says, “Eyebrows frame the eyes and highlight your best features. In fact, the right eyebrow shape can brighten your appearance and make you look more youthful.”

Hendrickson is currently a microblading specialist and owner of Eye Beauty JA, but before that she ran the prestigious Tres Jolie in 2001, where she offered endermologie, reflexology, massages and gym training.

“The reason for getting certified in microblading was due to many of my threading clients having had brow hair loss because of years of waxing or tweezing. Some were also tired of using brow make-up to pencil and powder their brows,” she said. She boasts certifications as a permanent make-up artist from institutions like The Face Place Institute of Aesthetics in Kingston, Jamaica, The Branko Babic Microblading Academy (headquarters in Serbia) and the Look Image Academy in Florida.

Having relocated to 15 Ardenne Road at the office of Dr Dian Robinson, she now offers a wider variety of services catering to the eyebrows, including phibrows-microblading, threading, eyeliner and lash lift. The

Under the Dryer team visited Hendrickson at her new office, where she gave us a tour and a closer look at the services she offers.

Mircoblading – The microblading procedure uses a very small blade to deposit pigment under the skin, giving the appearance of eyebrow hair. It takes two hours and is not painful as the eyebrow area is numbed 30 minutes before the procedure. Another half-an-hour is dedicated to drawing the shape of the eyebrows and taking pictures for symmetry. The microblading artist uses a special app called Craft Master on the client, to ensure that the brows are symmetrical. The actual blading process is 45-60 minutes.

As fabulous a procedure as microblading is, it is not recommended for everyone. People with keloid scars, auto-immune diseases, Graves disease and pregnant women cannot do microblading. Hendrickson also does microblading for cancer patients, once a month (with a doctor’s approval), free of charge. When a cancer patient undergoes chemotherapy, they sometimes lose their eyebrow hair and lashes, so her only request is for them to pay with a smile.

Threading – Threading takes about 20 minutes and is inclusive of hairs on the upper lip. For some people, it is a painful procedure. Threading lasts around two to three weeks and is preferable for people with sensitive skin.

Eyeliner Procedure – This cosmetic tattoo is done to give people a permanent eyeliner look above or under the eyes. The entire procedure usually takes one hour. Numbing and tattooing are done for half-an-hour each. The eyeliner can last six months to two years depending on lifestyle. Contacts and make-up are not to be worn until after the tattoo has healed.

Lash Lift – Lash Lift takes 25 minutes and is not painful. It usually lasts eight to 10 weeks. This procedure is beneficial for people who have long lashes and want them to look even better without the hassle of applying mascara or refilling lash extensions every two weeks.

People with the following conditions cannot do the lash lift or eyeliner procedure: inflammation of the eye, eye infections, watery eyes, hypersensitive skin and eyes, alopecia, pregnancy, Bell’s palsy and dry eyes.

Hendrickson uses disposable tools from PhiBrows Academy for all procedures. Clients are screened and given details about the procedure and healing process prior to any procedure.

Senior Associate Editor – Lifestyle & Social Content: Novia McDonald-Whyte

Contributor: Sheri-Kae McLeod