Perfectly-shaped brows can instantly make you feel more polished. While you can always use an eyebrow pencil, reapplying your ideal brow shape daily can be tedious and time-consuming. Consider microblading if you’re seeking a semi-permanent solution to filling in your brows. Microblading is a cosmetic tattoo procedure that uses a small handheld tool with several tiny needles to manually inject semi-permanent pigment into your brows. The soft, hair-like strokes create a natural, yet defined look. Results from microblading typically last for 1-3 years (1.5-2 years for most individuals). So, creating the perfect brow shape that best suits and flatters your face shape is essential.

Discovering the right brow shape is a detailed process that requires some knowledge on balancing your facial proportions. During your microblading session, your artist will use a technique called eyebrow mapping (taking different measurements with a protractor) to find the “golden ratio” needed to create a brow shape that best frames your face. This process often takes up the most time during your microblading appointment.

While professional guidance is necessary, it is best to familiarize yourself with your face shape and the brow shapes that best flatter your face shape. Whether you’re considering microblading or already have an appointment in the books, we’ll fill you in on the basics to help you determine the right brow shape for your face.

Here’s what to know about figuring out your face shape, discovering the perfect brow shape and more information on what to expect during (and after) microblading.

How To Determine Your Face Shape

Understanding your facial structure is essential to figuring out your perfect brow shape. There are 7 basic face shapes (round, oval, square, heart, diamond, oblong and pear). To determine your face shape, grab a mirror and look at the proportions of your face. Observe the length of your face in proportion to its width along with the shape (and prominence) of your jawline, cheekbones and chin. Is your face wider than it is long, or vice versa? Do you have prominent cheekbones? Are the sides of your face hollow or rounded? How strong is your jawline, and how does it compare to the size of your forehead? The answers to these questions make it fairly simple to determine your basic face shape.

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Eyebrow Mapping Overview

Eyebrow mapping (or brow mapping) is a technique used by skilled artists to create a symmetrical, flattering set of brows. While this a standard practice, the final results will be different for everyone to flatter your individual features. This brow shaping method includes taking three exact measures to determine your perfect brow shape that’s proportional to your unique eye and face shape. Using a pencil or a similar tool, your expert will map and record the following three measurements: (1) the vertical line from the dimple of your nose to the corner of your inner eye, (2) the diagonal line connecting the dimple of your nose to outside of your iris and (3) the diagonal line from the corner of your nostril to the corner of your eye. These three areas will determine where the start, arch, and tail of your microbladed brows should be.

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Microblading Eyebrow Shapes

While every pair of brows should be shaped to suit your unique features, it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with different eyebrow shapes ahead of your microblading appointment. Knowing some of the most common eyebrow shapes will help you be better informed for your consultation with your artist. Some basic understanding of your facial structure and brow shape will ensure that you get the most out of their recommendations to make certain they align with your desired results.

Every brow shape has a distinct length, width and arch (or lack thereof), height or placement. Some of popular brow shapes include sharp high arches, curved high arches, barely-there arches, rounded brows, straight brows, middle arches, tapered brows, short and bushy brows, elongated tail brows and S-shaped brows, among others.

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Best Brow Shape For Round Face

Round faces feature a wider hairline with a balanced, fuller jawline. A round face is nearly equal in length and width. The cheeks are slightly curved out, and your cheekbones are likely to be the widest part of your face. Balance out your soft, feminine features with a sharply-angled, arched brow. The farther your arches are from your nose, the wider your face appears. If you have a round face, you want your arches to be closer to the middle of the brow. This brow shape creates a narrowing effect to balance out your facial proportions. The size of your face will determine how thick you want your brows to be. As a general rule, the wider your face, the thicker you’ll want your brows shaped.

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Best Brow Shape For Oval Face

Oval faces are often considered to be the ‘ideal’ face shape and naturally proportional. Your jaw is likely narrower than your cheekbone. An oval face shape is longer than it is wide. The perfect brow shape for someone with an oval face shape typically is an enhanced version of your natural brow shape. When consulting with your artist, consider the thickness and length of your brows. Follow the natural arch (or lack thereof). Your artist will guide you through a personalized eyebrow mapping experience to create a customized shape that flatters the unique characteristics of your eye shape and face.

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Best Brow Shape For Square Face

Square face shapes, like round faces, are nearly equal in length and width. This face shape has an equality-proportioned forehead, chin and cheekbones with distinctive angular features, including a squared-off jawline, minimal curves and straight sides. The ideal brow shape for a square face features high arches to balance the sharpness of your (wide) jawline. Brows with a shorter tail tend to be the most flattering on a square face shape.

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Best Brow Shape For Heart Face

If you have a wider forehead (or cheekbones) and a narrower chin, you have a heart-shaped face. Some individuals with a heart face shape, also called a “V” face shape, also have a widow’s peak at the hairline. The ideal brow shape for someone with a heart face shape includes a subtle, softer arch (even a straight arch, if that’s your natural brow shape). Fuller brows tend to be more flattering on a heart face shape. This thickness balances out your wider forehead and (or) cheekbones to keep the top of your face proportional to your more narrow chin and jawline.

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Best Brow Shape For Pear Face

The pear face shape, otherwise known as the triangle face shape, has the opposite proportions compared to a heart face shape (inverted face shape). A pear face shape is characterized by a wider jawline with a narrower forehead and cheekbones. Pear-shaped faces are longer than they are wide with narrow temples and an angular, squared-off chin. The ideal brow shape for a pear face shape features an elongated tail and a subtle arch. Longer brows with a low curved arch help balance out your wider jawline. Make sure not to taper the tail of your brows downwards. This descendent shape draws too much attention to your jawline and makes your face look disproportional. Straight brows can also be flattering on a pear face shape, depending on your natural arches and artist’s recommendations.

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Best Brow Shape For Diamond Face

Diamond face shapes are known for their prominent high cheekbones, which are the widest part of your face. A diamond face shape is characterized by having a pointed jaw and narrow forehead (which differentiates a diamond face shape from a heart-shaped face). Diamond face shapes are the rarest out of the 7 basic face shapes. To determine whether you truly have a diamond face shape, create imaginary lines from your forehead to your cheekbones and from your cheekbones to your chin. If these lines make a diamond shape, you probably have this unique facial structure. The ideal brow shape for a diamond face shape is a long, curved shape with an angled arch towards the brow’s tail. Unlike with a heart face shape, you want the arch closer to the brow’s tail to create the illusion that your forehead (and facial structure) are wider, balancing out your defined cheekbones.

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Best Brow Shape For Oblong Face

An oblong face shape is essentially an elongated square face shape. Otherwise known as a rectangle face shape, the oblong face shape is longer than it is wide and is characterized by its distinctive angular features. If you have an oblong face shape, your forehead, cheekbones and jawline have near-equal widths, narrow (almost concave) cheeks and a slightly rounded chin. The most flattering brow shape for an oblong face shape is an elongated, fluffy and straight brow with a soft arch toward the end. This straight shape, brow thickness and extended curve add some volume and width to balance out your thinner face shape.

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Microblading Consultation: What To Expect

The entire microblading appointment (including the consultation and procedure) should take between 2-3 hours. During your initial consultation, your artist will take time to discuss the current state of your brows and how you envision the final results. Feel free to chat about any concerns you have regarding the procedure or any aesthetic recommendations that your artist may have. Your artist will map your eyebrows and draw a mock-up with a brow pencil directly on your eyebrows to confirm that the final look will flatter your unique features before beginning the microblading procedure. Your artist will also help you decide on and create a custom colour to use to fill in your brows when microblading.

After the new shape is drawn on, your artist will apply a topical anaesthetic, like Numbing Cream, onto your brows. The numbing cream should be left to set for around 30 minutes before microblading.

Microblading After-Care

Microblading healing process takes around 30-45 days before your brows fully heal. Your brows are the most vulnerable during the first 7-10 days after microblading. During the first 72 hours, expect some minor redness, bruising swelling, oozing and bleeding. You might notice your brows darkening during these first 3 days. Don’t be alarmed that your intended brow colour is ruined. This colour change is a normal part of the healing process and indicates that scabs are forming on the skin below your brows.

Between days 5-10 of the healing process, these scabs will start to flake and fall off (never pick or touch these scabs). You might experience some uncomfortable itchiness during this stage of the microblading healing process.

After 14 days, your brows should be mostly healed. However, you will still need to avoid certain habits, including scheduling chemical peels, laser treatments or reincorporating your retinol or glycolic acid-containing skincare products back into your routine. You should wait until after your follow-up appointment to resume using these treatments or products.

Schedule a follow-up appointment 6-8 weeks after your initial microblading session. During this next appointment, your artist can touch up any patchy areas or refine your final brow shape.

How To Maintain Your Brow Shape

While microblading considerably cleans up your brow shape, strays hairs are bound to grow in, over time. Wait at least two weeks after microblading to pluck or thread your eyebrows again. If you want to resume waxing your eyebrows, wait at least one month to schedule your eyebrow wax. Always ask and listen to your artist’s instructions about maintenance and how to best care for your brows after microblading.