Why Is Microblading So Expensive? (Top 10 Reasons)

Microblading has become a popular way for women and men to get fuller eyebrows.

It has a few advantages over the other traditional method, tattooing, like being only semi-permanent.

However, the price of microblading services isn’t always cheap.

The average microblading service costs between $250 and $2,000.

Here are 10 reasons microblading is expensive.

Why Is Microblading So Expensive? (Top 10 Reasons)

1. Artist Experience

One of the reasons microblading is expensive is the artist’s experience.

Unlike other beauty services, microblading is usually performed by artists.

In fact, those who tattoo eyebrows onto their clients are also usually the ones who do microblading as well.

Artists perform microblading rather than surgeons or other beauty experts because of what microblading involves.

Microblading uses small needles to apply pigments to the surface of your skin.

It requires an artist because they need to understand pigments and how they will look against your skin.

They also need careful control over the applicator to ensure each stroke looks natural.

Not just anyone can perform a microblading service.

It requires a certain artistic eye and a steady hand.

That’s why artists who have a lot of experience end up having higher prices.

They’re trusted in the industry to do a great job.

They also have likely worked on several different skin tones with several different colors of hair.

This allows them more ease when choosing the right pigment to match your eyebrows.

The last thing you want is to have an artist using the wrong pigment.

You’d have two different eyebrows together.

Like most other services, experience matters.

If you have an experienced microblading service, then it’s probably because you’re using an artist with a lot of experience.

While you can sometimes find cheaper artists, you usually end up getting what you paid for.

2. Tools

In order to perform a microblading service, the artist uses a specific type of tool.

The tool has tons of small blades that allow them to apply pigment to the skin in a precise way.

Because they have direct contact with clients’ skin, the artist has to regularly sterilize and replace their tools.

This costs money.

Microblades don’t come cheap.

The artists also need an abundance of other tools to do their job.

Everything from numbing cream to alcohol swabs is necessary.

There’s also the cost of a massage bed for the client to lie on and proper lighting to ensure they have the best conditions in which to work.

These sorts of expenses are not cheap, either.

Many of them require the artist to constantly restock, too.

Alcohol swabs, blades, pigments, and even the massage bed will need replacement eventually.

Starting up a microblading business can be costlier than most expect.

Maintaining the business is also costly.

To stay in business, the artist has to charge a high amount.

This ensures that they’re able to keep purchasing the supplies they need to do business while also being able to pay their bills at home.

Microblading is expensive because of the cost of maintaining the artist’s equipment.

3. Training

Even the best artists require some training before they can open their studios.

That’s because drawing and filling eyebrows is a different art form.

The average cost of microblading training is between $3,500 and $4,000.

It basically involves a course in which the artist learns how to microblade and how to set up their shop.

A few other training courses may offer other information or training, but at the heart, artists will learn how to perform the microblading procedure.

That’s a good chunk of money, especially if the artist is paying for it from their own funds.

That’s money that they’ll want to make back as soon as possible.

Since this training is rather expensive, some artists may even need to take out a small loan for it.

They’ll also want to pay off their debt as soon as possible, so they can start focusing on a profit afterward.

Training isn’t always one course either.

As microblading tools change, artists may find themselves needing training on new tools.

As such, they might need to take another expensive course to learn how to best use the tools.

Since they keep taking on debt, they have to pay off those debts at high prices.

4. Certification

Because you are interacting with a client’s blood to some degree, artists in certain areas need certification from the US Department of Health.

In particular, they need the Bloodborne Pathogens Certificate.

This essentially demonstrates that the artist understands how bloodborne pathogens spread and what they need to do to limit transmission.

The artist will understand the necessary sanitation routines that they need to follow to keep their clients safe.

Part of getting the certificate is paying a registration fee.

There are also several other certifications and registrations that artists can and should apply for.

Each of these comes with a fee.

While some are simple one-and-done fees, others require you to re-certify after a few months.

This means the artist has to keep paying that fee to remain certified.

Certification with various organizations is a good idea for any artist since it demonstrates to their clients that they’re well-versed in microblading.

They understand the risks and how to mitigate them for their clients.

In most cases, a client will likely choose an artist who has several certifications over one that has only one certification or none.

Since it attracts clients to the studio, it makes sense for artists to pursue certifications.

The problem, of course, is that this adds to their costs.

Since some certifications need constant re-certification, it continues to add costs to their business.

To cover those costs, the artist has to charge high prices for their services.

Microblading is expensive because of the certification process that artists need to go through.

5. Pigment

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One of the biggest costs of any microblading studio is pigment.

Studios have to load up on tons of pigments over the course of a year.

While artists are sometimes able to mix certain pigments, there’s always going to be the case when someone comes in with a very rare hair color.

This might require them to invest a bit more money into acquiring a rarer pigment to give their client the best results.

While this usually means that the artist has to spend more money than they’d like on the client, it also means that the client is going to get incredible results.

In return, that usually means that the artist gets a good review and business grows because of it.

The problem with pigments, too, is that they can become quite expensive.

Like everything else, there are low-quality pigments and high-quality pigments.

High-quality pigments are the most expensive because they use the best ingredients to make them.

A set of standard pigments costs around $100.

If you want premium pigments, however, you’re going to pay far more than that.

Premium pigments are often ideal because they last longer.

That’s important to clients who want to get the most bang for their buck.

They want their eyebrows to look full for as long as possible.

If you can offer premium pigments that allow that to happen, then you’re going to get more business than artists who use basic pigments.

High-quality pigments also look better.

The color is deeper and it applies more easily.

There’s less risk of pigment clotting or the color fading with time.

High-quality pigments make microblading more expensive because it allows eyebrows to last longer and keeps the correct color longer.

However, it also means that the artist is taking on more costs.

Since they invest more into their business by buying expensive pigments, they sell their services at higher rates.

Microblading is expensive when you’re receiving high-quality pigments for your eyebrows.

6. Time

Microblading isn’t a quick procedure.

When you’re getting a microblading procedure done for the first time, you can expect it to last for one or two hours.

That’s because the artist has to fill in all the empty places on your eyebrows and draw them out for the length and thickness that you want.

That takes time, especially since the artist is drawing each eyebrow hair by hand.

The good news is that when you come in for touch-ups, the process is a bit faster.

You can usually get your service done in a half-hour or an hour, depending on how much your eyebrows have faded.

For a touch-up service, the artist only needs to fill in the empty areas and ensure that the same length and thickness are being maintained.

However, for that first session, you’re in the bed for quite some time.

This makes microblading expensive because the session is taking up a lot of the artist’s time.

That means they’re able to get fewer people into their salon to make a profit.

Instead, most of the profit of that day comes from you.

To make their time worth it, they have to charge you a high price.

The first session also means you’re using a lot of pigment and other supplies.

Since a lot of materials and time are being sunk into you, you’re the one who has to cover the costs.

7. Several Treatments

Another reason microblading is expensive is that you need several treatments.

Once you start microblading, you don’t really stop.

Microblading is different from tattooing in that it’s only semi-permanent.

The average lifespan of microblading is between 18 and 30 months.

To get 30 months out of microblading, the clients need to return to the studio every few months for touch-ups.

Those touch-ups aren’t free.

Tattooing, on the other hand, permanently fills out your eyebrows.

While this is ideal for those who know they want their eyebrows to remain the same for the rest of their lives, it isn’t ideal for those who like to shape their eyebrows.

For example, eyebrow shape can change based on certain beauty trends.

At one point, having large and bushy eyebrows wasn’t considered beautiful.

Now, it is.

In a few more years, beauty trends may change again.

If you had your eyebrows tattooed, then you’d be stuck with what you chose.

There’s also the concern over color.

As you grow older, your hair starts to become grey.

That goes for your eyebrows, too.

Those who had their eyebrows tattooed will find themselves with different colored eyebrows.

They’d need to keep dyeing their eyebrows to match.

Those aren’t problems that those who undergo microblading have to deal with.

Since it’s only semi-permanent, they’re able to stop their treatments whenever they want.

Those who want to keep up with their eyebrows, however, can expect to pay hundreds of dollars every few months to keep them full.

8. Studio Rental Costs

Most microblading studios are in urban centers or areas that see a lot of traffic for their type of service.

For example, areas that have a lot of beauty services around them will likely also have a microblading studio.

These are areas that have hair salons, tanning centers, or even massage parlors.

The problem with having a studio in one of these places is that rental costs are high.

Urban centers, especially, have high real estate value.

That value means the property either has high rental costs or high property taxes.

Even if the studio owner also owns the building, they’re going to have to pay high property taxes on it.

That can easily cut into their profits.

Since property taxes and rent are always on the rise, these costs continue to plague business owners.

To cover those costs, microblading studios have to have high prices on their services.

9. No Health Insurance Coverage

One of the reasons microblading is expensive is because most clients have to pay for the entire thing on their own.

Microblading is a cosmetic procedure.

It isn’t medical or life-saving.

Because of that, health insurance policies don’t cover it.

Unless you happen to have top-tier insurance that does have cosmetic procedures covered, you’re likely going to have to pay for microblading entirely out of your own pocket.

Health insurance is ideal because, in most cases, it takes the brunt of your expense for you.

In some cases, it even pays for the entire procedure.

Without it, it’s down to your finances to pay for the procedure.

This makes microblading expensive because it’s an expense that you have to pay for all by yourself.

10. Luxury Procedure

A final reason microblading is expensive is that it’s considered a luxury procedure.

Most people are born with the eyebrows that they have and live with them.

Only those who have a certain amount of wealth can afford to get microblading procedures done every few months.

Because of that, studios know who they need to market themselves and price themselves for.

They make it a luxurious experience as a result.

Some salons will even throw in a free service like a massage with their microblading procedure.

Others feature a luxurious salon that looks trendy and caters to its clients.

Since microblading is a luxury service, it comes with luxury prices.

How To Save Money On Microblading Procedures

When it comes to something semi-permanent like microblading, it’s usually a good idea to pay the cost that it demands rather than going cheap.

However, if you’re on a budget and need microblading services, here are a few ways that you can save money.

1. Look For Training Courses

One of the best ways to save money on your microblading procedure is to look for a training course that’s happening near you.

While most microblading artists in training will use skin pads to test their skills, there are some who look for volunteers.

As a volunteer, you usually get a free microblading service or at least a discounted one.

The downside is that you’re subjecting yourself to a brand new artist.

You most likely won’t have an amazing job done.

The good news is that it isn’t permanent, so you can always save up money while you wait for the color to fade to go to a real, established artist.

2. Sales

Some salons will sometimes run sales or promotions to bring in new business.

One of the promotions they might advertise is a discount on microblading services.

Some salons will do this to help new artists in their salon get some experience.

Others will do it as a way to boost their sales.

However, since it usually means the salon might be struggling, you should sign up with some caution.

It’s worth seeing if they have a portfolio to determine their quality.

Many artists share photos of their work on various social media platforms.

That said, you can save money on microblading by keeping an eye out for sales and promotions.

3. Shop Around

The good thing about microblading salons is that there’s usually a large number of them in a single area.

This allows you to do a bit of shopping around to compare prices.

Since they’re going to be competing with one another, you might find that one has lower prices than the others.

Doing a bit of research can help you find the best price for your procedure.

While it might mean that you also need to travel a bit to get to that particular salon, you’ll save a good amount of money in the long run.

Conclusion

Microblading is a semi-permanent procedure that fills out eyebrows and makes them look fuller.

Unfortunately, due to the costs of running a salon, the price of microblading can become quite expensive.

While there are ways you can save money on microblading procedures, you should choose the average price since it means you’re going to receive treatment from a certified artist with some experience.