Epibrow
High Brow: How Epibrow Is Revolutionising The Beauty Industry
Microblading: it’s the semi-permanent eyebrow technique that bloggers and beauty addicts are going wild for the world over.
And in Scotland there’s one woman who’s taken the industry by storm: meet Louise Bannigan, who with over 20 years of experience in the beauty industry, has become the go-to person for the technique.
As the managing director of Epibrow International Academy, Louise not only carries out Epibrow Microblading on clients, she also teaches other beauty therapists the intricate technique, working with trainees from not only Scotland, England and Ireland, but also as far away as Dubai and Mauritius. Having already worked with over 1,0000 trainees, the number continues to jump up by the week.
Despite being a single mum of two, with more than enough already on her plate, Louise noticed a gap in the market and wanted to explore it. She decided to follow her intuition, opening the first brow bar of its kind in Scotland back in 2010, bringing techniques such as HD Brows and Billion Dollar Brows to Glasgow, as well as the revolutionary microblading technique.
“There were no brow bars that I knew of at that time, and it was a big gamble to build a business on brows,” Louise explained.
“I just noticed a big gap in the market, and so many bad brows around. People were over-plucking or some girls or women would come in and would not have had any (noticeable) brows for 25 or 30 years. When I stared to tattoo on their face and give them a proper shape, some ladies would cry.
“You are giving a feature back to someone who might not have had it before.”
Before long, word of mouth meant Louise and her team were overrun, often carrying out procedures on up to 35 clients a day.
It was clear that brows were the new ‘big thing’ in beauty, and having always been fascinated by semi-permanent makeup and treatments, Louise launched Epibrow in 2014, opening an academy that would allow her and her team to train others in procedures such as microblading.
Microblading has taken over from the ‘traditional’ tattooing technique, which many felt was too severe for their faces, or ‘too permanent’. With a freehand, feather-styling technique, using a specially designed micro-blade, natural 3D hair strokes are placed under the epidermis for the ultimate tailored brow. And with pigments in the treatment formulated to match the original eyebrow, the result is very natural.
“If you have a good brow, but need an infill, this can really help. But it can also take a brow from nothing as well, and I think people prefer it to the digital tattoo,” Louise explained.
Numbing cream helps remove discomfort associated with the procedure, and with a little upkeep and maintenance every six to eight weeks, you can expect to have beautiful eyebrows for between 12 to 18 months.As well as microblading, Epibrow also offers courses in laser, tattoo removal and semi-permanent makeup.
The company also offers revolutionary skincare treatments, Sculpt Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), a treatment using client’s plasma from their own blood which promises a more youthful complexion, as well as Sculpt MET (Manual Exfoliation Technique), Epibrow’s dermaplaning treatment which aims to resurface and invigorate the skin.
A really exciting project the company is also largely focusing on just now is ‘Scalpology’, a hair loss recovery programme that not only helps to ‘create’ the appearance of hair, but in some cases can also actively encourage re-growth; a real breakthrough for those who have lost their hair.
Epibrow most recently secured a high profile UK exclusive training partnership with the US based National Hair Loss Association, which offer hair loss prevention and treatments for patients – specifically beneficial for chemotherapy and alopecia sufferers.
“I’m focused on really growing the hair loss side [of Epibrow] – I’d really like to get my teeth into that,” Louise explained.
With the beauty world seemingly her oyster – and a newly opened training and treatment centre at Orasculpt Clinic in Glasgow, offering training courses for industry professionals, and a clinic were the public can book appointments with Louise directly – what’s next on the agenda for her?
“My next plan is to really concentrate more internationally. I want to get out and about and I want (these techniques) in more places abroad and in Europe,” she explained.
If you’re a beauty therapist, find out more about Epibrow’s training academy at www. epibrow.com. Follow Epibrow on Facebook and Instagram @Epibrowinternational and on Twitter @EpibrowInt_I.
Epibrow’s signature treatments are available at salons across Glasgow and the West including Dumbarton, Greenock, Irvine and Paisley.
Words by Gill Harvey
