Sarah Frank is a permanent makeup specialist and the founder of Surreal Beauty Ink in Naples. She specializes in a variety of advanced techniques to create beautiful brows on clients of all ages and skin types. We explored the difference between nano realism brows and traditional permanent makeup techniques, along with her process of creating natural looking brows her clients love.

How did your passion for beauty, and specifically permanent makeup, start? I was born with a passion for the arts and beauty. My father and grandmother were artists and my mother has a love for all things beauty and makeup. I loved drawing realistic portraits but when I discovered the eyebrow pencil in high school over a decade ago, my life changed! This prompted my obsession with eyebrows which eventually led to me joining this rewarding industry. 

Who do you see benefitting the most from permanent makeup? Personally, I believe everyone needs permanent makeup! I typically work with clients who have little to no brows. I don’t need existing hair to tell me where their brows should be. Everything is based on bone structure and personal preference to ensure the shape. We customize the thickness and color of the brows to ensure they are as natural as possible. Even clients with full brows enjoy this service to enhance the symmetry and density of their brows! Cancer and alopecia patients are ideal candidates as well. I love how a set of beautiful brows instantly enhances their confidence. Outside of brows, people lacking in lip color or color around the borders of their lips can benefit from the lip blush tattoo. 

Talk to us about nano realism (machine) brows and what sets it apart from traditional techniques, like microblading. First and foremost, I want everyone to understand all the techniques mentioned are a form of tattooing. With that being said, permanent makeup is designed to fade over time while traditional body art tattooing is placed much deeper to withstand the test of time. 

Nano realism (machine) brows are designed to replicate a realistic looking brow. The hair strokes taper at the ends to look like real hair. Depending on the style we mutually decide on, I will also add a lighter color at the end of the strokes. This technique allows for an extremely natural look personalized for your face structure. The nano brow technique uses a very fine tattoo needle and a gentle tattoo machine. This makes the procedure virtually pain free! It’s gentle enough for all skin types, including thin and mature skin. The healing process is extremely easy with little to no downtime. 

Microblading is a great technique but can only be performed on certain skin types. Think smooth skin with no pores or dry/combination skin with great elasticity–essentially a unicorn! Traditional tattooing for cosmetic purposes is not recommended as it’s much deeper in the skin. It also causes scarring in the delicate area of the eyebrows. Permanent makeup pigments are more finely milled and specifically designed to be more stable in the skin to age and fade beautifully over time. 

I always advise clients to do their research before selecting a permanent makeup artist. It’s essential to check out an artist’s work up close, especially when it’s freshly healed and aged. I include my portfolio of work on my Instagram story highlights so it’s all in one place for potential clients to review!

Who is your typical client at Surreal? We work with all ages and skin types. My typical client has some hair but wants the enhanced symmetry and density so they don’t have to fill in their brows on a daily basis anymore. I also get a lot of older clients with mature skin that have little to no hair.

What does Surreal offer outside of nano brows? We offer a powder brow technique as well as lip blush tattoos. Both offer a very natural look and are done with the same machine I use for nano brows, so no pain! If someone can’t decide between Nano Realism brows and powder brows, I always recommend a customized combination of the two. You’ll enjoy fine hair strokes at the front of the brow and the definition and density of the powder brows throughout the rest.

I also have two incredible artists that are located in our studio. Clients can see a specialist for scar camouflaging and areola restoration for breast cancer recovery and a lash specialist for lash extensions, lifts and tints. 

When you’re not hard at work making Naples more beautiful, where can we find you? When I’m not working, I’m a complete homebody! My job is my passion, so it’s nothing I need to escape from at the end of the day. It fulfills my life and fulfills that need for an artistic outlet. I love using downtime to work on the business and keep our studio stocked and looking beautiful!

To learn more about Sarah’s techniques, portfolio and to book an appointment, visit Surreal Beauty Ink online–and be sure to tell them Scout sent you!

3369 Pine Ridge Road, Suite 201, Naples | 941.882.2825 | @surrealbeautyink

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