We Spoke to the Canadian Tattoo Artist Who’s Doing Microbladed Freckles

by Lauren Hazlewood July 26, 2018

Meghan Markle is constantly talked about in the media, but recent reports have seemed to focus on one thing in particular—her freckles. Multiple publications reported that a Saskatchewan woman was so enamoured with them, that she wanted to recreate the look for herself… and she was willing to go through a microblading session to achieve it.

Could Markle’s freckles really be so powerful as to inspire people to literally tattoo their faces? Well… maybe not. “She simply wanted to be on the receiving end of a new technique, since she loved freckles so much,” explained Jaclyn Schultz, the tattoo artist from Deviant Beauty Co. who completed the highly-shared look. She adds that the publication that originally interviewed her had, in fact, sensationalized her client’s motivation.

But despite a bit of misreporting, there’s one thing that the article definitely got right: tatted freckles are absolutely on the road to becoming a “thing” and (whether Markle inspired them to or not) people are seeking out the procedure.

To better understand this new trend, we chatted with Schultz about the (somewhat controversial) process. Here’s everything you need to know about microbladed freckles.

Do you think this procedure is just a trend or do you see it becoming more mainstream in the future?

It’s definitely something very new. People have had freckles tattooed with a machine for a long time, though it wasn’t a common thing. I think MicroFreckles could be around for a while because they’re a lot more natural looking than machine tattooed freckles.

Take me through your microblading process.

The skin is cleaned. It’s then numbed if the client is looking to be pain-free. We also map out where freckles will be placed, discuss the quantity and colour and then start the procedure. I personally use the tip of a curved microblade and make sure each freckle is a different shape and size. Round freckles don’t really look very natural.

Do you ever get nervous tattooing something that’s so important to get natural-looking?

Maybe a little. I’m essentially tattooing someone’s face so it’s always in the back of my head. I always go a little light the first time as well. I can’t take it away if I do too much, but if they want more, or want them darker, we can do that.

What is the cost of a set of freckles and do you get repeat customers?

I charge $199 and it includes a touchup. I do have a client that loved them so much the first time she did it again, and had me add more.

Because the tattooing takes place on the face, is the procedure more painful given the sensitivity of the skin there?

I’ve been told it feels a bit “pokey” but tolerable. Numbing is an option if they’re nervous about the pain, though.

What’s the healing process like? Is there scabbing and do you have to be careful with covering your skin up?

Healing is fairly quick. Like with any hand-poked tattoo, there’s not as much trauma done to the skin as there is with a machine, so healing doesn’t take as long. There may be a bit of redness for the first day or two and some scabbing but after the first few days it should be pretty much healed—well enough to be able to apply makeup at least.

Despite the fact that it’s often touted as a semi-permanent procedure, there have been reports that microblading can actually have permanent results, do you agree?

Yes, absolutely! There’s definitely the chance that any microblading procedure can be permanent. I always discuss that with my clients, even when doing eyebrows. Certain skin types hold pigment really well, while others (oily skin) will generally fade quicker.

In general, how long does it take the freckles to fade?

It really depends on the individual. People who do a lot of facial type procedures will have them fade quicker. If they’re looking to keep them up, they can bank on having to touch them up every year or so.