Beauty Clinic: Help me beef up my brows!

Q. My overplucked eyebrows are now very thin. The left one is worst after surgery to remove a growth. Question one: would you recommend tattoo’ing in the brows or should I stick to make-up, which works well? Secondly, is there anything to help the scar tissue heal? A. A solution to your second question is simple: iS ClinicalSheald Recovery Balm, not cheap at £43 for 60ml but worth every penny: it is often described as ‘a miracle product’. Originally formulated for cancer patients, it is now used for many different skin problems, and can even be applied to open wounds. More information on www.victoriahealth.com.

Regarding your first question, make-up for brows is now so natural-looking and good that you could well just stick to that. You mention that Benefit Brow Zings brow-shaping kit, £24.50 from www.benefitcosmetics.com, works well for you. We also like Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Long-Wear Brow Pencil, which has a slant tip one end and brush the other, £29.50 in eight shades.

To encourage growth, you could try painting on all-natural Connect - Leave-In Treatment for Scalp & Hair by Phylia de M, £45/120 ml. from www.victoriahealth.com

If you decide to explore permanent make-up (although it is really only semi-permanent and needs retouching every nine months to a year), the key is to find an experienced therapist. The British Association Of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology (BABTAC) offers this advice:

• Ask to look at your therapist's portfolio so you can gauge their experience.
• Research therapists on social media and read client reviews.
• Check out your therapist's training is accredited by an official association such as BABTAC.
• Make sure your therapist has specialist treatment-risk insurance to cover you both.
• Before booking, ask the therapist to show you around the clinic so you can check it's clean and hygienic.
• A good therapist will be able to prove that the machine being used in the treatment has a CE mark, and the pigment follows the EU safety regulations.
• Some councils require therapists to have a special treatment license. If yours does, ask to see a copy.
• Be wary if the price seems cheap. This is an invasive treatment and it should cost a reasonable sum. [One leading London practitioner quotes £495 for the initial treatment plus £225 for a retouch.]

Practitioners we have heard good things about include Karen Betts (www.karenbetts.co.uk), Tracie Giles (www.traciegiles.co.uk), Joanne Lee (www.joannelee.me.uk) and Debra Robson (www.debrarobsonldn.co.uk).