A Texas woman is speaking out so others don't have the same microblading experience she did.

San Antonians have lots of feelings when it comes to eyebrows, particularly when it comes to how generations of local women have followed trends over the years and maybe added their own puro twist. With microblading being the latest eyebrow craze, one Texas woman is making sure that others don’t end up with an unfortunate set of brows like hers.

Earlier this month, Crystal Weinstock of Richmond, outside of Houston, took to Facebook to share her “beyond embarrassing” microblading experience.

“I had no idea how bad it was,” she tells MySA with a lighthearted laugh. “I knew it looked bad, I just didn’t know how bad.”

In the Facebook post, which has thousands of reactions, comments, and shares on the platform, Weinstock explains how she received the services through Kai Brow Bar, a Houston business that she says later blamed her skin for the outcome. Describing the technician as “family” while choosing not to name her, Weinstock says the technician with a year of experience is wanting to teach others the method.

“I need others to know that this is not okay,” writes Weinstock, who admits in the post that she shouldn’t have trusted the woman’s skills.

Facebook users had a mix of reactions and comments on Weinstock’s post, ranging from disbelief and compassion to mockery. In speaking to MySA, she says the level of online attention was overwhelming at first, but that she has appreciated the support during this emotional time.

“The amazing part about all of this besides all the personal stuff is how many people reached out,” she says. “It was a really overwhelming amount of responses. I think because I was so heightened emotionally and physically and everything going on, my perspective of things was very narrow.”

Many of those comments included individuals directing her to artists who were skilled enough to offer solutions and undo the previous artist’s mistakes. Weinstock, a single mother of two, says her loved ones pointed her to comments from Facebook users offering to correct her eyebrows or directing her toward technicians who could. Her family and friends specifically pointed her to one reputable artist.

After processing through her emotions, Weinstock decided to hop on a plane to take advantage of generosity shown by Erica Kovitz, a Los Angeles-based permanent makeup artist. Kovitz was among the artists mentioned by name that could help Weinstock. She offered to correct Weinstock’s eyebrows for free and even started a GoFundMe to help get Weinstock to California.

“They were just so kind, so loving about everything,” Weinstock says of Kovitz and her team in Beverly Hills. “Several times she was wanting to make sure I was being taken care of.”

Weinstock was more than willing to make accommodations to get herself to Los Angeles to get the process started.

“It’s all a waiting game,” she says after completing the first session of many. “They need to see the treatment’s results to then see the next step.”

Weinstock says the process is influenced by a number of factors, including how much ink was used and how much time passed since the botched session, and includes risks of scarring, skin damage, and hair loss.

“Realistically, I had to set my expectations up early that this is going to be months and months of treatment and trying to get back to some sort of normalcy,” she says.

Despite the attention and headaches brought on by this incident, Weinstock is now in good spirits knowing that there’s a solution in sight.

“It is a journey. This is something that’s going to stick with me for a while,” she tells MySA. “I just need to be at peace with this and move forward.”

A Texas woman is speaking out so others don't have the same microblading experience she did.

Still, Weinstock wants to make sure that this experience is not for nothing. In addition to warning others about inexperienced beauty artists, she says she wants to clear the air about her priorities in getting the microblading services in the first place. While she appreciates online comments saying that her eyebrows were fine as is or that she’s already beautiful, Weinstock says this ordeal was not due to a focus on vanity.

“As a mom of two, I wanted something that would cut down the time it takes to get ready in the morning and this is a way to do it,” she says. “Not everybody looks at the beauty industry in a superficial way. It doesn’t always have to be about looking your absolute best, it’s just about being comfortable and presentable.”

In addition to not paying attention to beauty standards, Weinstock wants to warn other customers so they don’t face the same fate.

“I see a lot of ads for a three-day course, one-day course. I think there needs to be more accountability in that type of aspect when you’re doing permanent makeup on anybody,” she says, seeing these as supplemental resources rather than credentials to call oneself a makeup artist. “The last couple of years I’ve been hearing that it’s such easy money. Hearing that now, now I understand that it’s not OK.”

Weinstock doesn’t say that to discourage Texans’ entrepreneurial spirit, but to encourage consumers to pay attention to artists’ licenses, certifications, and portfolio.

“Ask those questions before you go in,” she says. “Just don’t take it lightly.”

Sarah Martinez is a digital producer for MySA. She is a San Antonio native and an alumna of Syracuse University. | @smartinezwrites