Self-made entrepreneur Marzen Salazar remembers the many moments when she would catch her grandmother in front of the mirror, filling in her eyebrows faded by time.

Humans are said to be capable of nearly 10,000 facial expressions. The slightest twitch of facial muscle, the direction of the eye, and the movement of eyebrows all mean a plethora of emotions — the non-verbal cues that make up the unspoken daily chatter.

Yet as one grows old, it becomes more difficult to do so; the muscles loosen, but most significantly, the eyebrows thin along with the lashes.

“My grandmother always draws about her eyebrows. She would try it but (I) would never be satisfied,” remembers Marzen. “When I was growing up in the ’90s, eyebrow tattooing was a popular solution to the fading of the brow for the elderly and people with thin strokes — but even tattoos have their limits.”

Today, as Marzen recalls her time growing up in Laguna with her lola, Marzen is gradually and decisively building her own business to provide a better solution for eyebrows, lashes, and other facial care woes.

In 2020 during the beginning of the pandemic, Marzen boldly launched Miss Derm — a clinic specializing in eyebrows, lashes, and facial treatment services, including microblading.

A relatively new technology for Filipinos, microblading uses small needles to create soft and subtle hair-like strokes and deposit pigment on the skin. It is a form of cosmetic tattooing but, unlike the traditional tattoo that embeds pigment deep into the skin, microblading only injects pigment superficially on the body and thus is only semi-permanent.

At Miss Derm, microblading is only done by certified microblading artists. Artists undergo intensive training to provide the highest level of quality and care for customers.

More than just a business

From one clinic in Makati, Marzen expanded Miss Derm to two more locations: Las Pinas and Quezon City —one additional business address each year. Despite travel restrictions, Miss Derm’s number of patrons have grown through word of mouth, attracted by the quality of premium services to help customers with their facial care needs.

“I’ve always been motivated by the fact that the services we do at Miss Derm directly affect our customers’ disposition. If eyes are the windows to the soul, eyebrows and lashes are the frames that help define what you want to express and how you want to be seen. We want to help our customers increase their confidence and wear a brighter face every day,” says Marzen, a former wedding photographer-turned communications manager in Oman.

Aside from its popular Elite Brows/Lips Package, Miss Derm offers a wide range of microblading, microshading, eyeliner and blading solutions. Customers will also find a menu of no-needle procedures, including Brow Lamination, Lash Lift, Lash Extensions, and HIFU Skin Tightening for the face, neck and the body.

Miss Derm’s complete facial care and skincare solutions prove to be perfect for customers who desire convenience and a highly personalized level of care. At Miss Derm, artists converse with customers about their needs and suggest ways to achieve how they want to look.

This level of service and hospitality is the product of Marzen’s entrepreneurial instincts, of putting customers at the heart of the process, and ensuring that employees are taken care of.

Despite Marzen’s location in Oman, she has overseen the growth and initial success of Miss Derm with flying colors remotely, flying to Manila to visit the clinics when needed, but talking directly with her clients on a daily basis. “When customers chat on our social media channels for feedback or bookings, they’re likely talking to me. “I always had a passion for talking with customers, especially women. As a wedding photographer in Laguna and Oman, I deal with women on a regular basis. One should listen and be attentive; they know what they want. When you delight them with great service and you build a positive working relationship, they will come back for more and they will treat you like family,” says Marzen.

To stay updated about Miss Derm, follow www.instagram.com/missderm/.