Kayla Young
You’ve seen all your favorite celebs, and TikTok and Instagram influencers rocking perfect eyebrows, so you decided to treat yourself to an ombre powder brow treatment because you also want in on the trend.
But now you’ve noticed that your eyebrows look like they’re not even there, and you’re frustrated because you spent so much money on what seems like nothing!
Is there anything you can do about it?
Help — my ombre brows have disappeared! Most likely your brows are still healing and will come back in a few days. During the healing process, they can go through a phase where they fade almost completely for a little while, known as ghosting.
Stay strong, you’re fine.
I’ll take a deeper look at the ombre brow healing process below.
Contents
My Ombre Brows Have Disappeared
You shouldn’t panic if your ombre brow looks like they have disappeared, because there are several reasons why this may be happening, and they aren’t always bad.
It may just be that your skin is still in the healing process. And sometimes it can look like the ombre has disappeared during this time.
While your eyebrows are healing it’s possible that it can take more than three or four days for the scabbing to appear. This is also known as the ghosting phase because it can look like the pigment has gone away.
However, it can take up to eight weeks for the skin underneath the scabbing heals completely. This is when you’ll have a better idea of what they’ll look like in the end, and can finally see whether or not the ombre technique has worked properly or not.
Microblading has the same phenomenon, and often will disappear after a week, only to reappear a few days later.
If you’re not happy with the result after this time, then let the technician who did your ombre procedure know, because they will be able to do a touch-up.
While your eyebrows are healing it’s possible that it can take more than three or four days for the scabbing to appear. This is also known as the ghosting phase because it can look like the pigment has gone away.
The first time you have an ombre brow treatment done, it will be like a first draft, because the technician won’t know how your skin will react to the pigment. It is best for them to add too little pigment than too much.
That’s because ombre brows that are too light can be easily corrected, whereas if too much pigment is used and the result is that they’re too dark, these can’t be fixed.
You’ll have to wait until the pigment fades while looking like you have caterpillars on your face.Â
Of course, your ombre brows could have disappeared because the pigments that were used were of poor quality, or the depth of the tattoo process wasn’t done properly.
Again, if this is the case, you’ll need to discuss it with your technician, so that they can correct it.
Was It Something That I Did?
There are a couple of reasons why your ombre brows have disappeared that could be associated with your lifestyle.Â
Swimming and Sunscreen Chemcials
For instance, if you spend a lot of time swimming in chlorinated pools, or out in the sun, then the chemicals in the sunscreen you use, as well as the chlorine, can cause the pigment used for the ombre to fade more quickly.
Acids in Skincare Products
It could also be the skincare products that you use. Even if they’ve been part of your routine for years, if you’re using skincare that contains retinoids, alpha-hydroxy acids, and/or salicylic or glycolic acids, which all cause a higher turnover of skin cells, then your ombre brows will disappear faster than usual.
Even if they’ve been part of your routine for years, if you’re using skincare that contains retinoids, alpha-hydroxy acids, and/or salicylic or glycolic acids, which all cause a higher turnover of skin cells, then your ombre brows will disappear.
Even if they’ve been part of your routine for years, if you’re using skincare that contains retinoids, alpha-hydroxy acids, and/or salicylic or glycolic acids, which all cause a higher turnover of skin cells, then your ombre brows will disappear faster than usual.
Oily Skin
And although you can’t change the type of skin you have (you can blame your parents for that, LOL!), if you have oily skin, then unfortunately ombre brows (and even microblading) may not be for you.
That’s because of the excess sebum that’s produced, which will speed up the process of the pigment fading
You’ve done nothing wrong though, because none of these things are your fault — sometimes it just is what it is.
Ombre Brows vs Microblading
Although both of these semi-permanent eyebrow-enhancing techniques use pigments to create a more dramatic eyebrow, kind of like having a tattoo, the application process is different, and depending on your skin type, they may not work as you’d like.
The difference in application is that ombre brows use a shading technique that places micro dots of pigment in varying concentrations into the skin, which creates a defined, but softer, powdery, and more natural appearance.
Microblading, on the other hand, uses short strokes with a needle to inject the pigment, which mimics eyebrow hair but gives a bolder look overall.
The thing is though, the natural oils that your skin produces have the ability to prevent your eyebrows from healing properly after either process.
And if your skin is really oily, then microblading especially will result in your procedure appearing blurry or disappearing.
Ombre brows do work on some oily skin though, as well as those who have sensitive skin. In addition, this technique is easier to customize and requires less touching up and follow-on appointments, which makes it such a popular procedure.
Ombre brows do work on some oily skin though, as well as those who have sensitive skin.
When Ombre Brows Go Wrong
Of course, just like anything in life, there is a possibility that you will be unhappy with the final result of your ombre brow treatment because it can feel like they’ve gone horribly wrong. This could be from several reasons, including:
Just like anything in life, there is a possibility that you will be unhappy with the final result of your ombre brow treatment because it can feel like they’ve gone horribly wrong.
1. My Ombre Eyebrows Are Uneven
After your eyebrows have healed, if every time you look in the mirror you’re faced with mismatched arches, this can make you feel fugly. It may even be that one eyebrow is shorter than the other, and simply looks atrocious to you.
If it’s been over eight weeks, then contact your technician for a follow-up appointment, so that they can do a touch-up, and correct the unevenness. The same thing pertains to any uneven coloring of the ombre.
2. My Ombre Eyebrows Are Too Thick Or Dark
It is normal during the healing process for your ombre brows to appear dark or too thick, and they will usually fade by the time they have healed fully. However, if after this time you find they are still too much for your taste, then you can try fading them yourself at home.
This is where a retinol-based skincare product will come in handy, because of the way they work to increase the turnover of skin cells, as well as fade hyperpigmentation.
They are also quite effective at fading the pigment left by cosmetic tattooing procedures like ombre shading.
You could also try making a paste of hydrogen peroxide and water. Combined with gentle exfoliation of the skin affected to remove dead skin cells, the skin lightening effect of the hydrogen peroxide paste will work to gradually fade the pigment of your ombre brows.
3. My Ombre Brows Have Changed Color
If your ombre brows have turned red, blue, or gray long after they’ve healed properly, then it’s very likely that the quality of the pigments that were used isn’t as good as it could have been. This is something that you will need to take up with your technician, so that they can do a color correction.
And if confronting your technician is something that you’d rather not do, then find another one who you know is qualified to do the color correction or try one of the fading methods mentioned above.
4. My Ombre Brows Are Scarred
Unfortunately, sometimes having an ombre brow procedure can really go wrong, and result in permanent scarring of your eyebrows. This can happen either because of the technician’s poor technique, or your eyebrows became infected during the healing process.
There is nothing that you can really do to remedy this situation, other than finding another technician who has experience in correcting scar tissue on the eyebrows, and making sure that you correctly follow the aftercare instructions to prevent further damage to the skin.
Don’t Panic
If you’ve only recently had your ombre brows applied, and found your ombre disappearing, then you definitely shouldn’t panic. Your skin will be going through the ghosting phase for the first couple of weeks, and you won’t be able to see the final result for up to eight weeks after your procedure.
It is highly unlikely that your ombre brows have disappeared altogether. It’s just that your skin simply needs time to heal properly.
If after eight weeks you’re still not satisfied with the result, or in the unlikely event that you’ve attracted one of the above-mentioned ombre horrors, then get in touch with your technician ASAP, so that you can get a remedy to the situation.
