How to Lighten Tattooed Eyebrows

Last Updated: September 1, 2022 References

Microblading, or eyebrow tattooing, is a popular and stylish way to fill out thin eyebrows. Although many people have had success with this procedure, others have been discouraged by the shade results of their microblading appointment. When you first complete the procedure, set aside time each day to care and manage your new brows. Don’t worry if they look a little too dark, as they will lighten as they heal.^{[1]
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Research source} If your healed eyebrow tattoos still look too dark, try a few strategies at home to lighten them. For those preferring faster results, consider going to a salon for professional assistance.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Following the Aftercare Instructions

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Avoid washing your eyebrows after the procedure. Try to keep your tattooed eyebrows as dry as possible in the first week or so. If you get your brows wet with water or ointment, you can risk altering the shade of the brows. While they may seem dark at first, try to remember that your brows will lighten in the next few weeks as they heal.^{[2]
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- Ask a professional if you can wash your eyebrows with an antibacterial soap.^{[3]
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Don’t use any topical products on your brow area. Avoid the temptation to layer your brows with makeup or moisturizing product. Do your best to keep the brow area as clean and dry as possible, as this will help the healing process go more smoothly.^{[4]
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- Makeup and skincare products introduce more moisture to the skin, which is what you want to avoid.
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Keep your sleeping area clean while your brows heal. Try to use a clean pillowcase during your recovery period.^{[5]
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Research source} As you sleep, do your best to avoid putting any extra pressure or stress on your healing brows. Whenever you rest, try to lay on your back instead of your stomach.^{[6]
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- If you prefer to sleep on your side, try putting little bandaids on the outer ends of your eyebrows. This prevents any unwanted friction with the pillowcase.
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Try not to pick at your eyebrows as they heal. Let your brows scab over and peel naturally. While it might be tempting to pick at this area, you might end up scarring your eyebrows. As a general rule, try to keep your fingers away from your browline during the first weeks of the healing process.^{[7]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Treating Your Eyebrows at Home

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Expose your brows to plenty of sun while they heal. If you’re worried that your brows will look too dark, try breaking some of the aftercare rules. Go outside into direct sunshine, and let your eyebrows soak in some rays. Do this on a regular basis in the first 2 weeks after your procedure, and see if you notice a difference!^{[8]
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- Use sunscreen whenever you go outside in direct sunlight.^{[9]
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Go for a swim in salty or chlorinated water. Jump into the pool or take a trip to the beach to submerge your eyebrow tattoos completely. Reduce the pigment in your brows by saturating them with water. Since moisture tends to lighten the shade of your brows, you might have some success if you get your tattooed eyebrows wet!^{[10]
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Exercise a lot to generate more sweat. Go for a run, or do some other workout that gets your blood pumping. Aim to sweat as much as possible, as this moisture helps lift the pigment out of your brows. Opt for a workout that gets your whole body sweating, like aerobics.^{[11]
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- Saunas are also a great way to get you sweating naturally.^{[12]
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Exfoliate your brows after they’ve healed completely. Use a drugstore exfoliating product on your tattooed brows to grind away the topmost layers of skin. While the results may not be instantaneous, you might notice your brows lightening naturally.^{[13]
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- Exfoliating masks can also work well for this kind of treatment.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Going to a Salon

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Opt for a saline solution treatment to fade the color. Contact a professional and see if a saline procedure is the best option for you. While this treatment yields faster results than at-home treatment, your brows may not look faded until you’ve undergone this procedure several times.^{[14]
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Research source} Be prepared for your eyebrows to be sore, bruised, and possibly bleeding for several weeks after the treatment.
- Your results from a saline procedure won’t be instant. You might have to wait 2-4 months before you start seeing results.
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Try laser treatment if you’d prefer something more aggressive. Look online to see if there are any professionals performing laser procedures near your location. Don’t go for this option if your brows were microbladed recently, because the laser treatment might cause scarring in the brow area. Instead, opt for this treatment if you’re looking for more instantaneous lightening for your fully healed brows.^{[15]
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- You might need to have several laser treatment sessions before your brows have faded to your desired shade.
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Get a face peel if you’d like to try a chemical-based option. Talk to an esthetician and see if a professional peel could be a good lightening option for your eyebrows. Since this treatment focuses on removing upper layers of skin, you might see the shade of your brows fade after a professional peel treatment.
- Make sure that you contact a professional for this. Since peels involve fairly corrosive materials, an inexperienced individual could end up doing a lot of damage to your skin.
Tip: Check with your esthetician to see which peel treatments are safe to use on microbladed brows.
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Schedule microdermabrasion sessions for a slower fading process.^{[16]
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Research source} Contact your local esthetician and see if they’re able to treat your skin with a microdermabrasion procedure. Choose this type of treatment option if you’d prefer to exfoliate your brows away with a diamond tip or some loose crystals. Since this is a more gradual process, you might have to return for several microdermabrasion sessions before your brows begin to look lighter.
- Microdermabrasion is much different than dermabrasion. Make sure that you don’t mix up these procedures when you schedule an appointment!

Community Q&A

Question

What's the best way to cover up an eyebrow tattoo?

Ivy Boyd
Makeup Artist
Ivy Boyd is a Makeup Artist and the Creator of the beauty blog, Ivy Boyd Makeup. With nearly a decade of makeup experience, Ivy specializes in makeup services for weddings, special events, and editorial photoshoots. She holds a BA in Graphic Design from The University of Northern Iowa. Ivy was a finalist in the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards and has been featured in numerous media publications such as People Magazine and Brides Magazine.

Ivy Boyd

Makeup Artist

Expert Answer

The best way to cover and correct the shape and/or color of your brows is with a brow pencil or pomade. A powder will be too sheer to fully conceal what is underneath. If your brow tattoo looks blue or green (or you just want to cover it up all the way), use a peachy/salmon color corrector first, stippling it over just the brow. Then, go in with an opaque concealer and set it with powder—now you can create a new brow on top with pencil or pomade.