Eyebrow tattoos are a great option for brow enhancement. They give your arches the shape and density they need. And contemporary eyebrow tattoos are nothing like they used to be. They are much more sophisticated, look more natural, use pigments of natural origins, and fade after some time.
All that of course, if they are done properly and heal as they should. But some clients complain that their eyebrow tattoo faded after a week. Why does that happen and what can you do about it? Let’s find out.
So, Why Is My Eyebrow Tattoo Faded After a Week?
There are different reasons for this to happen, as well as different outcomes.
1. It’s the Ghosting Stage
Ummm what? Yes, that is what this stage of the healing process is called. An eyebrow tattoo is a fresh wound and it will start healing after 48 hours or less. Your eyebrows may and probably will start scabbing after 3-5 days. After the scabs fall off, your eyebrows may appear too light.
You may think the whole process was unsuccessful, but wait.
The ghosting stage is quite normal and the pigment should reappear, and if they are still too light, more color can be added at the touch up. The brows will not be as dark as they were immediately after the treatment – they will start settling into their final shade. But if the pigment doesn’t reappear, something else is the problem.
2. The Pigments Weren’t Implanted Deep Enough
There are different versions of eyebrow tattoos: microblading, nano brows, powder brows, and some different patterns and combinations of hair stroke brows and shading, i.e. powdery effect. Some of them, like microblading, are done with a manual tool that makes incisions into which the pigment is inserted. Others are done with a tattoo machine.
The depth at which the pigment was implemented is very important. If the artist doesn’t hit the sweet spot, as artists call it, which is in the second layer of the skin, the dermis, then pigment retention is poor.
Artists need to be careful not to go too deep, because the tattoo will be too saturated and it will not fade, so they sometimes go too shallow. If the tattoo is placed into the epidermis, which is the outermost layer of the skin that consists of living cells and always regenerates, the tattoo will fade too soon and disappear before the healing period is over.
So, if your eyebrow tattoo faded after a week, it may be the artist’s fault. In this case, the pigment will not reappear and the whole process should be done all over again.
Image source: Freepik
3. Improper Aftercare
The aftercare rules are strict but not that hard to follow. One of the most important tips is to avoid getting your eyebrows wet, which means you shouldn’t take long showers and you need to protect the area while showering, as well as refrain from working out, swimming, and sweating in the first days after the treatment.
If you have done some of these things it is likely it affected the success of your eyebrow tattoo.
Another important piece of advice is to clean your brows during the aftercare. Keeping them away from water actually means that you shouldn’t get them soaking wet. But it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t clean them at all. If you don’t clean them, the lymph will build up, scabbing will be more excessive, and pull more pigment as the scabs fall off. So, clean your brows properly during the aftercare.
Here is how to do that: When Can I Wash My Eyebrows After Microblading?
Inadequate skin care can also be a problem. If you use some of the ingredients that speed up fading, that can be the reason your eyebrow tattoo faded after a week.
Here is the list of skincare dos and don’ts during the healing process.
4. Your Skin Just Doesn’t Retain Pigment
Even though this is very rare, it might be possible that your eyebrow tattoo faded after a week simply because your skin doesn’t retain PMU pigments very well. This “condition” is hard to recognize, because you may think the artist had done something wrong, and search for another artist.
If this is the case, here is not much you can do.
To Sum Up
If you notice your eyebrow tattoo faded after a week, it’s highly likely you’re going through the ghosting stage and the pigment will reappear. But if something else is the problem and your eyebrow tattoo doesn’t come back, it’s important to stay calm and communicate with your eyebrow tattoo artist. They will know how to help you.
Cover image source: Freepik
