Nicely shaped, enhanced eyebrows are an ageless trend. Definitely the biggest beauty staple of the past decade, ladies of all ages want their brows looking styled, and women of a certain age are no exception.
Brow styling methods are numerous, but something mature women have definitely been increasingly interested in are brow tattoos, a permanent form of brow enhancement that releases you from putting makeup on your brows for years. But which version of the brow tattoo should you choose?
Here are the best styles of the eyebrow tattoo for older ladies.
Before We Start, Here’s What You Should Know
Before we dig into different styles of the eyebrow tattoo for older ladies, let’s quickly cover some basic information on what exactly brow tattooing is.
Modern Day Brow Tattoos Are Not Traditional Tattooing
Brow tattooing has made quite a bit of progress since the 90s. Modern day eyebrow tattoos are not done in the same way as traditional, body art tattooing, so they look a lot different, and a lot better, than the cartoonish tadpole brows people used to tattoo.
Brow tattoos now actually fall under the category of cosmetic tattooing, a form of tattooing that’s designed to fade over time. An even more narrow category is permanent makeup, a set of cosmetic tattooing treatments that recreate the look of makeup.
Image source: Instagram @ashley_eyebrows
They Won’t Last Forever
Modern day brow tattoos fade over time. The set of techniques used for tattooing eyebrows was designed specifically to give ultra-realistic results which last for a certain time (up to a couple of years), gradually fading, and becoming invisible unless refreshed.
How long they last depends on the style of the brows, the client’s skin type, lifestyle, and age.
The general longevity of the eyebrow tattoo for older ladies is around 2 years, perhaps a bit longer.
There Are Many Styles to Choose From
The most famous style of eyebrow tattoo is microblading, but there are many alternatives that give different results. They are also done differently. You can find the full list of permanent makeup styles here, but keep reading for the best styles of eyebrow tattoo for older ladies.
Best Styles of the Eyebrow Tattoo for Older Ladies
When choosing a brow tattoo, consider the final look, but also the application technique, since some tattooing methods are more suitable for mature skin than others.
Let’s go through the style of eyebrow tattoo older ladies often ask for, and alternatives which are more suitable in most cases.
Microblading
Microblading is by far the most famous style of a brow tattoo, and that’s what the majority of clients ask for, not knowing that there’s a whole range of techniques to choose from.
The reason why microblading is so beloved is the fact that it gives extremely natural results. It’s done by tattooing tiny little hair strokes into the brow arch which look just like natural hairs. The result is arches that look naturally fuller and a no-makeup look, which is exactly what most mature clients want.
However, microblading is not the best form of eyebrow tattoo for older ladies.
Why Not?
Microblading is done with a manual blade that’s dragged through the skin. With all brow tattooing techniques, the tattooing depth should be very shallow, just below the barrier where the top and medial layer of the skin meet.
Mature skin is thinner. It has fine lines and wrinkles. These properties make it very hard for the artists to hit proper depth with a manual tool, so they can very easily go too deep, which causes the pigment to fan out and spread under the skin. The results are thick strokes that don’t look very natural and will blur further over time.
Don’t get us wrong, the results can look great at first, and they may fade away nicely. But the chance of strokes blurring is higher on mature skin anyway, and the microblading technique increases it significantly.
For more information on microblading, read this guide.
Image source: Instagram @newbrowsuk
Nano Brows
Luckily, there’s an alternative which decreases the chance of stroke blurring.
Nano brows are a form of brow tattooing that gives the same results as microblading (some say even better) but is done in a different way – with a machine. This is what makes nano brows a much better option for older ladies than microblading.
Why?
The strokes of nano brows are created by piercing the skin over and over again with a needle attached to an electric device, rather than dragging a hand-held blade. Machine application minimizes the chance of pigments going too deep, and the nature of the application makes it much less likely for pigments to move under the skin and widen the strokes. Migration is still possible, but much less likely.
The machine is also gentler on the skin than the manual blade, which is important, as mature skin bleeds, bruises, and can get permanently scarred more easily.
For more information on nano brows, read this guide.
Image source: Instagram @janetfaith.mp
Combo Brows
Combo brows are a combination of hair strokes, which give the brows natural volume, and shading, which gives a shaded, makeup look. This crossover is extremely popular, as it makes the most of both treatments, and is suitable for clients who are not great candidates for microblading alone – including mature women.
Why?
We’ve already established that the issue with hair strokes on mature skin is their tendency to blur over time. If a subtle shade is added between the strokes, the blurring won’t really be visible. Plus, shading generally lasts longer than strokes, so your brows will be enhanced for a longer time than if you just got hair strokes.
The strokes can be created with a blade or with a machine, and the shading can be done with a manual shading tool or a machine.
For more information on combo brows, read this guide.
Image source: Instagram @ashleyhoganink
Powder Brows
No strokes, just shading. This treatment is often overlooked by older clients, who are reluctant to get the makeup look, thinking it’s not really suitable for their age. Well, we don’t agree! Powder brows are actually a great style of eyebrow tattoo for older ladies.
Why?
First off, they’re done with a machine. Then, since there are no strokes to blur, there can never be unattractive messiness that spreading strokes can create.
It’s a misconception that powder brows look unnatural – they can actually be done very subtly. You’re just used to seeing very dramatic results that may fend you off. With the right choice of color and meticulous mapping without going overboard in terms of thickness, powder brows can look very elegant.
They’re also the most long-lasting option.
For more information on powder brows, read this guide.
Image source: Instagram @tamiri_anastasia_pmu
Final Word
If, despite the alternatives, you still want microblading and nothing else, try to find an artist who has experience with mature clients. Doing a microblading eyebrow tattoo for older ladies takes a special skill to prevent damage, and less experienced artists may not know all the tricks.
Cover image source: Freepik
