How Long Do Henna Brows Last?
If you’re thinking of coloring your brows with henna, you’re probably wondering how long do henna brows last. Here’s an estimate.
Image source: @analinharesal
Henna brow tinting is a great semi-permanent way to enhance your brows. It’s a very simple procedure which darkens your brow hairs, but also stains your skin for a shaded effect. It’s not washed off like regular makeup, so you don’t have to worry about your brows for a while, it’s totally non-invasive, and the best part is – it’s completely natural.
But just how long do henna brows last? Here’s a general estimate, along with factors that speed up the fading and tips on how to prolong the effects.
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How Long Do Henna Brows Last?
The answer to the question of how long does henna brows last is a bit more complex than just giving you a time frame, because you first have to understand the effects.
Henna brows combine 2 effects: coloring the hairs, and staining the skin. These effects have different lifespans.
- The stain of the skin can potentially last up to 2 weeks, but in reality, it usually fades away after 7-10 days.
- The hairs can potentially stay colored for up to 8 weeks, but in reality, they usually go back to their natural color after 5 weeks.
So the perfectly shaded brows you get right after the treatment will last for a few days, gradually losing the stain until it disappears around day 10, but your brow hairs will stay darkened, so your brows will still be enhanced for several weeks.
Image source: Instagram @browbiz_studio
What Factors Determine How Long Does Henna Eyebrows Last?
The timeframes given above are a general overview – everyone experiences a different pace of henna brow fading. This is due to the unique combination of factors that affect the fading process. Here are the main ones:
Aftercare
The main factor that determines how long do henna brows last is how well you stick to the aftercare instructions in the first 24 hours after the treatment. You have to let henna settle, and you have to avoid the following for 24 hours:
- Touching your brows
- Getting them wet (don’t expose them to water, but also to sweat and steam)
- Exposing them to sunlight
Not following these rules can take the henna right off, fade it into a lighter shade, or leave lighter patches. The stain on the skin is more prone to this, but it also applies to the color of the hairs.
Skin Type
Henna fades faster from oily skin. The sebum overproduction pushes out the color, and since you’re not constantly cleaning the area, the oils that stay on the skin can dissolve and lift the color.
This happens more obviously with the stain on the skin; the color of the hairs is more resilient.
Your Skincare Routine
Skincare is a major factor that determines how long does henna brow last. Aggressive skincare ingredients found in anti-aging and brightening products lift the color, but also speed up the skin cell turnover cycle, and the faster the pigmented cells are shed, the faster the color will fade.
For the same reason, mechanical exfoliation is a no-go. By scrubbing away the pigmented cells from the surface of the skin, you’re also removing the color.
Oils are another thing to stay away from. Many types of oils are lifting, so they can take away the color, so it’s best to avoid oil-based skincare, including cleansers.
Amount of Water Exposure
The color is applied onto the skin, so every time you get the area wet, water will take away a tiny amount of henna. This isn’t such a dramatic process if it’s just plain tap water, but if it’s mixed with any product, or if it’s chlorinated or saltwater, the fading can definitely be accelerated.
Amount of Sunlight Exposure
Sun fades colors, and this fact of nature applies to henna brows, too. If your brows are exposed to sunlight often and for long stretches of time, a chemical reaction occurs which causes the henna on both your skin and brow hairs to lose intensity.
Hair Growth Cycle
Not such a huge factor, but it still contributes to how long do henna brows last. The faster your brow hairs are replaced, the faster the colored hairs will fall out and new, uncolored, thin and short hairs will grow out.
Image source: Instagram @dianamanriquemiami
Any Tips on How to Prolong Henna Brows?
Well, the best way to ensure your henna brows last out their full lifespan is to avoid the factors that cause premature fading.
Apart from that, there’s really not much you can do, but you can try these:
- Apply oil-free, vaseline and petroleum jelly-free chapstick over your brows to keep the stain longer. Sealing in the moisture will also seal in the color.
- Apply gentle SPF on your brows if you know they’ll be exposed to sunlight, but avoid oily ones.
- You can try keeping the henna paste on for a bit longer when you’re doing the treatment. The longer the paste is left on the skin, the better your skin will absorb the color (this prolongs mehndi, so it can also prolong how long does henna brow last). Just don’t keep it on for too long, and if it starts itching, remove it immediately.
How Long Do Henna Brows Last – Main Takeaways
The different effects of henna brows have different lifespans. The stain on the skin usually lasts up to 10 days, while the brow hairs stay colored for up to 5-6 weeks. To make the most of your henna brows and prolong how long do henna eyebrows last, follow the aftercare rules and avoid products and activities that can speed up its fading.
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