Brow tinting is a great semi-permanent solution for enhancing your brows in a subtle yet effective way. It’s basically dyeing your eyebrows, which boost the volume by darkening even the thinnest, baby hairs which aren’t usually visible.
It’s really a very simple procedure and you can DIY it or get a professional service. It won’t take you more than 45 minutes either way, and you can get a relatively long-lasting enhancement, certainly longer lasting than normal brow makeup.
But just how long does eyebrow tint last? Here’s a general lifespan and factors that can cause premature fading.
What’s a Brow Tint and How Is It Done?
A brow tint is basically dyeing your eyebrows – a specialized dye formulated specifically for brow hairs colors them into the shade of your choice.
The process is really quite simple. A dye is applied onto the brows, making sure every hair is coated with it from root to tip. It’s left on for the designated amount of time (between 5 and 15 minutes usually, depending on the formula). The brows are then cleaned, and darkened hairs are revealed.
Tinted eyebrows look fuller and denser, while a light shade might be left on the skin, but this is more of a side effect and will disappear after you wash your face a couple of times.
For more information on brow tinting, read this guide.
Image source: Instagram @wisdom_waxing
How Long Does Eyebrow Tint Last?
Eyebrow tinting can potentially last up to 6-8 weeks, or for the entirety of the hair growth cycle. The hairs which are colored stay darkened until they come to the end of their growth cycle and fall off, and are replaced with new, uncolored hairs.
But here’s the thing – at the moment you tint your brows, not all hairs are at the same stage of their growth cycle, and not all of them will fall off at the same time. This replacement happens gradually, so your brows will go back to their natural color – gradually.
So it’s more accurate to say that a brow tint lasts about 3/4 weeks, because after that, the return to the natural color will become noticeable. Some hairs will stay colored for longer.
This is the case if the dye used is high-quality and the hairs absorbed it evenly and fully. But in other cases, the fading can happen more quickly and due to reasons other than the hair’s natural growth cycle.
What Factors Determine How Long Does Eyebrow Tinting Last?
Here are the factors that determine how long does tinted eyebrows last. These factors are combined in a unique way with everyone.
Hair Growth Cycle
Some people’s brows grow faster than others’. Generally, the hair growth cycle lasts 6-8 weeks, but many factors determine just how long it will be, including age. There’s really nothing you can do about it, it’s just your body’s natural rhythm.
Hair Type
Some people’s brow hairs absorb the dye better than others’. Your brows may take in the color very well, or they might “reject” it, so to say. Generally speaking, thicker hairs hold color better than thinner ones. If you notice your brows aren’t being colored evenly, or that the color ends up lighter than it should, or that it’s washed out very quickly, try a different brand of dye.
You might find a formula that suits the properties of your brow hairs better.
Treatment Prep
Proper preparation for tinting your eyebrows is very important in determining the longevity of the results. By this, we mean you need to clean your brows thoroughly before tinting. The hairs need to be cleaned from all makeup, skincare, and sebum residues so that they can absorb color better and more evenly.
Skin Type
Oily skin can, surprisingly, affect how long does eyebrow tint last. If your skin produces a lot of natural oils, the sebum overproduction can cause the color to fade slightly faster. This acceleration is not dramatic, though, and it’s a much more prominent factor with henna brows.
Skincare Routine
Skincare products which contain harsh ingredients, like brightening or anti-aging formulas, can cause the tint to be washed off faster from your brows. Some oils are also known to be “lifting”, which means they can dissolve the color from your brows bit by bit and cause it to wash off faster.
Sunlight Exposure
Sunlight fades colors in general, so the dye on your brows is no exception. If your tinted eyebrows are exposed to sunlight often and for long stretches of time, a chemical reaction that will cause the color to fade can occur.
Image source: Instagram @nikki_vanityroom
How Can I Prolong My Brow Tint?
Some of the factors mentioned above are out of your hands, but you can definitely make some minor adjustments to your skincare routine and lifestyle in order to prolong how long does eyebrow tint last for you.
Here are some tips:
- Follow the advised aftercare routine – keep your brows dry for at least 12 hours.
- Wear sunscreen or a hat when you’re outside to prevent sunlight from fading your tint. If you’re going with SPF, make sure it’s a gentle formula without harsh ingredients and oils.
- Switch to gentle skincare for the duration of your brow tint.
- Refrain from scrubbing the area for the duration of your brow tint – exfoliating the skin might also remove hairs which are close to the end of their growth cycle.
- If you go swimming, keep your brows above water. Chlorinated or salt water can react with the tint and cause it to fade faster.
Is There A Longer-Lasting Alternative to Brow Tinting?
Henna Brows
If you want to stick to semi-permanent enhancement options, you can try henna brows, an equally quick and easy form of tinting which gives slightly more dramatic effects. Henna doesn’t only color the brow hairs, but it also stains the skin underneath for a shaded effect, which can last up to 2 weeks.
For more information on the longevity of henna brows, read this article.
Image source: Instagram @lauraup_3
Microblading
If the 6-8 weeks are too short for you, you should look into permanent makeup. Microblading can look even better than tinted brows, and its effects last up to 18 months. It’s a totally different treatment, though.
You can read all about microblading in this guide.
Image source: Instagram @phibrows_by_ana
So, Is Brow Tinting Worth the Trouble?
If you’re tired of drawing in your brows with a pencil every single day, brow tinting definitely sounds like a more long-lasting, practical solution. It can give you 3-4 weeks of dramatically enhanced brows, and several additional weeks of slightly darkened look. But if how long does eyebrow tint last is still too short for you, consider microblading as a more permanent solution.
Cover image source: Freepik
