If you want perfectly shaped, natural-looking, full and dense eyebrows, you are probably thinking about or already decided to get microblading. And you may think you just spend a couple of hours in a salon, and your brows will look great for months, right? Well, not really.
Microblading is a tattoo. It needs to heal, and while healing, it will go through different stages. One of them is the microblading ghosting phase.
Let’s explain what it is and how to behave if it happens to you.
What Is the Microblading Ghosting Phase?
The microblading ghosting phase is a stage of the healing process when the eyebrows look too light.
After the microblading appointment, your eyebrows are an open wound that needs to heal. Every wound goes through healing stages.
The color of your eyebrows will be too intense at first, too dark. Then after approximately 3 days, the scabbing stage starts. It lasts for about 7 days until all the scabs peel off.
And that is when the ghosting phase begins!
Why Does the Microblading Ghosting Phase Happen?
When the scabs fall off, new skin has grown over the tattoo, thus making it less visible. Many clients start panicking and thinking that the treatment was unsuccessful and that all the pigment is gone, but don’t worry, it’s still in there.
Is It Normal?
Yes, the microblading ghosting phase is completely normal. And it happens to almost everybody, but it’s not always of the same intensity. Some people will notice that their eyebrows are just slightly lighter and they are healing perfectly, while others, mostly those whose scabbing was more intense, will end up with pinkish skin on their brows. They will think their microblading didn’t take at all!
It’s also common for melanin-rich skin which was microbladed to look very light during the ghosting stage. It can look quite intense.
What Should I Do?
The only advice is to be patient. People usually start panicking when they come to the microblading ghosting phase because they weren’t prepared for what’s coming. Even when they are warned, they just get upset when they see their eyebrows with almost no pigments at all.
Microblading artists tend to say trust the process and that’s exactly what you should do. Be patient and wait for the microblading ghosting phase to end.
Can I Wear Makeup During the Microblading Ghosting Phase?
The healing period is not over, but the part of it that requires a strict aftercare routine is. That means that you can wear makeup but only if all the scabs are gone and the peeling stopped. And only if you really have to, if you are too self-aware of your brows.
Patiently wait for the pigment to come back and remember that the full healing lasts up to 6 weeks.
Image source: Instagram @microbladingbyrose
What if the Pigment Doesn’t Come Back?
The thing that frightens most clients is that the pigment may not return. If your skin is suitable for microblading and the artist microbladed properly, and if you followed aftercare steps, this is unlikely.
But we are not going to lie to you – there is a possibility for that to happen. Here’s why and what to do.
You messed up the aftercare
If you exposed your eyebrows to too much water and sweat, for example you went swimming or to a sauna, you may have affected the pigment retention. These activities are strictly forbidden during the aftercare and can mess up the whole process.
What to do: Okay, so you already messed up your eyebrows and there is no coming back. The only solution is to add more strokes and pigments at the touch up appointment. Be honest with your artist – they need to know what caused the problem, so that they would know how to solve it.
You picked the scabs
The first rule of microblading is never pick the scabs. They need to fall off on their own. If you do, you risk pulling some pigment out and permanent scarring. But sometimes, clients accidentally scratch or pick the scabs in their sleep.
What to do: Calm down and be honest with your artist when you come to the touch up appointment. They should be able to fix it.
Image source: Instagram Screenshot @microblading_bytammy
You didn’t wash your eyebrows
Microblading artists usually recommend either wet or dry healing. The only difference between these two is that the wet healing includes using an ointment during the aftercare. But both of them mean that you must wash your eyebrows regularly. If you don’t, the lymph will build up and the scabbing may be heavier. Heavy scabs pull more pigment and affect retention.
Read this article to find out when and how to wash your eyebrows after microblading.
You developed an infection
Infections are rare, especially if you chose the artist carefully and if you followed the aftercare tips. But yes, there is a slight risk of developing it. The signs are unusual redness, pus, itching and inflammation.
What to do: Contact your microblading artist immediately and if the infection looks more serious, visit a dermatologist.
You have oily skin
Oily skin produces more sebum and pushes the pigment out faster. The retention is not as good as with people who have dry skin.
What to do: The microblading artist will add more pigment at the touch up appointment.
The artist’s technique is not good
The artist could have microbladed too shallowly, so the pigment didn’t retain well. They may have also microbladed too deep, and overworked the skin. They need to find the sweet spot to get the best results for their clients.
What to do: If the artist is unable to correct it at the touch up, ask for the refund and book with another artist.
Skin rejects the pigment
This is rare, but it can happen – some skin just can’t be microbladed.
Skin rejects the pigment
This is rare, but it can happen – some skin just can’t be microbladed.
To Sum Up
The Microblading ghosting stage is completely normal and happens to almost everyone. It’s important to patiently wait for the pigment to come back. Carefully plan the date of your microblading session – you shouldn’t have an important event while your brows are healing, because they may look pretty unattractive.
Cover image source: Freepik
