Microblading Fading: When and How to Do It?
If you’re not thrilled with your microblading results, don’t panic. Read all about microblading fading – professional and at-home solutions, how and if they they work.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in December 2019. Updated May 2021.
If your microblading treatment goes right and you’re thrilled with your fabulous new brows that you don’t have to reapply every day, you’ll be able to enjoy them for months, even years with occasional touch ups.
However, there’s always a chance you won’t be completely satisfied with the results. Even if you do all the prep right and pick a great artist, you might still end up with brows you don’t like for whatever reason.
Should this happen, don’t panic. Microblading eyebrows might be called (semi) permanent makeup, but there are ways to diminish or completely remove the results.
Here is all you need to know about microblading fading.
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Does Microblading Fade?
Yes, as the body breaks down the pigments the results of microblading should naturally fade within two years if you don’t get them touched up. But if you want to achieve microblading fading faster than that for any reason, there are ways.
However, there have been rare cases where the marks won’t fade even after several years. In that case, you might have to consider a removal.
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Why Is My Microblading Not Fading?
If you notice your microblading fading isn’t happening at the pace it should be, this probably means your artist injected the pigments too deep into the skin, or they emigrated into the scar tissue of microscars left once the treated area heals.
If it’s been several years after your procedure and you can still see the shade, you should consider microblading fading or removal.
Image source: Pexels
Why Would Someone Want to Speed Up Microblading Fading?
There could be many reasons someone might want to fade their brows:
- In the period right after the treatment, the brows are significantly darker than the expected result. This is because the pigments need a little while – about two weeks – to settle into the skin. They will gradually fade into the desired shade. But some clients aren’t willing to wait and choose to speed up the microblading fading process instead.
- Some people aren’t happy with the shape or shade they ended up with initially, while there have been cases of pigments turning either orange or blue/gray within 6 months. This is usually due to poor execution, low quality pigment, or neglect of aftercare. In this case, waiting for the pigment to fade naturally isn’t an option. In this case, another option apart from fading is microblading color correction.
- Some people simply get bored of microblading quicker than they’d expected.
PMUHub tip:
Think before you start your microblading fading process, especially within a month of the treatment, as this is not the final result just yet, so you don’t regret it later. You might just need a little bit of time to get used to your microbladed brows.
How to Fade Microblading at Home?
There are several answers to the question of how to fade your microbladed eyebrows at home.
However, we must point out that intentionally fading your microblading at home can do more damage than good, as it could lead to patchy, uneven results. Some of these methods require several applications, and between them, your brows will definitely look untidy, as some spots will fade quicker than others.
On top of that, you could cause damage to your skin with excessive mechanical force or aggressive products, and still fail to remove all your pigment.
So, if you do decide to try DIY microblading fading, make sure you follow all instructions and stop immediately if you notice your skin reacting in any unexpected way. If you notice signs of an infection, see a dermatologist as soon as possible.
Image source: Pexels
Tip #1
The easiest way to do DIY microblading fading is to simply ignore the aftercare instructions.
The first thing your technician will tell you is to keep your brows dry for 12-24 hours after the procedure. In the following week, you’re not supposed to touch your brows or apply makeup, avoid sunlight at all costs, and try to keep sweating to a minimum.
If you immediately decide you want to start the microblading fading process, just sabotage the aftercare and ignore the instructions. It goes without saying, skip your touch up appointment after 6 weeks.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the treated skin needs some time to heal and is prone to infections following the procedure. Exposing your skin to harsh skincare products, as well as bacteria and chemicals found in chlorinated water in the days following the procedure can lead to infections or irritations.
Tip #2
Excessive sweating can speed up microblading fading, so you should visit the gym and the sauna as often as possible. Sweat will literally push the pigment out, but you have to be persistent. 15 minutes of sauna, especially FAR IR sauna, will get your body into a deep sweat.
If you live by the ocean, perfect! Saltwater will also fade the pigment.
Tip #3
Once your skin has healed, you can try fading the pigments through exfoliation. Mechanical exfoliation removes dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, and with them, small amounts of pigment. Some exfoliating products also contain exfoliating chemicals which work in more or less the same way, but can be more intense.
The most intense exfoliation methods are done by beauticians: chemical peels and microdermabrasion. The strokes should look lighter after only one treatment, but the fade will be uneven and your brows will look patchy.
Use Skincare Products to Fade Microblading
There are several chemicals often found in skincare products that speeds up microblading fading significantly – ascorbic acid or vitamin C, glycolic acids, salicylic acid, and retinol.
These ingredients are often added to skincare products, because their benefits include a boost in collagen production, which is the number one ally of anti-aging.
Not only do they double the speed of skin regeneration, which means the skin where pigments were injected sheds twice as quickly, but they also dry up the skin and make it flaky, which is desirable at any stage of the microblading fading process, but can be unattractive in its own right.
The quicker the process of new skin cells replacing old skin cells, the quicker the fade. Daily use of retinol cuts the length of this process in half.
For more detailed information on the effects of skincare on the results of microblading, check out our mini-guide through the dos and don’ts of skincare after PMU.
Tip #4
Salt peel removal is one of the most effective microblading methods of microblading fading. It combines exfoliation with the property of sodium chloride to bind PMU pigments and draw them out of the skin, diminishing the visibility of the strokes.
Basically, this means exfoliating the brow area with salt and a bit of water. The grains will remove skin cells from the surface, and as they gradually dissolve the solution will penetrate the skin and dissolve a small amount of pigment.
This method should work, but it may take a while and make your skin more prone to infections.
Tip #5
Within the first 72 hours after the treatment, you can try fading microblading with hydrogen peroxide. Make a paste-like concoction of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, apply it to the brows, and rinse it off after a few minutes.
The issue here is that applying this mixture onto sensitive skin that hasn’t had a chance to heal can cause discomfort and infections.
Tip #6
There are tattoo bleaching creams available online that should work for microblading fading too, but this industry is largely unregulated, and these products could contain skin-bleaching ingredients that can cause permanent lighter patches to emerge on the skin surrounding the area.
Unless you’re knowledgeable about chemistry and are able to confirm that the ingredients are safe before applying the product to your skin, it’s best to avoid this method.
How to Professionally Fade Microblading?
There are several treatments you can get at the beautician’s that will lead to fading of the pigment.
- Most facials will contribute to fading to a certain extent, but microdermoabrasion is the most effective one. It is one of the most aggressive exfoliating treatments available and it’s a foolproof way to lighten microbladed eyebrows. It does take several sessions, though, and this can get pricey, but after about two months, the results should be significantly lighter.
- Alternatively, treatment is available that uses a saline solution to fade microblading. This fading method is so efficient it’s basically microblading removal. Remember the ocean? The professional injects, basically tattoos, a saline solution into the skin on top of the pigments. This dissolves and erases the pigments, but it is relatively aggressive and will leave the skin red for a while. In some cases, up to 4-6 weeks.
NOTE: Generally, it’s advisable to try fading first. If you’re not satisfied with the results, there are several options to completely remove microblading. If you’re considering undergoing a microblading removal, do your research.
Our ultimate guide is a good place to start – Microblading removal guide.
Microblading Fading – Main Takeaways
Microblading fading is a way to reverse the results of microblading if you’re not satisfied with how they turned out.
It’s advisable to think about this decision thoroughly and give yourself some time to try and get used to your new brows, and wait for the pigment to settle into the desired shade. However, if you’re not happy with the shape immediately after the treatment, you can ignore the aftercare instructions, which will significantly diminish the results.
If some time has passed after your treatment and you find your microblading turned red, orange or gray/bluish, there are ways you can fade them after a year or two. In case 2-3 years passed and body has absorbed most of the pigment, yet there’s still a shadow left, you can try these methods and they might work even after 5 years.
Alternatively, you can get them faded professionally with saline solution, but this means going through another round of blading.
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