Ombre powder brows are a form of cosmetic tattooing, meaning the treatment gives relatively long-lasting effects, but they do fade at some point. This means that your brows won’t always look as defined as right after your brow appointment.
Knowing this, some clients are reluctant to go for the treatment, worrying what will their ombre powder brows look like after 2 years. Will they still look good? Will I need to cover them up with makeup? Will they disappear?
We’ll guide you through each fading scenario and illustrate it.
What Will Happen to My Ombre Powder Brows After 2 Years?
Ombre powder brows generally last around 1.5 years without touch ups. At that point, most clients need to get the color refreshed if they want to prolong their brows and keep them looking great, or they can decide to let the results fade out.
So at the 2 year mark, your brows will probably look faded if everything goes right.
It’s important to note that the pace of pigment fading is different for everyone. It depends on many factors, primarily body chemistry, skin type and lifestyle, so some clients’ ombre powder brows don’t need frequent touch ups, while others require them annually.
Let’s explore different fading situations.
Scenario 1 – They’re Totally Gone
In most cases, ombre powder brows after 2 years will still be at least somewhat visible. It’s rare for them to disappear completely, but it is possible.
The thing about permanent eyebrows is, even though the pigments inserted into the skin are formulated so as to be broken down by the body, not all of their components can be extracted entirely. There is always some residue left in the skin, but it can stay visible, or become invisible.
Ombre powder brows can disappear completely in these cases:
- Extremely oily skin – sebum overproduction can push out the pigments.
- Bad pigment retention – the skin doesn’t take pigments well and they can’t settle into it long-term.
- Improper implementation depth – if the artist doesn’t deposit the pigments deep enough, skin cell turnover will eliminate them.
- The color was light, to begin with.
It’s important to note that if your ombre powder brows after 2 years are totally gone, the cause is probably the combination of all those factors.
What to Do?
You can book an appointment and get them re-done. There are 2 issues here, though. You’ll probably need to pay the full price as you’re technically getting a whole new set. Also, your brows will probably fade at the same pace the 2nd time around, so you should get a touch up before the 2 year mark.
Image source: Instagram @ani_shahbazyann
Scenario 2 – They’re Faded, But Still Look Relatively Good
The most common scenario, and the ideal one. Ombre powder brows after 2 years keep the original shape, and the color hasn’t turned, but has lost intensity and it’s very light.
This is how the long-term effects are supposed to go. It means your artist has done everything right, and your skin has taken the pigments well.
What to Do?
You can get them refreshed and darken the color, or you can let them fade even further and switch back to filling them in with regular makeup if you don’t want PMU anymore. Very light residues usually don’t require PMU removal, as they’re not so visible.
Image source: Instagram @nika.studiomakeup
Scenario 3 – They Faded into an Unattractive Color
Sometimes, pigments can change color as they’re fading. This is a problem, because they either turn ashy, blue-grayish, or orangey-red. Neither of those colors is very desirable for a brow look.
Pigments are made up of several components and colors, and our body chemistry sometimes can’t break down all of them at the same pace. This causes only certain components to stay visible. For example, if your system breaks down the brown components of a pigment faster, your brows can end up blue-grayish.
High-quality pigment formulas don’t really allow for this to happen, though. They’re more stable and formulated in such a way that gives an even fade.
Alternatively, your brows can turn bluish due to improper technique. If pigments are injected too deep into the skin, they won’t show their true color but rather a cool tone. This, however, shows much sooner than 2 years.
What to Do?
Book a color correction. The artist will go over your brows again with a shade that will neutralize the unattractive hues and give you a great color.
Or, you can get removal if you decide you’re through with permanent eyebrows.
Image source: Instagram @permanentmakeup_dk
Scenario 4 – They Haven’t Faded Much
Some clients simply have great retention and they’re ombre powder brows after 2 years still look intense and defined.
This can happen with extremely dry skin, or mature skin. As we age, our system slows down and the skin cell turnover cycle is much longer. That’s why ombre powder brows usually last longer on older clients.
What to Do?
Enjoy your great brows! You can get a touch up, but you don’t have to.
Image source: Instagram @elafaces
Final Note
Nobody can predict exactly what your ombre powder brows after 2 years will look like. It all depends primarily on your skin’s pigment retention and your body chemistry. Yes, there are some cases where fading can be problematic and result in unattractive brows, but these exceptions shouldn’t scare you away from getting the treatment. If you choose an experienced artist who uses high-quality pigments, you’ll love your ombre powder brows even 2 years later. Or if you don’t, it can all be corrected.
Cover image source: Pexels
