What Are Combre Brows?
Combre brows are a combination of microblading and ombre brows. They’re a treatment that provides extra volume that looks natural, combined with the definition of shading done with an ombre effect.
Microblading provides hair strokes that look like you naturally have more brow hairs, while the ombre shading gives your brows a glamorous makeup look. The result is a pair of arches thickened with hair strokes, and defined with shading, with tails significantly darker than the inner parts.
How Are Combre Eyebrows Different from Basic Combo?
Combre brows are actually a spin-off on combo brows, a well-known technique of combining blading and shading. Combo brows are done by adding strokes in the front (or in the whole brow) and shading along the whole arch, but into an even shade across the whole brows.
So artists started wondering, hey, why not try ombre shading on top of hair strokes? As a result, we now have combre brows, the perfect option for anyone who likes the natural density of microblading, but also loves a dramatic ombre effect.
When compared to combo brows, combre eyebrows are more dramatic and draw more attention. They look great in photos, but in real life, too.
This name is quite new, so we can expect it to catch on more in the near future. Until then, if you can’t find an artist offering combre brows, find one who does combo and ask them to adjust it.
How Are They Different from Ombre Brows?
Ombre brows imply creating a shadow underneath the brow hairs done in an ombre gradient. So, the head, or the inner portion of the brow, is shaded very lightly, if at all, and the shade gets gradually darker towards the tails, or the outer ends.
Combre brows add hair strokes into the mix. The arch is not a unified shade, but rather more textured, with obvious hair strokes in the front.
How Are Combre Eyebrows Done?
Combre eyebrows don’t only combine the looks of microblading and ombre, but the techniques, too. So the hair strokes are done just like always – a manual tool is used to make thin cuts that resemble brow hairs that are filled with pigments. They camouflage sparse patches and add hairs in the front.
The shade is done with a PMU machine. It pierces the skin in countless tiny dots. The more dots are added in an area and the closer together they are, the darker the shade will be. So the gradient is created by saturating the tails more than the inner parts.
Most artists prefer to do hair strokes first and then add the shading, but some do it the other way around.
Do I Need a Touch Up?
Yes.
Just like any brow tattoo, combre eyebrows are done in 2 sessions. The initial implementation does most of the work, but a touch up is necessary to build up the color and fix any areas where pigments were not retained properly after healing.
It’s done 6-8 weeks after the 1st session. After that, you can get refreshing touch ups whenever you feel your brows are too faded.
How Long Do Combre Brows Last?
Like any PMU treatment, combre brows fade away gradually. They should last around 2 years, or even up to 3 if your skin retains pigments particularly well.
Shading, in general, lasts a bit longer than microblading, so you’ll have enhanced brows longer if you go for combre eyebrows instead of just hair strokes. Another benefit is the fact that shading camouflages stroke blurring, which can sometimes happen to clients with oilier skin, so it’s suitable for all skin types.
Bear in mind, though, that since the shadow in the fronts of the brows is very light or even non-existent, this doesn’t apply to the strokes done in that area. They may fade faster than the rest of the brows, and could potentially blur together on oily skin.
What’s the Aftercare for Combre Eyebrows Like?
It’s the same as aftercare for any eyebrow permanent makeup.
Since the skin is opened, it goes through a recovery cycle and it needs some special care. To make sure your combre eyebrows heal properly and the pigments are retained, do the following:
On days 1 & 2 after the treatment, clean your brows every couple of hours with a damp cotton pad to remove the built-up lymph.
On days 3 – 14, wash your brows twice a day with mild soap and apply the prescribed aftercare ointment every couple of hours and after washing.
If peeling ends by day 14, you can stop the aftercare routine. If it doesn’t keep it up until it does.
Avoid until peeling ends: getting the brows soaking wet, excessive sweating, makeup, products apart from the prescribed aftercare, harsh chemicals and skincare ingredients, sunlight exposure.
How Much Do Combre Brows Cost?
The average price is around $600, but it can vary from $250 to as much as $1500, depending on the location and the experience of the artist. Most artists charge the same for combo and for combre eyebrows. In fact, some of them don’t even distinguish between the two – they call both the regular and the ombre version combo brows, and just adapt the shading pattern.
So How Do I Know If Combre Brows Are Right for Me?
Combre eyebrows are great for anyone who likes the makeup look and does their makeup often. It’s a glamorous look, some would even call it dramatic. They’re also a good option for clients whose skin is on the oilier side, but who still want hair strokes.