Ok, so you had powder brows or ombre powder brows done and left the PMU salon head over heels with your new eyebrows. But a few days later you notice the pigment is all gone. You start texting your brow technician in a panic asking what to do. To calm you down, we will tell you right away that this is a completely normal part of the healing process. Now, keep reading to find out why that happens and what to do when your powder brows disappear.
Why Did My Ombre Powder Brows Disappear?
First of all, you need to understand that powder brows is a cosmetic tattoo. Even though it is not done in the same way as the traditional body tattoo and it doesn’t last forever, it still has some similarities. The skin needs to be opened so that the pigment is deposited underneath, thus making a fresh wound.
Every wound takes some time to heal, so pigment disappearing is a normal part of the healing process. During the recovery period, there are several stages and one of them is the ghosting stage.
What Is the Ghosting Phase?
It is a phase when the powder brow tattoo pigment seems to disappear and you may think that the treatment was not successful. It is common and completely normal. As your brows are healing, the pigment will push through revealing what may look like a patchy brow. This is corrected at the touch up session when more pigment can be added.
When Does This Happen?
This usually happens after the scabbing stage. The scabbing stage starts 3-5 days after the treatment, so clients usually deal with pigment disappearing 6-7 days after the procedure.
Is the Pigment Going to Resurface?
In most cases, yes. As said before, the ghosting stage is completely normal and the pigment usually comes back, but you need to be patient and wait 4-6 weeks until your brows are completely healed to judge the results.
What Should I Do If My Powder Brows Have Disappeared?
If your powder brows have disappeared, it is important to be patient and wait. You cannot tell what your powder brows look like until they are completely healed. Keep up with the aftercare routine and wait for the touch up appointment, which is done 6-8 weeks after the initial treatment.
Will My Powder Brows Be the Same After the Pigment Comes Back? It depends.
Some people’s brows heal so perfectly, that there is no need for a touch up. They usually retain 85% of the pigment. On the other hand, some people have patchy eyebrows after the healing period. Or the brows are too light.
This is all normal and actually a good thing because it should all be corrected at the touch up and more color can be added. This is better than having too dark brows after the first session, which is hard to fix.
What If the Pigment Doesn’t Reappear?
Even though it rarely happens, it is possible that your ombre powder brows didn’t take. Here are the most common reasons.
The technician made a mistake
Your powder brow artist went too shallow, so the pigment didn’t retain.
The skin is overworked, which leads to heavy scabbing that pulls the pigment out.
Your artist technique wasn’t very good – maybe they went too fast, or the materials are inadequate.
Improper aftercare tips – Your powder brows artist will recommend the aftercare routine to follow. They can recommend dry or wet healing. Both of them include cleaning the wound with a little bit of water on a cotton pad. Wet healing means using an ointment to moisturize the brow tattoo. If the artist recommends a routine that isn’t adequate for your skin type, it may cause poor pigment retention.
The client is the reason
You messed up aftercare. The aftercare routine has strict rules to follow. If you get your brows wet, go swimming, sweat a lot, it can affect pigment retention. Read all about ombre powders aftercare here to make sure you are doing the right thing.
You picked the scabs. Under no circumstances should you do it because you can lose pigment.
This is very rare, but some skin just does not retain pigment. This usually happens when the skin is too oily, bumpy or sun-damaged.
What to do if my powder ombre brows disappeared and the pigment didn’t reappear? Go to your brow artist, they should be able to fix it. Or if it is an artist’s fault, ask for a refund and find another artist.
Conclusion
If your ombre powder brows have disappeared during the healing period, there is no need to worry. Just wait for about 6 weeks and then you will see if the treatment was successful or not. If you have worries, contact your brow artist.
Source - PMU Hub