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Ombre Eyebrows are gaining in popularity. Ombre is similar to Microblading and Microshading, but tend to work much better on those with oily skin. Also, the process is a little less intensive than microblading and generally less expensive.
Ombre is less of a procedure than microblading, but it’s still a significant process, and it will take a while for your brows to fully heal from the experience, and you’ll have to do some additional aftercare.
So what are the ombre brows healing stages?
- The first few days to a week of ombre brows have some significant challenges
- After two weeks, things get close to normal
- You’re pretty well done healing in a month, unless there are flaws that need to be fixed.
If you hate doing your eyebrows every day, ombre brows are an interesting option. Let’s look at the healing stages, and what the experience is like.
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What Does the Recovery Process for Ombre Brows Look Like?
There are some risks involved with the Ombre brow procedure. For example, if you have sensitive skin or don’t take care of your ombre brows, they may not heal properly and could lead to infection or scarring.
Normally, it takes about 5-6 weeks for a powdered brow to heal completely. During the healing process, normal scabs will appear and should not be removed.
If you have sensitive skin or don’t take care of your brows, they may not heal properly and could lead to infection or scarring.
Also, you can experience extreme itching during the healing process. The next ten days after the procedure are very important as you must be very careful. Eventually, the true color is revealed when the scabs fall out naturally after completing the healing process.
In comparison, Microblading also takes a similar time to heal. However, you might have to attend frequent touch-up appointments due to funky colors, unexpected patches, or gaps or unevenness in the eyebrows.
Ombre Brows Healing Stages
Here is the day-by-day guide to the entire healing stage in which your vivid eyebrows gradually fade away.
Of course, always follow the guidance of your technician, they may have different recovery categories. But this will show you what to expect, in general.
It’s a good idea to take photos of your brows as you reach each new stage, and send them to your technician to keep them updated as to your recovery process.
Stage One: Days 1 – 2
Right after the Ombre brow treatment, your eyebrows will form color blocks, and the pigments will be too dark compared to what it should be. It will appear like an eyebrow tattoo with red and swollen skin.
Make sure that you only blot your eyebrows in the initial days with a clean, dry soft cloth. Avoid touching or washing your brows, as that might affect the good results of pigment.
Stage Two: Days 3 – 4
Upon day 3, the color will start to fade slightly, which signifies the healing process has started. Hooray! However, we still have a ways to go. Your brows will still be red, itchy, and inflamed.
Many people feel anxious during this stage due to unwanted itching and redness.
Stage Three: Days 5 – 7
Stage three, closing in on the first week of recovery, is considered the scabbing stage. You need to avoid scratching your brows during this time, as it can harm the healing process. No peeling! Let the scabs fall off naturally.
Moreover, you can keep sharing your eyebrow pictures in every stage with your ombre brow artist to confirm if the healing process is going well or not.
Stage Four: Days 8 – 10
Some people panic after the scabbing stage as the ombre eyebrows seem to disappear! This often happens in microblading, too, and is part of the recovery process.
In some cases, the eyebrows become too patchy or lighten up. The formation of a new skin layer on the pigment causes the eyebrows to lighten up.
There is no need to freak out, as the actual color will reappear after the touch-up appointment.
Stage Five: Days 11 – 28
This stage is way better than the previous ones — you are allowed to wear makeup!
You can follow your normal skincare routine between 11-28 days after the treatment. There would be no more itching or scabbing, but you still have to avoid activities that involve sun exposure or sweating.
Stage Six: Days 28 – 42
Once you hit day 28, you’re basically done the first month. Your healing process is essentially complete.
Even still, you might see some imperfections. If so, you’ll need to book a final touch-up appointment to fix any flaws. Your brow artist may add pigment to the required areas during the touch-up appointment.
This means you have to, unfortunately, bear another healing cycle. However, the second healing process is milder and less intense than the initial one.
Ensure you follow proper aftercare instructions and prevent applying harsh skin care products that can cause infection even after healing.
Types of Ombre Brow Aftercare Healing
There are two types of approaches for Ombre brow aftercare healing.
Your Ombre brow artist will recommendone of the processes after evaluating your skin type and condition. For instance, dry healing is preferred for people who have oily skin or live in humid climates.
Dry Healing
Dry healing is the most common type of brow healing.
It is done using a dry powder applied to the brows and then brushed off with a spoolie brush.
In the dry healing method, you only need a dry cotton pad and a small amount of sterile water to dab on the brows for cleaning. Ensure you avoid using too much water as the healing results might get ruined.
Wet Healing
Wet healing is done by applying a wet product to the brows like ointment.
How to Protect the Ombre Brow During the Healing Process?
1. Avoid Sun Exposure
To protect your ombre brows, it is important to avoid the sun as much as possible. This will ensure that they stay fresh and vibrant for long periods. Going for touch-ups every few days can also help maintain their color and shape.
2. No Intense Exercise
Exercise is great for our bodies and minds, but it can have a negative effect on Ombre brows. Prevent any heavy exercise so that your skin remains sweat-free and does not ruin the healing process.
3. Touch Up Appointments
Ombre eyebrows are trendy and easy but require upkeep and maintenance. The good news is that you do not need to worry about your brows fading or changing colors because there are ways for you to protect them.
All you need to do is book a frequent touch-up appointment. Touching up your ombre powder brows is a must. It would be best if you did it as soon as you noticed that your brows were fading.
4. Sleeping Posture
Some people sleep on their stomach, which can be uncomfortable for the face and might let the scabs peel off due to rubbing on the surface. Sleeping on your back will help keep your face from getting too squished and protect your eyebrow’s healing process.
5. Extra Product
Avoid applying any extra skincare product without consultation on your brows during the healing process. If the product reacts on the swollen treated surface, you might expect an infection that can ruin the entire hard work.
6. Avoid Application of Water
You must be extra cautious while taking a bath as you cannot let your eyebrows get wet. You can wash your body in the shower and prevent your head from getting wet. You must avoid pools, saunas, hot tubs, and beaches for a successful dry healing process.
It’s a good idea to pick up some goggles to protect your brows in the shower.
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Ombre Eyebrows 101
The main idea behind the Ombre Brows technique is very similar to microblading, but instead of drawing lines that mimic natural eyebrow hairs, ombre uses small dots on the brow. These look more like a brow penciled look that feels a bit more natural than the sculpted microblading look.
It requires skill and patience, but it can be worth it in the end. It is a creative way to take your eyebrows to the next level and make them stand out.
The process of doing ombre brows starts with using a small machine through which thin dots of pigment are applied to the eyebrows. The color gradually gets darker and more intense towards the middle of the eyebrow, making it look like an ombre effect, again, mimicking the natural eyebrow hairs.
Ombre Brows vs Microblading
Ombre brows, also known as Powdered brows, are a great alternative to microblading. Microblading is a form of tattooing that uses a hand tool to draw cuts or 3D hair-like strokes using microblading pigments on your skin. It is more expensive and invasive than an ombre brow.
Microblading provides a very soft and natural look to your eyebrows.
Microblading has it own somewhat-lengthy up-and-down recovery process and often doesn’t look amazing on those with oily skin. Often the lines end up looking blurry through the oils, and the microblading ceases to look natural
In contrast, ombre brows make your eyebrows more defined in shape as if they have been freshly filled with a brow pencil. Some people use this technique as an alternative to filling their eyebrows with a pencil, which can be time-consuming and difficult for those with sparse brows.
Ultimately, Ombre brows are not as permanent as microblading because they eventually fade away over time. Ombre is usually less expensive than microblading, and you can change them anytime you want to update your look.
And if you’ve got oily skin, ombre is definitely a better choice. The dots don’t end up looking blurry like the microblading lines.
Also, Ombre brows last longer than microblading, usually up to 4-5 years. The retention period can be affected by factors like sun exposure, lifestyle, skin type, or health condition. A proper skincare routine and after-treatment guide should be followed to attain long-term results.
How Painful Is the Ombre Brow Process?
It’s not that bad, fortunately!
Be sure you show up makeup-free and fresh faced for your appointment.
Your technician will apply an anesthetic cream before beginning the process for safety and less pain. The topical anesthetic cream must sit properly before shading to numb the brows. It is left for almost 20-40 minutes for a better experience.
The numbing cream will remove most of the pain, but you’ll still likely feel some discomfort. After all, you’re still getting pigments inserted under your skin with a blade.
Usually, the pain is minimal in the Ombre brow process, and the results are effective.
Conclusion
Ombre brows are a simplified, and in some ways improved, version of mcroblading. The healing process is pretty similar, with the worst part coming in the first few days.
By the end of month one, with luck, your brows will look amazing, and you won’t need to keep doing them every day!