Everything you need to know about Ombré Powder Brows
Ombré Powder Brows, the megahit of 2020 for transforming your eyebrows from a natural eyebrow into a super-defined but gorgeous (and still natural) eyebrow! It looks like tattooing, but it actually isn't. So what is it then? And what do you actually need to know before you start? Read it here!
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What are Ombré Powder Brows?
The technique for creating ombré powder brows simply consists of placing the so-called ‘dots’ in the desired eyebrow shape. By placing these dots — also called pixels — you create a natural shading in a certain pigment colour. This natural shading is also called a powder effect. By means of large or small pixels you make the eyebrow more or less powdery. Every stylist works differently in this.
Ombré powder brows are eyebrows that last about 2 to 3 years. So you wake up in the morning with the perfect eyebrow. Also very nice on holiday, in the sauna or the swimming pool and when playing sports.
In addition, to make it a true ombré powder brow, the starting sections are very faint. This is to create the ombré effect. What is actually done is, with light pressure and long strokes of the device, to spread the pixels further apart so that the pixels do not end up close together, and therefore look less thick or defined. So you cannot see one complete line where the eyebrow ends at the front; instead, it fades out.
What is the difference between microblading and Ombré Powder Brows?
Let us first establish that the Powder Brow technique and device are completely different from when we speak about microblading. The name says it all: micro blading = micro blade / knife cuts. With microblading you make small cuts in the skin after which the pigment soaks into the cut. This treatment is often experienced as very painful, and besides being painful, it is a shame that people do not read up enough. Microblading often remains visible for only up to 6 months. A lot of pain and effort, therefore, for a short-term solution.
But how are Powder Brows applied, then?
Ombré Powder Brows are applied by means of pigmentation with a microneedle; it resembles a tattoo device. However, a tattoo is applied in the 3rd layer of skin, and pigmentation in the 1st layer of skin. This means that placing Ombré Powder Brows is extremely superficial. As a result this treatment is experienced as virtually painless and some clients even fall asleep with us!
Is the result of microblading comparable to the result of Ombré Powder Brows?
No! It is absolutely not comparable. With microblading you slowly make small cuts, so you simply create lines. This technique is also often used to create hairstrokes: these are little lines placed very naturally through the natural hairs, or in spots where there is less or no hair, so that it looks as if you naturally have more hairs. See photo:
The result of Ombré Powder Brows is more natural, softer, more powdery and ultimately also more fitting to the face. Of course everyone has an opinion and perhaps you find microblading much more beautiful than Ombré Powder Brows.
Semi-permanent Ombré Powder Brows
Not only is the final result beautiful, but it is also nice that it is semi-permanent. Why? Because trends constantly change as the years go by. And what you perhaps find beautiful now, or what is in fashion now, can be hilarious to look back on in a few years.
For example, a number of years ago we had the trend of creating an ultra-thin eyebrow. That is why many people now struggle with fewer hairs. In the past they removed a lot of hair, and the more often you pull the hair out of the hair follicle in one spot, the less you may have left a number of years later.
Ombré Brows are semi-permanent because the pigmentation technique is used. With pigmentation the pigment is not applied deep in the skin, but in the first layer of skin. When pigmentation is done the skin tries by itself to make the pigment disappear. Around 50 – 60 % of the pigment is rejected and disappears after the treatment. The final result of the Powder Brows is therefore much more natural than in the first few days after the treatment.
Touch-up treatment of Ombré Powder Brows
What happens during a touch-up treatment of the Ombré brows? And why do you need a touch-up treatment?
Firstly, you can see in the photo above that the eyebrow colour has decreased by 50 to 60%. This is because the skin naturally tries to remove the pigment. You can also see that the warmth in the eyebrow has decreased. In photo 1 you can see a lot of redness in the skin at the ombré effect. This cannot be seen in the last photo.
After the first treatment is finished many people get a shock. Of course we tell you in advance that the colour will look many times darker when we have finished treating than the final result will be.
As you can clearly see in the photo above, the healing process starts almost immediately. Just as with a tattoo, you will get scabs. You absolutely must not pick or pull these scabs off. If you do, you can pull a portion of pigment with them or get in the way of the healing process. That is how you create the zebra effect: the difference in pigment on the eyebrows. Not nice!
What we also call the zebra effect is when you are in the middle of the healing process. You will see that you have lost parts of the scabs while other parts still have scabs. As a result you see the dark pigment on the scab, and the light ombré colour on the skin.
The skin starts to itch because the scabs want to come loose but are still partly attached.
You need a touch-up treatment to be able to see after the healing process whether the pigment has taken everywhere, whether the shape is lasting and whether the colour of the pigment is enough for the client's wishes. Everyone experiences it differently after 6-8 weeks. Sometimes there are clients who have nothing left from their first treatment, sometimes there are clients who barely need a touch-up.
So remember that every skin reacts differently to the treatment and that it is not a given that the desired result turns out optimal after 1 treatment.
How long does it take before Ombré Powder Brows are fully healed?
The healing of the pigmented eyebrows depends on many things. The following apply to the healing:
So the healing process of the eyebrows does not only have to do with how the stylist places the eyebrows, but above all with the aftercare too. As we indicated earlier: everyone's skin is different, and therefore so is every healing process. One person heals quickly and another a little more slowly. In general the eyebrows heal well within the first 2 weeks after the treatment. Please note: if the aftercare is not fully listened to and followed, the healing process can be affected enormously.
the pH value of the skin
skin characteristics: oil-rich, greasy, dry etc.
alcohol use or smoking
protection in the sun
the aftercare procedure
Almost everyone experiences slight swelling, redness around the eyebrows and a tight feeling of the skin immediately after the treatment. This already subsides within 24-48 hours. The full healing process is on average between 4-10 days. But the true colour of the pigment is only visible after 1 full month.
It is a natural reaction that the pigment that has been placed first becomes darker (scabs), then turns out lighter (scabs fall off), and then becomes lighter in the skin (fades slightly). Only once this process is finished does the true colour come up in the skin. This process takes a month, and that is why a touch-up treatment may only be carried out after an average of 6 to 8 weeks.
How can Ombré Powder Brows become lighter in colour more quickly?
As we just explained, the healing process needs full care and attention. That way you have the best chance of the pigment taking well in the skin. But there are also other reasons why a pigment becomes lighter more quickly over time.
Spending time on a sunbed or fully in the sun while sunbathing, sometimes even with oil on the skin(!), can cause the eyebrows to diminish enormously in colour. Not so nice, because after all you had a treatment done precisely so that you no longer have to fill in your eyebrows.
Simply put, you are working with human skin and pigmentation. If you pigment too deeply, you can get red and grey hazy colours in the eyebrows. So there is simply no option of having your Ombré Brows placed deeper.
The only thing you need to do for optimal retention of the eyebrows is to protect them with a factor (preferably factor 50) in full sun or on a sunbed. And make sure you hydrate the skin well and do not damage it too much with scrubbing or cosmetic products that have a completely different effect from what is intended for your gorgeous Powder Brows!
Too much sun
Too much scrubbing of the skin
Using serums that make hyperpigmentation disappear
Not caring for and hydrating the skin properly
Who are Ombré Powder Brows intended for?
Ombré Powder Brows can be applied to every type of skin: greasy, oil-rich, dry, average etc. Super nice! Because that means you don't have to be afraid that it would not be possible on your skin.
Powder Brows are also intended for people who find they have no shape in their own eyebrow. With Powder Brows you get a defined shape and you no longer have to do anything to the shape except occasionally plucking the hairs outside the shape.
Can men also have Ombré Powder Brows placed?
Yes! Some men (or women) have spots in the eyebrow where there is less or no hair. With the Powder Brow you therefore create small pixels to fill in these spots. The final result is very natural! And of course men can also have it done if they simply like the look. 🙂
Side effects of Ombré Powder Brows
You mainly experience:
All the side effects mentioned can be present in a mild form. There are barely any clients who experience the side effects as “unpleasant”.
All in all, you have to be willing to put something in to enjoy gorgeous eyebrows for a long time. Either way, I think it is more than worth it. Because just look for yourself…
My name is Isabella Levels and, with years of experience in the industry, I love sharing my permanent make-up knowledge and techniques. My passion lies in accentuating natural beauty, and I hope to inspire others with tips and insights that can help both beginners and professionals in their careers!
slight swelling
itching (scabs)
darker colour
rapid pigment fading
Powder Brows have side effects that are immediately visible/noticeable. That is because the skin is, as it were, put to work to remove the applied pigment from the skin. This is an entirely natural reaction, which you also experience when you get a tattoo or a piercing. You get scabs where the pigment has been placed, or the skin wants to grow closed again around the piercing.