How to Lighten Eyebrows: 4 Tips for Lightening Brows
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Mar 18, 2022 • 3 min read
There are a few techniques and products for lightening eyebrows. Learn how to gradually lighten your eyebrows safely using bleach and other alternative products.
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How to Lighten Dark Eyebrows With Bleach
Bleach is an effective product for lightening dark brows. Eyebrow bleach is a specific beauty product you can find in beauty supply stores or your local hairstyling salon. Follow these steps for use:
- 1. Secure your hair. Keep your hair away from your face while bleaching your brows to prevent bleaching stray hairs. Use a hair tie or headband to secure your hair and keep it out of your face.
- 2. Wash your face. Thoroughly wash your face and eyebrows with a facial cleanser or micellar water. It’s essential to remove any makeup, dirt, or oil from your forehead and eyes so the bleach will adhere to your brows.
- 3. Prepare your bleaching product. Many products for eyebrow bleaching require mixing an activator with the bleach substance. Follow the instructions carefully, and you should have a medium-thick paste that you can apply with a cotton swab.
- 4. Do a test patch. Apply a bit of the bleach mixture to your jaw and let it sit for several seconds. If the bleach irritates your skin, use eyebrow bleach formulated for sensitive skin instead.
- 5. Apply the bleach. Carefully apply the paste to your brow hairs. You might choose to lighten your eyebrows or stray hairs above or between your brows. The product will usually come with an applicator, similar to a mascara brush. Work carefully to thoroughly cover your brows, but make sure not to get any bleach paste too close to your eyes.
- 6. Set a timer. Most types of eyebrow bleach require you to leave it on the eyebrows for two minutes. Keep an eye on the timer to avoid over-bleaching.
- 7. Remove the bleach. Use a wet, warm washcloth to remove the bleach when the time is up.
- 8. Wash your face. After removing the bleach, wash your face with a gentle cleanser to remove any remaining traces of bleach.
How to Lighten Eyebrows Without Bleach
If you have particularly sensitive skin, there are alternative lightening products to bleach available:
- Hydrogen peroxide: A three percent hydrogen peroxide solution can be a useful alternative to bleach. You can easily obtain hydrogen peroxide at the grocery store or drugstore. Apply it with a cotton swab and leave it on your brows for a couple of minutes before rinsing.
- Chamomile tea: An equal mixture of chamomile tea and lemon juice is a natural solution for lightening brows. Let the tea steep for an hour, then add lemon juice. Gently apply the solution with a cotton swab or brow brush.
- Baking soda: Making a paste of baking soda and water is another easy way to lighten your eyebrow hair. This method yields a slightly lighter shade.
- Eyebrow pencil: You can use an eyebrow pencil a lighter shade than your current eyebrow hair. Clean your eyebrows with micellar water, then color all the hairs evenly with the pencil, working in small, light strokes.
- Brow gel: Another eyebrow makeup product that can lighten your eyebrows is brow gel. Brow gels come in various shades, from light brown to medium brown to dark brown, and even blonde or red. Brow gels generally come with applicator brushes, so apply the product evenly across your brows.
- Concealer: You can use concealer to lighten your eyebrows. Use a spoolie applicator to gently apply the makeup to your brow hair, gradually lightening it to your desired shade.
4 Tips for Lightening Your Brows
Whether using bleach or another lightening method, the following tips will help you successfully lighten the tint of your eyebrows:
- 1. Choose the right shade. Some stylists advise bleaching your eyebrows a shade lighter than your hair color, but you can experiment with different colors and see which one you like best.
- 2. Keep it quick. If using a commercial bleaching product, don’t leave it in any longer than the instructions advise. Rather than producing an increasingly lighter shade, bleach will eventually give an orange or reddish tint.
- 3. Advance one shade at a time. Whether you have black hair, brown hair, or blonde hair, it’s best to start with a single shade lighter than your hair when lightening your eyebrows. If it doesn’t seem light enough, you can always go lighter with another shade. This method is easier on your hair and can help avoid unwanted shades or colors.
- 4. Avoid shaping your brows. To prevent irritation, wait twenty-four hours after lightening to use tweezers or shaping tools on your eyebrows.
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