Unhappy with old brows? Refresh, correct or remove

There are three routes for brows that are not working any more: a refresh, a correction, or lightening or removing the old pigment with laser before anything new goes in. Which one you need depends on what is wrong, and that is something I have to see rather than guess from a description.

If you are not sure, send me a photo. I would rather tell you that you only need a refresh than sell you more work than you need.

Cosmetic tattoo brows generally last one to three years, depending on the technique, your skin type, sun exposure and aftercare. Fading is normal, not a failure.

If the colour has faded evenly and you still like the shape, a refresh is the simple answer. Most people come back before the colour disappears entirely, because topping up faded pigment is easier work than starting over.

The most common reason is a technique that did not suit the skin. Microblading strokes depend on the skin holding a very fine line, and oily skin does not. A stroke that looked sharp at six weeks can blur into a soft smudge within a year. That is not always bad work; it is the technique meeting the wrong skin.

The FDA fact sheet on permanent makeup makes two more points worth knowing. Pigment placed too deeply can migrate beyond where it was put, and work that looked flattering when it was first done can later clash with changing skin tone and facial contours. A brow designed to a trend rather than to your face dates the same way.

If the shape, the placement or the colour is wrong, a straight top-up just makes the problem darker. That needs a correction, planned around the pigment that is already there.

Previous work changes what I can do and how I approach it, which is why I always ask about it. Powder brows handle skin that has had previous work well, and nano is gentler on skin that has already been worked on than a blade is. The shape is mapped and agreed with you before any new pigment goes in, exactly as it is for a first set.

Sometimes the old pigment is too dark, too warm or in the wrong place to work over. Then the better route is to lighten it with laser first, or remove it, and start again once the skin is ready.

Laser tattoo removal breaks the ink up into particles small enough for your body to carry away over the following weeks, so it is staged across several sessions rather than done in one. Black ink generally responds best; some colours are stubborn, and I will not promise that any tattoo clears completely. Work this close to the eye needs a careful hand, and I will tell you honestly whether removal, lightening ahead of new brows, or a straight correction gives you the better result.

I do brows and laser tattoo removal in the same studio. The person telling you whether the old pigment needs to come out is the person who would do your new brows afterwards, so you get one plan rather than two separate opinions that do not agree.

A clear photo of your brows, ideally in daylight and without makeup on them, and a line about what was done and roughly when. That is enough for me to tell you which of the three routes you are looking at. The first consultation is free, so if you would rather show me in person, book that instead.