General Question

Likeradar's avatar

Anyone have experience in eyebrow lightening?

Asked by Likeradar (19583points) November 18th, 2009

I just became a redhead (yay!) but my eyebrows are still their natural cool-toned dark brown color and they clash. I went to get them tinted today but the tint didn’t take. The eyebrow lady said I need to lighten them a bit first, but it’s apparently illegal in my state for a salon to lighten eyebrows.

So… have any of you done this at home? How’s it done safely and in a way that looks good? I’m not looking to fully bleach them, just lighten them a shade to make them match my new fabulous hair a little better. I don’t want them to be the exact same color as my head, I just want them to coordinate a little better.

God, I sound vain.

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8 Answers

faye's avatar

Real lemon juice? I have used hair dye on my eyebrows with no ill effects but I know you’re not supposed to.

Facade's avatar

Disclaimer: I’m medication and woozy, but I know what I’m talking about lol
Get some bleaching cream that you’d use to bleach your upper lip hair and do it that way. Read the directions and see how long it says to leave it on. do it for a little less than that time. they should be light enough to tint after that. If not. Wait a day and do it again, but for only a little bit of time.

I hope that is comprehensible

augustlan's avatar

I’ve darkened mine many times with hair dye. Perhaps a blond-ish hair dye would work to lighten yours. The main thing is to MAKE SURE YOU DON’T DRIP ANY IN YOUR EYE! (And yes, I am shouting VERY LOUDLY.) A friend of mine makes a kind of “moat” around her eyebrows with a thick ridge of Vaseline before she dyes her brows. Use a Q-tip as an applicator.

fundevogel's avatar

My mom used to wash her face with peroxide when she was a teen. She inadvertently lightened her eyebrows like that, though I don’t know that that method would be advisable. I don’t know how much control you would have over it and you definitely wouldn’t want to over do it.

elijah's avatar

Just so you know- if you do choose to use bleach, your eyebrows will turn hideous shades. I’m talking freakish orange colors which will slowly turn into yellow. Don’t panic. This is normal. Bleach has to work through layers of undertone. This is why “home colored blondes” look bad. So once you lighten your brows sufficently they will not look like a normal color until you are toned. Once you apply color you will look normal again.

Likeradar's avatar

@elijah So can I lighten them with bleach then dye them at home with regular color (the kind that’s meant for my head)?

Likeradar's avatar

Or what about just getting a box of lighter warm brown from the grocery store? Does regular hair dye work on brows? Would I leave it on for the same amount of time?

elijah's avatar

Yes regular hair dye would work. The problem with over the counter dye is you can’t really predict or control the lift. Anytime you are going lighter you are lifting. When going darker you are depositing. That’s why going darker or glazing with a demi (temp) color doesn’t wreck your hair, there are no harsh chemicals.
I don’t do eyebrows, so I can’t tell you an exact plan of attack. My guess would be you would have more control of the outcome if you pre-lightened with bleach and then toned with your desired color. You don’t need to use permanent hair dye, because a demi will work. Just don’t lighten too far. Get the tone near what your looking for, then color. If you go too far a red demi might look pinkish.

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