Fading is a COMPLETELY NORMAL and EXPECTED part of the process.
Between 3 and 14 days you'll experience what we call "milk skin" or "ghosting".
This is part of the body's process of healing. As the skin is being repaired from the trauma of microblading, it becomes a bit thicker and opaque. This can hide the strokes beneath the skin. (Similar to when you pick off a scan and its shiny and "milky" looking underneath!)
It's a huge freak out that a lot of clients experience. But don't worry! (Easier said than done, i know!) a
As the skin continues it's healing process it again thins out and the strokes will reappear now that the skin is more translucent again.
FADED AFTER 2 weeks?
Due to the skin regeneration process, after the healing period the brows will appear lighter than original. Even with proper care, clients lose some strokes, which makes brows look uneven, lighter than expected, or may have even disappeared.
This is absolutely NORMAL because your natural skin type & skin regeneration, this is not a process that the artist cannot control.
That’s why around 60% of LUXX clients need a touch up, to ensure that the brows are even & the desired effect was achieved. The touchup reenforces strokes that have faded or seem to have disappeared...this pigment is there but needs a little help! NORMAL.
Microblading is expected to fade after the first session. We generally expect around 20-30% fading, but results are highly dependent on each client's skin type, immune system, medications/skin care products used, pigment chosen, and aftercare adherence.
"Normal" results with microblading cover a wide spectrum. From someone having perfect brows with a single session & not needing a touchup for 1-3 years...all the way to someone having a lot of fading, to the point they've all but disappeared. Again, absolutely normal. And that is what the 4-8 week perfecting touchup is for! :)
Reasons some clients tend to experience more fading:
oily skin
sun exposure
chemical peels
acne prone skin
taking antibiotics
using retinol/retinoids
auto immune conditions
using certain medications
alcohol use within 24 hours (thins blood)
caffeine use within 24 hours (thins blood)
taking fish oil supplements (thins blood)
choosing a lighter color than artist recommends
taking blood thinners (thins blood) (If you are bleeding too much during the treatment, this can interfere with the pigment implementation and push out pigments. Thus affecting pigment retention. Some pinpoint bleeding is normal, but excessive bleeding can ruin the whole process.)
A majority of the time (aside from fading due to the ever present SUN here in Florida!) fading has to do with the amount of oil your skin produces. Signs of oily skin: "thick skin", large pores, excess oil, acne or pimples, less wrinkles than others your age. Some people just naturally produce more oils than others, the oil may push out your pigment making your retention after your first microblading session less than what you may have expected.
Again, completely normal.
Microblading is a two step process.
- A 4-8 week perfecting touch up reinforces faded strokes. (we can see them, trust me!)
- A 4-8 week perfecting touch up give us the ability to correct any areas that faded & allow you to make adjustments that you are now ready & feeling brave and confident enough to make!
Such as:
going with a darker color
bringing brows closer together
making brows thicker/more dense
achieving a higher arch
perfecting the symmetry due to minor swelling during the initial procedure
normal and expected fading through the healing process
So, yeah, lots of info!
But those are the most common reasons for feeding as long as you have an experienced artist. Those are the most common reasons for your microblading fading.
Just be sure to book just be sure to book your 4 to 8 week perfecting touchup so that we can get those faded strokes reinforced and bring those beautiful brows up to their full glory! 💫