Factors that Create Residual Colors

The following are factors that create residual colors in eyebrows:

• Wrong needle depth (Common)
• Wrong pigment selection (Common)
• Skin care products: some skin care products such as anti-aging skin care and exfoliating products, can fade the eyebrows and promote residual color. For example: retinol, glycolic, salicylic acids, etc.
• Medications: some medication can cause color distortion in the eyebrows immediately after the appointment, in the healed results, or both
• Climate: excessive sun exposure fades the eyebrows and promote residual colors.
• Lifestyle: constant and excessive sweating promotes residual color

How does incorrect needle depth affect the healed result color?

• Too much pressure/Too deep: Too much pressure causes the pigment to be implanted deeper than you should which results in brows that will look grey or blue. Blue/Grey eyebrows typically indicate that the brow artist’s pressure was too heavy.
• Inadequate stretching/Too light: If the brow artist didn’t have a good stretch or the artist’s pressure was too light, the brows may turn red. These two factors mean that all of the pigments weren’t deposited in the dermis layer.  The result is brows that are too warm: red or pinkish red.

How does improper pigment selection affect the healed result color?

• Red brows: Red eyebrows can typically be due to improper pigment selection. The artist who tattooed the brows might’ve picked a brown that was too warm. Warm toned browns typically have a red-base, therefore, once faded, the brows will turn red, or pinkish red.

• Blue/Grey brows: Blue/Grey eyebrows typically be due to improper pigment selection. The artist who tattooed the brows might’ve picked a brown that was too cool tone or too dark and black. Cool toned browns typically have a blue-base, therefore, once faded, the brows will turn grey or blueish-grey.

The above photo shows an example of how incorrect needle depth can result in blue and gray tones. In the photo is a body tattoo on an individual’s hand. You can see that beneath the scabbing layer of the skin, the black is bold and the blue is vibrant. However, with that layer of skin above it and the layering on top, the black looks dull and gray. It even has a hint of blue. Also, the blue tones are off-hue and not vibrant. The blue almost has a green tint to it. This is what happens when pigment in implanted too deep into the skin. The colors of the pigments look dull and more cool-toned than they are, even if the proper pigment colors were chosen.