The Truth About Brow Tattoo Fading — And Why Some Brows Turn Red, Grey or Green Over Time
- Ira Bale
- Jul 1
- 4 min read
By Ira Bale
Founder, Ira Bale Brows – South Yarra & Toorak Village, Melbourne
There’s nothing more frustrating than getting your brows tattooed… only to watch them fade into something completely different six months later.
Ashy grey. Orangey red. Even greenish tones.
We hear it all the time at Ira Bale Brows — usually from women who’ve had their brows done elsewhere and are looking for help correcting the fade.
So let’s talk about it.
Fading isn’t a flaw of cosmetic tattooing. It’s part of the process. But how your brows fade — and what they fade into — tells you everything about the pigment used, the depth it was implanted, and how well your artist understood skin science.
The Myth: “Brow Tattooing Should Last Forever”
Let’s start here: If your brow tattoo isn’t fading, that’s not a good thing.
Traditional body tattoos are implanted deep into the dermis — cosmetic tattoos are done more superficially, in the upper dermis. Why? Because your face changes. Your skin renews. Your brow shape may evolve.
We want your brows to fade softly over 1–3 years. But what we don’t want is unpredictable pigment changes along the way.
Why Brows Fade the Wrong Colour
Here’s where it gets technical — and where most tattooing goes wrong.
1. Wrong Pigment Base for Your Undertone
Most pigments are a mix of colour bases (e.g., yellow, red, blue). If the artist doesn’t account for your skin’s undertone, the wrong base will show through as it fades.
Cool skin + warm pigment = red or orange brows
Warm skin + cool pigment = grey, greenish tones
Olive skin + too much blue base = ash that turns teal
At Ira Bale Brows, we colour-correct before we start. We don’t guess.
2. Poor Pigment Quality
Not all brow pigments are created equal. Cheap studios often use:
Carbon-based inks (meant for body art, not faces)
Non-cosmetic pigments with unpredictable fade patterns
Single-tone colours without modifier adjustments
These pigments are more likely to oxidise poorly, especially under sun exposure or with certain skincare ingredients (like retinoids or acids).
3. Tattooing Too Deep
If pigment is implanted too far into the dermis, your body doesn’t exfoliate it naturally — it just sits there. And over time, your immune system breaks it down… unevenly.
This is where we see brows turning:
Blue-grey (from over-deposited cool pigments)
Smudgy and blurry (because the pigment spread through multiple skin layers)
Proper depth = clean healing, even fading, and better retention.
4. No Consideration for Skin Type
Oily skin? You’ll fade faster — and warm.
Dry, mature skin? You’ll hold pigment longer — but may ash out without warm modifiers.
Reactive skin? You may reject some pigment altogether.
We adjust everything — pigment formula, machine speed, and aftercare — based on your skin’s behaviour. That’s the difference between tattooing and designing.
Real Client Story: Tina, 47
Tina came into our Toorak Village salon with brows she had done five years ago. They had faded into a washed-out slate grey, with patches of green near the tails.
“I was told it would fade naturally,” she said. “But it just got worse.”
Her artist had used a strong blue-based pigment and tattooed too deeply. Her olive skin only made it more noticeable.
We started a multi-phase correction:
Colour neutralisation with a warm orange modifier
Custom ombré layering to balance depth
Ongoing pigment fading support using saline
After two sessions, she said:
“I finally don’t feel like I have to hide them under a fringe.”
Why Our Brows Fade Beautifully
At Ira Bale Brows, we use high-grade hybrid pigments, selected not just for the colour — but for how they age.
Here’s how we get it right:
Undertone matching using facial mapping and pigment theory
Layering techniques to customise depth and tone
Fade mapping — how your brows should look at 6, 12, and 18 months
Precision tools to avoid pigment spread and depth errors
Personalised aftercare based on your skin, lifestyle, and skincare routine
No one leaves our salon with brows that are “set and forget.” We plan your fade like we plan your shape: with intention.
A Quick Note on Lip Blush, Too
Fading issues aren’t just for brows — they affect lip tattooing as well. At Ira Bale Brows, our lip blush pigments are selected for neutral base tones and long-term warmth. That’s why we don’t end up with purple lips or grey patches after healing.
The Final Word
Your brow tattoo shouldn’t fade into a warning sign. It should fade like good denim: softer, more natural, and still flattering as it ages.
The problem isn’t that cosmetic tattoos fade. It’s that too many artists don’t understand how to control the fade.
We do. And that’s why our clients trust their faces with us.
Book your Brow Tattoo Correction or Consultation with Ira Bale — South Yarra or Toorak Village, Melbourne. Because fading is fine. Turning grey? Absolutely not.
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