These 2 year old brows are ready for a color boost. Visually you can see skin under the old pigment as it has significantly faded.
Long-Term Touch-Ups / Color Boosts
Ombre Powder Brows and Nano Brows are designed to fade gently and naturally over time. Touch-ups should only be scheduled when you truly need one—not automatically every year. A lot of artists will call it an “annual touch-up” which can set an expectation that they need to be touched up every year - and that is just simply not the case.
✅ When You Do Need a Color Boost:
Your brows have significantly faded - I typically say that the brows need to be faded at least 50% from how they healed after your last session.
You notice visible loss of shape or definition
You find yourself filling your brows daily with brow makeup.
It’s been at the very least, 12 months since your last session. But most can go closer to 2-4 years before needing a color boost!
🚫 When You Don’t Need a Touch-Up:
Just because it’s been 12 months
If your brows still look good and defined
If you’re just aiming to “maintain” brows that haven’t faded
These brows are about 2 years healed and are not ready for a color boost.Color is still gorgeous and shape is beautifully defined still.
Why is it important to not touch-up too soon/often?
Touching up too often can cause pigment buildup, leading to overly saturated or solid and “muddy” looking brows. Fading is a good thing—it gives us the space to refresh your brows beautifully when it’s time.
As I tell my clients, there is only a small amount of space that we are tattooing, and there needs to be space in order for us to implant more color.
If you are not sure if you need a touch-up/color boost contact your artist. They will be happy to hear from you and the two of you can decide together!
REMEMBER: It is better to wait than to touch-up too often.
When Is It Time for Tattoo Lightening or Removal?
Brows are meant to evolve—not layer endlessly. While color boosts are a great way to refresh your ombre powder brows, there comes a point when fading no longer happens the way it used to. That’s when lightening or removal might be the best next step.
❓ Why Would I Need Tattoo Lightening or Removal?
Over time, with multiple touch-ups, the skin can only hold so much pigment. Eventually:
Fading slows down or stops
Brows start to look overly saturated or "flat"
Pigment may shift to an undesired tone (gray, red, blue, etc.)
Color boosts no longer heal softly or evenly or they do not last as long as they should
Brows look too dark or dense compared to your current features
This means there’s pigment buildup, and your skin simply doesn’t have room for more. In this case, it’s better to lighten what’s already there before adding more.
These brows need lightening
Color is dark and has shifted to look very cool/grey. No skin is visible through the pigment and she has had a few colorboosts over several years.
✨ Your Lightening Options
There are two common and effective ways to lighten or remove old brow pigment: Laser Tattoo Removal and Saline Tattoo Lightening. Each has pros and cons and should be chosen based on the pigment type, skin type, and depth of saturation.
💡 Laser Tattoo Removal
Uses targeted laser wavelengths to break up pigment particles in the skin
Most effective on darker colors like black, blue, and deep brown
Works best on carbon-based inks
Usually requires fewer sessions than saline
Can potentially alter or warm up certain pigments
⚠️ Not always ideal for very warm-toned or red pigment.
💧 Saline Tattoo Lightening
Uses a saline-based solution implanted into the skin to draw pigment to the surface
Works on all pigment colors, including red and warm tones
Gentle and controlled, but may take more sessions
Can be used on clients who are not candidates for laser
May cause more surface irritation or scabbing, but less risk of hypo/hyperpigmentation on melanin-rich skin
💬 If any of these apply, it’s time to consider removal/lightening:
You’ve had multiple touch-ups over several years
Your brows are now too dark, dense, or unnatural looking
Pigment is no longer fading with time
Color has visibly shifted and cannot be corrected with more tattooing
You want to change/rework your shape entirely