It’s by and large a simple, painless process—oftentimes just 10 minutes from start to finish. But for those days when you feel like you don’t have a second to breathe, let alone reach out to a professional to touch up those arches, you might ponder any DIY opportunities. Dyeing your brows comfortably on the couch carries a certain allure, no? Of course, do a patch test before painting it on your brows—either on the inside of your wrist or behind your ear—just to make sure you won’t face an intense reaction. Remember: You can always pile it on for longer, but it’s much more difficult to remedy a butchered dye job. Also, mind the specific package’s timing: “You don’t want to buy something that’s going to process too quickly and make the hairs too dark,” Healy says. If you do dye them too dark, though, there are some effective to-do’s to salvage those brows (more later!). After those minutes are up, grab a wet cotton pad and wipe off the pigment against the direction of hair growth to really lift the product out of those hairs. Healy says you can also dye certain sections of the brow for longer than others, if you find it necessary. “Often the very fronts and the very ends need more processing time,” he says. “Maybe you do the entire brow for a few minutes, and then if you’re happy with how the middle looks, just do the front and the end and let it process for some more time.” Just make sure all of the dye comes off when you’re done, as any lingering pigment can continue to dye the hairs. To disguise the dye job in the meantime, Healy says you can apply a tinted brow gel in a softer color (like this blonder shade) to make them appear a bit lighter. Overall, though, don’t try too hard to speed up the fade, as an at-home tint doesn’t last as long as a professional dye (sigh). “They usually lighten up in about two days anyway,” he adds.
