The average longevity of the results of microblading is 12 to 18 months.
That said, there are many factors that can make your microblading fade quicker, just like there are cases where microblading can last up to 3 years.
but this time span can vary significantly due to numerous factors like skin type, skin thickness, the state of your system, your lifestyle, etc.
Let’s go through the most significant factors that affect the lifespan of microblading.
1. Microblading Aftercare
The success of the microblading treatment and how long does microblading last largely depend on how you treat your brows during the healing process.
The microblading aftercare routine your artist prescribes is supposed to ensure the pigment settles properly and the skin heals without any complications. As the incisions close up, scabs form. If the scabs aren’t treated properly and if you pick at them, they can pull out significant amounts of pigment. So, if you don’t follow aftercare instructions, you could potentially erase strokes and reverse the treatment.
2. Skin Type and Texture
Microblading is generally most suitable for people with normal to dry skin. For them, microblading is likely to last out 18 months or longer.
But for people with oily skin microblading probably won’t last that long. In fact, oily skin can significantly shorten the longevity of microblading results, as the sebum literally pushes the pigments out.
The same happens with people with large pores, as large pores usually mean more sebum.
This doesn’t mean that microblading is impossible for them, but they may need frequent touch ups. A more practical alternative is getting powder brows instead, a similar PMU treatment that will last longer on oily skin.
3. Excessive Sweating or Swimming
When you engage in physical activity, or if you live in a hot, humid climate, sweat is extracted through pores all over your skin. As sweat leaves the skin around eyebrows, it can take small amounts of pigment with it. This can cause the results to fade faster.
Another factor to consider is different substances found in sweat – salt can dry out the pigments and accelerate their extraction.
Along those lines, saltwater like the ocean can shorten the longevity of microblading results, while chemicals in swimming pools induce a chemical reaction that can result in microblading pigments fading faster or changing color.
So, physical activity and frequent swimming can affect how long microblading lasts.
4.Frequent Sunlight Exposure
Sunlight affects our skin in many ways. It’s a powerful force that induces a chemical reaction when PMU pigments are exposed to it. As a result, the pigments can change color or fade more quickly than they’re supposed to.
5. Certain Skincare Products and Facials
If you get microblading, you might have to adjust your skincare routine to PMU.
Some ingredients found in skincare products can shorten the lifespan of microblading, mainly retinol and acids. These ingredients accelerate cell turnover and thus speed up the loss of pigmented cells.
Likewise, the brow area shouldn’t be exfoliated, neither mechanically, nor through chemical peels.
6. Pigment Quality
This one is quite simple.
The better the pigment, the longer your microblading will last. You can generally tell how good the pigments are by the price of the treatment. Artists who charge more are likely to use top-quality supplies.
7. Your Overall System
Finally, none of these factors affect how long does microblading last as much as the state and general properties of your body do.
Some people’s immune systems are more sensitive to foreign objects (in this case, PMU pigments) than others, so their systems will work harder on extracting them. A curious phenomenon PMU artists have reported is that microblading sometimes lasts shorter on anemic clients if iron-oxide-based pigments are used – the iron deficiency in their bodies is relieved by absorbing the pigments.
Unfortunately, there is no way to know for sure how your body will treat the pigments beforehand.
