Even if you have very short hair, pulling it back from your face is a good idea, as stray hairs are likely to distract you. Use bobby pins, headbands, or hair clips to pull short hair and bangs out of the way. Eyebrow bleaching is very detailed work, requiring your full attention.
If you’ve just had a shower, wait before bleaching your brows. Warm water and steam can make your skin more susceptible to irritation from bleaching.
Mix your powder and developer in a glass bowl, or another non-reactive container. Stir it with a cotton swab until it’s a smooth consistency.
If you have very sensitive skin, use a milder bleach creme that’s labeled for sensitive skin. Testing the bleach creme on other body hair may also show the speed at which your hair will lighten, allowing for a more predictable lightening experience when you bleach your brows.
Don’t rub the creme into your skin. Make sure the parts of your eyebrows you want bleached are covered evenly and completely.
You can always apply more bleach, but once your eyebrows are bleached you’ll have to wait for them to grow back before you can reapply. Leave the bleach on your skin for no longer than 10 minutes, no matter how dark your brows are or how light you want them to be.
Make sure to get all the bleach off. Once you’ve wiped your brows well, look at your eyes in the mirror and check the results. If you need to reapply the bleaching creme, you can do this now. If you are pleased with the results, wash your face with a mild cleanser. This will remove any last traces of bleach.
Taking a shower or bath before shaping your eyebrows will open your hair follicles, making plucking easier. If plucking is painful, consider applying a topical numbing creme to your brows prior to plucking. If you’re unhappy with the shape of your brows, wait 3 weeks before plucking again to avoid over-plucking. If you like the shape, pluck away any stray hairs once a week.
Take a step back periodically to see your eyebrows from a distance. This will give you a better sense of what your brows look like to other people. Remember, other people will only be looking at your eyebrows in ordinary light.
Bleaching can also be used to lighten any hairs between your two eyebrows. Be very careful whenever applying any chemical near your eyes. If you accidentally get bleach creme in your eyes, rinse with water immediately.
Hydrogen peroxide is an easily obtained, inexpensive product that’s available in drug stores, pharmacies, or with first aid products. Leave it on for a few minutes the first time you apply it, then wipe it off. If you want, reapply every day, which will result in a gradual lightening of your eyebrows. If your brows are very dark, hydrogen peroxide will turn them a reddish-brown color instead of blonde.
Apply with a cotton swab to your eyebrows. Repeat every day to gradually lighten your eyebrows.
You can also use lighter colored eyeshadows around your eyebrows to maintain a lighter look. Brow gel that’s several shades lighter than your current shade can also create the effect of a lighter eyebrow.
