Getting your eyebrows done can be a treat, but unfortunately, it can also go wrong. In this guide, we show you exactly how to fix badly waxed eyebrows.
The way to fix badly waxed eyebrows depends on the problem. If your skin has reacted badly to them then you need to soothe it. If your eyebrows are misshapen or too thin, you have two options. Firstly, you can distract attention from your eyebrows, or secondly, you can use henna and/or makeup to create a new eyebrow shape.
Is Waxing Good Or Bad For Eyebrows?
Waxing is neither good nor bad for your eyebrow hair however it can be bad for the skin underneath your eyebrows.
The damage is, however, only temporary. Assuming you follow the correct process for waxing, you will simply experience some redness for a few hours after your treatment.
The exception to this is if you have particularly sensitive skin.
In this case, you may experience a much more severe reaction.
It will still only be temporary and it is highly unlikely to be dangerous. With that said, if your skin is sensitive, it may be better to look at threading and/or plucking instead of waxing.
How To Fix Badly Waxed Eyebrows
If badly waxed eyebrows have left you with damaged skin, then you need to help your skin to heal. If badly waxed eyebrows have left you with thin eyebrows and/or eyebrows in the wrong shape, the only way to fix it is to regrow your eyebrow hair. You can use henna and/or makeup to hide the damage while your hair regrows.
How to repair damaged skin
1. Use repairing creams
If your skin is badly damaged then you need to clean it with a very gentle cleanser (such as Cetaphil).
Then protect it with an antibacterial cream, a moisturizing salve (such as Cerave Healing Ointment), and sunscreen.
2. Stay out of the sun
Even with sunscreen, try to stay out of the sun. If you must go into it, wear a visor, peaked cap, or brimmed hat.
3. Moisturize
Keep your skin moisturized. Thick moisturizers may irritate it further so facial mists are usually the best option.
Look for a facial mist with healing properties. As your skin regrows, you can also apply Bio-Oil.
This will reduce the likelihood of scarring.
4. Avoid makeup
Avoid makeup for at least three days after your waxing treatment. After this try to use hypoallergenic makeup.
How to help your eyebrow hair to grow back
1. Take care of yourself
The most important step you can take to help your eyebrow hair to grow back is to take care of your health and wellness.
Like the hair on your head, your eyebrow hair reflects how well you look after yourself. Eat well, hydrate properly, and make sure you get enough sleep and plenty of exercise.
2. nutrition
If you’re looking to boost your hair growth, look for foods that are rich in Vitamins A, C, and E, and/or Biotin.
You might also want to consider taking vitamin supplements created to promote hair growth.
3. Use serums and oil
Externally, you can use hair-growth products such as serums, rosemary oil, and/or castor oil.
4. Resist touching your brows
Resist any temptation to wax, thread or pluck your eyebrows.
Hard as it may seem, you need to let your eyebrow hair grow back so that a professional can shape it properly.
If your hair is looking unruly, try combing it into place and then applying sealer.
Bonus tip
If you’re feeling down about the state of your eyebrows, try standing about 2 feet away from a mirror.
What you see in your reflection is what most people will see when they look at you.
Anyone standing closer than that will usually be someone you know well such as a family member or friend.
Will My Eyebrows Grow Back After A Bad Wax?
Your eyebrows will definitely grow back after a bad wax. They will generally take between one and two months to do so.
While you are waiting, you can use makeup to conceal the effect of a bad wax.
If, however, you have continual bad waxes (or overpluck) then you may damage your eyebrow hair too much for it to grow back.
Aftercare For Waxed Eyebrows
- Immediately after your eyebrows are waxed, you’ll almost certainly find that your skin goes red. A salon will probably apply cortisone cream to soothe it.
- At home, you can use non-fragranced aloe vera gel and/or cold compresses.
- Avoid using anything else on your skin until the redness has disappeared. This includes thick moisturizers.
- You should also stay away from intense heat, especially sunbeds, for a couple of days on each side of your eyebrow wax.
- Hold off using makeup, fragrances, and fragranced products until all the redness has gone. If you apply these while your skin is still red, they may sink too deeply into your skin. This can trigger irritation and lead to pimples.
Grooming for waxed eyebrows
Once the skin has healed, you should leave your eyebrows alone as much as you can.
If you really feel the urge to tidy up, put some vaseline or cocoa butter on your brows first.
Then comb your brows. This should let you see if hairs are actually growing out of place or if they just need a basic tidy-up.
If you absolutely must tidy your brows, try using scissors or an eyebrow razor.
These cut hair above the follicle. If it turns out you’ve made a mistake, it should correct itself fairly quickly.
If you think you were right to get rid of the hair, you can pluck it when it grows back.
Also, avoid dyeing your brows after a wax as this can increase irritation.
Carry on with your regular skin-care routine to keep your eyebrows moisturized. Top it up by putting a little castor oil on your eyebrows each night for extra nourishment.
How To Hide A Bad Eyebrow Wax
There are two main ways to hide a bad eyebrow wax. The first is to conceal it either with henna or with regular eye makeup. The second is to distract from it with a statement lip and/or jewelry.
If necessary, you can combine these two approaches to hide a bad eyebrow wax as thoroughly as possible.
How to hide a bad eyebrow wax with henna
There are two key reasons why henna is a very effective way to hide a bad eyebrow wax.
The first is that henna stains the skin as well as the hair. This means that it can be used to give the impression of a particular eyebrow shape.
The second is that henna nourishes your hair (and skin). Regular dyes, by contrast, can be very drying.
Henna tends to stain skin for 1-2 weeks. It can stain hair for anything up to 8 weeks. It will fade over that time but you can touch it up with regular eye makeup.
Henna brows can, therefore, be a really convenient way to hide a bad eyebrow wax.
How to hide a bad eyebrow wax with regular eye makeup
There are lots of ways to hide a bad eyebrow wax with regular eye makeup. Gel and pomade are both quick ways to stain your eyebrow area.
Using an eyebrow pencil in short, sharp strokes gives a more realistic effect. It will, however, probably only be noticed close up.
If possible, use waterproof makeup as it lasts for longer than non-waterproof makeup. Also, try to apply your eye makeup with a spoolie whenever possible.
You could even just comb your eyebrows through with a spoolie. Spoolies are great for creating the impression of thickness and depth.
How to hide a bad eyebrow wax with a statement lip
The classic rule in makeup is to have either statement eyes or a statement lip.
If you want to draw attention away from your eyebrows, then you definitely want to go for a statement lip.
If a bright red is too much for you, then consider bright and dark pinks. The key point is that it contrasts with your skin tone to give a bold, bright look.
How to hide a bad eyebrow wax with jewelry
Necklaces and earrings can both draw attention away from your eyes and towards your mouth and neck area.
If you’re using them with a statement lip, then you probably want to go for more discrete pieces.
If you’re using them instead of a statement lip then you can go bolder. You can also layer pieces.
When To See A Professional
If you had a bad eyebrow wax at a salon then go back immediately.
They may be able to fix it. If they can’t, they should be able to provide advice on what to do.
They will probably also be able to give you any products you need to do it.
If you had a bad eyebrow wax at home, then it’s best to wait at least a month before you go to a salon for eyebrow shaping.
You need to give your hairs time to grow long enough to be shaped. With that said, you can go to a salon for other eyebrow treatments to help disguise the bad eyebrow wax.
For example, you could have a henna brows treatment.