Bleaching Your Brows Can Be Dangerous — How To Mimic The Look, Sans Bleach

Recently, another brow trend has returned from the '90s capsule with a vengeance—bleached brows. This DIY look is all the rage, but as brow expert Joey Healy told me during my most recent eyebrow tuneup, it may not be the safest in terms of brow health. No fear: Here's an alternative method you may want to consider before going all in with bleach and a spoolie. 

While accessibility is a major benefit, we can't ignore the obvious: Bleach isn't the best ingredient for the health of your brows. What's more, it's almost impossible to prevent the bleach from touching your skin, which (as you might guess) is extremely dangerous as it can lead to a burn, rash, and irritation—especially for those with sensitive skin. That's why the celeb set see licensed professionals before sporting bleached brows; it's very unlikely that they're bleaching from home.

Luckily, you don't have to commit to a permanent or semi-permanent look or sacrifice the health of your fragile brow hairs. Simply call upon the transformative power of makeup. Here, a step-by-step guide for lightening your brows, sans bleach. 

When you do this, make sure to start with clean brows. If you try to mess with your brow shape when you already have a pencil or cream product on, you'll be deceiving yourself and may end up over-plucking (and not in the '90s-chic way).

You can use a brush, your fingers, or a makeup sponge to lightly blend the concealer across the brow. Depending on your brow density and color, you may need to go back in and apply a bit more product. But the goal is for your brows to look, you know, bleached.

At this point, you'll want to decide if you want to go for platinum white brows, a blond-ish hue, or a smoky, light gray tint. This is where experimentation and trial and error come in. It may take a few tries to find your perfect shade, but the end result will surely pay off. 

Finally, if you adore the final bleached brow look and want to commit to dyeing them, you may want to consider seeing a professional to avoid any unnecessary incidents—skin rashes and brittle brows included. 

The bleached brow trend has returned from the '90s, but it's not necessarily the safest bandwagon to hop on. Bleach can cause skin irritation and damage the hairs on your brows, two things you'll want to avoid if you're looking to play around with brow trends in the future. Instead, try using concealer and a tinted shadow to recreate the look safely. And if you must bleach your brows, remember to be careful, seek out professional help, and never let the bleach sit on your skin. Now if you're looking to optimize your brows as they are, pre-bleach or otherwise, check out these three nonnegotiable tips from a brow expert to get started.