Why Eyebrow Tattoos Turn Grey, Blue or Red (And How to Fix It)

Has your brow tattoo colour change left you with grey, blue, or red tones? Don’t panic. Learn the real causes, avoid risky quick fixes, and discover the safest path to correction here.

Brow tattoo colour change is one of the most stressful concerns we see, often because the shift doesn’t happen overnight—it creeps up slowly. You might catch a glimpse of yourself in the car mirror or a candid photo and realise your soft brown brows have turned a harsh grey, an inky blue, or even a stubborn salmon red.

It is normal to feel worried that the colour shift can get worse over time or that fixing it might leave you with darker, heavier brows. However, there is a safe path forward that prioritises the health of your skin and the integrity of your face.

If your brows are shifting colour, this guide will help you understand exactly why it is happening, what not to do, and how to prepare for a safe solution.

(1) Diagnose the Problem Correctly

Before rushing into a solution, we must clear up the confusion. There is a lot of misinformation online about why brow tattoos discolour, and believing it can lead to expensive mistakes.

Misconception #1: “It’s just bad ink.”

Description: Many clients assume that if their brows turned grey or red, the artist must have used “cheap” or “expired” pigment.

Consequence: You might blame the product and try to fix it by simply going to an artist who claims to use “better” ink, without addressing the underlying skin issue.

How to recognise it: Even the highest quality pigments can shift colour if implanted incorrectly or if they interact poorly with your skin chemistry.

Misconception #2: “I just need a touch-up to warm it up.”

Description: The belief that layering a warm colour (like orange or yellow) over a grey brow will instantly cancel it out.

Consequence: While colour theory works, adding more ink to an already saturated brow often results in a “muddy” look that is even harder to remove later.

How to recognise it: If your brows are already dark and dense, adding more pigment will only make them darker, not lighter or softer.

Misconception #3: “It will eventually fade away completely.”

Description: Thinking that if you just wait long enough, the grey, blue, or red residue will vanish on its own.

Consequence: You delay seeking professional advice while the pigment settles deeper. Some chemical components (like carbon or titanium dioxide) are extremely stable and may never leave the skin without intervention.

How to recognise it: If it has been more than 3 years and the odd colour is still distinct, it is unlikely to fade away naturally.

(2) The Real Mechanism (Simple Explanation)

Why do brow tattoos change colour over time? It isn’t magic; it is physics and biology. To understand your brows, you only need to understand one simple model.

Think of your skin like a tinted window. When pigment is fresh, it sits near the surface and looks true to colour. As the skin heals over it, your epidermis (the top layer) acts like a filter. If your skin has cool undertones or if the pigment is deep, the "window" is thicker and tints the colour blue or grey.

(3) Real Causes & Safe Fixes (MAIN SECTION)

Here are the five most common reasons for colour shift and the safest ways to handle them. Read this carefully to see which one applies to you.

Cause #1: The “Tyndall Effect” (Implanted Too Deep)

a) How to recognise it: The brows look cool-toned—ranging from charcoal grey to distinct blue or even green-black. The strokes may look blurred or “blown out,” lacking crisp definition.

b) Why it happens: When pigment is placed too deep in the dermis, the blue light waves are scattered while red light is absorbed by the skin. This optical illusion makes dark brown pigment look blue, similar to how a vein looks blue under the skin.

c) Safe way to handle it: Do not add more brown on top. The safest fix usually involves lightening the density first (via laser or saline removal) to bring the pigment closer to the surface before correcting the colour.

d) When you should NOT intervene: If the skin is still healing (less than 8 weeks post-procedure). Intervention on healing skin can cause scarring.

Cause #2: Oxidisation of Iron Oxides (Turning Red/Salmon)

a) How to recognise it: Your brows have faded significantly, but they have left behind a rusty, pink, orange, or salmon-red shadow.

b) Why it happens: Many traditional pigments use Iron Oxides. Over time, the black and yellow components of the brown mix fade faster, leaving the red iron component behind. It is essentially “rusting” in the skin.

c) Safe way to handle it: This is often the easiest to correct. If the saturation is low (pale pink), a colour corrector (olive/green toner) can often be used to neutralise the red back to brown. [DATA NEEDED on specific success rates of different wavelengths].

d) When you should NOT intervene: If the red is still very dense and opaque. Neutralising a dense red brow can result in a heavy, solid block of colour.

Cause #3: Ashy Fade from Carbon-Based Pigments

a) How to recognise it: The brows look like a soft grey shadow or "pencil lead" grey. It isn’t blue, just dull and lifeless.

b) Why it happens: Carbon-based (organic) pigments are very stable and long-lasting. However, because they don’t contain red iron oxides, when they fade, they lack warmth. The skin’s natural exfoliation removes the warmth, leaving the grey carbon base.

c) Safe way to handle it: A warming toner (a specialized warm pigment session) can restore life to the brows. This adds the missing red/orange tones back into the grey base.

d) When you should NOT intervene: If the shape is uneven or too thick. Warming up a bad shape just gives you a warm bad shape.

Cause #4: Ultraviolet (UV) Light Exposure

a) How to recognise it: You notice a sudden shift or rapid fading after summer or a holiday. The colour might look “bleached” or oddly shifted.

b) Why it happens: UV rays break down the chemical bonds in the pigment molecules. This can cause some colours in the mix to vanish while others remain, altering the visible hue.

c) Safe way to handle it: Prevention is key for the future, but for now, assessment is needed. If the damage is uneven, you may need a unification session to balance the tone.

d) When you should NOT intervene: Immediately after a sunburn. The skin is inflamed and immune-active; tattooing it now will cause poor retention and pain.

Cause #5: Skin Composition & Health Changes

a) How to recognise it: Your brows were fine for years, but recently the colour seems to have turned dull or cool, coincident with skin texture changes (oiliness, large pores, or thinning skin).

b) Why it happens: Oily skin tends to blur pigment faster, causing a cool/grey cast (the “blur” effect). As we age, skin thins, which can make underlying cool blood vessels impact the visual colour of the tattoo.

c) Safe way to handle it: We must adjust the technique for your current skin, not the skin you had 5 years ago. This might mean softer powder styles rather than crisp microblading.

d) When you should NOT intervene: If you are currently undergoing hormonal treatments or taking medication that affects skin sensitivity (like Roaccutane) without medical clearance.

Reverse Thinking — “Quick Fixes” That Make Colour Shift Worse

When you see blue or red brows, your instinct is to fix it fast. However, in the correction world, fast often equals risky. Here are three things you might be tempted to do, and why you should reconsider.

1. The “Skin Coloured Ink” Camouflage

• Why it’s wrong: Tattooing flesh-toned pigment over a dark brow looks like applying thick concealer that never washes off. Over time, it turns yellow or chalky white.
• Safer reverse alternative: Removal or lightening sessions (laser/saline) to lift the darkness out, rather than covering it up.
• Desired outcome: A clean canvas, not a patchy, chalky mess.

2. High-Contrast Laser Without a Test Patch

• Why it’s wrong: Hitting certain cosmetic pigments with laser can instantly turn them bright red or neon yellow (oxidisation) if the practitioner isn't experienced with cosmetic chemistry.
• Safer reverse alternative: A professional consultation that includes a thorough history of your pigments and potentially a test spot.
• Desired outcome: Controlled fading without neon surprises.

3. Adding “Just a Bit More” Black/Dark Brown

• Why it’s wrong: You cannot hide a blue undertone by adding more dark cool brown. It will heal even bluer and darker.
• Safer reverse alternative: Using warm modifiers to neutralise the cool tone, not darken it.
• Desired outcome: A soft brown brow, not a black sharpie line.

Quick Self-Assessment

How severe is your colour shift? Give yourself a score (0–2) for each question to see where you stand.

0 = No / False | 1 = Somewhat | 2 = Yes / True

1. Do your brows look grey, blue, or red even in indoor lighting? (Score: __)
2. Is the shape of the brow also blurry or too thick? (Score: __)
3. Have you had more than 3 sessions (including top-ups) on your brows? (Score: __)
4. Does the colour look solid, like a block of paint, rather than soft pixels? (Score: __)
5. Do you feel you need heavy makeup to hide the colour? (Score: __)
6. Are you afraid that another tattoo session will make it worse? (Score: __)
7. Do you have no idea what brand of pigment was used originally? (Score: __)

7-Day Plan Before Deciding to Correct

If you are panicking about your brows, take a breath. Immediate action is rarely the best action. Follow this 7-day plan to ensure your next step is a safe one.

The Safe Path Forward

Dealing with brow tattoo colour change can feel isolating, but please know that you are not alone. Thousands of women experience this as the PMU industry evolves. The most important thing is to avoid panic-decisions.

A hypothetical example of what we want to avoid: A client (let’s call her Sarah, hypothetical example) notices her brows turning blueish-grey. She goes to a new artist who promises to “warm it up” and tattoos a heavy orange pigment over the top. Six months later, the orange fades, leaving a patchy, muddy mix of blue and salmon that is now too dense to fix without removal.

We want to save you from that cycle. If your brows are changing colour and you are not sure what to do next, pausing for a consultation is often the safest choice.

Let’s map out a plan that restores your confidence, not just your colour.

Book your private 1–1 consultation here to assess your brows and the safest next step:
https://aestheticbyreese.com.au/product/private-consultation/