Combo Brows
Crisp strokes at the front, soft shading through the body and tail.
What it is
Combo brows use two techniques in one appointment. Crisp hair strokes are placed through the front of the brow where you want to see texture, and soft shading is built through the body and tail where you want density. The result has the structure of a defined brow without the flat, blocked-in look that solid shading alone can give.
Is it right for you?
A good fit if
- You want more definition than hair strokes alone can hold
- Combination skin — neither fully oily nor fully dry
- Your brows are sparse through the body but have hair at the front
- You want a look that reads as groomed and finished
Not right if
- You want an entirely makeup-free, undetectable result — plain hair strokes suit that better
- Active skin conditions through the brow
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
Your skin, specifically
- Skin tone
- Works across all skin tones, but the approach changes. On deeper skin (Fitzpatrick IV–VI) the risk is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and pigment healing ashy or grey, so we choose warmer pigment bases, work shallower and build in more than one session rather than forcing saturation in a single sitting. On very fair skin the opposite applies — cool-based pigments can heal grey, so warmth is added deliberately. A patch test is available for anyone who wants one.
- Skin type
- Oily skin pushes out crisp detail: hair strokes blur and soften faster, so powder, ombre and combo techniques hold much better and are what we normally recommend. Dry and normal skin holds fine individual strokes beautifully. Combination skin usually does well with a combo approach — strokes at the front, shading through the body.
- Age & skin maturity
- Younger skin is firmer and holds pigment crisply, but also regenerates fast, so colour can fade sooner than expected. Mature skin is thinner and more delicate — we work with a lighter hand, softer shapes and expect a gentler result, which is usually what suits the face anyway. Skin that has had a lot of sun over the years tends to hold pigment less predictably regardless of age.
Before & after care
Before your appointment
- Skip alcohol and caffeine for 24 hours — both thin the blood and increase bleeding, which pushes pigment back out during the appointment.
- Stop retinol, glycolic and other actives on the area for 7 days.
- No waxing, threading, tinting or lamination for 7 days beforehand.
- Avoid sun exposure and tanning for 2 weeks — pigment cannot be matched accurately to burnt or freshly tanned skin.
- If you take blood thinners or have a medical condition affecting healing, tell us before booking so we can plan around it.
- Come with your brows or lips as they normally are. Seeing your everyday shape helps the mapping.
Aftercare
- Keep the area dry for 7–10 days. No swimming, sauna, steam rooms or long hot showers.
- Do not pick, scratch or peel the flaking — lifting a scab early lifts the pigment with it and leaves a patch.
- Blot, do not rub. Apply the aftercare balm in a thin layer exactly as directed; too much suffocates the skin.
- No makeup, sunscreen or skincare directly on the area until it has finished flaking.
- Sleep on your back if you can for the first few nights.
- No exercise that makes you sweat heavily for 7 days — salt in sweat fades fresh pigment.
- Once healed, wear SPF on the area daily. Sun is the single biggest cause of premature fading.
Common questions
How is this different from microblading?
Microblading is strokes only. Combo adds shading behind those strokes, which holds far better on skin that is not perfectly dry and gives a more defined, finished look.
Will it look too heavy?
Density is your decision and we map it before any pigment goes in. Combo can be built very soft or quite bold — we agree the level at the start and you see the mapping before we begin.
Does it last longer than microblading?
Generally yes. The shaded portion holds pigment better than fine strokes, so combo tends to hold shape for 18–24 months versus 12–18.