How to Bleach Your Eyebrows

A straightforward guide on changing the shade of your eyebrows

Co-authored by Barbie Ritzman

Last Updated: June 2, 2024

Lightening your eyebrows with bleach is something you can do at home with a few simple tools and a little time. You'll need to have a steady hand, and the space in which to work. Whether you're wanting to try the dramatic runway look of bleaching your entire eyebrow, or simply using bleach to lighten and shape an unruly eyebrow, bleaching your eyebrows is a process you can do at home.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Bleach on Your Brows

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1
Pull your hair away from your face. You can use a headband or a towel to keep your hair in place, or you can put longer hair into a tight ponytail. This will keep you from accidentally getting bleach on other hair.
- 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.
2
Remove makeup from your brows. Removing any makeup, dirt or oil from your skin before bleaching will help your bleaching be successful. To clean the tender area around your eyes, apply a make-up remover and wipe the makeup off.^{[1]
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- 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.
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3
Mix the bleaching powder and developer. If your hair bleach is one of several popular commercial products, it will contain bleaching powder, liquid developer/peroxide, and an instruction manual for use. You should follow the instructions on how to do the mixing process, which will result in a creme that you can put on your eyebrows.
- 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.
4
Test the bleach creme on your jawline. Doing a patch test to see how your skin will interact with the bleach will keep you from accidentally injuring yourself. Make sure you only use bleach creme intended for facial bleaching, because the skin on your face is more delicate than other areas.
- 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.
5
Apply the mixture. Usually, commercial bleaching creme comes with a small applicator. You can also use a cotton swab if you've lost your applicator, or your bleaching creme doesn't come with one. You'll need to be gentle, but accurate, as you apply the creme to the eyebrow hairs you want bleached.
- Don't rub the creme into your skin.
- Make sure the parts of your eyebrows you want bleached are covered evenly and completely.
6
Keep an eye on the clock. If this is the first time you've bleached your eyebrows, you might want to only leave the mixture on your eyes for a minute or two. Remember that the time that the bleach is on you eyes starts with the very first touch of the bleach.
- 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.
7
Wipe away the creme from your eyebrows. A warm, wet washcloth is best for wiping off the bleaching product. Be careful not to rub your skin, which may be irritated by the bleach.^{[2]
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- 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.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Creating Your Perfect Eyebrows

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1
Shape your eyebrows after 24 hours. Wait a while before shaping to avoid irritation. Using slanted-edge tweezers, pluck your eyebrows into the shape you prefer. Your eyebrows should frame your eyes, and so use your eyes as a guide for how to shape your brows. Your eyebrows should be poised directly above your tear duct, and the high point of your brow's arch should be in line with the outer side of your iris. The other end of your eye brow should end just outside an imaginary line drawn from the outer corner of your eye.^{[3]
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- 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.
2
Use good lighting and a regular mirror. Magnifying mirrors can overemphasize your eyebrows, and you might pluck too many. Using a regular mirror in a well-lit room is the best way to pluck your eyebrows.
- 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.
3
Know where you will apply bleaching creme. Many people choose to only apply bleach to the tops of their eyebrows, where plucking may result in unnatural looking lines. If you use bleach on the tops of your eyebrows, the result is a natural looking eyebrow where stray or dark hairs are lightened.
- 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.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Lightening Your Brows Without Bleach

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1
Use hydrogen peroxide. If you don't want to use bleach creme, or you want to just try out what lighter brows would be like, try using 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. Dip a cotton swab into the liquid solution, and apply it to the areas of your eyebrow you'd like to lighten.
- 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.
2
Lighten your brows with chamomile tea. If you prefer using natural products over chemicals, try combining chamomile tea with lemon juice. To make the tea, pour a cup of boiling water over a chamomile tea bag and allow to steep for 1 hour. Mix in an equal portion of lemon juice, and stir well.
- Apply with a cotton swab to your eyebrows.
- Repeat every day to gradually lighten your eyebrows.
3
Color your brows with a pencil or gel. A brow pencil a few shades lighter than your current eyebrow shade will make your eyebrows appear lighter. If your eyebrows are dark brown, however, this may not work.^{[4]
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- 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.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you bleach your eyebrows naturally?

Barbie Ritzman
Beauty & Skincare Specialist
Barbie Ritzman is a Beauty Specialist, Influencer, and the Owner of Barbie’s Beauty Bits. With over 10 years of experience in the beauty industry, she specializes in skincare and aesthetics. Barbie studied marketing at Tidewater Community College and holds a Certificate from the Media Buying Academy. For her work, she’s won Beauty Influencer of the Year - The USA and was featured in “The Allure 50,” which includes the year’s 50 most influential people in the beauty industry.

Barbie Ritzman

Beauty & Skincare Specialist

Expert Answer

Apply lemon juice to your eyebrows! The natural acidity of the lemon juice can help lighten the hair over time. Apply fresh lemon juice to your eyebrows using a cotton ball and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing it off. Just keep in mind that this method may not produce significant results, and remember to moisturize your eyebrows afterward to prevent dryness.

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Question

How can I temporarily make my eyebrows lighter?

Barbie Ritzman
Beauty & Skincare Specialist
Barbie Ritzman is a Beauty Specialist, Influencer, and the Owner of Barbie’s Beauty Bits. With over 10 years of experience in the beauty industry, she specializes in skincare and aesthetics. Barbie studied marketing at Tidewater Community College and holds a Certificate from the Media Buying Academy. For her work, she’s won Beauty Influencer of the Year - The USA and was featured in “The Allure 50,” which includes the year’s 50 most influential people in the beauty industry.

Barbie Ritzman

Beauty & Skincare Specialist

Expert Answer

Use an eyebrow pencil that is a lighter shade than your current eyebrow hair, or try a brow gel (which comes in various shades from light brown to blonde). You can also use concealer to lighten your eyebrows.

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Question

I have black eyebrows to match my black hair, and I'm not allowed to remove my eyebrows in my culture. I thought I should bleach the parts that I don't like over summer. Are there any tips to help?

Community Answer

Bleaching your hair is a great way to conceal hairs you don't want and cannot remove. Just be cautious when you do bleach it and not accidentally bleach hairs that you want to keep. A good idea is to get it bleached professionally to avoid accidents. Instead of bleaching, you can also try high coverage foundations to wear out. Try MAC Studio Sculpt, Estee Lauder's Double Wear, L'Oreal Infallible Lasting Perfecting Foundation or any maximum coverage foundations from your local drugstore. Just make sure to swatch test it and buy the most suitable type for your skin.

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Tips

Bleach both brows at the same time to get a consistent color on each.

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Warnings

Keep any lightener or bleach away from your eyes. If any bleach accidentally gets into your eye, rinse it out immediately with water. If you feel any discomfort or notice anything unusual in your vision afterward, contact your doctor.

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