Doing Henna Brows or Brow tints are quickly becoming one of the hottest trends in eyebrow tinting. How great would it be to wake up in the morning and have your eyebrows already good to go? As many spa professionals have been offering professional brow tinting to clients for years and, clients tend to be confused about choosing henna brow or Brow tint. This article will explore everything else about henna brows vs brow tint. 

What are Henna brows ?

Henna brows are a form of eyebrow tinting that is used to stain the skin beneath the brow hairs. The purpose of this is to cast a shadow or create an illusion of depth and fullness in the area, visually filling in any sparseness.

Henna is a natural dye made from a plant known as hina or the henna tree. Henna has been around since ancient Egyptian times when it was used for many purposes such as dyeing hair, clothes, fabrics and as make up.

The process for henna brows is very similar to henna colouring methods you may see in traditional Indian culture, however the shades have been formulated to cater for eyebrow tones.

About Henna

Henna is a plant and is grown in hot climates. It has been used for thousands of years, primarily in India but also in other hot desert countries such as the Middle East and Africa. It has been used for body art, a method of cooling the skin, and for dying natural fabrics including silk, wool and leather. The art of Mehndi (body design using Henna) has been practiced by Hindus for over 5000 years and is traditionally used for special occasions such as weddings.

What is a Brow tint ?

A brow tint is essentially the same as a regular hair dye but for the eyebrows. Tints color the hair but have little to no effect on the skin. This means that they cannot be used to shape the eyebrow in the same way as henna dyes can.

They simply enhance the natural color of your brows and hence give them more definition.

It goes without saying but you should never use normal hair dye on your eyebrows as this is far too strong to be used in such a sensitive area of the face.

Henna brows vs Brow tint

Which one is better: Brow henna or brow tinting? A very legit question! If you are interested in brow Henna or brow tinting, here are the differences 

Henna Brows Last Longer Than Tint

Henna brow is perfect for those who have slightly sparse eyebrows as it stains the skin to create a powder filled in look.  It lasts a lot longer than your average eyebrow tint. Henna brow tint can last up to 5-7 weeks on the hair and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to develop in the salon.

With brow tint, any staining of the skin is minimal. If it does happen, it will last for 1-3 days at most. The overall effect will last for 2-3 weeks.

Henna Brows Are More Natural Than Tint

Since high-quality henna dyes are made wholly or mostly of ground henna leaves and distilled water, many henna dyes have other ingredients to expand the range of colors.

With high-quality henna dyes, any additional ingredients will also be plant-based. For example, high-quality black henna dye will usually be colored with indigo. Tints are generally based on plant dyes. They do, however, usually include other chemicals, sometimes very harsh ones.

Most tints use peroxide as an activator. Some also use ammonia and/or lead.

Henna brow sparse brows and brow tint for thin, sparse brows

Women with sparse brows, as it colours the skin to create a powder-filled look. Those with sensitive skin are generally well suited to this due to its natural ingredients.

Brow Tint is for women with thin, sparse brows seeking instant fullness. Women with extremely sparse brows may not be suitable candidates (Brow Tint or Brow Henna may be more suitable in this instance). Those with super oily skin may not be the best fit.

Henna Brows are kinder to  hair  than Tint

Henna moisturizes, nourishes, and conditions your hair (and skin) while coloring it. Tints, by contrast, will dry your eyebrow hair and possibly also dry the skin behind it.

You can counterbalance this, at least to some extent, by using conditioning treatments. These treatments may, however, cause the tint to fade even faster.

Henna has many shapes than tint

Henna also  comes in a variety of shades, almost Double the amount of regular tinting with 10 different shades to choose from to ensure you have the best colour to highlight your facial features.

Henna has longer time of process than tint

Henna brows requires a longer time at the salon to get done while tint requires a shorter amount of time in doing it. 

Therefore if you just don’t have the time in the salon for henna brows and want to solely dye the brow hair only, tinting is the best for you 

Benefits of Henna brows vs Brow tint

• Tints hair and skin for a fuller brow look
• More natural – no peroxide needed
• Better for sensitive skins
• Penetrates the hair follicle and stains the skin so lasts longer
• Saves time filling in sparse or uneven brows

Benefits of Eyebrow Tinting

For those who prefer their brows to look full and want to simplify their routines, there are several reasons you may decide to give eyebrow tinting a try. If you like the result, it may be easier than ever to get your brows looking just how you want them.

• Fuller-looking brows
• More youthful appearance
• Defines brow shape
• Darkens light brow hairs
• Results last up to a month
• Pain-free brow enhancement
• Smudge-proof
• Symmetrical brows

Do’s and Don’t for henna brows

A more permanent alternative is to have microblading or semi-permanent make up which are both forms of brow tattooing.

Do’s

• Make sure you paint the henna on perfectly and protect any surrounding skin with a Vaseline based barrier
• Choose the correct colour
• Perform a patch test as a colour containing PPD may have to be mixed into your lighter colour for tone
• Remove henna from the bulb area sooner to avoid a blocky hard look
• Use brow fix after the treatment daily to seal in colour and make the result last longer
• Use your henna as a template to practice your makeup application over the top. The more you practice the quicker you will familiarise yourself with the shape and designing your brow makeup will be easier.

Don’t

• Fake tan a week before or directly after
• Have it done the day before an important event
• Use harsh cleansing products or products with retinol in it around the brow area. These products exfoliate the skin and will remove the henna faster.