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Need to make a change to your eyebrows but not sure how to do it? Trying to figure out henna vs tint eyebrows?

Totally overwhelmed thinking about henna brows vs tint brows vs microblading vs brow lamination vs a thousand other options? 

I got you. Let’s take a look at the differences and figure out what the best choice is for you. 

Why do people use henna brows or tint brows?

What henna brows and tint brows have in common is that they both give you a stronger, more defined brow that is permanent or semi-permanent. If you struggle to keep full-looking brows and you’re sick of doing your brows with makeup, one of these options may be right for you. (If you’re looking for brow pen reviews, though, I’ve covered some on this blog.)

People who are reaching for either a henna brow or a tint brow are not satisfied with their natural brows. They may feel that they have patchy, weak, undefined, or sparse brows. Or, they may have very fair brows that are too light to define their face. 

(If you were a tween and teenager in the late 90s like I was…you also may be looking for a solution to overplucking!)

Both henna and tint brows are semi-permanent and will give you a long-term color change. If you’re a no-makeup girl who doesn’t want to do her brows with makeup every day, this is a longer-term solution for a fuller look. 

Henna and Brow Tint vs Microblading and Powder Brows vs Lamination

Okay — there are a zillion trending brow treatments right now, and this post is really only about henna brows and brow tints, but I think you need to know the difference between all these terms first. 

Microblading and powder (or ombre) brows are both long-term, tattoo-like brow techniques. They’re not exactly tattoos! But just like a tattoo, a small wound is created in the skin and pigment is placed into it. The microbladed brows are trendier right now, and they last 1-2 years. That’s where a scratch or slash is created in the skin under the eyebrow, and pigment is added to resemble an eyebrow hair. Powder brows don’t simulate that hair texture the way microblading does, and they last longer. These are both classified as permanent makeup. 

Henna and brow tint are dye-based solutions that both last 2-4 weeks. We’ll come back to these. 

And brow lamination — I’m including this because people are doing it, and it’s often paired with a tint. So, people see “tint + lamination” on social media and think that brow lamination changes the colors of their brow. It doesn’t! It’s basically a tiny perm on your eyebrow hairs that makes them grow straight and up. (That “laminated shape” that I think of as very 2023 is a result of the technique used. You could have a brow lamination that doesn’t give you that soap brows shape.)

So, if you’re thinking about henna vs tint eyebrows, let’s be clear about what we’re talking about: changing the color and definition of your brows with dye, in a way that you’ll need to redo once or twice a month. 

Henna brow basics

So, henna brows are when you dye your eyebrows with henna dye. Henna is a natural dye that has been used for thousands of years. (Have you ever seen the beautiful, intricate dyed patterns they do on the hands and arms of Indian brides? That dye is from henna too!) 

A henna brow tint uses natural henna, combined with water and an acid like tea to make a henna paste. The paste is applied thickly to your brows, given some processing time, and then removed. 

Henna brow tinting has a few features that make it a little different than using a hair dye. (Like in brow tints — we’ll get there!) In addition to dying the brow hairs, henna can also dye the skin under the brow. This creates a fuller and denser look. The dye will last longer in the hair than in the skin. Expect the skin stain to last 1-2 weeks, and the dyed hairs to last 4-6 weeks. 

This difference — having dyed skin+ dyed brows two weeks a month and dyed brows only two weeks of the month — is appealing to some people and not to others. Some people would enjoy the variety that comes with henna tinting. But others might not like that they look different in different periods. 

Because it’s a natural product, henna comes in limited shades that are all based in red. (It’s possible to get a true black from henna. BUT I will say from experience: read a zillion reviews of the black shade specifically before you buy, because many will still pull red.) You can get warm medium brown or darker, and several shades of red in almost any brand.

A box of henna can be bought at Target or on Amazon pretty inexpensively, and henna brows do not require you to add developer. So that single box will probably last you a year to a year and a half depending on how frequently you re-do your brows. 

Who should get a henna brow? 

Because of the way that henna can stain the skin under the eyebrows, henna is a great choice if you’re looking for more of a change to your eyebrow shape. Henna is also a great choice if you have very sparse eyebrows where just changing the color of the hair isn’t going to be enough. 

Depending on your natural skin tone, henna may or may not be right for you. It tends to look more reddish as it washes away. If that suits your coloring, it can be great! But for my fellow soft summers, it’s going to clash with our cool complexions. If you’ve done your color analysis and you know that you run cool-toned, you’re going to get the best results from a brow tint where you have more control over color undertones.

However, if henna works with your natural coloring, it can get a truly beautiful depth of colour. A henna eyebrow tint on warm-toned girls can be so gorgeous. 

Can you DIY henna brows?

​Yes, easily. If your heart is set on henna, you’re probably better off with DIY as it’s much more difficult to find in salons. 

It’s always a good idea to do a patch test the first time you use a product like henna — you don’t want to have an allergic reaction! (The same is true for both though, henna vs tint eyebrows.)

I would love to write a whole post on this someday but in the meantime, here’s a YouTube video for DIY henna brows. I picked this creator because she talks about how to clean her brows and discusses her oily skin, so follow her prep steps closely. The white paste is definitely not necessary. I typically use vaseline. (It’s worth noting that she says in the comments that the henna only lasted 2 weeks on her because her skin runs so oily.)

Brow Tint Basics

A brow tint is a very similar process to a henna brow, just done with semi-permanent dye. The application process is more or less the same. 

This is considered the traditional brow tint, and if you’ve ever colored your hair more than a few shades away from your natural color, you’ve probably already experienced it. The traditional tint would have you select a hair dye color, and you or your stylist will mix up a tiny amount of that dye. 

Just like box dye, a traditional eyebrow tint requires a developer, so you’re mixing a dye concentrate with an additional substance that opens the eyebrow hairs. 

Because there’s no staining of the skin underneath, a regular brow tint results in more natural-looking brows. Again, it’s up to you if that’s a good thing or not! Some might prefer the bolder brows associated with henna.

Who should get a brow tint?

One of the biggest differences between the two options is the different shades that are available for regular brow tinting. If you want a light brown or blond, that isn’t really going to be available to you in henna. Similarly, if you know you need a cool-toned color, you’re going to want to restrict yourself to regular dye for your brow tint. (I wrote a post about cool-toned dye options a while back!) This is one of the most individual questions for henna v tint eyebrows.

Brow tints are generally cheaper! You can get the dye more cheaply than than henna these days.

Can you DIY a brow tint? 

(I guess I just answered this above but) Yes, totally. If you’re looking to stay on top of your brow game for like $8 a year, this is the way.

The obligatory disclaimer: it’s safer to choose the Just for Men dye, because it’s milder. Most box dyes will specifically say not to use them on your face, and beard dyes are chemically weaker. And it’s incredibly important to patch test, because if you have an allergic reaction, you’re going to have it on your face!

Just for Men is probably a better choice for first-timers anyway, because if you mess up or hate the color, it’ll be gone a lot faster.

(But honestly I just buy that box of hair dye and mix an even amount of the dye half and the developer half, then apply my eyebrow dye. I did patch test before I started. If you choose to do this, proceed with caution and be sure to patch test!)

Here’s a DIY tutorial from YouTube — this creator is the closest I could find to how I do this myself. I don’t use concealer like she does, but it’s a pretty good idea if you have trouble seeing the vaseline. This same technique will work for any type of dye. The technique is otherwise the same for henna vs tint eyebrows.

Just ordered the dye? Pin this post to come back when it arrives!