Butterfly You · Beauty Treatments
Semi-Permanent Eyebrows
Brows designed around your face — not a template.
Semi-permanent eyebrow tattooing can be a lovely option if your brows are sparse, uneven, have lost definition over time, or you simply want to spend less time filling them in every morning.
But this is a bigger decision than a tint or brow reshape — and it should feel like one.
We'll take time to understand the result you want, design a shape that works with your natural features and explain the process properly before anything permanent begins.
The goal isn't to give you somebody else's brows. It's to give you brows that make sense on you.
Why clients choose it
When regular brow maintenance isn't quite enough.
Semi-permanent brows can be helpful when you want more definition than a tint or lamination can realistically create.
You may be considering treatment because your brows feel sparse, the shape has become uneven, you find yourself drawing them in most days, or you simply want a more consistent result.
Whatever the reason, we'll start by looking at the brows you already have rather than assuming they need to be completely reinvented.
Natural-looking results start with restraint, good design and an honest conversation about what will suit you.
Your options
Which semi-permanent brow style is right for me?
You don't need to decide this before your appointment. Your natural brow hair, skin type and the finish you prefer will all help us decide which approach is most suitable.
Most natural
Hair-Strokes
Individual strokes of pigment are created to mimic the appearance of natural brow hairs, giving a soft, hair-like result rather than the look of filled-in makeup.
It can be particularly useful if your brows are sparse or you have areas where natural brow hair is missing.
Best for: clients wanting the most natural, hair-like effect.
Natural + defined
Combination
Combination brows bring hair strokes and soft shading together.
Hair strokes create natural-looking detail, while subtle shading adds extra depth and fullness where it's needed.
Best for: clients who want a natural-looking brow with slightly more definition and density.
Softly filled
Soft Powder
Soft Powder uses shading to build gentle colour and definition through the brow, similar to the effect you might create with brow powder or a soft pencil.
This technique can also be a good option for oily or mature skin, although we'll assess your individual skin and brows before recommending it.
Best for: clients who like a softly filled, more defined finish.
Soft front, defined tail
Ombré
Ombré uses a soft powder technique with a gradual change in intensity.
The front of the brow is kept lighter and softer, while the body and tail become more defined.
Best for: clients who like a polished brow but still want a softer beginning.
You don't need to know which technique you need before you come in. We'll look at your natural brows, skin and the result you'd like, then recommend the approach that makes the most sense for you.
The process
What happens before anything permanent begins?
The design stage is one of the most important parts of the treatment.
01
Consult
We talk about your current brows, your routine and the result you have in mind.
02
Assess
We look at your natural brow hair, facial proportions, skin and colouring.
Before & after
03
Map
Your proposed shape is carefully drawn and adjusted for symmetry, thickness and length.
04
Agree
You have time to look properly, ask questions and approve the shape before treatment.
05
Treat
Only once you're happy do we move on to creating your new brows.
Your first treatment
Consultation, Brow Mapping & Treatment
Up to 180 minutes · £230
Semi-permanent eyebrows are a two-part treatment.
Your first appointment includes an in-depth consultation and Brow Mapping, where we carefully design your proposed brow shape, considering symmetry, thickness, length, your natural brow hair and the result you'd like.
You'll be able to see and discuss the shape before tattooing begins. We can make adjustments at this stage — you don't need to accept a shape simply because we've drawn it.
Once we're both happy with the design, we'll move on to creating your new brows using the technique we've agreed.
Your £230 treatment includes this first appointment and your second treatment 4–6 weeks later.
Your second treatment
The Perfecting Appointment
Approximately 1½ hours · 4–6 weeks later
Once your brows have healed, we'll see you again for the second part of your treatment.
This appointment allows us to see how your skin has retained the pigment and how the colour and shape have settled after healing.
We can then perfect the result where needed, adding or reinforcing pigment rather than trying to judge everything from freshly treated brows at your first appointment.
This second appointment is an important part of completing your initial semi-permanent brow treatment.
Keeping your brows fresh
Maintenance Top-Ups
Approximately 1½–2 hours · £110
Semi-permanent brows gradually fade over time. If you'd like to maintain the colour and definition, you can return for a refresh appointment.
We generally recommend considering a maintenance top-up around 12–18 months, although everybody's brows fade differently and you may not need yours at exactly the same time.
If your brows need to be fully re-mapped or reshaped rather than simply refreshed, we'll need to allow additional appointment time and the price will be slightly higher. Please contact us first so we can advise you.
What does it feel like?
It's reasonable to ask whether it hurts.
Semi-permanent brow treatment does involve working in the skin, so it isn't the same experience as having your brows tinted or shaped.
People experience the sensation differently. Some describe it as scratching, pressure or repeated small movements rather than sharp pain.
We'll explain what to expect and work within the products, techniques and comfort measures appropriate to the treatment you have.
We won't promise that you'll feel absolutely nothing. We'd rather give you a realistic idea of the experience.
Healing & aftercare
Give your brows 28 days before judging the finished result.
Immediately after treatment, your brows can look darker and more defined than you expected. That's normal — what you see when you leave the salon isn't the final healed result.
Immediately after
Your brows may look darker, stronger and more defined than the healed result will eventually be.
During healing
The appearance can change as the skin settles and heals, and the pigment may look lighter or uneven at different stages.
Aftercare
We'll give you an aftercare serum to take home and email you clear instructions. Following them carefully is an important part of the healing process.
At around 28 days
Your brows should be fully healed and we can properly assess how the colour and shape have settled.
Semi-permanent brows can remain visible for approximately 1–3 years, but they're designed to fade. Your skin, lifestyle, sun exposure, skincare and individual pigment retention can all affect how quickly that happens.
“Becki has been doing my eyebrows at Butterfly You for 12 years and I finally decided to get semi-permanent hyper-realism brows. I couldn't be happier. Becki has a natural eye and is a perfectionist...”— Sophie, Butterfly You client
Before booking
Suitability comes first.
You'll need to complete a health questionnaire before booking so we can assess whether semi-permanent eyebrow tattooing is suitable for you.
There are health conditions, medications, skin situations, pregnancy or breastfeeding considerations, recent treatments and other circumstances that may affect whether treatment is appropriate or when it can be carried out.
Please give us accurate information so we can advise you safely and properly. If anything needs medical advice first, we'll tell you.
Questions you might have
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That is very much the aim.
A natural result doesn't mean every client has the same barely-there brow. It means the shape, colour and technique make sense with your face, your colouring and the brow hair you already have.
We'll spend time on the design before treatment begins and talk honestly about the finish you want.
The best semi-permanent brows should still look like they belong to you.
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Then we don't start the treatment yet.
The pre-draw and mapping stage exists so you can see the proposed shape before anything permanent is done. This is the time to say if you want something softer, fuller, higher, straighter or simply different.
I'd rather spend longer getting the design right than rush into a brow you're uncertain about.
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Colour is chosen to work with your natural colouring, existing brow hair and the type of result we're aiming for.
The pigment immediately after treatment can appear stronger than the eventual healed colour, so we'll choose with the healed result in mind rather than simply chasing an overly dark immediate finish.
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It would be misleading to promise that you'll feel nothing.
The treatment works within the skin, so most people are aware of sensation during the appointment. How it feels varies from person to person and can depend on the technique being used.
We'll explain what to expect before we begin and check on your comfort during treatment.
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Semi-permanent eyebrows can last approximately 1–3 years, but that doesn't mean they'll look exactly the same for that whole period.
The pigment gradually fades, and the speed varies depending on skin type, lifestyle, skincare, sun exposure and individual pigment retention.
Many clients choose a maintenance top-up at around 12–18 months to refresh colour and definition.
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Freshly treated brows can look stronger, darker and more defined than the final healed result.
As the area heals and the pigment settles, the appearance changes. Please allow around 28 days before judging the finished result.
Day one is not the finished brow.
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Yes — your initial treatment is designed as a two-part process.
Your second treatment is booked around 4–6 weeks later and allows us to assess how the pigment has healed, then perfect the result where needed.
After that, you may choose maintenance top-ups over time as your brows gradually fade.
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Potentially, yes — but timing matters.
Once your brows are fully healed, you may still want surrounding natural hairs shaped or maintained over time.
We'll tell you when it's appropriate to return to your normal brow routine so you don't interfere with freshly treated skin.
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No, and that's why the health questionnaire and consultation matter.
There are health conditions, medications, skin situations and other circumstances that may affect whether treatment is appropriate or when it can be carried out.
This isn't the sort of treatment where we should ever guess.
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Please tell us before booking and, ideally, send or show us a clear photo.
Existing pigment can affect what's possible with a new treatment. Its colour, saturation, shape and how much remains in the skin all matter.
Sometimes old work can be incorporated or refreshed; in other cases a different approach may be needed first.
Good to know
You might find these helpful
A little more about semi-permanent brows
Hair-Strokes, Powder, Combination or Ombré? →
What happens while semi-permanent eyebrows heal? →
How long do semi-permanent eyebrows last? →
Semi-permanent brows vs brow tinting: which should I choose? →
Take your time
You don't need to decide today.
Semi-permanent eyebrows are supposed to make life easier — not make you feel pressured into a quick decision.
Look through the results. Read about the process. Ask the questions you need to ask.
When you're ready, we'll take it from there.