Eyebrow piercing scar: will it leave one, what it looks like and what helps

Most eyebrow piercings leave a mark, and most of those marks are small. A medically reviewed guide from Healthline puts it plainly: an eyebrow piercing generally does leave a scar, but it is usually tiny and hard to spot.

A minority scar more visibly. That is usually down to how the piercing ended rather than to the piercing itself, which means it is partly in your hands.

What an eyebrow piercing scar looks like

An eyebrow piercing has two openings, one at each end, so the marks come in a pair:

• Two small dimples or dots, one where the jewelry entered and one where it came out.
• Pale, pink or slightly darker than the skin around them.
• A faint line joining the two, if the bar had worked close to the surface before it came out.

A piercing placed within the brow line has one advantage: brow hair can partly hide the marks. The eyebrow piercing guide explains where the standard placement sits and why.

A raised, thickened or spreading scar is a different matter. It is less common, and the keloid guide explains how to tell it from an ordinary mark.

Do they go away?

Most fade over months, particularly after a healing that went smoothly. Some stay faintly visible for good, and it is worth knowing that before you decide to retire a piercing.

Raised scars are slower. A thickened (hypertrophic) scar can take months or years to settle. A true keloid may keep growing, and time alone will not fix it.

What decides how visible it is

How the piercing ended. A piercing removed early and cleanly leaves the smallest mark. One left in until the skin over it thinned and tore leaves a larger one. An eyebrow piercing is a surface piercing, so migration is its known weakness; see surface piercings.

Complications along the way. Infection, rejection, snagging and poor aftercare all raise the risk of a bigger scar.

How long it was worn. A piercing that rejects or is removed after long wear usually leaves two small marks, sometimes with a faint line between them.

Your own skin. Some people scar more than others. A keloid tendency is higher in people with darker skin, a family history of keloids, and younger age. See bump vs keloid if that applies to you, and talk to a dermatologist before piercing if you have formed a keloid before.

If it is migrating, do not wait

Catching migration early is the most effective thing you can do for the eventual scar. Watch for:

• The visible distance between the two ends getting shorter.
• The skin over the bar looking thin or shiny, or the bar showing through it.
• The piercing becoming tender again after it had settled.
• The jewelry sitting at a different angle than it did.

Any of those means see your piercer. Sometimes a different bar size or a change of habits stops it. If the skin is already thin, removing the jewelry before it tears through leaves a far smaller mark than letting it finish the job. Piercing rejection covers what to expect, and how long an eyebrow piercing takes to heal shows how long it stays vulnerable.

If you are retiring it on purpose

You can take an eyebrow piercing out whenever you like. The openings close over days to weeks, and how fast depends mostly on how long you have had it. How long a piercing takes to close explains the timing.

Until they close, keep the area clean and do not pick at any crust. Rubbing, scrubbing and picking irritate the skin and can leave it redder for longer.

What helps a mark fade

No product removes a scar, but a few sensible steps help:

• Leave it alone. No picking, scrubbing or harsh products. Alcohol and peroxide irritate skin that is trying to settle.
• Use sun protection. The American Academy of Dermatology advises a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher on skin that has healed after an injury, reapplied often.
• Consider silicone for a raised or persistently red mark. The AAD mentions silicone gel sheets for persistent redness, and they are a standard dermatology option for raised scars. They work best on newer marks.
• Camouflage it if you want to. Brow products can fill and even out a small mark once the skin has fully healed.
• Expect it to take time. Fading is measured in months.

Healthline also lists over-the-counter scar creams, pressure and gentle massage. Results vary, and a dermatologist can tell you whether they are worth trying on a mark as small as this.

Professional options

If a mark bothers you, a board-certified dermatologist can tell you what type of scar it is and what, if anything, is worth doing. Depending on the scar, options include corticosteroid injections for raised scars and keloids, laser therapy, dermabrasion and minor surgery. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends seeing a board-certified dermatologist if you are worried about how a scar looks.

When to see a doctor

• A raised mark that is growing beyond the original openings.
• A scar that is itchy, painful or getting darker.
• A mark that still bothers you months later.
• Signs of infection: heat, spreading redness, pus, a bad smell or a fever. The NHS advises seeing a doctor promptly for these, and leaving jewelry in unless a doctor says otherwise.

If you have not been pierced yet

You can reduce the chance of a noticeable scar before you start:

• Choose an experienced piercer who takes a good pinch of tissue and uses a curved barbell sized to you.
• Downsize on time, so there is no spare length to catch.
• Avoid snagging. Towels, hoodies, hairbrushes and pillows are the enemies.
• Watch for migration and act early.
• If you have formed keloids before, talk to a dermatologist first.

The eyebrow piercing guide covers the whole piercing, and eyebrow piercing jewelry explains which jewelry keeps a surface piercing stable.

Not medical advice

This page is educational. If a scar is raised and growing, painful, or a piercing looks infected, see a doctor or dermatologist rather than treating it yourself.

This article is for education only and is not medical advice. If a piercing is hot, swollen, spreading redness, oozing yellow or green discharge, or you have a fever, see a doctor today.