Combination
Brows Sydney.
The most flattering brow technique available — natural hair strokes at the front for that perfect soft inner corner, blended into defined powder shading at the tail. Marina Hu’s most requested signature look, delivered with ASPA Gold Award precision.
From $898 · Free perfecting touch-up included
The Best of Both Techniques
Quick Answer
Combination brows combine two techniques in one brow: hand-drawn microblading strokes through the front third for a natural hair look, and machine powder shading through the arch and tail for structure and longevity. The result suits most skin types — including oily skin — and typically lasts 18–24 months with a touch-up included.
Microblading Hair Strokes
Fine, individual hair strokes at the inner corner create a soft, natural brow head that looks completely realistic — no harsh line, no obvious starting point.
Where Art Meets Science
The transition from hair strokes to shading is where Marina’s expertise is most visible. An imperceptible gradient — done by hand, session by session — is what makes combination brows look natural rather than constructed.
Powder Shading
Machine-applied powder shading through the arch and tail delivers structure, definition, and lasting depth — the architectural element that frames your eye and holds colour longer.
The technique that does everything.
Most clients come to Marina saying they want brows that look natural — but they also want them to last. Combination brows are the answer to that tension. The hair strokes give you the natural quality. The shading gives you the staying power. And Marina’s precision in blending the two is what makes the result look like it belongs on your face.
This is the technique Marina recommends most often — and the one she is most frequently requested for. If you are unsure which technique is right for you, your consultation will clarify the best path for your specific face shape, skin type, and brow goals.
Which technique is right for you?
“Combination brows are the technique I reach for most often because they solve every client’s core tension — they want natural, but they want it to last. This technique gives you both.”
— Marina Hu, Founder & ASPA Gold Winner
Risks, Recovery and Suitability
What most people experience
Scratching and pressure during the procedure, with numbing applied. Afterwards the brow area is red, tender and slightly swollen for one to three days. The colour looks considerably darker, sharper and heavier than the final result for the first week — this is expected. Light scabbing or flaking follows, and the colour then looks patchy and faded before it settles.
Less common risks you should know about
Healing is not fully predictable: patchy retention, strokes that blur, and colour that heals warmer or cooler than intended all happen, which is why a perfecting session is part of the process rather than a sign something went wrong. Infection can occur if the area is touched with unwashed hands or exposed to water, steam or gym equipment during healing. Allergic reaction to pigment is uncommon and can appear months or years later. Picking scabs can pull pigment out and can scar. In skin that pigments easily, the treated area can darken after healing. Pigment fades over time and does not always fade evenly, and some people are told at consultation that their skin will not hold strokes well.
Recovery and what it affects
Plan around a week where your brows look darker and then flaky, and do not book before an event or a holiday involving swimming, sun or heat. The detailed timings — washing, aftercare balm, makeup, exercise, swimming, sun protection — are set out in the aftercare section below, and your artist’s instructions on the day take priority over any general guide.
Results and responses vary
How the colour heals depends on your skin type, oiliness, pore size, age, iron levels, medications and how you heal generally. Oily skin holds crisp strokes less well and tends to soften them. The final result is judged after the perfecting session, not after the first appointment. This is semi-permanent: it fades and needs refreshing, and how quickly varies from person to person.
When this isn’t suitable, or needs assessment first
This treatment is not appropriate during pregnancy or breastfeeding, over active infection, broken skin, active eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis in the brow area, or while taking isotretinoin or within several months of stopping it. A bleeding disorder or ongoing blood-thinning medication, a history of keloid scarring, uncontrolled diabetes, a suppressed immune system, current chemotherapy, recent brow-area laser or peel treatment, and existing permanent makeup that needs assessing all mean we assess before proceeding and may decline or postpone.
If something doesn’t seem right
Call the clinic on 0468 358 861. Spreading redness, increasing pain, swelling that worsens after the first two days, discharge, fever, or a rash or itching in the treated area should be looked at rather than waited out. If it is severe or you are worried, contact your GP or call 000.
After your brow tattooing
On the day — washing starts now
Wash the area twice a day, morning and night, starting the day of your appointment. Use water and a fragrance-free cleanser — Dial, Cetaphil or baby shampoo. Work it in with your fingertips in small circles for about ten seconds, rinse every trace of cleanser away, then pat dry with a clean tissue. Washing does not lift the pigment out. Then apply the ointment: a grain-of-rice amount picked up on a cotton bud and spread thin, three times a day. Never apply it thickly, because a heavy layer seals the skin and slows healing — the product should be barely visible on you. Do not apply it while the area is still damp.
Days 2 to 7
Scabbing forms and has to be left to come away on its own. Picking it off can scar the skin and can take the pigment with it. Use a clean pillowcase. Keep sweaty, high-heat exercise out for the first week. Keep washing morning and night through this whole period — this is the part people most often get wrong, and skipping it is what leads to infection and to scabs building up too thickly.
Avoid throughout the recovery period
Cleansers containing acids — glycolic, lactic, AHA — or any exfoliating ingredient. Facials, injectables, chemical treatments and microdermabrasion for four weeks. Longer term, keep acids, IPL, laser and brightening products off the area to hold the colour.
Sun protection
SPF50+ every day for the first two weeks once healing allows, reapplied every two hours when you are outdoors, with a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses to keep direct sun off the area.
When you can resume
| Activity | When |
|---|---|
| Washing the area, morning and night | From the day of treatment, every day |
| Ointment — grain-of-rice amount, spread thin on a cotton bud | 3 times a day |
| Applying ointment to damp skin | Never — dry the area first |
| Acid or exfoliating cleansers on the area | Not while healing |
| Sweaty, high-heat exercise | After 7 days |
| Facials, injectables, chemical treatments, microdermabrasion | After 4 weeks |
| Acids, IPL, laser and brightening products on the area | Keep off long term to hold the colour |
Call us if
Redness that is spreading, increasing pain, swelling, discharge, fever, or anything that is getting worse rather than better. Call the clinic on 0468 358 861 and do not wait for your next appointment to raise it. Outside opening hours, or if it is severe, contact your GP or call 000.
One more thing
Your artist will give you instructions based on how your skin actually responded on the day. Those take priority over this page.
Combination Brows FAQ
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