Denver Permanent Makeup doctors

Try looking up "dry needling". It is similar to tattooing without the ink, but depending upon what you are trying to treat, the depth can be different. It's used to damage the area of skin and thereby forcing it to regrow new skin in its place.

In theory, it should work under the same principal as an ablative laser by damaging the area and causing regrowth. A laser, however, does this damage beneath the skin and affects collagen as well. Dry needling can be done more superficially, forcing correction at the dermal layer.

It is common for permanent makeup artists to use glycolic acid (usually in a low % such as 10%) to remove color. It's important to make sure though that the acid is placed very superficially otherwise damage can occur. Another option is to implant Dermerase. This prodcut causes the ink to basically bubble out of the skin with less risk of scarring if implanted by someone with experience.

It's good to hear that your artist has recommended that you wait at least 6 weeks for several reasons - the skin must be fully healed before any further work can be done, the color will need time to settle before you can tell for sure what you are left with. Keep in mind that deep work done in the lip area can cause hyperpigmentation (darker color) that is difficult to correct. All work done on the lips should be superficial for this reason alone and your skin type must also be taken into consideration as well.

Laser removal is an option but it may depend on the type of ink your artist used. The best way to find the answer to this is to get the pigment manufacturers phone number and call them directly to find out what type of ink was used (you'll need to know the color specifically as well), what is it preserved with (iron oxide, titanium dioxide, etc), what are the color bases (usually blue) and are they aware of a product or laser that has worked well with removing this pigment color. Knowing the details about the pigment's ingredients would also allow you to contact local laser techncians to see how their results have beenwith such pigments.

Good luck!

As for comfort, yes, sedation is possible and advisable if there is appropriate physician supervision. It is not a good situation to have severe discomfort for any procedure--for both the patient and for the ability to achieve optimal results.

Glancing through the Permanent Makeup questions and comments here on the RealSelf.com, there seems to be a wide variety of experiences with this procedure.

Our patients have been overwhelmingly pleased with makeup tattooing. I attribute this success largely to the skill, artistry and aesthetic sense of our tattoo aesthetician.

This is not a procedure to take lightly! I highly suggest that you research your options carefully and insist to see pictures of patients actually tattooed by your provider. If you are not sure of their aesthetic sense or judgment, ask them to perform a makeup session to size-up their skills.

Bottom Line: Sedation and nerve blocks are helpful. And choose your tattoo artist with great care.

Hope this helps.