Also try: cosmetic tattoo, fade tattoo, Laser tattoo removal, permanent eyebrows, Permanent makeup, tatoo, tattoo eyebrows, tattoos
A couple of weeks ago I decided to get permanent makeup. It was for my eyebrows, lips and eyes. The eyeliner was done really really badly. It gives my left eye a strange lopsided look because the tattoo is not done right.
I could kick myself for doing this on a whim. I just opened the yellowpages and picked someone. Now I'm embarassed to be seen and I lose sleep thinking about how bad it looks.
Do you know who I should go to for removing the messed up eyeliner tattoo?
Cindy1
Submitted by Cindy1 on July 17, 2006 - 8:01am. Viewed 20768 times
9/23/06
Hello,
It's very importent for you if the pigment is iron oxide based.
If so it can be removed by q-swich laser only a short time after the procedure.
If the pigment is organic, it can be removed by laser any time.
12/6/06
Today, I just got my eyebrow's done, and absolutely HATE them.....I don't know what to do, I am embarrassed to go out of the house. I am suppose to put Neosporin on them every 2 hours, my question is: what will happen if I don't put it on, will they just scab over, and go away????? I want to get rid of the permenance makeup ASAP!!!!! HELP !!!!!
12/13/06
If you had tattoos, I think you can get it removed by laser. Sounds really disappointing. Hope you end up liking it better in time for the New Year
see: http://www.realself.com/article/Tattoo_removal.html
12/17/06
Mary, each person is different on our eyes and our brows. My daughter does makeup and hair and I have been doing my eye brows for over twenty years, I nor is my daughter sure how your face deals with this. I prefer doing my own eyes and yet I have friends who pay to have them done. I just find it much easier for me to have waxing go along with my makeup. I hope you find some way to deal with this, I do remember in the 70s that I saw so many people who shaved their eyebrows and then would use make up or a pencil. I thought everything was so cool in those days that I didnt pay much attention. Good Luck
3/3/07
I had a lip liner applied a year ago. It is crooked, goes outside my lip line drastically on the upper right and has "blobs" of ink along the bottom of my lip and actually looks blue in spots. Help!!
3/22/07
Hi I had the same problem with yours, I had my eyebrows and eyeliner done in the bad way. I was so hideous looking that I even lose my self confidence. I had it for over a year and then I found a surgeon who is doing laser works for tattoo removal using ND YAG Laser. He is based in Singapore and I went there for treatment. I had undergone two sessions which on my second the tattoos had really diminished. Now I can say it's not visible anymore but there is still 90 % left but it's manageable already. I can now face the outside world.
You can try it I know some surgeons are alredy doing it esp in the US.
3/22/07
Sorry, it should be 10% left on my eyeliner & eyebrow tattoos. Not 90% as I have said.
Thanks,
3/31/07
I hate my tattoo eyebrows, they are too high and I have the constant look of confusion, do you know any surgeons that do the ND YAG laser in the US?
4/4/07
Call John Hashey,(oldsmar, florida) the world leader in cosmetic tattoo business. He is one of the best in corrective works. I am one of his students.
4/19/07
iv had the same problem with my permanent make up!! it looks quite awful..i dnt know wht to do iv beeen trying to find out how to get rid of it for 6 mnths now im in the u.k any1 have any recomenedations as im desprate also does ruby laser turn the ink black or is this just a myth??
4/21/07
If anyone is thinking of doing this I would strongly advise them to try the semi permanent make up first. It only lasts for approximately 6 weeks and will give you a better idea if you want to go ahead with it permanently...
5/1/07
I just had my eyebrows done last night and I hate the way the left one came out. I want it fixed. Does anyone know how good pigmentation works? She said she could go over it in about two to three weeks with a color that matches my skin and redo it. Is that a good idea? I'm afraid to get scared.
5/1/07
I never really understood permanent makeup because how will you know that you will always want to wear that same color of eyeliner or lip liner? to the folks that have had the procedure done, i'm curious if you commit to a certain color or do most people just get black or brown (i can understand for eyebrows but eyeliner and lip liner?). i had no idea that you could also get semi-permanent makeup -- that seems like a much better idea.
6/28/07
Hi there, your problem sounds just the same as mine - im in the uk and had the same -blotchyness with blue-ish splodges and know just what you mean. I have seen a cosmetic tattooist who uses non-laser removal so there is no risk of the pigment turning black (lasers can do this i hear). I could give you her details (she's in london) if you would like. Basically a removal solution is tattooed into th skin, which breaks up the ink and causes it come to the surface, scab up and fall off...
7/17/07
Did you ever find someone to remove your eyeliner? I have the same problem...
Thank You
Debbie
7/17/07
Im trying to find someone to remove the bottom line of my permanent eyeliner....
I live in fl. Can some one help me?
I like many others didn't do my research and now Im liveing with someone elses mistake. She made the line lower than the lash line :(
Thank you
Debbie
7/17/07
O MY...I had my eyebrows done last year, and wanted them arched VERY high. It was my stupid mistake. I look either very evil or questioning everything. I want to get them removed very badly, as I have had no luck on job interviews (introducing me and my eyebrows!)
1. If anyone had it done , does it stop the growth of the new hairs?
I had very thick eyebrows, this was the dumbest mistake I could have made.
7/21/07
I had my eyebrows done in April and I hated them. I found a place that does laser skin resurfacing on that area and removes the ink. It's quite painful because the Erbium laser burns the layers of your skin. You have to do several session to remove all the ink from that area and later they can treat for redness or hyperpigmentation. I have had 2 session so far and the ink is almost all gone however, it is quite red or pink. I have heard that it does take a couple of months for the natural color to return. Read about laser skin resurfacing with Erbium laser. If you live by South Florida I could give you a place that does it.
7/25/07
Hi everyone, you all have my sympathy as I am going through exactly the same thing. I had my eyebrows done in 2004 and it has totally wrecked my life, the stupid woman insisted on going "freestyle" (she must have thought she was v.talented even though I was v.particular about what I wanted) and she made a total mess, they were completely different shapes, heights and lengths, and even colours! My left was dark brown and my right reddy-brown, even thought the ink came out of the same pot?!?! Anyway up til now I have spent approx.£500 trying in vain to remove them with various products, treatments and cover-up stuff. Here is some advice about what not to use: 1. Tattoo-fade creams - total scam and their active ingredient Hydroquinone merely fades melanin, natural skin pigment, and there has also been some concern over its safety. 2. Rejuvi/E-Raze removal (tattooing a substance into the skin to bring out the pigment) - this was the worst experience of my life, I had to cut out all my eyebrow hair to get the huge green/black scabs off my face, hardly any pigment was removed and one of my eyebrows is still slightly scarred from the treatment. I went for one session of laser tattoo removal with an Nd-YAG laser and it wasn't bad at all and removed the pigment in one session, however the doctor would only treat a tiny bit in case it damaged the eyebrow hair. However, since then, I have been weighing up the pros and cons and I have decided that losing the ends of my natural eyebrows and having to draw them in is better than having these insults permanently stuck to my face! I have totally mastered the art of covering them up but I don't want to have to hide them for the rest of my life - it just makes me miserable. Anyway good news is I have a consultation for more laser next week - I am so excited at the thought of getting my life back! :) I will keep you all posted on how it goes. K x
7/28/07
Guest or K x,
I read about Nd-YAG laser but there are so many of them. What specific type of laser are they using on your eyebrows. I read up on some lasers and it said that some lasers only fade a specific type of color. My doctor is using Erbium laser, I wonder if you are using another type. Tell me what you skin looks like after the session and the weeks after. I'm curious to know if there is a better laser out there. Thanks!
7/28/07
Hi Milly, from what I have read the Erbium laser doesn't sound suitable for tattoo removal - Q-switched lasers are the preferred types of laser for removing tattoos as they do not damage the surrounding skin, they target the tattoo pigment and shatter it so your body can remove the smaller pieces. There are 3 types, Nd-YAG, Alexandrite and Ruby, depending on the colour of your tattoo. The Erbium laser you are using sounds like it uses a similar method to dermabrasion, by removing layers of your skin to get to the ink which is very deep - that would explain why your skin is so red! I will ask at my consultation which lasers they are going to use and I will let you know. x
7/30/07
Strange, I had my eyebrows permanently done about two days ago and I thought they came out fine but after two day my right eyebrow started to scab and I was able to completely peel it off and it looks like I had nothing done. Not sure if its because I wasnt taking proper care of it or what. My left eyebrow is fine though, I guess I have to go back in a couple of weeks to get the right side redone!
v_v
7/30/07
You are not suppose to remove the scabs that form. By doing it, you took the ink with the scab. When you get it redone, allow the scabs to fall off on its own. Talk to the person that is doing your permanent make-up. Sometimes they don't tell you and that's why you make mistakes.
7/31/07
I am also a Victim of the whole eyebrow tattoo-ing. I just have one question: After laser treatment Do the eyebrow hairs grow back? I had very light eyebrows to begin with (which is why I had them done) And i would hate to look like a Freak with NO eyebrows! If that is going to be the case I'd rather just leave them. Please Help!!
7/31/07
Hi Sophie, sorry to hear you're suffering too, awful isn't it! Shame you didn't dye your natural eyebrows instead if they were decent ones. Mine were dark but were sparse at the end which is why I made the fatal decision. So far I have only had about a cm of laser done (if you saw my previous post the doctor wouldn't do any more in case it damaged the hair), but I have closely inspected the area and there are 2 hairs growing out of the bit that was removed, so they obviously survived the treatment! When I go for my consultation for more laser at a different place tomorrow I will ask about the whole hair thing and will let you know what they say. K x
8/1/07
Hi Kathryn! I'm sorry I took so long to answer you back but I wanted to speak to my doctor before answering your comment. I had read about Q-switch lasers before I went to my doctor and started the process. My eyebrows were a light brown color and that made me a bit concerned. I had read on the internet that when the color is flesh looking, Q-switch lasers can turn the color to black. These lasers work well if you tattoo is a primary color (black, blue, red, etc...) and mine was not. My doctor recommended Erbium laser because it was the only option to the color and area of the tattoo. Erbium laser is not exactly dermabrasion. Even though they both remove layers of skin, the procedure is very different. Dermabrasion is done with a scapel tool that scrapes of the skin. Erbium laser is a laser that precisely burns your layers of skin, minimizing your risk to scar.
8/1/07
Yeah I know what dermabrasion is, I was just likening the eroding effect to that of the Erbium laser. Shame you couldn't use Q-switched lasers. When I was considering whether to get my tattoos removed or camoflaged with skin-colour pigment I decided against the latter because of what I'd read about the pigment turning black under laser (in case that went wrong as well and I needed it removed!). Arrgh stupid permanent makeup it should be banned, think we should start a petition! I went for my consultation today to have my tattoos removed my laser (they are going to use the Q-switched Nd-YAG laser because my the brown pigment is made up of red and blue), if all is well I should be getting it done in a couple of weeks. I can't wait! I feel so much better already even though I haven't had any treatment yet lol :) x
8/1/07
I'm glad that you'll be getting it off soon. This has been such a traumatizing event for me. I don't know what I was thinking. We should form a petition against it. I'm completely against getting a tattoo after what I'm going through. Let me know how everything goes after your treatment. How did they figure out that it was made up of red and blue? Well, good luck!!!
8/1/07
I used to feel like that - "what was I thinking??" and then I realised, hang on a minute, this wasn't my doing, it was someone else's mistake so why should I blame myself for it! I am totally against having a tattoo now as well, they disgust me! The laser surgeon knew the colours were red and blue because it was between that and green & orange (both make up brown, the second being notoriously difficult to remove), so he did a patch test and straight away the blue pigment "exploded" and came to the surface of my skin, so he knew the other colour (which was apparantly beneath the blue) had to be red. Over the next few weeks the colour disappeared and that bit of the tattoo was gone! Will keep you updated on the success of the treatment, might be a few weeks til I have it done yet though. Good luck with your treatment too. One day we will be free of these tattoos!! xx
8/10/07
Yes! I'm completely against eyebrow tattooing as well!! I just have mine done and they look simply terrible! I am really upset and regret that I've made this stupid decision. Does anyone know of clinics who do laser treatments for tattoo removal? Thanks heaps.
8/10/07
Yes! I'm completely against eyebrow tattooing as well!! I just have mine done and they look simply terrible! I am really upset and regret that I've made this stupid decision. Does anyone know of clinics who do laser treatments for tattoo removal in London? Thanks heaps.
8/10/07
Really sorry to hear you've joined the club jen :( it shouldn't be allowed, you think it is going to change your life and it does completely - but not in the way you were hoping for! I am really sad today coz I got a call from the place I went for a consultation at and the doctor will not let it go ahead because of possible hair loss - i did make it quite clear that i didn't care so long as i get these horrible marks off my face so i don't know what his problem is. people are so unsympathetic! so now i have to go looking for somewhere else to remove it arrrgh. drives you mad. why do you hate your eyebrows so much Jen, what went wrong with them? You won't be able to have them removed straight away because the skin has to heal and this can take a month or so unfortunately.
8/11/07
Oh no.... Kathryn, the treatments may cause possible hairloss?!!? From my understanding, it shouldn't with this particular laser... Yeah some ppl can be unsympathetic, they don't care b/c it's not their problems. Though I've met some ppl who understand why I'm feeling so upset, as my eyebrows are now in really dark colour, one slightly higher than the other and they're placed a bit too high. :(
Goodluck Kathryn, we all need a bit of that after what we've gone through.
So yeah, it would be great if someone can suggest websites for clinics around london who do laser treatments.
8/12/07
There is a risk of hairloss because the Q-switched lasers that are used for tattoo removal target dark pigment, and unfortunately because of this they can mistake the brown melanin in hair follicles for tattoo pigment. I have found a really nice private clinic in Goring on the outskirts of oxfordshire that I am going to try when I go back to uni down there next month - that isn't too far from London so you could try them - www.chilternmedical.co.uk. I'm going to give them a ring next week to see if they have any experience removing permanent cosmetics. If that's too far to travel there are loads in London you could go try, just have a look on Google.
Good luck to you too, I know how hard this is believe me. By the way, if you have only just had them done they will lighten by about 50% by the time they are healed. I know this won't improve the lopsided look but it might make them easier to cover up until you can get them removed. Kathryn x
8/15/07
I've done serious extensive research. I phoned an honest lazer clinic ready to go in to have my PURPLE (supposed to be brown) eyebrow tattoo's I had done 6 years ago REMOVED permanently. I have to color-in between the line (above my natural eyebrow hair line) & can't go swimming with TWO eyebrows per eyebrow if that makes sense gez it's horrible. I was told by this honest man, there is a technique they found to work, they had hundreds walk in expecting to have the eyebrow tattoo's gone & he said 99% of them didn't work. A lot of angry people ....... he said there is a technique called "dry tattoo" they go over the area with the tattoo gun without ink in it, that breaks up the ink & makes it go away......... I'm going to give it a try. At least someone from the clinic was honest. He said there's a woman in San Diego who specializes in doing such work (maybe she knows others in other area's?)
her name is Cathy Monte, number is 858-715-8288 she is located in Clairmont Mesa (San Diego County) I don't live in S.D., but will go to her if she has had that great of success.
I hope this helps!!
anonymous in OC
8/15/07
I almost forgot,
check this out for the new tattoo removing
http://www.e-raze.com/works.asp
8/15/07
Hi "anonymous", sorry to hear of your struggle with your eyebrows, I can definitely sympathise about the swimming thing (and for that matter any activity involving not being able to hide behind makeup) - totally impossible! You look at other people going about their everyday lives and they have no idea how lucky they are just to have normal eyebrows!! anyway, about the e-raze thing, i had that done - read my july 25th post - i definitely do NOT recommend. But it is up to you. from my experience laser is definitely the way to go - seems scary, but it works. good luck getting yours removed x
9/2/07
Hello. I just had permanent eyeliner applied 2 days ago and I've been having a panic attack ever since. I am afraid I didn't get sound advice from the technician and it does not look the way I apply my eyeliner. I realize it is supposed to fade significantly, but I am afraid I will not be happy with the end result. Can anyone give me the name of someone who has successfully removed eyeliner in the US? I live in the DFW, TX area. I'd also like to hear any success stories that would make me feel better about this. I haven't ever felt such a sense of panic. I feel incredibly stupid. Something like this is really out of character for me.
9/3/07
I know exactly what you mean by panic attack. It takes 6 weeks for the end result to show. If you are completely unhappy with it right now, I've heard that you can scrub it off and you might have a possibility for the ink not to stay. My experience is in unhappy eyebrow tattoo but one time I spoke to a technician and she told me to scrub it off. I did and the ink wasn't as dark as it could've been. I had also waited a week. You've only had it for a few days. You have two options: scrub it off and hope it won't show or wait the 6 weeks and hope that it's the way you want it to be. Whatever you choose... I wish you luck!
9/6/07
Thanks for your advice. It has gotten better and it looks perfectly normal when I am wearing full make-up. The problem is, I feel like I never have the option of a no make-up day now because without make-up, I look like a racoon! I have been scrubbing and I will keep it up. I wish you well with the eyebrows.
9/14/07
Hello everyone. I am new to this site but found it nice to hear that I am not the only one with these problems. I had my eyebrows tattooed about 1.5 years ago (although I have my entire natural eyebrow, the tattoo extended an arch where my natural eyebrow didn't grow). The color was originally very dark (my natural eyebrows are very dark brown, almost black). The tattoo has faded and is now a greyish, blueish color. I use SMASHBOX wax to somehow sweep my natural eyebrow over the tattoo so that it will cover it or align with each other. However, I am very upset because the color looks disgusting. I have recently visited a Dermatologist who specializes in laser tattoo removal. When I told him I want my tattoo removed, he said our conversation is over!! He said that permanent make up is likely be iron oxide based. When the laser light hits the tattoo, it will turn GREEN. It will take up to 8 sessions or so, $300 each, with a month apart to remove the tattoo and he doesn't think I want to walk around with green eyebrows. This is the first time I have ever heard of such a reaction. HAS ANYONE ELSE HEARD OF THIS? ANYONE ELSE'S EYEBROWS TURN GREEN? HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHETHER MY TATTOO IS IRON OXIDE BASED?
Please help, thanks in advance!
9/15/07
When I went to discuss removing my eyebrow tattoo with my doctor, he explained that most of the permanent make-up used today is iron-based. What happens is that when they try to remove it with a laser specialized for tattoo removal, it can turn black. I've never heard of it turning green. Maybe it can happen, the laser aims for a specific color. If that color is not in your tattoo, it can cause a reaction to the color you do have. The best thing you can do is get another opinion for a doctor that specializes in removing permanent make-up. Good Luck!!!
9/16/07
All of your complaints are justified. However some blame should be placed on you all for not doing more research before having a procedure like this done. And for not finding out more info on the technician you choose!
9/17/07
Thanks to all of you for your comments. I’m one of you suffering also nightmares because of a poorly applied eyeliner tattoo. I got it done 4 days ago and it looks 5 times wider than the one I used to wear. They told me that it was going to look normal in 3 to 4 days and it’s still almost the same size. I was reading Milly’s comment about scrubbing it off. I will do it right away! Did you applied some cream or else to ease the removal of the scabs or ink?
9/18/07
Hi Milly, thanks for replying to my question! Did you ever end up finding a Dr. that was able to successfuly remove your eyebrow tattoo?
Additionally, does anyone know the average life of permanent eyebrow makeup (that it is blue color based)? The lady who did my tattoo said it lasts 3 years - however I spoke with another permanent cosmetic specialist and she said 20 years! (I'm not sure if she said that because she was trying to sell me her business to fix the color).
Is there anything I can do to speed up the fading process?? (I've read somewhere that UV exposure and moisturizing fades the tattoo).
Thanks in advance!
9/20/07
Hello. I do permanent makeup and i'm sorry for all of the horrible stories that i have read. I live in a state where you have to have 300 hours and you have to work under a doctors care. i have also taken extra classes so that i could have a lot of hands on before i went out in the real world. It is scary to me that all of the other states has no requirements. you can actually do a weekend course and go to work anywhere, your house, a beuty shop, etc. you have to do your homework and ask for references, look at photos and ask lots of questions. there are lots of people out there doing this that has had no or little training. This is your face and you have to do some research. Permanent makeup is an awesome thing but like everything else, there will be people out there giving us a bad name.
9/23/07
Has anyone gotten permanent lipstick removed? I've undergone several attempts to even out the color and I just can't keep putting myself in so much pain. Each time one thing gets better and something else gets worse. I'd settle now for just looking like I had a birth defect.
ps
I'm in this mess because I had good luck with the eye line. It really does thin out.
9/23/07
Hi.
How long to get rid of eyebrow tattoo. Does the second laser treatment make the tattoo turn red. How long does the lasered brow remain red until it turns the normal skin color. What do you ladies look like one year after treatment? Thanks Vern
9/23/07
Hi Angelina:
Get a second opinion. My first Dr said I would get green brows and suggested Alexandrite Laser from another country. I got second opinion and test spot with the Q switch NG Lag and after only one treatment happy results of Black to Red Brown Brows. No green. Going again next month for next round. Good luck. Vern
9/27/07
Hello, Does anyone know if eyeliner tattoo can be removed? I had it done 6 weeks ago and I hate them! one is thicker than the other and has a different shape, just not the way I used to do it myself. I understand the feeling of having a panic attack. Do lotions work? like hydroquinone? can laser be use to remove eyeliner? mine is black but sometimes it looks blueish... although the lady mixed black and brown inks?? Thanks.
9/28/07
Hi guys, i have to let you know I joined the club. I made the stupid decision of doing permanent lipliner and I want to remove it now. I do not know what I was thinking.
Everybody tells me, will be with me for the rest of my life. I cannot stop the panic attacks.
Do you know of some who removes lipliner?
10/1/07
I had my eybrows touched up a few weeks ago...unfortunately she brought the right eyebrow in too far and I want to remove that area. The ink she uses is MRI safe so I assume that means that it is iron oxide free. Any suggestions?
10/2/07
Removal of any tattoo with a laser is not perfect science. The type of laser that would be effective depends on the type of ink used. Regardless, the skin can be left discolored either by changes in pigment from the laser, or the laser not completely eradicating the pigment left by tattooing, or changing the hue of the tattoo. Scarring is possible. Removing tattooed eyeliner with a laser is a very risky proposition.
The best advice--don't seek out anything permanent unless you want to live with it, good or bad, forever.
For those who are unhappy with their brows, micro hair grafts, replacing existing brows with single hair follicles, is a much more natural solution. This hair is genetically programmed as the hair on your head to keep growing, so you'll be trimming, but you can achieve a natural brow that is all your own.
10/3/07
mkuechel,
I completely agree with you about making sure that if you do anything permanent, you think about it good for a long time. The price you pay for a mistake is quite harsh. I think the same as you about micro hair grafts. I wish I would've thought about it before I made the mistake of having permanent make-up done on my eyebrows. I'm looking now into having hairs from my head placed on my eyebrows. It sound crazy but it is possible and it is a much natural look. I'll let you know after I have it done but I'm looking forward to it.
10/3/07
Milly - are you sure you want to do that? Remember how much of a mistake was messing with your eyebrows, what if this goes wrong too? Don't mean to be a cynic but if I was you I'd just settle for drawing them in every day - yes it's annoying and takes time but at least you can make sure you look how you want to before leaving the house. I read up on eyebrow transplants a while ago and it showed pictures of the girl who had it done - they took 8 months to grow in (the hair doesn't grow straight away, the follicles have to take first, and even then they didn't look right because they grew straight out of her face, just like short spikey hair sticks up. Not a natural look as you can imagine. Whatever you decide though good luck. How is the laser coming along? I've decided to take a break from all that for a while after getting turned down once again. x
10/3/07
I had my whole eyes tattoed and they look horrible. I look like a hooker. They are arched like the character Endora on Bewitched. I hate it and feel like people are staring at me all the time. I live in Arizona and don't know what I should do. My eyes are angled up like a a comma on the ends. Any suggestions? It's too late to try and scrub.
10/4/07
if you just got them done...you need to give it time to heal...read up and you will find that it will fade...especially if they used the proper pigment...it may look scarey, but you are swollen and it looks wet...it will fade and soften...the swelling will also shrink and allow the person to sollow up on the brows
10/4/07
HAVE SOME ONE ADD THE ORANGE PIGMENT TO YOUR BLUE AREAS AND IT WILL MUD OUT THE BLUE UNDERTONES...ORANGE AND BLUE MAKE BROWN
10/4/07
GET RID OF IT WITH ORANGE PIGMENT...BLUE AND ORANGE IS BROWN...COLOR THEORY...DAH!!!!
10/4/07
YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND ...YOU CHOSE SOMEONE WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT COLOR THEORY AND IF YOU HAVE BLUE, PURPLE OR GREEN...FIGURE IT OUT...COLOR THEORY AND FIND SOMEONE WHO IS GOOD ENOUGH TO DO THE JOB...BLUE AND ORANGE MAKE BROWN...
10/4/07
WHEN YOU WANT IT THICK ...YOU WANT IT THIN...WHEN YOU WANT IT THIN,,,YOU WANT IT THICK...DID YOU EVEN TELL HER YOU ONLY WANTED A THIN LINE
10/4/07
YOU CAN NOT SCRUB IT OFF...THERE IS A PRODUCT CALLED ADE...FIND A TECHNICIAN WHO CAN DO THIS FOR YOU ...YOU ALSO CAN DO CAMOFLAUGE WITH A SKIN TONE PIGMENT....IT IS REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE SWELLING DID NOT SHRINK
10/4/07
TRY MICRODERMABRASION
10/5/07
Kathryn,
After messing with my eyebrows with the tattoo, I swore that I would never do anything again. But... I was researching and read on a doctor that does plastic surgery and specialized in hair loss. His specific specialty is eyebrow hair. I was completely against doing anything too but I looked at his pictures and went in for an appointment. It takes 3 months for the hair to grow out because they are implanting the follicule. This doctor implants the hair in the direction the hair will grow out so you don't have hair sticking out. I'm still researching him and his expertise, believe me. Anyways, I'm still in my laser situation. The ink has been removed but my skin is still a bit pink. I'm going in next week to discuss using a laser that removes the pinkness on the skin. I'm just really tired of waking up so early to stencil my eyebrows. I feel like a slave but I'm going to be EXTREMELY careful. It's sad to hear that you have had to go through so many obstacles. I had to call so many places too. Doctors are afraid of what can happen, it sucks!!! I can understand why you need a break. :)
10/6/07
Hi Vern (CT)
How do your brows look so far? Is that the normal progression of color from laser removal (from black to red/brown and then i'm assuming to skin color )??? How many sessions did you Dr. tell you that you will need? Also, what color was ur original tattoo?
Thanks!!
10/8/07
I ran across this video that offers insight into Laser tattoo removal by Dr. Jeff Rand (Director, Tattoo Removal Center). Let me know if it was helpful.
Laser tattoo removal video
1/10/08
I got my eyebrows tattoo'd this last August, and the tattoo artist did a horrible job. It really is a devistating experience! I have gone through so much stress from the whole experience. I wanted the tattoo to look sudden and grey-ish, but she insisted on using a dark brown color that incorporated some red.
I went for several laser consults, and found that the Q-switched medlite lasers were the treatment of choice with very little scarring. Depending on the color of the tattoo, the doctor/nurse would use the appropriate wavelength for each color.
I've gone for 2 treatments, and after the first treatment, my eyebrows turned fluorescent orange. I expected it, since the nurse said this can happen when the black laser breaks up the black ink particles, and the orange is left behind. She then targeted the orange with a red targeting laser which should fades the orange over time.
Either way, I can cover up the orange with foundation and put some grey eyeshadow over my eyebrows, and they good sooooo much better than when they were dark. I couldn't cover them up.
After the second treatment. I can notice a fading of the orange, but it's still very very orange. I am very optimistic and have no regrets whatsoever about doing the laser tx since I know I am on my way to getting rid of these brows.
Do some research. Go to a dermatologist who removes tattoos with the q-switched lasers who have all the wavelengths that can target each color appropriately.
I made a huge mistake in tattooing my eyebrows. And of course regret the decision after the fact. But what's done is done, don't ponder on what a horrible decision it was. Just do the research and get rid of them. Apparently the laser does not affect the hair and hair loss is not a factor. If it is, it's only temporary. The laser can also make your eyebrow hairs white, but that's also temporary, so to me, it's all worth it. Hope this helps! Best of luck to everyone!
1/12/08
Hi ML. I totally agree with you about not blaming yourself for making the decision, after all, all we are guilty of is putting our trust in someone who subsequently wrecked our lives. They are to blame, not us. It's just a shame there is no compensation for the emotional damage it causes you. After a lot of time pondering over the hair-loss thing, I decided to bite the bullet and today went for my first (Q-switched Nd-Yag) laser session in two years. It was pretty painful but no worse than having the actual tattoo put on. At the moment the hairs on the end of the eyebrow I had treated have gone white/grey! And there is also some pinpoint bleeding and the tattoo has turned blue (from the mix of red and blue pigment used to make the brown). Looks kind of bad but I am not worried, because I had the end of the other eyebrow treated last time and within a month it had faded a lot. And until then I have got a side fringe to cover it up so no-one will ever know! This really is a traumatic experience, as you and the rest of those who have been "branded" as I call it will know. I can't wait til the day I get rid of these horrible eyebrows and can start living again. To think the only reason I had them done in the first place was to make my life easier - ha! To anyone who is considering having this done - PLEASE DO NOT. I wouldn't wish the upset it causes when it goes wrong on anyone. Good luck to ML and anyone else currently having treatment. I will keep you updated on mine!
1/19/08
Hi, does anyone know if the eyeliner tattoo fades with time?? It's been almost 6 months and I can not get over it... as Kathryn says, to think I did this to make my life easier... and now I find myself spending even more time doing my makeup -trying to cover up these horrible lines and the result does not come close to how it looked before... so stupid... what a nightmare... good luck to everyone...
1/22/08
I had permanent eyebrows done in October 2007. I have dark brown hair and the tech insisted he could match the tattoo pigment as closely as possible to my hair color. Of course...we all know the ending to this story. The tech told me that they would be darker at first and then fade and soften significantly. Well, he was right, and they did...only they were the wrong color. I should have known there was going to be a problem as soon as I got up from the chair and one of the ladies working there walked by the door and said "What did you use on her? Black?" Sure enough, they were black. They faded to a grayish/black color. Hardly dark brown.
About a week after the procedure I called the tech and said "What color are these supposed to be again? Cause they look black and I am very unhappy." He got an attitude with me and told me they hadn't even had time to heal yet and I needed to just calm down and wait. That was very rude of him. Nonetheless, after waiting two months (which is more than enough time to get a good idea of the final result) they were still blackish/grayish. He told me to come back during the first part of 2008 because he could assure me that he could correct the color. I told him that since he assured me the first color would be dark brown and it wasn't that I didn't really trust him to "fix it." I had already been looking into laser removal and had contacted a couple of clinics to inquire about the procedure.
I went for my first laser removal treatment last night. The laser tech used a Q-Switched NDYAG laser. I was (like many posters here) worried about the loss of the eyebrow hair I did have. I never had much, but it is dark brown and I always filled in sparse areas with a dark brown eyebrow pencil. They assured me that no permanent hair loss would occur. Hair removal is done using a long switch laser, which means the pulses of light emitted from the laser are longer in duration. The Q-Switched is a short pulse laser. The light pulses are not long enough to focus on a hair follicle and remove it. Also, one of the other laser clinics I talked to (that I ended up decided not to go to because it was too far away) said even permanent hair removal lasers are not always effective and most of the time unless you have many, many treatments, some or all of the hair will eventually come back. She assured me of this because she says she has a terrible little demon (hair) on her chin that she has had treated several times but the damn thing keeps coming back! LOL.
The procedure itself started with the signing of a consent form, much like when you first go to get permanent makeup done. Then this particular laser clinic puts an ice pack on the area to be treated, but in this instance they could not really leave it that long on my forehead because the skin there is very thin and the ice pack is very cold. So then they put goggles on me to protect my eyes from the laser light. The procedure took about 1-2 minutes and had a moderate discomfort, but I have a high tolerance for pain. The description of the pain as a rubberband being popped on your skin over and over is a very accurate representation. Pretty much...if you can get the tattoo, you can get one removed.
The laser tech said he had removed many eyebrow tattoos and they generally respond to treatments a lot faster than traditional body art tattoos. He said it could completely come out in 1-2 sessions, but that is just a guestimate. The risk of scarring is very minimal, but not impossible. But if you didn't scar from the tattoo itself then it is unlikely you will scar from a removal. Another thing the tech told me to ask a technician when you are considering removal is whether the laser technician or clinic owns their lasers or are they renting them. If they own them then the odds are they have been properly maintenanced and had proper upkeep.
Immediately after the procedure, my eyebrows were swollen and red...they also burned like the were extremely sunburned. After 3-4 hours, the burning sensation and the swollen area were gone. The clinic gave me bacitracin ointment to keep on the area for the next week and then they said after a week they should be fully healed. Mine did not bleed or anything, but there are a few spots that are dark red as if they were almost getting ready to bleed. The laser tech told me that they may appear to get darker at first, but in two weeks I should see a noticeable difference, and in approximately 1-2 months the body should have done all it is going to do and then I will know if I need additional treatments. In regards to the pigment changing color: I asked about that as well. He said if a pigment was to turn a different color then they have different wavelengths that can be used to treat those colors in the tattoo as well, so the color change would not be permanent if at all. I did not have any color change. After the treatment, however, they do look more of a dark brown now than the blackish/grayish they did look. However, that change may just be temporary or not a true representation since I do have the ointment on them and that is a clear/milky color which you be distorting what the actual color is under the ointment.
I will update in about two weeks when I can actually tell you whether there was a change or whatnot. I had that I made this decision just like most of the people I have seen discussing their stories here. It is very hard to find information on removal or before and after pictures. I know...I looked...and looked...and looked. Just like everything else on the web, if there is one legitimate source of photos, then other web-sites just copy and paste them into their web-site. It does not provide much additional or comparative information. I really researched permanent cosmetics and thought I was making a good decision that would make my life easier. However, whenever you put your body in someone else's hands you never know what you are going to get...and it is a terrible thing to think that you might have to live with someone else's mistake for the rest of your life...especially when it is ON YOUR FACE! But you live and you learn, and hopefully we have all learned our lesson never to do anything permanent like this again. I hope...
Good luck to everyone and I will update you soon. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me. I have done extensive research and I know how hard it is to get answers sometimes. In times of trouble all you really want is someone to listen to your questions and who hopefully has an answer for you. I will try to answer any questions, and if I don't know I will say I don't know. Thanks guys.
Ashley
1/22/08
Hi Ashley, thanks for sharing you story with us! You are in exactly the same situation as me right now, just had my first laser session a week and 3 days ago, still waiting to see what happens to the colour. At the moment it is blue! But I was expecting that. You definitely did the right thing going to get your eyebrow tattoos removed so soon after having them done, I had mine done in summer 2004 and my life has just not been the same since. I wasted my time trying loads of alternative treatments and seeing if they faded on their own (this is what the permanent makeup "artists" tell you - what a load of rubbish, they are as much tattoos as regular body tattoos and are not going anywhere!-sorry to tell you this Kate). I am worried about losing my natural eyebrow hair too, but I have decided that if the worst comes to the worst and I do have to draw them on, at least I can make sure they are how they should look before I leave the house in the morning. That has got to be better than seeing someone else's awful attempt at artwork every morning when you look in the mirror! I really hope the treatment is goes well for you, do let us know how it goes and I will do the same. Thank God this page exists so we know there are other people who share our troubles!
To Kate, with the permanent eyeliner, I am not sure what you can do about that. I went to about 4 or 5 laser clinics before I could even find someone willing to treat my eyebrows because they are so close to the eyes and it is dangerous. When I go for treatment I have to wear goggles that protect my eyes from the laser beam. When I was researching laser treatment a while ago I'm sure I read somewhere that they can put special contact lenses to protect your eyes if you are having permanent eyeliner removed, but I don't know any details about this, you will have to see if you can find some information. One piece of advice - do not try Rejuvi - that alternative treatment where they tattoo a substance into your skin. I don't know if you read my previous post but I had it done and it was the worst experience of my life. It also left my skin a little scarred, and did not remove any tattoo at all. Total waste of time and money. I wouldn't suggest trying any other at-home treatment, you have got to be really careful with your eyes. There is one treatment you might be interested in - having another tattoo put on but this time skin-coloured pigment to mimic the natural colour of your skin. Apparantly this can be quite effective - I was offered it but turned it down, as I did not want anything else putting into my skin, and I was worried that the pigment colours might mix with the tattoo colour already there and come out some bizarre shade! Well, hope you manage to find a treatment to suit you, do let us know how it goes.
Good luck to everyone - one day we will be free of these tattoos!
1/23/08
I have found that using any skin lightener will lighten, if not remove, the tattoos. Have you tried that first?
1/23/08
5 yrs ago i got a permanent tatto on my eye brows and they came out to thick @ugly and im tryng to find a lazer tatto removal place that will correct them or thin them ca any one help????
1/25/08
hi how are you all?im caroline from australia.i had my eyebrows tattoed 3 yrs ago for the first time,didnt like them as they were to thin,so she agreed to thicken them up for me,they now look awful,they both look like black slugs on my forehead,with one of the brows higher then the other,and they are black,im a natural lite brown.. i am so concious of them,people actually stare at them in the street and look at me like im a circus freak,ive tried covering them with concealer,by they still look awful.i went to see a laser doctor and he said it would take at least up to ten sessions and each session costs from over $200 each time,this is so expensive.i feel ugly and so down because of this and im only young with two small children.i know adsactly how you feel :-(
1/25/08
does skin lightener relly lighten tattoed eyebrows?im willing to give anything ago,i was also told to try rogaine a kind of hair growth treatment to try to hide the standoutish tattoo,will make eyebrow hair grow.has anybody tried this?
1/25/08
I feel for you all so much I really do :( Caroline, don't give up. I am only young too, and it upsets me that I have wasted so much time being miserable over my tattooed eyebrows. I doubt very much that you will need 10 sessions, as your doctor tells you, the tattoos are only small, and all one colour, which means they shouldn't be too difficult to remove. I know it costs a lot, I keep thinking "I could be spending this money on a holiday!" but just think about how different your life will be when you get rid of the tattoos. I'd say it's a worthwhile investment! To Jessica - you didn't say where you were from? You should look on google for laser surgeons in your area who use Q-switched Nd-YAG lasers. They can remove all colours of permanent makeup without scarring your skin (the laser targets the tattoo pigment only). Hope that helped. x
1/25/08
thankyou for your advice Kathryn.have you heard of any creams that actually geniunly lighten tattoes?i heard of tatggone but cant be sold here in australia,not sure why?but im not to certain that it will help anyway.
1/28/08
I got my eyebrows tattoed about 3 weeks ago with a method called soft touch. I was told it that it was similar to a normal tattoo but doesn't penetrate as deep into your the layers skin. I hate the way the tail of my eyebrows are arched because they make me look mean. I would like to get the tail of my eyebrows corrected or removed. Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations of places to go in southern california?
1/30/08
I have had my eyebrows tattooed for almost 10 years and decided I wanted to grow out my eyebrow hairs since I had been plucking all the hairs out for those 10 years. Well, it turns out that my eyebrow tattoos were actually a lot higher than where my real eyebrows were. So, it looks like I have 4 eyebrows! I have been penciling in my eyebrows between the tattoo and the eyebrow hairs which looks very unnatural plus I use concealer to cover up the tattoo. Recently, I had a test spot done on one small section of the eyebrow tattoo to see if the laser will actually remove the tattoo. The laser used was the Q-switched Nd:Yag laser. It has only been 5 days since the procedure and so far the treated area is red. I am putting an antibiotic ointment on it twice a day and covering it up with bandage. It was recommended that I continue to use bandage on the treated area until it heals, which could be 3 weeks. I'm optimistic about the results but am dreading have both eyebrows fully lasered off and having to wear bandage over them for a month!
The tattoo ink used was from Softaps, which uses iron oxide pigments. It was done by hand and is very superficial since it always fades and is so super light that I have to use eyebrow powder on top of it. I just liked that it gave me structure to work with. So, I was wondering if anyone can give advice on how to fade a tattoo rather than remove it with laser. I heard of glycolic acid peels and intense pulse light. Anyone tried those out? I'm just nervous to go through with the laser full on since some people claim they don't even notice the tattoo when I use concealer. I'm thinking it might just be too invasive for the type of tattoo I have. Also, did someone mention that iron oxide pigments can be removed by laser? My dermatologist told me that because I have brown in my tattoo, that there is a 50% chance that the Q-switch won't work on it. Supposedly, 50% of brown ink has titanium in it, which reacts negatively to this particular laser. Guess we'll see what happens in a few weeks.
Any advice would be great!
1/31/08
I have just had my eyebrows applied, and was told that any of the skin lighteners would fade them. I suspect time would take care of them.
1/31/08
Please, please, pleeeeease let me know who does this procedure. I really HATE my eyeliner, I hate it soo much!!! And i live in birmingham.. so London is NOT THAT far!!
2/1/08
Hello, I had my eyebrows done 2 days ago and it was a mess it is a light brow but my two eyebrow r not even.. the right one is scabbing more than the left one.. It is supposed to be semi-perm and last something between 1 to 3 years.. she told me she used something natural not ink.. not sure i don't trust her anymore
what can i do to get rid of them? i scrub my left eyebrow it seems to help a bit but i cant do so with my left one.. the scab is still like part of my skin so i cant take it off
i regret it so muchhhh .. wish i had found that message board before i decide to give a try fo the semi-perm make up...
also im scared the scab may leave a scar.. someone help? is there any cream i should apply on ?
Thankss and good luck to all of u !!
Jess
2/1/08
hiya all.does anybody know of any genuine creams that lighten tattoo?
2/9/08
Hi,
I had lipliner done 5 days ago...the scabs finally fell off today. While i'm generally pretty happy...it looks like it is taking on a bluish appearance...is this normal?
Thanks, Scarlett
2/9/08
Hi Kathryn, thank you for your response. I am disappointted that there is nothing I can do to remove this stupid eyeliner, it seems as "the rest of my life" is a long time to pay for this stupid decision... I guess my only hope is to keep searching if there is a cream that can at least lighten the color... as Kathryn said, I have wasted so much time being miserable over this... good luck to all...
2/12/08
Hello everyone,i really am curious as to finding a cream that can lighten tattoo.does anybody know of one sold in Australia,im DESPERATE!
2/14/08
Hi Caroline, I understand your desperation, believe me! But I honestly do not believe that any creams lighten tattoos. I have tried tattoo-off, which is pretty much the same as tat-b-gone and it did nothing. Some people claim hydroquinone (which is the only active ingredient in these products) can help, but all it does is halt production of melanin (natural skin pigment), which may make the skin appear lighter temporarily. But it will do nothing to the ink unfortunately. The best thing you can do is have laser tattoo removal, that is what I am doing. Expensive but it really does work, and that is the main thing. Please do not waste your money on creams and other products/treatments that claim to lighten tattoos, they are complete scams - it cost me around £400 to learn that!
Good luck whatever you decide to do x
2/15/08
I got permanent make up 6 days ago: eyebrows, liner top and bottom and lips.
I am also having panic attacks--I wasn't thinking straight at all. I never wore
make up except a touch of brow pencil and a little lipstick. I WANT MY FACE BACK.
This is too much--I thought it would just slightly add to what I had, but this looks
made up. It is not a bad job--just way too much for me. I think my make up
person offers permanent camoflage, but that seems scary right now. I have been
reading all over the internet. Should I go swimming, sit out in the sun, use peroxide
to increase fading??
If all this fails, I would love to have the names and contact info for Drs. who anyone
has used successfully for laser treatment. It sounds like the Q-Switched ND-JAG laser
is the way to go. I think I have black, maybe brown and a drop of red eyebrow. I can
find out.
Also, does anyone know about IPL--pulse light?
I want to keep my eyebrow hair, it was really quite o.k. If I had it to do over, I certainly
wouldn't do this again. I did it so I must take responsiblility but I think there should
be a lot more discussion time and seriousnes given to the presentation. This was just
like, Oh, let's put on some make up. It's so scary to think I can never get it off and I
have ruined my face for life. I am just longing for my unmade up face!
2/15/08
Oh Dani! If only you'd found this page before you went and had permanent makeup done. It seems like an amazing idea at the time, and then afterwards it makes you feel like a complete freak. It is such a shame this procedure was even invented, I have said it before and I will say it again- it should be BANNED. All you have to do is read this page to see how many people's lives it has wrecked.
If you really can't bear it though, don't hang around waiting for it to disappear - it won't no matter if you go swimming or sit out in the sun - it might even change a funny colour. Best thing you can do is wait a few months til the treated areas heal (and until then wear concealer over it, that's what I do) and see what it looks like - it will be a lot lighter than it is now, and you even said it is not a bad job. If you are still unhappy, go and have laser done - I know this is possible for your eyebrows but n