My eyebrows were very light and not much hair at the end of the brows, but they are in nice shape, I decided to get eyebrow tattoo, I had my first eyebrow tattoo done at the end of 2005, they were perfect and look so natural, they just look a little darker than my natural brows by 10%, I was so impressed. My eyebrows tattoo fade very quick as it was light, therefore I booked in to have my eyebrow touch up about 8 days ago, it was horrible, I hate them so much, they are so dark and thick, I looks like I put two big hooks on my eyebrows, they made me look angry all the time, and I look worse than before, I am so regret, I lost my confident and scare to go out.
I am using facial scrub to rub my eyebrows everyday, and I just started to use acid peel, hoping that they will fade quicker. Does anyone know how to fade the eyebrow tattoo quicker.
Any other options apart from laser treatment? I am so desperate, please help..........
11/19/07
The person who did my eyebrows yesterday told me they would be too dark at first. They will fade in a week or two. She also told me sun fades them, as does Retin-A or glycolic acid treatment, or chlorine from pools. So I would chill out for a while...
12/12/07
I am in the same boat! Just got my lips and eyes done today and they are tooooo dark! I asked for very natural and ended up looking like a hooker on 5th street. She is telling me that they will lighted some but honestly the color is so dark that it would have to lighten 80% to look natural. I am tempted to put some of my retin-A on them after they heal up a little. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
12/12/07
Well I got my eyebrows done over 2 months now, they still lots darker than what I expected, they look so un-natural and one eyebrow is thicker and darker than the other, I look awful. I exfoliate my eyebrows everyday and I also tried acid peel 3 times, I can't see much of the result at this stage but I will keep exfoliate my eyebrows as it helps to fade quicker. In a mean time I use loose powder to cover my eyebrows which helps to soften them a bit. I have thought about laser tattoo removal, but I really don't want to lose my eyebrow hairs, so I just have to put up with it.
12/29/07
This may be of interest
http://www.rejuvi.com.au/TattooRemoval/tabid/532/Default.aspx
1/24/08
I had my eyebrows done 6 months ago... I am blond and light featured, and they look sooooo dark.... I was so angry and to make matters worst, I thought that the tattoo was only supposed to last one year, at most.. now I find out that it is permanent. My fault for not looking into it better before having it done.
Anyway, the last couple of weeks Ive been trying to find a way of making them fade,etc. and it has been suggested to me, by a person who works in a tattoo removal place, to put "retinol" on them every night.
However, today something wonderful happened... I had my hair highlighted and the lady there suggested I have my eyebrows made lighter, because, she says, the problem is not that the tattoo is too dark, it is that the tattoo AND your eyebrows, together, make it look too dark.
So she coloured my eyebrows and wow!! Like magic, I went back to looking like myself. Couldn[t wait to share this... hope it helps someone else. Good luck
2/8/08
wow I had no idea what a huge problem this is for everyone....wish we could see before and after pics of brows so we could see what everyone is talking about.
Eye brows do look darker initially after tattoo for 30days and then color shows itself at the end of 30 days.....however they fade and the lighter they r te faster they fade.....darker brown brows may fade into grayish color and lighter to med brown may fade to orange or pink but touch up should take care of it.
Now The only thing that s out of your control s brow shape. Couple of hints before getting them done is:
1. communicate w artist..take pics or even makeup in and tell her how thick or thin u want them to be.
2. have a mirror in hand, as she is gong along ask the artist to see the brow.....
3. make sure she stencils or draws n the second brow and you approve the new brow...then do the same, constantly ask to see the brow as you go along.
If brows come out the way you don't want them to be, uneven ...dark:
1.Take off scab right away and peel off dry skin
2.Apply glycolic acid and keep scrubbing off scabs
3.Artist is able to lighten them and they use a technique called "fade" t remove minor pigment and even out brows and arches.
Make sure you communicate with the artist what your concerns are. Sorry to hear the negative results or PMU. Hope the hints helped. t helps me and my clients.
2/8/08
The manufacture of cosmetics is currently dominated by a small number of multinational corporations that originated in the early 20th century, but the distribution and sale of cosmetics is spread among a wide range of different businesses. Canal holidays UK
3/13/08
ok how about this. i got my eyebrows done in 1995. that was 13 years ago. they are still here. i was told they would fade in about 5-7 years. Not true. I got them done while the faze of long eyebrows were in style. Now i want them shorter and can not find someone to remove them or a prodeuct used to fade them. i thought after all of this time they would go away. I still use pencil to fill them in darker. i just want them shorten. can anyone suggest a repreble company in the NJ or NY area that does permanent make up removal that is not expensive. I do not mind the cost, but do not want to be ripped. I wish I would have done better research on this matter. My eyebrows are uneven one is thinner then the other. I was not happen, but managed to cover it with eye pencil. Please any information you can give will be helpful
3/28/08
Your comment is reckless and unprofessional. The worse thing you can do is use glycolic acid on a fresh tattoo and "scrub" and "peel"the scab". She can have a serious injury that will end up in infection and multiple scarring. Then she is looking not only at the thick dark ugly eyebrows, but the pock marks that are all over it. Seriously, you are looking at a lawsuit. Never give advice on these things unless you know what you are going to do. Always have them go to someone who is a licensed professional and is able help her.
PS..a good experienced artist would never "stencil" the work. It has to be done so that it moves naturally with the client's face.
4/2/08
That is fine but what if she makes them thicker than what they were and changes the shape. Then what do we do. I had mine done about 6 years ago and they were fine. I went back today to get a touch up and she said they were uneven and brought the one eyebrown closer to my nose and by doing that she made it thicker than the other one so now I think it looks awful. Should have left well enough a lone. Any suggestions as to how I can do anything to get the pigment out before contacting a pro.
4/2/08
I am in the same boat. I can live with them being a little dark but she ruined the shape and I don't have much hair so I don't really care about that. I would gladly pencil them in like before
4/6/08
Hi, I will be moving to NJ June 1st, if you can wait that long, I will be visiting sometime in April. You can check my before and afters at: laurasbeautymark.blogspot.com
I've done quite a bit of corrective work and would be happy to check yours out to see if I can help.
4/7/08
I ALSO HAVE COSMETIC MAKEUP ON MY EYEBROWS AND HATE THEM!! I GOT THEM DONE ABOUT 3 1/2 - 4YRS AGO AND THEY ARE EXTREMELY UNEVEN, THEY ARE FADING BUT NOT FAST ENOUGH! I HAVE LOW SELF-ESTEEM, HATE TAKING PICTURES AND I'VE BOUGHT BLEACH CREAMS, RETINOL A, MICRO-DERMABRASION, AN RECENTLY A LASER TREATMENT THAT DIDN'T DO MUCH! ALSO COME TO FIND OUT THE LADY THAT DID THEM HAS HAD ALOT OF CLIENTS THAT ARE NOW IN MY POSITION IF THERE IS ANYONE OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP ME PLEASE E-MAIL ME I FEEL THAT I WILL NEVER HAVE MY CONFIDENCE BACK!
4/20/08
I had my eyebrows done 6 yrs ago when I was 19 and the technician who did them made them way too dark and too thick. I just had my second laser procedure a week ago to remove them and so far so good. The color has faded significantly where I could now see my natural brow hairs, which looks A LOT better than the hideous tattoos.
My cosmetic surgeon said that in order to remove most of the colors, it has to be exfoliated within 11-14 days from the time you got them, otherwise your skin will permanently seal them in and no matter what you do after that time frame, it won't have much (if any) effect on them.
4/20/08
I had eyebrows tattooed in yrs ago and have just had laser to remove them. Before considering laser, I've tried all methods to remove them but none of them worked out. After 2 treatments with the laser, they are mostly gone now.
4/20/08
I "had" tattoed eyebrows for 10 yrs and no matter what I did to them (scrubbing with salt, retin-a, retinol, acid peels, going out in the sun), none of them helped at all. The ONLY thing that helped so far is laser removal. I know you said you don't want to go through laser removal but if nothing else works, this may have to be your last resort if you want them removed.
I'm on my 3rd laser removal treatment which is spaced one month apart to allow healing and right now, I can finally see my natural eyebrow hairs which looks so much better than the thick, dark ugly tattoos I had.
4/21/08
Hello to everyone! Girls, who had laser treatment, please share your experience with us. Did you loose your natural hair? how long it took while hair to get back to normal hair color? did you experience any significant color change (i got red eyebrows after 1st treatment)? what about scaring? please help those who are considering doing laser treatment or undergoing it. thanks.
we have other thread on this topic. http://www.realself.com/forum/skin_care/permanent_makeup.html
please leave your comments there.
Thank you
4/22/08
Hi nnn_,
My first treatment for laser removal of cosmetic eyebrows was done 4 months ago using the Alexandrite Laser. The tattoo on my brows was initially a very dark gray-black color. The doctor wanted to do a test patch first to see if the tattoo contained any titanium dioxide which could potentially turn the tattoos permanently darker by the laser. Since the tattoos did not turn dark after the test patch, he proceeded with the treatment.
I was given a local anesthetic but even with this, I found the procedure to be a bit uncomfortable, much like the process of tattooing in the first place because the brow area is quite sensitive.
When the laser is fired on the tattoo, the tattoo will turn white immediately. This "whiteness" will last anywhere between 20 minutes to one hour. The whole procedure from start to finish lasted 10 minutes and by the time I was done, the areas surrounding the treatment site also turned red and swelled up a bit. My brow hairs are black and since the color also gets absorbed by the laser, some of them turned white on the tips. I also lost some brow hairs. My treatments were scheduled 4 wks apart to allow sufficient healing of the skin.
Aftercare is very simple. I just used Aquaphor ointment on the areas to prevent heavy scabbing and try to keep it away from the sun. Healing time took 4-5 days and on the 4th day, the light scabs that formed peeled off, revealing a lighter colored tattoo underneath. The tattoos continued to lighten for the next 4 wks until my next treatment. It's important at this stage to apply sunscreen on the areas to prevent the sun from discoloring the newly healed skin. Some of the brow hairs that turned white took about 8 wks to return to normal color and it took about 3 months for the brow hairs that I lost to grow back in. I also do not have any scars from this procedure.
I will be going in for my 4th procedure in 2 wks and since the tattoos are now 95% gone, the doctor will be using a different laser called the Nd Yag which is supposed to penetrate deeper and won't affect the melanin in the skin. I will update as soon as get my treatment done.
4/22/08
Hi Cheetah,
Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm happy that you are getting such good results. My doctor is using Nd Yag. I didn't have any scabbing on my eyebrows, just on my lips. Hopefully I will get rid off red eyebrows on my next session. Please keep posting your results as well.
Do your brow hairs get white after every treatment? or you experienced only on your first treatment?
thank you.
4/23/08
the tattoo lady who did my eyebrow made my eyebrows really dark, thick and close to each other--like i have unibrows. i had it done last march. after a month(this april) i had the part that is really close to my nose lasered out. it is about 1/4 inch each eyebrow so now i just have to deal with how to make it heal and lighten faster. i am very satisfied. the ink is gone. it's just a little red in color but i'm using scar treatment ointment. having it lasered out was very much worth it. it just cost me $125 for the procedure and the nurse who lasered the excess eyebrow tattoo said that i might not need to go back there for another laser treatment. if you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me.
4/24/08
Hi nnn,
Yes, some of my brow hairs always turn white after each treatment and I always lose some brow hairs as well but these are temporary inconveniences I'm willing to put up with just to get rid of the tattoos. I'm going in for my 4th treatment pretty soon and they will be using the Nd Yag. I was told the Nd Yag doesn't scab like the Alexandrite laser did so it remains to be seen.
At this point, the tattoos are almost all gone, except for a few stubborn areas that necessitates the use of the Nd Yag laser.
I wish you luck on your next treatment on the red color. I do know that the Nd Yag is very effective on the red coloration as my friend also had a red tattoo that was removed by this laser.
4/24/08
Thanks Cheetah.
Keep posting your results. All the best!
5/3/08
Hello, I am blonde and fair and had permanent eyebrows done
yesterday. I am really taken aback at the intensity of the color, the scabbing and the swelling. I went to a very reputable person. But I didn't understand that I would be stuck at home unable to go around people until the intense scabbing goes away. This could be a week! I would never have done this if I 'd known I would be virtually house bound. Does anyone have any suggestions for healing quicker. I am putting on A and D oinment, lightly and putting ice packs on lightly. Otherwise I don't touch. Help. Please. My brows are each one big scab. Thanks.
5/3/08
Hi Paget,
When I go in for laser sessions to remove my brow tattoos, the area also scabs but I use Aquaphor ointment on them (available OTC) and it has cut back down on the scabbing. It also cut healing time in half so by the 4th day, the scabs peel off.
You're doing the right thing by applying ointment on them as this helps keep the areas moist. No matter what you do, don't pick at the scabs and try to peel them off yourself as this can cause an infection. They will fall off on their own.
5/6/08
Lianna:
Which type of laser was used on your brows? Thanks.
5/10/08
Hi Everyone,
Just had my 4th laser procedure done today (using the Nd Yag laser) to remove what's left of my eyebrow tattoos. As to be expected, the treated areas turned white for about 40 minutes and now one hour later, it is almost back to normal skin color. Again, some of my brow hairs turned white and I also lost a little bit of brow hairs. Surprisingly this time around, I don't have any bruising or swelling in the treated areas and I suppose this is because I don't have much tattoo pigment in the areas anymore.
Right now, the tattoos are very, very faint in color. It is mostly gone although actual fading of the tattoos will occur over a 6 wk period after the procedure in which it gets progressively lighter and lighter.
My doctor said I may not need to come back anymore but of course, that still remains to be seen at this point. All in all, the procedure is well worth every penny.
5/10/08
Hi Cheetah,
Thanks for sharing the experience. Hopefully it will be last treatment for you. Please let us now later if had some scabbing with this type of laser, and how long it lasted. I have my treatment in 2 weeks.
If you don't mind sharing, how much do you pay for the every procedure? do they reduce the cost in every following procedure, or it is fixed? I paid 1000$ for lips and brows for one treatment :(
5/10/08
Hi Cheetah,
Something wrong with the forum, my previous post didn't appear.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Please let us know later if you had any scabbing from this type of laser, and how long it lasted.
I have my treatment in 2 weeks, cannot wait...
If you don't mind sharing, how much do you pay for your treatment? do they lower the price for the every next treatment or it is fixed? I paid $1000 for lips and brows for the first treatment :(
5/10/08
Hi nnn,
This is the day after the laser procedure and no scabs have formed this time. I don't even have any bruises or swelling at all. The only thing I can see is the tattoos are now almost gone. In fact, I'd venture on to say it's 99% gone at this point. Now I just wish the brow hairs that came off would grow in soon.
I paid $100 even for yesterday's procedure. Yes, my doctor lowers the price for each procedure as the tattoos get lighter and lighter because there's less surface area to treat. The very first procedure I paid $490 for both brows. I hope this answered your question. Pls let me know how your procedure turned out.
There was another patient who came in before me with red brows who also did the laser procedure. Her brows turned dark after the laser.
5/11/08
That's good news, you almost got rid off the ink completely. I'm happy for you. And healing seems good this time.
Did she get red after after previous treatment or hers faded naturally and became red? And how dark it turned? Black? What doctor said to her? Hopefully mine will not be dark, because laser already touched the area, if it had some iron oxide, it would have turned dark after the first treatment. Please let me know the details.
Thanks.
5/11/08
No, the patient said she originally had red ink tattooed on her brows, not brown or black so her tattoos turned gray black after the treatment because of the iron oxide. The doctor said the gray-black areas will eventually fade but it would take additional treatments to accomplish that.
I don't think yours will end up like hers because hers was pure red to begin with and you would've already known from your first treatment if the areas will turn dark...but that didn't happen so I don't think you have anything to worry about.
I was initially concerned about mine turning dark as well because during my consult, the doctor thought there was some flesh colored ink in mine so he did a test patch first to determine if I was going to get this reaction but thankfully, I didn't.
5/11/08
Hi all.I had my eyebrows tattooed by a very talented tattoo artist that i dated for 5 years. He has been a tattoo artist for over 25 years,he did my eyebrows 4 years ago he used regular tattoo ink (color used, doodoo Brown) and never once had to touch them up.They did not noticeably scab at all.So my advice is to use very very little A&D, you do not want to keep them wet with ointment that will only prolong the healing.The most important thing is keep them clean & don't overdue it, so clean 1-2 x's a day with witchazel and then pat them dry (never rub never scrub)
then apply very very thin coat of A&D you want your scab to dry so dont keep it moist let it dry as much as you can without it cracking.Whoever tattooed you went way to deep in my opinion.I also think the best way to get permanent makeup is by an experienced tattoo artist the ink does not fade so no touch ups ever & they are artists.Happy Healing
5/11/08
thanks for the info. plz keep posting your healing experience.
5/22/08
Hi Cheetah,
How healing is going on? What about the color?
My second treatment is tomorrow, I'll be doing only eyebrows, lips I'll do some other time. In 7 weeks after 1st treatment I would say that all my brow hair grew back.
I'll update after my treatment.
5/23/08
nnn, i hope all goes well with treatment. please keep us posted. i hope to do laser soon. please let us know exactly how long after laser before you can appear in public. thanks.
5/23/08
I am a "certified" permanent makeup specialist, and i can tell from training until now that almost every procedure you have done, will be very dark when you first have it completed and it will fade about 1/3. Also, before you go to some cheap place to have your procedure done, check you state laws. KY and NC has no laws when it comes to permanent makeup, that means ANYONE can pick up a machine, handpiece or whatever and start tattooing away at people's faces. SO watch out for that, I live in KY but I went and became certified and am doing everything that a professional tattoo artist or cosmetologist would have to do to earn their license just so that my customer's will feel safe. Number one rule, always wear your makeup into your appt so that the specialist can see how you wear it and what you are most comfortable wearing, I WILL NEVER AND HAVE NEVER put permanent makeup on anyone who only wears makeup every once in a while or none at all, they have to be completely comfortable in wearing makeup for me to tattoo their face. Sun, Acne medications and such will fade your makeup, but as with eyebrows you have to be careful, here's the test for the eyebrows to make sure they are appropriately placed. take a ruler, hold it from the inner corner close to your nose straight up and down your face and make sure your eyebrows does not extend past that point (most people use the edge of the nose but some people have large noses and it will make them look funny your eyebrows should only be one eyeball apart) ok now for the other end of the eyebrow, take that ruler and leave it at the edge of your nose and hold it to the outer edge of your eyebrow, that is how far it should come out. Also, going to a doctor to have this done might not be the best, since someone with a good makeup or art background are more familiar with how makeup should be applied and how the face proportionates, anyway I hope everyone has good luck finding what they need also, there are 2 websites that help, American Academy of Micropigmentation and www.spcp.org. Both are places for people like to become board certified and recognized by America for being certified appropriately.
Thanks
Jacquelyn
5/24/08
Got my 2nd treatment. It was swollen right after the treatment, I think it's mainly because of injection. It hurts more to get injection than the laser itself...but i don't want to try it without injection or just numbing gel.
area is red and sore, had pin point bleeding, don't think it will scab. Cannot say anything about the color yet, as the whole area is red now. My eyebrow hair didn't turn white as mush as it did first time.
Rethinking, I would suggest to do the treatment on Friday and when you holidays, when you can sit at home and give time to heal. But I was outside today whole evening with the bandages on my eyebrows :)
6/9/08
hey, i've been doing laser treatment, and i've done it three times, all the ink is gone, but the areas where i had the ink is now red, and it's been a month, and it's slowly getting less red, but it's still very noticeable, do any of you know how to heal it? or what's wrong with it?
i'm very lost and confused, but hopefully it'll be gone soon, but it's taking forever!
anybody know what the problem is?!
please post back
6/10/08
I can't believe all the horror stories i am hearing permanent makeup! I have been doing perm makeup for over 1 year now, and I guess I am one of the better ones out there..wwoooohooo. I don't want to toot my own horn or anything but I would HATE to hear any of my clients hated their brows so much they were paying tons of $ to get them lasered off!? Geeezz. I guess having one on one training with a fabulous well-known Makeup Artist from Nyc doesn't hurt either. Also, ALWAYS make sure the person you go to is Certified, Insured, and is a Make-Up artist.
I know its not always the right thing to do, but I have a mirror next to me at all times and after we discuss the shape, and I get positive feedback about that I let the client see their shape while its being formed. Not the whole time, but at least after the first brow to make sure they LOVE them. I also use a a digital machine, which is the best machine on the market!
www.Lesliegotogirl.com
I feel bad for you guys, I wish I do you all:) I live for eyebrows!
6/14/08
Lianna,
Can you please advise me which laser equipment and and clinic that did your eyebrow tattooed removal? What color was your eyebrows. Mine are brown and I am unhappy with the color. I wanted a light brown and they are a dark brown/black. I had them done 2 1/2 weeks ago. Did you lose your eyebrows hairs? Was the procedure expensive? Thank you for the advise
6/20/08
To all the women who have completed laser treatments to remove their eyebrow tattoo's. Can you please advise how this treatment works and the sucess rate on dark brown eyebrows being removed?
6/28/08
Hey Jacquelyn,
I am a licensed tattoo artist in Tennessee. I took a one year training course for permanent cosmetics at a training center here and am planning to take the certification with the spcp. I have family in NC and they have asked me to come there to do some work on "friends and co-workers". I would enjoy the extra income and the time with my family, but I have searched and cannot find the governing depts. Could you tell me where you find that there are no laws in NC.
Thanks for any help you can give.
6/30/08
My eyebrow tatoo is very thick and uneven. Can you please give me the contact information for the doctor who lasered out your eyebrows. I am very upset and I dont know what to do. I live in Elkton Maryland. I wonder if there is an office near me? thanks so much!
7/7/08
Hi Cheetah!
How are your eyebrows? did they fade completely? Please update us, you are one of few who has done several treatment.
My eyebrows are still red, but not deep than before the second treatment, I can cover with foundation with better result. will do my next treatment end of this month.
7/8/08
hi girls,
i read a lot of your unhappy result from your permanent cosmetics procedures, and i'm very sorry for you all, but as i reminder, you need to do your homework before you choose the artist who will perform your procedure.
it is very important that that person is not only a certified technician but also an artist! it's not because you know to bake an egg that you are a chef! getting a certification doesn't make you an artist either!!!!!! it's either you are born an artist or you are not!
"Art is a talent with which one is born, not a craft for which one trains"
my point is that you really need to look at the artist portfolio and look for real before/after 4/6 picture size and not some fancy super model brochures or book that they probably purchased at the suppliers.
wherever you are located, feel free to contact me if you have any question, i love what i do and i would love to help you in any way i could (even if you don't pay me).
all the best
pierre Ly
www.featheringtouch.com
7/9/08
Dear Eilleen, I just had my eyebrows done for the first time yesterday and I think they came out too dark. The tattoo lady said that it would form a crust in 5 days and would peel off and become lighter. Do you know this to be true? Right now they look dark brown but she said she used ash blond. She just told me to be patient and give it 5 days to peel off the dark color. Please let me know if you or anyone out there had this happen to them. I also had my lip liner done and it definitely made by lips look larger. now I have just a red line around my mouth (kinda like a clown) but she told me that too will form a crust and peel off in 5 days. Then my liner will blend into my natural lip color. Do you know if this is true also. Please help me cause now i'm a nervour wreck waiting for the next five days to pass. Thanks
7/9/08
Hi nnn and everyone,
My 4th and last procedure for tattoo removal using Nd Yag laser was done on May 9th, 08. Now 2 months later the colors have faded very close to 100%. In fact it has faded so well that I don't even need to put any cover up makeup on them anymore.
A regular person looking at my brows won't be able to tell I had anything done to them at all nor can they tell I had tattoos on the area to begin with. I myself have a hard time finding where the old ink used to be which was dark gray when I first started out with the laser procedure.
I don't have any discolorations nor scars left from the removal procedure and although it was expensive, it was money well spent.
The only thing I'm waiting on now is for some of the brow hairs to grow in completely. Some have grown back in but others have not (yet).
7/9/08
Hi debra,
I don't have experience with lip tattoos but I can tell you that when I first got my eyebrows tattooed, it was very dark and it took 7 days for the scabs to peel off. After the scabs peel, the tattoo color will definitely become lighter.
Hope that helps.
7/10/08
Hi Cheetah,
Thanks for getting back to us. It is so nice to hear that you had very good results from laser. I can fell how happy you might be :) cannot wait for that day in my case...
just one question, did you use injection or numbing gel? I get injection every time, and hurts so much, I almost tear up :( I was thinking doing laser without anything. Please share your experience on it.
Thanks.
7/15/08
nnn,
Yes I got numbing injections each and every time I had the procedure done. The eyebrow area is very sensitive and I can't imagine not having any numbing agent on that area prior to having the laser. My doctor did tell me that the less ink the area has, the less it will hurt also because there's less absorption from the laser's energy but I would rather be comfortable and not flinch while he's lasering the tattoos off.
7/18/08
hi! it's me again, i haven't updated in awhile, but my eyebrows are still red around the areas it got tattooed on, most of the ink is gone, and you can't even see it, but i still am so self conscious because of the redness! cheetah, didn't your brows have red on the parts you got treatment on?! i don't know if it's scarred, but it is getting a bit better, but it's taking way too long, anyone know how to make the redness go away?! please help, thank you.
7/19/08
Hi
Yes I have slight redness/pink skin and it is now only starting to fade. I had it since the first treatment. My doctor said it's called post inflammatory hyperpigmentation and it can last anywhere from 6-12 months.
I use Aquaphor ointment on it daily to alleviate the pinkness as well as some residual peeling skin I have on the areas.
I don't think it's scarred but you might want to talk to the person who did your procedure and ask what he/she can recommend to make the redness fade faster.
7/20/08
oh thank you for replying
and it can last up to 6 months?!!
i think it is fading away though
i was hoping at the end of august it will be all gone
some said it can take up to 3-4 months
is yours noticeable?!!
i'm so self conscious about it
and well i got my last treatment in may
so hopefully it'll dissapear soon!
thank you
7/21/08
Hi there,
My last treatment was on May as well and the pinkness is just starting to go away. The redness was noticeable for the first 3 wks or so after the treatments before gradually fading to a lighter pink color. Right now, the pinkness is starting to fade also and I'm slowly getting back my normal skin color.
Yes, the doc told me it can last up to 6 months and it took a co-worker of mine who had the same procedure 8 months before her "redness" disappeared entirely.
Hang in there. I know it's irritating having to deal with the discoloration but know that it isn't permanent.
7/22/08
ah yeah, it's finally to go away too, with mine..
i hope it goes away soon, thank you so much for replying, it means a lot.
if you put makeup on it to try and hide it will it make the pinkness fade away slower?
hopefully one day i'll be happy to have normal eyebrows back!
i cannot wait for that day, it's amazing how many people are going through the same thing
thank you so much again.
7/23/08
I tried putting concealer on the areas but the only thing it did was conceal the redness...it didn't make it fade any faster. What helped a lot was the Aquaphor ointment I used. That helped it heal a lot quicker and prevented scabs from forming.
7/24/08
oh yeah! i used aquaphor too, but i haven't used it in a while, one time it made it more red because i think i put on too much at once, and is it bad for your brows to be visable in the sun?
7/30/08
Hi. I was thinking about getting it lasered out but the place I called mentioned something about how the ink for permanent makeup is different than regular tattoo inks and may actually make the color fade into a weird color instead of completely removing it. What color were your eyebrows tattooed and do you know what kind of laser they used? Thanks
8/1/08
I did the tatoo 13 years ago and I'm willing to take it off now, it still pretty dark, I went to a laser clinic and they told me that I needed to pull my eyebrows with tweezers before they can go ahead with the procedure, I want to know if you had to do that before taking the laser the first time, I am afraid the eyebrows won't grow back completly thanks.
8/2/08
I am in the same boat as you guys, I have them done 13 years ago and they still dark, I went to a laser removal clinic and they told me that I have to tweezer out all my eyebrows before the procedure can be done, this is to protect my hair from not growing back, now, all the posting I've readed say that the hair turned white but went back to normal after a few days, I don't want to pull my eyebrows and look like Bob Geldorf in The Wall for a while, can you please advise from your experience, any help will be greatly appreciated.
8/5/08
gadias4455:
I think pulling your brows out would be a bad mistake. I was not asked to shave or tweeze prior to the procedure and I haven't heard anyone else post that they were required to do that. Tweezing makes your eyebrows thinner and thin brows or no brows is the main reasons most of us had the pigment put into the brows.
I went today and had a test spot done on my right brow. The doc did about 1/2 inch at the tail end. It took about 2 min with no numbing gel and I actually felt no pain. A slight stinging would be all I would describe. The best part…there is absolutely no makeup pigment left in the test spot!!! The area is a deep pink and I really don’t know yet if there was any hair loss since that part was very skimpy in the way hair to begin with. I put Aquaphor ointment and covered with a small band aid. I even plan to go into work tomorrow. The only drawback is that I have dark pigmented brows and now the right one does not have a tail. I will have to fill it in with pencil so as not to look weird until I can get more pigment removed. I am not sure about getting the full brows done at once due to the down time. I want to say thank you to everyone on this site for sharing their experiences and knowledge. It continues to get me through this terrible time. Please keep the communications going.
8/5/08
Hi gadias4455,
My doctor did not require me to tweeze my eyebrows at all (not that I wanted to anyway). He told me that the laser used for tattoo removal will not affect the ability of the hairs to grow back because it is too quick to damage the hair follicle. Plus, it isn't the right wavelength. In other words, the wavelength and speed is tailor made just for removing tattoos, not hairs so don't worry about your hair not growing back.
From my own experience, the brow hairs turned white almost immediately after the procedure and some hairs did fall out but they grew back completely after a few weeks. I've had 4 sessions done altogether and each time, the hairs grew back so I don't think it's necessary for you to tweeze the hairs at all. Just know that when they do fall out, it is temporary and they will grow back.
8/16/08
Getting it lazered out is drastic. You can have it reversed with Glycolic Acid. I am a permanent makeup tech. What I mean by having it reversed, is you can have it taken out the same way it was put in with Glycolic acid.
8/20/08
Before laser treatments you will want to know if the tattoo that was used on you had yellow or skin tone in it. If so you will need up to 10 laser treatments to remove the tattoo color. If your tattoo has yellow in the pigment then the first couple of treatments with the laser the tattoo will turn black. This will lighten with each laser treatment. It can be done it just takes longer. I had the same problem 12 years ago and after one laser treatment learned of the yellow in the pigment problem. Once I saw the first shot turn black (I have light red hair) I opted to leave and have used waterproof coverup and re-penciled in my brows. Now they are light enough that I am going to try another technician's hand at permantently convering up and re-applying permanent eyebrows. Good luck.
9/2/08
I am so happy to have stumbled upon this site. I had my brows tatooed about 5 years ago and they are too dark. Now the dark brown is starting to fade to an ashy color. Up until now I thought I was stuck but, after reading all of your posts I see that laser treatment is an option. The place where I had my tatoos done told me that lasering them off was not an option because it would make all of the eyebrow hairs fall out. Can any of you who had a positive experience with the laser removal recommend someone to perform the procedure in the Seattle,WA area?
Thank you so much!
9/2/08
Hi, I'm thinking about getting my eyebrow's permanently tatooed. Is it a good idea? I would like to know before I get it done.
9/3/08
What is your reasoning for wanting to get your brows done? Are they thin? Sparse? Your Age?
9/5/08
If you really want to tattoo in your brows, make sure you find a reputable artist to perform the job (preferably someone with a lot of experience in permanent makeup).
In my case, it wasn't a good idea because it looked worse than my original brows. If you have very thin or sparse brows, I suppose it can help but keep in mind the color is permanent and if you change your hair color, it's difficult to match.
9/5/08
In my experience, only "some" brow hairs fell out, not all of them like you were told and you can easily fill the sparse areas in with brow pencil/shadow while you wait for them to grow back.
For me the hairs that fell out all grew back within 4-6 wks even after 4 sessions with the laser.
9/10/08
hi, i recently had 1 of my eyebrow tattoo removed and now it's all red. I would like to ask you how long did it take for yours to heal? what is the ointment name you used?
9/11/08
Hi,
I wasn't sure if this question was directed to me but when I got my eyebrow tattoo lasered off, I used Aquaphor ointment (available in any drug store). It really helped tremendously with the redness and healing.
9/11/08
Hi Cheetah,
How are you? Can you say that you are completely free of the ink now? it has been couple of months since your last treatment. How do you feel? Redness gone completely?
9/12/08
Hello nnn,
I'm doing ok, thanks for asking. I would say I am 99% if not 100% free of any tattoo ink at this point. There's really nothing left of the ink that I can see with my naked eyes, even if I look closely. After my last treatment, what little ink was left continued to fade within the following weeks thereafter.
The redness/pinkness of the areas are also gone but the treated areas are now slightly lighter than my normal skin color. The lighter skin color is not very noticeable unless you look real closely. The doctor said this side effect is quite common after the redness subsides but it should return to normal skin color after a few more months.
How is your treatment coming along? Are you still doing the laser sessions? You mentioned before that you had some redness in the area. Did that fade as well? And is the ink all gone for you?
9/14/08
Hi Cheetah! Thanks for getting back. Happy to hear about your results. I'm still getting my treatments, i had last one beginning of the August. Eyebrows are still red (meaning ink) and some ink left in my lips. Because of red ink, i cannot say if i have redness as a side effect or not. But i don't think so, because i can clearly see the borders of my inked brows. but i have redness in my lip area beyond lip liners. Anyway, I'm happy with the results, even if I need to do more treatments, I'm afraid I might need 2 or more treatments. But i'm going to give more time to heal this time, maybe even 3-4 months between each treatment. I want ink to fade before I spend so much money again.
9/15/08
Hi nnn,
Yes I think it's a good idea to let the ink fade some before going back for treatments. The doc told me it can take up to 6 months for the ink to continually fade. Of course this varies between each individual. I know in my case, the ink continued to fade for 2-3 months afterward. Plus, it also gives the skin time in between to heal.
Good luck with your treatments.
9/28/08
hey, i'm interested in getting my permanent makeup (eyebrows) lasered out but which area do you live in and where'd you get it done? cause I know it usually costs a lot more then $125. also, if i get both my whole eyebrows lasered out are the little hairs i do have going to fall out? does it affect the brow hairs at all? thanks
9/29/08
Fran- thanks for posting. I just got my eyebrows tattooed 3 days ago, and I am freaking out! I am totally paranoid cause they look like Groucho Marx. They came out soo dark, I hope they fade, so it took you 2wks or so ? How are your brows now ? I am using powder to lighten it, which totally helps.
Hope this fades, b/c I will never get them tattooed again. I learned my lesson.
10/1/08
Hi,
I live in Hawaii and got it done here. I had 4 sessions in total spaced a couple months apart.
For both brows, the first session cost me $425, for the second: $320. For third:$240 and the last session was $157. As you can see, it cost me $1,142 in total. The reason it got cheaper for each session is because there wasn't as much ink left each time I go in for the treatment. The price will vary from location to location and from doctor to doctor so you may need to shop around.
As far as hairs falling out is concerned, yes some (not all) of my brow hairs fell out each time I went in for the treatment but they all grew back within 2 months afterward. The hairloss you might experience with the procedure is only temporary and will grow right back.
10/7/08
The American Academy of Micropigmentation are the ones who told me that NC laws were like KY, you can give them a call and they will help you in finding the regulations and laws in the state you will be practicing in.
10/18/08
It has been very interesting reading all this. I had my eyebrows done yesterday and came home and cried...putting a hat on before going outside...only because I had to go to work. Yeah...ya could say I am freaking out a bit. My technician said thats a common response...like OMG what have I done. They are dark and a bit uneven...I didnt go real thick cuz I figured thinner in the beginning is better. The arch on one is quite a bit higher than the other, but the artist said that is natural even with real eyebrows...whatever. I dont know if I am happy or not yet...but at least I have the weekend not to have to go out in public. I am trying to think positive because I cant think of spending the rest of my life a hermet...simply because I hate the way I look now. I work in the public service field so feeling this insecure all of a sudden is quite devastating. I look forward to reading more of what everyone has to say. The only advice I have for myself as well as everyone else here is POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING!
10/24/08
I too freaked when I saw my eyes and was sooooo upset but I did as my tattoo technician said & waited a few weeks and they are perfect now. Glad I waited & didn't do anything drastic. Did you use a permanent cosmetics technician or a regular tattoo shop?
10/24/08
Well everybody I am so sorry to hear all of the terror stories that you all have gone through . I am also a permanent makeup artist like Teena and what she is saying is correct . I been doing permanent procedures for the last eight years here in Mcallen Texas . I would like to give some advise if you let me , When you are looking for a makeup artist go to the place, have an interview with the artist if they want your business they can answer all your questions before you decide to have anything done.Then look at portafolio before and after photos. If you decide to have eyebrows done take you eyebrow pencil so the artist can see what color you are looking for because we as artists know the way that our colors will work . The color you decide to have the procedure done will not always be the same brown you are thinking is going to come out due to the fact that our color in our skin might affect the way pigments work . Pigments for permanent makeup are most of the time concentrated what I belive happen in most of the cases that your eyebrows mighthave been overworked ending in a very dark color. Most of the pigments when aplied will look darker than the final result and I tell my customers to take care of them with a triple antibacterial ointment so that they wont get dry and you dont loose too much color and avoid getting them wet too much but if they dont come out like you want do the opposite let them get dry an dont put too much ointment and you will loose most of the colorduring healing process. Also Pigments change depending on our color of skin . I can use the same brown in 3 diferent people and everyone will end with diferent color due to our pigmentation (color of skin.) But if you bring the color you use we can see what kind of brown is the one you want. Also we are suppose to draw your eyebrows before so that you can see how it will look after is done and that will show you if that is what you are looking for. Also look for Tdh License in the place ,look for certification of the artist ask how many years of experience? all these questions are important remember is your face and the glycolic acid is applied the same way you were tattooed. It might take 3 aplications but of course it will remove the color, now we have diferent ways to remove or make corrections all the artists have to do skin tests before they do a correction with skin colors ,just to make sure they find the color of your skin before they do the correction. Every mistake can be erased but it will take time and pacience . I been teaching different techniques in my place and I enjoy everytime I can help anyone to make a customer happy. Good luck Laura
10/27/08
Hi,
I got my lips, eyeliner and brows done in 2004 and they looked fantastic. By 2006 my lips had a blue/purple outline and my brows had turned a blue grey. I was terrified to do anything except use eye pencil on my brows to cover the blue/grey and a heavy lip liner to cover the blue/purple.
I went to a beauty spa that was supposed to be the best and paid $2,800 for them to be redone. It was a disaster. I am a blond with green eyes and the artist was an Iranian with dark skin. She gave me Iranian brows that came too close to my noseand were so thick and dark! I wanted to cry. My lips still had that blue outline but I didn't want to go back and try to correct it so I was stuck......until I saw a spa that told me they had a laser that could remove some of it. I had them do the sides closest to my nose and it turned a deep pink and stayed that was. The laser has scarred me and stopped any hair from growing. I had to use concealer and heavy makeup over that part.
One day I was at my hair salon and they told me that they could fix it but that the previous "artists" had went very deep and used cheap Chinese ink and that was why I had the bad color. They went over the scarring on the insides of my brows with a skin color and it looks great! They also did my lip outline and its gone. I thank God! What a nightmare. They finally look better, a lot better but the beautiful shape that I naturally had will never be the same.
Good luck ladies, I hope this helps. Not a day goes by that I look in the mirror and I dont look the same although every says I look great but I can see the difference. Be very careful when you do permanent eye makeup.
10/29/08
Ok...so its been almost two weeks since I got my brows done...remember I was freaking out completely! I am a little more pleased with the results now and even think I need a bit more when I go back for my touch up. The color has chilled out a bit and they arent jumping off my face anymore. The peeling is almost done and I look halfway normal. My husband says he cant tell any difference now than before I got the procedure done so I am a little more confident going out in public. For those like me who are freaking out and wondering with the heck to do...maybe wait a bit and let the healing finish and then criticize...I know not everyone is the same...but it does get better...at least it did for me.
10/30/08
Hi got my brows done yesterday and i hate them. I am totaly freeking out. Havnt had anyting to eat or slept...
The shape is ok, I loved the look when they were penciled on but now the tatoo is done they feel fake and to dark.
I dare not leave the house and i have 4 children to look after.
Please i would appreciate some addvice and support.
Will they fade?
10/31/08
Hi Jluv;
It is nice to know that some actually are pleased with their results. I am glad yours came out alright, but be careful about having too much more done.
As far as advising the rest of us to give the healing awhile, please remember the majority of us are over one and more years out from making the mistake of permanent makeup, so it isn't going to get better for us. Thanks for the thought though.
10/31/08
busy mum...rest easy....it will fade.
Promise. Calm down. If you love the shape.
Your are gonna love the brows. Give them
a chance. They are always dark at first.
Trust me on this. ;)
I am a permanent make-up tech. In fact, in about 6 weeks, you may be needing a touch up on them.
10/31/08
OMG! emerald!! Where do you live??? I only
charge $350 for full lips! $150 for lip
liner! $150 for eye liner. Girl, I am
so sorry to say...put you got SCREWED!!
10/31/08
LISTEN UP!! HELPFUL INFO. IF YOU DONT
LIKE WHAT YOU HAVE. GLYCOLIC ACID
WILL REMOVE IT. HAS TO BE REMOVED THE
SAME WAY IT WAS PUT IN, BUT NO NEED
FOR LAZER.EVERY MAKEUP TECH SHOULD KNOW
THIS!!!