POSTED UNDER Microblading REVIEWS
Removing Poorly Microbladed Eyebrows. Rockville, MD
ORIGINAL POST
This is the first time I've joined this kind of...
polaurbearFebruary 8, 2016
$300
This is the first time I've joined this kind of site, or written this kind of post. But I am sharing my experience in hopes of helping others avoid the unnecessary trauma I inflicted upon myself. LOVE YOUR FLEEKLESS BROWS.
I opted for the microblading procedure because my natural eyebrows are sparse and uneven. I definitely overplucked them during high school, but I also didn't have much brow hair to work with in the first place. I admit I didn't do sufficient research prior to the procedure, but honestly, since this procedure is so MANUAL, I think mistakes can happen even with the most skilled technicians. Also: everyone's skin reacts differently to pigment, and at this point, I've just seen way too many horror stories to balance out the benefits. DON'T GET SEMI-PERMANENT MAKE-UP. DON'T DO IT!
I think that my brows were microbladed well in the sense that they looked very hair-like. They were simply TOO FIERCE for my soft face. My technician is very sweet and is doing everything in her power to help me achieve the final results I want, so I will not throw her under the bus and reveal her name. It is also partially my fault for not giving enough direction as to the shape I wanted -- I kind of just trusted her to do what was best for my face.
My one eyebrow looked PERFECT halfway through, and I thought that since she saw how much I loved them, she would make my other eyebrow look exactly the same. But instead, I ended up with much thicker brows than I wanted. The fronts were too close together, the arches too high, the tail too long. This all for a girl who hardly had eyebrows prior to microblading.
The very next day (just one day later), I told her that I was unhappy with the shape, and wanted to know what my options were for removing them. She told me to come in, so I did, and we removed them with saline (salt water exfoliation) and a needle with striking cream. I was very happy at the time, because A LOT of the pigment lifted right out of my skin with the saline removal alone. And more came out with the striking cream. I think this is because I had only allowed the pigment to set in for one day.
However, I am currently on Day 19 of healing, and the skin around my brows where the pigment was extracted is still pink and itchy. I am hoping that the itchiness is a good sign, since that means it is still healing, so I shouldn't freak out yet. Also: the redness has faded a lot since the day after the pigment removal (I will post pics). I know I put my skin through A LOT, so perhaps it's normal that I am still recovering. I am just concerned, and at this point depressed, because I have spent the past three weeks either hiding from the world or facing it head on with my crazy face covered in hello kitty bandages/hats.
Current state of my eyebrows:
LEFT BROW: Much more pigment came off. The arch scabbed. The skin is more pink than that of my right eyebrow, but the skin is smooth and flat.
RIGHT BROW: Less pigment came off, so this brow has more pigment remaining in the front, arch, and tail. It's not horrible though so I may leave it alone. This eyebrow did not scab it all -- I'm not sure if this is good or bad. The skin is less pink than that of the left eyebrow, but the skin where the pigmented arch used to be is a little raised. Hopefully it is just still swollen (doubtful at Day 19) and not permanently raised. :(
I am seeing a dermatologist tomorrow, Day 20 of healing, for advice on how to heal my skin. I will post an update then with any helpful tips I receive. If anyone has advice on how to heal the skin redness quickly, please leave a comment! I have been using coconut oil, vitamin E, neosporin, vaseline, and aloe vera up until now. I am currently only using aloe vera and vaseline, because I seem to have developed an allergy to neosporin from overusing it.
BOTTOM LINE: I wish I never did this to myself. My natural brows weren't perfect, but looked just fine once I filled them in with makeup. I would do just about anything to be able to go back in time and prevent this from happening -- all I've gained from this experience is damaged skin (hopefully not permanent) and eyebrows that aren't much better than my original ones. Not to mention: too many tears and sleepless nights to count. I'm afraid to fix the shape at this point, because I am now turned off by the idea of semi-permanent makeup completely. DON'T DO IT.
I opted for the microblading procedure because my natural eyebrows are sparse and uneven. I definitely overplucked them during high school, but I also didn't have much brow hair to work with in the first place. I admit I didn't do sufficient research prior to the procedure, but honestly, since this procedure is so MANUAL, I think mistakes can happen even with the most skilled technicians. Also: everyone's skin reacts differently to pigment, and at this point, I've just seen way too many horror stories to balance out the benefits. DON'T GET SEMI-PERMANENT MAKE-UP. DON'T DO IT!
I think that my brows were microbladed well in the sense that they looked very hair-like. They were simply TOO FIERCE for my soft face. My technician is very sweet and is doing everything in her power to help me achieve the final results I want, so I will not throw her under the bus and reveal her name. It is also partially my fault for not giving enough direction as to the shape I wanted -- I kind of just trusted her to do what was best for my face.
My one eyebrow looked PERFECT halfway through, and I thought that since she saw how much I loved them, she would make my other eyebrow look exactly the same. But instead, I ended up with much thicker brows than I wanted. The fronts were too close together, the arches too high, the tail too long. This all for a girl who hardly had eyebrows prior to microblading.
The very next day (just one day later), I told her that I was unhappy with the shape, and wanted to know what my options were for removing them. She told me to come in, so I did, and we removed them with saline (salt water exfoliation) and a needle with striking cream. I was very happy at the time, because A LOT of the pigment lifted right out of my skin with the saline removal alone. And more came out with the striking cream. I think this is because I had only allowed the pigment to set in for one day.
However, I am currently on Day 19 of healing, and the skin around my brows where the pigment was extracted is still pink and itchy. I am hoping that the itchiness is a good sign, since that means it is still healing, so I shouldn't freak out yet. Also: the redness has faded a lot since the day after the pigment removal (I will post pics). I know I put my skin through A LOT, so perhaps it's normal that I am still recovering. I am just concerned, and at this point depressed, because I have spent the past three weeks either hiding from the world or facing it head on with my crazy face covered in hello kitty bandages/hats.
Current state of my eyebrows:
LEFT BROW: Much more pigment came off. The arch scabbed. The skin is more pink than that of my right eyebrow, but the skin is smooth and flat.
RIGHT BROW: Less pigment came off, so this brow has more pigment remaining in the front, arch, and tail. It's not horrible though so I may leave it alone. This eyebrow did not scab it all -- I'm not sure if this is good or bad. The skin is less pink than that of the left eyebrow, but the skin where the pigmented arch used to be is a little raised. Hopefully it is just still swollen (doubtful at Day 19) and not permanently raised. :(
I am seeing a dermatologist tomorrow, Day 20 of healing, for advice on how to heal my skin. I will post an update then with any helpful tips I receive. If anyone has advice on how to heal the skin redness quickly, please leave a comment! I have been using coconut oil, vitamin E, neosporin, vaseline, and aloe vera up until now. I am currently only using aloe vera and vaseline, because I seem to have developed an allergy to neosporin from overusing it.
BOTTOM LINE: I wish I never did this to myself. My natural brows weren't perfect, but looked just fine once I filled them in with makeup. I would do just about anything to be able to go back in time and prevent this from happening -- all I've gained from this experience is damaged skin (hopefully not permanent) and eyebrows that aren't much better than my original ones. Not to mention: too many tears and sleepless nights to count. I'm afraid to fix the shape at this point, because I am now turned off by the idea of semi-permanent makeup completely. DON'T DO IT.
UPDATED FROM polaurbear
8 months post
8 month update
polaurbearSeptember 22, 2016
Hi All,
Sorry for the lack of updates -- I've been really busy and wanted to wait until I was at a more stable point to give you all some hope. Hang in there if you are going through this, things have gotten a lot better for me -- I can finally stomach my reflection in the mirror! [Updated pictures attached]I have two issues which I am still working to combat: (1) heal the pink, damaged skin where the tattoo was removed and (2) remove the remaining tattoo. I'm first focusing on issue 1 because the only thing that could make my situation worse is having scarred skin, so I'm doing everything in my power to avoid that.Here's what I've done since my first post. I've had two pulsed dye laser sessions because I've self-diagnosed my still (faint) pink skin with post-inflammatory erythema. I think it is erythema and not hyperpigmentation because when I press down on it, the color changes from pink to white. That's how I decided to do pulsed dye laser, because that's the only laser treatment that helps heal erythema faster. If you have post inflammatory erythema, pulsed dye laser definitely works. It's expensive though, at about $300 per treatment where I live. I've decided against getting a 3rd laser session because my skin is healed enough where I think I can heal the rest with silicone gel. Silicone gel is the other thing I've been using -- this has been extremely helpful in healing the pink skin. I've tried all of the oils and things out there, and I recommend that you don't waste your time -- only silicone gel works. If you really want to use an oil instead of silicone gel, I think Bio Oil worked best for me. I still use Bio Oil sometimes on my entire face because it's just good for your skin in general. Other than pulsed dye laser sessions, silicone gel/bio oil, I've been wearing sunscreen and hats whenever I go outside. This was crucial for not setting me back during the summer -- but trust me, it was miserable. Summer 2016 was pretty horrible because I had to avoid the sun the entire time, but the lack of daytime social life was 100% worth it. I've seen significant improvement in the status of my skin. I'm going to continue using silicone gel/bio oil and sunscreen until all of my pink skin is gone. I'm honestly so traumatized from the process of tattoo removal that I think I will try and remove the rest the slow and patient way -- by using a night cream with retinol in it. Saline removal almost permanently scarred me and because of the components of the tattoo ink used, laser removal is not an option for me. I have been told that tattoo ink with titanium dioxide and iron oxide is not able to be removed by laser -- at least not easily, and not without trial and error (and the possibility of the ink turning black and permanently staying on my skin).Penciled in eyebrows [picture attached]: As you can see from my bare-faced photos, my eyebrows are extremely uneven. The left eyebrow has most of the ink removed -- the only ink remaining is underneath my eyebrow hair at the bottom. My right eyebrow, on the other hand, has tattoo strokes left in the front of my brow as well as in the arch. This makes applying makeup pretty challenging, because it's impossible to make them even. The ink that is left is grey in color (I'm hoping the fact that it faded grey is a good sign) and the lines are no longer sharp -- they have bled/look blurry as a result of the removal process. That's my update! I will probably update again at the one year mark, hopefully with even more good news.
Sorry for the lack of updates -- I've been really busy and wanted to wait until I was at a more stable point to give you all some hope. Hang in there if you are going through this, things have gotten a lot better for me -- I can finally stomach my reflection in the mirror! [Updated pictures attached]I have two issues which I am still working to combat: (1) heal the pink, damaged skin where the tattoo was removed and (2) remove the remaining tattoo. I'm first focusing on issue 1 because the only thing that could make my situation worse is having scarred skin, so I'm doing everything in my power to avoid that.Here's what I've done since my first post. I've had two pulsed dye laser sessions because I've self-diagnosed my still (faint) pink skin with post-inflammatory erythema. I think it is erythema and not hyperpigmentation because when I press down on it, the color changes from pink to white. That's how I decided to do pulsed dye laser, because that's the only laser treatment that helps heal erythema faster. If you have post inflammatory erythema, pulsed dye laser definitely works. It's expensive though, at about $300 per treatment where I live. I've decided against getting a 3rd laser session because my skin is healed enough where I think I can heal the rest with silicone gel. Silicone gel is the other thing I've been using -- this has been extremely helpful in healing the pink skin. I've tried all of the oils and things out there, and I recommend that you don't waste your time -- only silicone gel works. If you really want to use an oil instead of silicone gel, I think Bio Oil worked best for me. I still use Bio Oil sometimes on my entire face because it's just good for your skin in general. Other than pulsed dye laser sessions, silicone gel/bio oil, I've been wearing sunscreen and hats whenever I go outside. This was crucial for not setting me back during the summer -- but trust me, it was miserable. Summer 2016 was pretty horrible because I had to avoid the sun the entire time, but the lack of daytime social life was 100% worth it. I've seen significant improvement in the status of my skin. I'm going to continue using silicone gel/bio oil and sunscreen until all of my pink skin is gone. I'm honestly so traumatized from the process of tattoo removal that I think I will try and remove the rest the slow and patient way -- by using a night cream with retinol in it. Saline removal almost permanently scarred me and because of the components of the tattoo ink used, laser removal is not an option for me. I have been told that tattoo ink with titanium dioxide and iron oxide is not able to be removed by laser -- at least not easily, and not without trial and error (and the possibility of the ink turning black and permanently staying on my skin).Penciled in eyebrows [picture attached]: As you can see from my bare-faced photos, my eyebrows are extremely uneven. The left eyebrow has most of the ink removed -- the only ink remaining is underneath my eyebrow hair at the bottom. My right eyebrow, on the other hand, has tattoo strokes left in the front of my brow as well as in the arch. This makes applying makeup pretty challenging, because it's impossible to make them even. The ink that is left is grey in color (I'm hoping the fact that it faded grey is a good sign) and the lines are no longer sharp -- they have bled/look blurry as a result of the removal process. That's my update! I will probably update again at the one year mark, hopefully with even more good news.
Replies (87)
September 24, 2016
Hi Lauren,
I am contemplating whether I should go with saline needling removal method vs Q switch ND:Yag laser on my 2 weeks old freshly tattooed angry bird brows (semi permanent pigments).
All the online reviews for both camps (laser vs saline removal) are mixed.
Laser - pros: Quick, fades faster than saline, longer history of use.
Laser - cons: Titanium dioxide inks cannot be removed, may scar, may lose hair permanently, hair temporarily turns white after laser.
Saline - pros: Cheap, less pigment changes to skin, not as painful as laser, won't lose hair.
Saline - cons: Might not fade or disappear as much as laser, scabs form and takes 1 week to fall off, cannot get area wet during healing.
What are your thoughts on these two methods?
September 24, 2016
I would definitely say laser if you can find a derm who has removed cosmetic tattoo with your ink pigment before, saline removal is very risky and prone to scarring. I do think you need to wait a bit longer to remove with laser though -- a derm can surely better advise
May 18, 2017
Picking the right person to do microblading is definitely important. Before starting mine, i looked through many many photos of how the person did their microblading and how it turned out. Then when I booked an appt, I told them I didn't want it too thick or crazy. I made sure we agreed on the same color. When she drew in what she was planning and why with all the measurements etc and I was okay then I allowed her to start. During the session, I'm pretty sure we stopped and I looked at it at least 8 times to make sure it wasn't too thick or long. I pointed out things and she even drew in lines with me looking with a mirror near the end to get the tiny things even as I am super particular. I absolutely love my results. She even offers a free touch up in 5 weeks as she told me some of it won't stay as much. I also live in md and this woman is in silver spring if you are interested in giving it another shot with her.
I can't post my pics here but you can msg me on this if you are interested in seeing them!
October 23, 2016
How's your brows now? Had microblading yesterday and I'm horrified! I don't know what to do at this point! Mine is too wide and too thick, not what I wanted. The technician said it'll shrink? That true??? Ughhh!
October 23, 2016
Oh my god me too. Had them done yesterday and I'm freaking out. The tail is too long on my right, and they look so dark! Trying not to lose my mind over here.
October 24, 2016
Where you at? Which city? I've been researching all night last night and all day/night today to figure out my options to fix!
October 24, 2016
I read that you can use peroxide (3%), saline (salt water), or baking soda paste to fade the areas you don't like, that was over done. They said it worked, idk but it doesn't hurt to try! I tried the peroxide method tonight then applied neosporin to those areas. I waited a few mins before applying neo so that I can give the peroxide time to work and then dry. Let's see how that works in a few days. If no go, then I'll go to a microblading artist in Huntington Beach that also specializes in Eliminink tattoo removal...She said to wait after 5 weeks to heal and to avoid infection before starting the Eliminink...which she will use only to the over exaggerated areas.
October 26, 2016
Hey Pres! I applied a bit of peroxide on those unwanted areas since Sunday and it's Tuesday now, and I've seen it slowly fading a bit, thank goodness!!! After the peroxide, I wait a couple mins then I apply Neosporin. I can feel my brows already starting to scab, can't wait until it's not as dark! And I've def seen it shrink from the swelling going down each day! Have mercy!!! So it's not so bad nor as huge anymore! You should look into Eliminink technician or a Tattoo Vanish technician in your area if you decide you need a removal/correction.
October 26, 2016
That's great news -- very happy for you! I did my removal the day after microblading so I got a lot of my ink out too, only have a little left right now and it's faded grey. It's ugly, but I no longer have the angry bird eyebrow problem at least. Are you located in LA? I go there quite often so if you have an Elimink specialist you know is good, please let me know.
October 26, 2016
Hi Lauren, I am in San Diego. There is an Eliminink tech in Huntington Beach, which is half way/between San Diego and LA. I might go to them. You can PM me if you need there name. Also, in my area there is a Tattoo Vanish tech, I might go to her...one or the other! I will decide later after my brows heal. My brows has shrunk quite a bit (today is the 4th day since microblading, and my brows are itchy as heck!!! lol. So they were not lying when they stated that your brows will shrink! As for that thorn and hook (that's the names I gave them! lol) that the artist gave me (ughhh), it has faded more and more each day yay! It's from the peroxide and neosporin! Yay it works!!! BTW, when you said you did your removal, what did you mean...like how did you do it?...on your own or with a professional?
October 26, 2016
If all continues to go well, I may not need to do the Eliminink or Tattoo Vanish on my brows on those areas (thorn and hook)! Will sure save me a lot of money too! :-)
October 26, 2016
thanks! I will see how much fades naturally and I will def pm you if I want to explore eliminink options! if you look at my original post, I talk about the removal process -- the same technician who did the microblading did the removal the next day. my skin where the tattoo was removed is STILL pink... 10 months later. But I don' think it's a scar, I think it's post-inflammatory erythema :( so I want to be careful with next steps for removing the remaining tattoo ink whenever (if ever) my skin heals completely and is no later pink
October 26, 2016
Oh wow, I have been hearing from a lot of different techs that the removal should not be done until the brows have healed (after 5 weeks! Sometimes 2-5 weeks depending on how fast of a healer you are) to avoid infections/etc. I will take a look on your site when I have a moment. Thanks.
October 26, 2016
yes, that's true -- my technician definitely messed up more than once with me :(
October 26, 2016
Awww bummer. I hope it gets better for you! Girl I am afraid to go back to do the touch up in 5 weeks! ESP I am planning to go to Europe in 8 weeks! And I have a man to go see! Lol. I will see how my brows look by that time...if it looks better than what I have been dreading lately, then I will have her add some strokes to some empty areas (if any) BUT I am going to be VERY instructive and firm about what I want!!! I am not making that mistake again and allowing her to make that decision!!! I am going to tell her that it is either MY way, or NO way! I will walk out that door if she doesn't agree to the shape I want!
October 26, 2016
agreed!! yeah. I clearly never went back for the touch up haha, I am just praying to get back to normalcy and have the ink gone from my face forever!
October 26, 2016
Totally agree! I almost cried the first few days and I really missed the shape I was doing! haha. The color I have now is actually good, but I know it will lighten up after the scabs fall off and that's actually what I want anyway; is for it to be a bit lighter. Anywho, good luck on yours! :-)
June 14, 2017
I'm in San Diego and thinking about microblading! Would you do it again? Anyone you recommend/do not recommend here? Thank you!
June 14, 2017
I've been waiting for it to fade some more so that I can get it redone by a better professional! The one that did mine was not the right person to do mine at all. Shape didn't go with my face!!! The brows I drew/filled in myself (before this) was beautiful!!! Now I can't draw it the same due to the shaped she put on my brows, which is still on my brows!
June 14, 2017
I'd suggest going to really popular ones in Huntington Beach or Beverly Hills! If you go on Instagram you'll see some really popular microbladers like "microbladingla" ...she's really good!!!
June 15, 2017
Thank you! I was looking at some Phibrows ladies locally, but maybe I will look north. I will check out that Insta (where I saw the Phobrows ladies too). :) thank you!!!!
April 6, 2018
where is this person in Huntington Beach that does the Microblading removal ?!
October 24, 2016
Laser you'll lose your hair. Try to find an Eliminink technician in your area! It's a tattoo removal method using a specific cream along with procedure, and it's less invasive they said.
October 26, 2016
Thanks! I'll have to look into Eliminink, I've never heard of it. I don't even think I can do laser anyways because of the titanium dioxide and iron oxide components in my tattoo ink =( I am told that they will turn black upon contact with laser. Do you have any other noninvasive suggestions? Such as using a retinol or glycolic acid face cream? I almost scarred myself with the saline removal, so I am a bit scared to go that route again. On the other hand, I've seen some horror stories concerning retinol so I'm afraid to go that route as well. I'm basically afraid of everything now lol.
February 14, 2017
What horror stories have you heard with retinol? I jus ordered a serum to try and waiyibg for it to b delivered.. I too want to get rid of the tattoo but want to see if I can fade it first without the laser or saline removal. Please let me know about the horror stories before I give it a go.
March 11, 2017
Hi mar808- how are your brows now. Did they thin and fade to your desired look?
March 11, 2017
Yes I would like to know too. Any suggestions on what to do without losing the eyebrow hair.
October 26, 2016
It's unfortunate but it's nice to know I'm not alone! I got myself some angry bird brows too. I'm trying to be positive and know that it could be worse but am pretty angry about what I have been left with. Hoping to get my money back and try to undo my botched brows.
October 26, 2016
Definitely ask for a refund and best of luck with your brows! if you can be patient with it, try and wait a month or two before trying removal -- it's less harmful to your skin that way, and also, you'll be able to see what the full results are. If you haven't yet gone back for your touch-up, don't go back. A lot of tattoo fades after the first session if you don't get the touch-up.
October 26, 2016
Thanks! Yeah i did go for the touch up and looking back, they were a lot better before the touch up. I almost went back a third time to try to fix them and decided against it. Didn't want to risk making them worse!:/
March 12, 2017
I've been using Retin-A cream but it's prescription only where I am in Canada so I picked up some when I was in South America. It seems to be helping to fade the tattoo but the percentage of retinol is low (0.025%) as people suggested 0.1% which would probably be more effective. I think because I have oily skin too that the ink doesn't hold as much so to speak so they are much better than they were initially but they are still bad. Totally uneven and over arched and I'm still trying to correct them every morning with brow pencil. Wish there was some magic cream to undo my tragic brows!! I was way too afraid to do the saline removal and I've heard it can scar and make things worse and laser would be awful with the healing time I think. :-(
November 2, 2016
hey! wanted to learn more about your experience with saline removal. Mine was done about 10 days ago and I hate them! After learning about laser and the possibility of oxidization, I felt hopeless. Today I found a lady in my area that does saline removal, she wanted me to wait for at least 6 - 8 weeks before doing the saline removal. would you say the cost of your scarring was due to removing it too fast (1 day post microblading)? would you ever go and do the saline removal again to get the rest of the colour out after your scar has healed? I hope they do heal! we all deserve to have our old sparse and fleekless brows back :)
December 5, 2016
thanks! no, I don't think I would do saline removal again. it's actually much riskier in terms of scarring than laser is, and I'm REALLY lucky to not have permanent scars -- just PIE (post inflammatory erythema). you should do laser -- even if the ink turns black, if you keep getting more treatments, they eventually go away. laser is the safest route.
Replies (116)
@lou98765 what colour are your brows and how long?
No Ottawa doesn't have any good laser places, mtl so so ur better off going to Toronto. Or even Van. If u read my treads it will tell u the hell I've been through. Finally to give up all those other removal treatments and to save a bit of my sanity and doing laser removal Monday (fingers cross)