Here’s the brutal truth about tattoos:
25% of Australians have tattoos, with 31% being women and only 19% being men! This is likely because it’s become increasingly common to get cosmetic tattoos - including tattooing your eyebrows.
However, getting tattooed is not without regret - in fact, one in four Australians consider tattoo removal.
Whether your brow tattoos make you look permanently surprised or the colour has changed over the years, many people end up considering having eyebrow tattoo removal after having them cosmetically done.
Thankfully, with the correct equipment and procedures in place by trained professionals, laser eyebrow tattoo removal is perfectly safe and attainable.
So, to help guide you on how the procedure works and what you can expect, here’s a step for step guide of what we’ll do to have your tattooed eyebrows removed.
Step 1: Book Your Free Consultation
At the Tattoo Removal Institute, we offer a free initial consultation.
During this consultation, one of our trained professionals will assess your eyebrow tattoos and discuss the laser tattoo removal process with you.
Once you have booked your first appointment, there are a few things that you can do to prepare for your eyebrow tattoo removal - which leads us to step two.
Step 2: How You Can Prepare To Remove Cosmetic Tattoos
If you want to have the best eyebrow tattoo removal experience, you can do a few things for yourself to prepare your skin.
These include:
- Avoid getting sunburnt or tanning - both natural and fake. Take care to apply adequate sunscreen before going into the sun.
- Avoid shaving and waxing the area.
- Avoid exfoliating the area.
In terms of your immune system, many factors come into play here as well, so:
- Maintain a healthy, balanced diet and make sure you’re properly hydrated.
- Don’t take any anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin beforehand, as they can increase bleeding during the procedure.
- If you smoke, try stopping or at least cutting down for the duration of your eyebrow tattoo removal journey. The healing process will be quicker and easier.
While we advocate for focusing on these factors for as long as possible, you’ll need to strengthen your immune system and prepare your skin for at least two weeks before your first treatment session.
Step 3: How We Prepare You for Your Laser Treatment
A common misconception is that eyebrows will be shaved before the tattoo removal treatment.
Thankfully, technology has advanced beyond that!
In the event that the laser does hit an eyebrow hair, it will just become lighter in colour. Eyebrow hairs have a lifespan of about two to four months, so they will fall out and grow back to their natural colour anyway.
During any laser tattoo removal, we require patients to wear eye protection. Because eyebrow tattoo removal is so close to the eyes, we use special protective stainless steel eye shields.
And, to minimise discomfort, we apply a topical numbing gel to the treated area before the laser tattoo removal treatment begins.
Step 4: What Actually Happens During Laser Tattoo Removal?
When it comes to the actual laser treatment process, cosmetic tattoo removal or permanent makeup removal is no different to any other bodily tattoos or facial tattoos.
The laser emits light energy that pulses directly through the skin surface to remove undesired ink.
The laser is so precise that if you’re concerned that your eyebrows have been tattooed in the wrong shape, we can target only the problem area.
The laser removal process includes light energy targeting a tattoo pigment particle and shattering it into tiny fragments. The body then excretes small enough tattoo ink particle fragments. The larger ink particles that remain will be targeted in proceeding treatment sessions.
On the topic of whether laser tattoo removal hurts: everyone has different pain thresholds and will experience the feeling differently. However, some people have compared the feeling to the sting of splattering bacon grease or an elastic band.
Step 5: What Happens Directly After the First Eyebrow Removal Treatment?
The most common immediate side effect of laser tattoo removal is frosting, where the treated area swells up and turns white to resemble a frosted cake. This side effect goes down relatively quickly, but you can expect swelling and redness for the next few days.
Before you leave, your laser technician will provide you with the necessary aftercare instructions as well as antibacterial cream.
Step 6: Eyebrow Tattoo Removal Aftercare
Here’s a list of a few of our aftercare instructions:
- Apply the antibacterial cream as instructed by your laser technician.
- Take particular care when washing your hair. Keep the area clean and fresh, but avoid high-pressure water. Also, be very careful and gentle when washing your face.
- Don’t apply makeup to the treated area. It could cause complications, infection and prolong the process.
Take note that if your eyebrow tattoo pigment contains iron or other metals, there is a high chance that they will appear darker with laser therapy due to oxidisation. This could be a concern to some but is, unfortunately, a common procedure.
Tattoo removal blisters are completely normal and a good sign that your body is getting rid of the unwanted tattoo ink. Resist the urge to scratch the blisters if they become itchy and try and prevent them from popping.
Blisters should scab naturally, and the scabs will fall off by themselves with time. Removing the scabs prematurely can cause scarring.
Step 7: Your Next Appointment
It can take anywhere between six and twelve weeks before your first eyebrow tattoo removal treatment is healed.
How long it takes between treatment sessions will depend on the eyebrow tattoos themselves and the ink used, as well as your discipline with your aftercare.
Your second, third and all of your remaining laser eyebrow tattoo removal treatments will look pretty similar to your first one. So will the aftermath.
Step 8: How Many Sessions Do You Need To Remove Eyebrow Tattoos?
Permanent makeup removal can require fewer sessions as the tattoos are small and simple and don’t consist of several different busy colours.
Dark pigments on lighter skin tones provide the most rapid results. Red-based pigments might darken in colour before beginning to fade.
An old tattoo can be removed more easily than a new tattoo. Additionally, everyone’s eyebrow tattoo artist is different in how they do their application.
But, you can expect eyebrow tattoo removal to generally take around five laser tattoo removal sessions.
Your laser technician will give you a treatment plan at your initial consultation. If by that point you are not satisfied that your permanent makeup has achieved complete removal, we are offering clients up to a year’s worth of free treatment to make sure they are 100% satisfied.
Key Takeaways
Book your free consultation and begin your eyebrow tattoo removal process today.
The sooner you prepare yourself for the journey, the quicker you can begin to effectively remove your unwanted tattoos.
Our eyebrow tattoo removal specialist team will do everything to ensure you are comfortable, happy and receiving the best available equipment and most qualified technicians.
Remember, however, that it’s your responsibility to keep up your side of the deal and be diligent with your aftercare if you want to see eyebrow tattoo removal work.
If you are still uncertain about laser eyebrow tattoo removal, please feel free to contact us, and we will happily answer any questions and concerns that you may have.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained herein should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other health care provider. The information provided here is for informational purposes only. Please check with a physician if you have health questions or concerns about interactions or go to the TGA for a comprehensive list of TGA warnings. Although we attempt to provide accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee is made to that effect.