Olga Mordasova , master of international class, trainer and official distributor of LaBina

By agreeing to the procedure for removing permanent makeup performed by another master, we always take a risk. What if the end result is not perfect? If you can't fix it? Let's look at the main points that you should pay attention to in this case.

The topic of correcting low-quality tattooing is very relevant today, because, despite the number of permanent makeup schools and studios and training videos on the Internet, masters continue to make mistakes, which entails a large number of unsuccessful works.

One of the reasons why specialists refuse to correct the unsuccessful work of other masters is that the client may still be dissatisfied and all the blame falls on the master who performed the procedure last. And if you feel that you will not be able to correct this work, then it is better not to undertake it.

Be realistic about your strengths

Correcting someone else's tattoo requires a lot of experience and skills. And often the expectations from customers are too high. In order to avoid the occurrence of negative reactions, you should say what will happen in the end and in how many sessions it will be possible to complete this or that procedure.

Each master must adequately assess their strengths and capabilities before proceeding with the correction of the tattoo. The skin is the most extensive and complex human organ, which has a diverse structure and functions, nerve endings, capillaries and other elements. The skin is constantly updated, breathes, is responsible for thermoregulation, and also protects the body from any penetration from the external environment.

And since the main work of the master is to introduce something foreign into the skin, violating its integrity, the skin will try with all its might to push out the pigment during the procedure and after it, which greatly complicates our work.

I will not describe all the complex processes of interaction of the client's skin with this procedure, but I just want to say that without understanding the mechanisms of work in the skin, it is impossible to introduce the pigment to a sufficient depth in a limited time. Mastery does not come immediately. And until the master feels the necessary depth to introduce the pigment, he will continue to make “tattoos on the face” even when using permanent paints.

At the moment, tattooing has stepped far from the tattooing that we observed twenty years ago, but even now, unfortunately, there are many works that require correction. I don’t want to repeat common truths, but let’s repeat once again what is the difference between a permanent tattoo and a tattoo.

Eyebrows “for ten years”, so loved by some clients, are the same tattoo that cannot be technically covered with permanent makeup. If the tattoo cannot be corrected in one or two procedures due to an unsuccessful shape and / or color, then this can be considered a tattoo. Then you should first apply a laser or a remover in order to completely remove or lighten the pigment.

Remover or laser ?

In the arsenal of an experienced specialist, there are various means for tattoo removal.

Laser . With the help of a laser, only some colors can be removed and corrected, namely red, gray and black. If a client comes to us with red eyebrows, in this case it is better to use a laser as a color correction (a lens with a wavelength of 532 nm). As a rule, redness from the eyebrows can be removed in one procedure. If the eyebrows themselves have a beautiful shape, then the laser can easily cope with the reddish tint, leaving a grayish-brown color on the eyebrows (photo 1-2).

To remove the color intensity of black eyebrows, we use a lens with a wavelength of 1064 nm. In this case, we need more procedures. This is individual and depends on the client's skin, depth, as well as the amount of pigment injected into the skin. That is, in the presence of black and red color on the eyebrows, we use a laser. In some cases, it is possible to alternate the laser with the remover, since the laser can only cope with the surface layer of the pigment, and the remover is able to lift the pigment from a greater depth and any shade.

Remover . As for correcting lip tattoos, I recommend using a remover, because very often, due to the fact that pigments contain heavy metals, when working with a laser, the pigment first acquires a grayish tint, as shown in photo 3. This color disappears over time, but this may take several months. Not every client will agree to walk with gray lips for so long, so in such a zone as lips, it is better to use a remover.

The number of procedures when working with a remover is also individual, as well as when using a laser. This is usually three to five sessions (maximum eight).

The photos given as an example illustrate the result after three procedures of the remover. As you can see, the tattoo, which was made above the contour of the lips, has practically disappeared (photo 4-5).

With these procedures, you should be very careful and have experience, as well as a sufficient amount of knowledge on how to use the laser and remover. The rehabilitation period should be at least one and a half months between each of these procedures. If the work is done incorrectly, you can not only not correct an already existing problem, but even more harm the client's skin. The formation of scars is likely, which, at a minimum, will prevent the pigment from being properly located in the skin during the next procedure, and at the maximum, will spoil the appearance of your client.

Alternative: corrector

Often, many may refuse to remove an old tattoo with a laser / remover for some reason, or you yourself do not see the need for this. In this case, I suggest working with correctors according to the Itten color wheel system.

For example, if a client comes to you with black, gray and blue-gray eyebrows, then using the Itten color wheel, the overlap is made with an orange color (Orange or Papaya), complementary to the blue tint.

It is often possible to block such shades in one procedure. The example shown in the photo shows the eyebrows of a client who decided not to change the shape and not to laser remove a too dark color, but simply change the shade to a warmer one. The result is shown next to it after one procedure (photos 6-7).

The first pass was done with pure orange corrector, followed by brown pigment. If the color of the eyebrows were not as dark as in this case, but lighter, then a drop of Thinner diluent (diurent) could be added to the orange corrector or a drop of color corrector could be added to the desired color (photo 8).

In the event that the eyebrows are gray, but with a lilac tint, that is, closer to purple or red, I advise you to use a yellow corrector (Ochre or Olive).

Depending on the intensity of the pigment to be covered, you can apply the correctors neat or diluted. Usually in my work I do all this in one procedure, covering the tattoo with a corrector and then immediately using the desired color, without breaking the work into two procedures. And, of course, correction will be needed.

I think you should devote enough time to self-development and improve your skills. Keep learning, increase your level of knowledge and skills in every possible way, share your experience and be open to new things! This is my personal formula for success.

I wish you good luck in your work and satisfied customers!

The material was first published in Permanent No. 4(12)/2018