“Unsuccessful tattooing: removal or correction?”: expert discussion

Fix permanent makeup or remove? What kind of help to offer the client? And is it possible to refuse the client to correct the PM? These questions sooner or later arise in the practice of any permanent makeup artist.

In this article, we have collected expert opinions on what to do in case of an unsuccessful tattoo, when it is worth considering the possibility of correction, and when to definitely send the client for removal.

Liliya Panitkina , permanent makeup master, head of lmakeup_studio

Increasingly, clients who apply for a permanent make-up service already have a tattoo on their face and simply want to renew it. Worse, if the existing permanent makeup needs to be corrected.

But not every job can be fixed. If the old tattoo is a “sandwich” of different colors and, moreover, the shape is not suitable, a competent specialist will not even undertake to correct it, but will recommend laser removal.

Removing low-quality PM with a laser is a necessary solution in certain cases, but it is known that this is a long way. The procedure is performed once every 6-8 weeks, more than five sessions may be needed for a visible result. Therefore, the desire of customers to speed up the removal is justified and understandable.

During laser pigment removal, photon energy penetrates the pigment molecules and breaks its bonds into small particles. After that, macrophages (cells of the immune system) absorb small particles of pigment and send it to the lymphatic system. The speed of the pigment removal process depends on the productivity of the lymphatic system. Another key factor influencing this speed is the proximity of the location of the lymphatic vessels and nodes to the area of the tattoo or tattoo and their activity. The closer they are located, the more of them and they are more active - the better the immune response of the cells.

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

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.

Remover or laser ?

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.

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).

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.

Dmitry Erin , master teacher of laser tattoo removal and permanent makeup, conference speaker

It is sad, but today low-quality permanent makeup is corrected and removed no less often than it is done. According to experienced masters, today three out of five clients come specifically for the removal or correction of low-quality permanent makeup. And if earlier it was almost impossible to remove the gross mistakes of PM masters, then with the advent of such a service as laser tattoo removal, clients have a chance to get rid of PM almost without a trace.

I want to talk about the correct work with a neodymium laser, which does not leave scars, unlike its predecessors. It effectively removes dye elements without disturbing the integrity of normal skin. And yet a huge number of customers suffer at the hands of inexperienced craftsmen.

Now more about each of the errors:

• you should always start working with the minimum power, since, starting with high powers in the first procedures, we do not speed up the removal process, but, on the contrary, slow it down;
• it is necessary to carry out the procedure with a scattered beam (6⎼8 mm), working in focus. In the case when the laser impact point is the thinnest, we overly injure the skin, which is expected to lead to undesirable results;
• one area of the tattoo (tattoo) is treated with a laser once, a second pass can lead to overheating of the pigment;
• it is not always necessary to wait for a pronounced skin reaction (frost), start focusing on the client's pain sensations;
• for 2 weeks after the procedure, you can not sunbathe, do not go to the bathhouse (sauna) for a week, do not take a hot bath and shower for the first 2 days;
• taking breaks between procedures for 1 month is not entirely correct, since skin restoration and pigment removal depends on the age and lifestyle of the client. This interval is suitable for young people under 20 years old. Therefore, I recommend always using the universal formula "client age plus 10 days".

This article is part of the special project “Work on bugs. Removal of permanent makeup»

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SPECIAL PROJECT. PERMANENT MAKE-UP REMOVAL