The question Studio Kiku hears most often at PMU brow removal consultations isn't about pain or cost. It's: how quickly can this be done? The honest answer is that speed is not what this process is optimised for. Safety is. And understanding why that's the case makes the difference between realistic expectations and real disappointment.
The photo above is a three-stage progression: the brows before any treatment, after session one, and after session two. That's meaningful, visible progress. It's also progress earned by doing the process correctly, one session at a time.
How brow pigment lifts, layer by layer
PMU brow pigment isn't a single flat colour sitting at one depth. Most professional brow pigment formulations include a warm undertone, usually red, yellow, or a combination, that helps the brows heal naturally. What you see on the surface when you look in the mirror is the dark top layer. Underneath that is often something warmer.
When the laser targets the brows, it starts with what it can see: the dark pigment on top. That dark layer fragments and begins to clear. As it fades over the following weeks, it reveals the undertone beneath. This is why brows sometimes appear warmer or more reddish after an early session. They aren't changing colour. They're exposing what was always there.
"When you come in with dark pigment, we'll target that dark pigment," says Billy DeCola, Studio Kiku founder. "When we hit that pigment, most of the time, it lifts right away. But what happens is it reveals what's underneath."
Once the dark layer has cleared enough, a following session can address the undertone with the appropriate wavelength for that colour. This is a staged process by necessity, not by inefficiency.
Why Studio Kiku doesn't target two colours in one session
Some practitioners target the dark pigment and then immediately switch wavelengths to address the warm undertone in the same appointment. Studio Kiku doesn't work that way, and the reason is straightforward: going over the same brows twice in one sitting is more trauma than the skin needs at once. The body has to clear the pigment that's already been shattered. Asking it to absorb a second round of laser energy before anything has healed raises the risk of irritation, prolonged swelling, and skin damage.
The PicoWay is a true picosecond laser with multiple wavelengths, which means it can target both dark and warm pigment precisely. That precision works best when each session does one thing well and allows the skin adequate time to recover before the next step.
"You can wait longer if you want. It's not gonna have any negative impact on the process. But coming in too soon will. And we won't do it," says Billy DeCola, Studio Kiku founder.
Sessions are spaced a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks apart. For sessions that target warm undertones, the team often recommends waiting 12 weeks instead, because the wavelength used for those tones is more aggressive and the skin benefits from a longer recovery window.
What two sessions of PMU brow removal actually looks like
Looking at the photo above: by session two, the dark pigment has faded considerably. The brow shape has softened. The underlying natural brow hairs are visible again. The skin looks calm and healthy. This is exactly the kind of progress that tells the team the process is working as it should.
Two sessions isn't the finish line. On average, complete PMU brow removal takes between 3 and 6 sessions. Some clients need fewer, depending on how deeply and densely the pigment was placed and how efficiently the body clears the fragmented particles. Some clients need more. Results vary from person to person. The photo is a realistic picture of mid-process results done at the right pace.
The honest part
Not every set of PMU brows can be completely removed, and every client deserves to know that before the first session.
The harder cases involve yellow pigment, which has roughly a 50/50 chance of responding to laser, or white pigment, which the laser cannot address at all. If yellow is present and doesn't lift with laser, saline removal is the only remaining option, and it carries no guarantee of full clearance either. If white pigment is mixed into the formula, laser removal is not possible at all.
Studio Kiku is direct about these limits at the consultation stage. The goal is for every client to go into the process with an honest picture of the realistic range of outcomes, not to discover hard limits partway through.
Timing matters too. Brows done in the last three months need more time to settle before any laser work begins. Fresh pigment in recently traumatised skin increases the risk of scar tissue from laser, so waiting is the right call even if the client is eager to start.
What to expect when you book a consultation
Consultations at Studio Kiku are free. The team looks at the brows in person, assesses the pigment colour and depth, and gives an honest estimate of how many sessions are likely. For a full overview of the PMU removal process and what each treatment involves, the service page covers the details.
Aftercare has as much of an impact on results as the treatment itself. After each session: ice the brows on the day of treatment and the day after, protect them from sun exposure, and avoid active ingredients like retinol and AHAs on the brow area for two weeks before and after each session. The complete post-treatment guidance is on the PMU laser aftercare page.
If you're thinking about removing microbladed, ombré, nano, or combo brows, the best first step is a free consultation. Book a free consultation at any of Studio Kiku's three studios in Vancouver, Langley, or Vaughan, and the team will look at your specific situation and give you a realistic picture of what's involved.
Thanks for reading.