Show Notes
Laser removal opens up a real conversation about the risks of oversaturated permanent makeup and why pigment choices matter so much. Billy and his guest walk through how oxidation can darken pink lip pigment, how scar tissue from saline attempts can trap pigment, and why some artists are moving toward lighter, more laser friendly work. The discussion covers real client cases along with a more responsible approach to permanent makeup that keeps future removal in mind.
Topics Covered
When people learn removal is an option
Many clients try to blend or conceal a bad result, whether it is a lip blush, brows, or scalp micropigmentation, before they realize laser is possible. Outdated information keeps a lot of people from exploring permanent makeup and brow removal even though the technology and training have improved.
The oxidation risk with pink pigment
Most pink pigment contains white, and white has a tendency to darken and oxidize when hit by the laser. Sometimes it lightens over time and sometimes it does not, which is the real risk people take with lip blush removal.
When saline makes things worse
One client came in with a black ring around her lips plus severe scar tissue from a previous saline attempt. When pigment is encapsulated in scar tissue, it is very difficult to remove, and some outcomes are irreversible.
Breaking down scar tissue with the laser
The laser can break down scar tissue, which may release trapped pigment particles over repeated sessions. This client was flying in every 8 to 12 weeks to work on that scar tissue, which shows the cost and uncertainty involved.
Choosing laser friendly pigment
If artists selected brighter reds with less white and avoided heavy yellows and oranges, future removal would be far easier. Applying pigment lighter and refusing overly heavy looks means less money for the artist, but a safer result for the client.
Harmonizing the face over hammering pigment
The goal is to bring the features together so someone wakes up feeling good, not to create one loud highlight. Lighter work may fade in three or four years and need a touch-up, but it looks classic and stays kind to the skin.
Full Transcript
I'm sure there's a ton of people out there who have had similar situations where they went in to get some type of permanent makeup done, whether it's, you know, lip blush or eyebrows. I've seen freckles. A lot of times we see scalp micropigmentation too where you know a person goes and they get scalp micropigmentation and then they'll try to fix it uh by blending in things or even concealing it with flesh tone pigment instead of just trying to do laser. So I I do think that um a lot of people are getting hip to the scene now when it comes to like knowing that laser is a possibility but I don't think everybody knows.
I sure didn't know like I said you know I I was afraid to do laser on my lips because what the information out there is not accurate anymore like things have changed there is better technology there is better technicians people more prepared um people more educated about the topic and how to do it properly like yourself um so that's that's why I took the decision to come here but a lot a lot of people don't know that it's quite achievable to do a laser and remove a lot of that oversaturated ink that doesn't look good.
A lot of people are aware that there are some risks involved with getting lip blush removal and some of the risks may outweigh what they're dealing with in in their current situation.
the lip blush or the tattoo in the first place.
That's true.
And let's just talk about some of the possible outcomes that wouldn't be um ideal. Um the main one is oxidation. So any pink pigment, well most pink pigment would have white in it. And white as most people know and if you don't know now you do, white when it's hit by the laser has a tendency of darkening and oxidizing and darkening and in some cases it will lighten up after a little bit of time and in other cases it will not.
So, that's the risk that people take when they come in to get laser is that they don't know if their pigment's going to darken or if it's not. Uh, we've had several clients who have come in who have gone to other laser technicians or other studios to get their lip blush removed and they just have a black ring around their lips. And we've even had a client who not only had black pigment around her lips, but she had severe scar tissue from somebody trying to remove it with saline.
So, not only did she have the negative experience with the laser, but then she had one with the saline as well. And you know, some things are irreversible.
Yeah. When you have extreme scar tissue and you have pigment encapsulated in that scar tissue, it's very difficult to get that pigment out, if not impossible.
Yeah.
And this particular client, she was flying in every 8 to 12 weeks to try to break up that scar tissue with the laser because our laser actually does that a little bit too where it can break down the scar tissue. And if that scar tissue is broken down, it may release those pigment particles.
yeah,
money that you're spending and not knowing if you're going to get the results that you're looking for.
yeah,
it's really unfortunate. I wish artists would start using pigments that were a little bit more laser friendly. Mhm.
And you know if if you market something as semi-permanent, which a lot of people say this is semi-permanent makeup. Okay. So what makes it semi-permanent then?
or is it permanent? And when we say permanent, I mean permanent even to the point where the laser won't remove it.
That's that's extreme.
Permanent.
That that's extreme. So I if it was a perfect world, I think uh artists would start getting kind of, you know, changing their ways a little bit with and maybe selecting pigment that was a little bit more laser friendly. Mhm.
And if you knew for a fact like I'm going to put this pigment in your skin, but if there comes a time when you don't like it, we can easily laser this off without it having any negative um impact on your life.
Yeah, it's true.
Then it would be a great service, I think.
Yeah, that's that's why I because what of what happened to me, everything I do is almost semi-permanent. I can't say permanent because um I'm using different inks. So I'm not using the ink that I was taught to to use to tattoo. I use ink that are like brighter red so they have less white.
So I know that's going to be easy to be removed and inks that are not too mixed with yellows and oranges because I know that's going to also not be easy to be removed. and you have to work lighter and apply less ink. Like when people come in and ask me for a a heavy makeup look, I I say no. You can say no if you're not comfortable or if you know it's not going to be good for them.
They want to go with somebody else, fine. But it's I don't want to cause that to them.
The downside to that is you're going to make less money.
I'm okay with that.
Yeah. you know, but hopefully people will find out that you're somebody who um cares not only about the business but about the clients.
Yeah, exactly.
I I think another downside to what you were talking about with um applying pigment later or using pigment that's not as as saturated. Yeah. Um, probably another downside to that would be that people would not see longl lasting results and they may have to come in for multiple touch-ups over the years as opposed to somebody who just hammers in pigment that's never going to fade.
I'm okay with that downside. I I I can take the hit. It's no problem because I don't want to do a job that I know for certain is going to look chalky. Mhm.
It's going to look heavy and it's not going to look classic and beautiful in a few years down the road. I rather that do something that's going to last three, four years and then they come back, they can, you know what, even they can come back for one touchup a year. It's more affordable and it's going to look so good on their skin.
that they won't have any um negative impact on
exactly,
you know, the way that they look because it it after all it is your face.
you know, it's right in front and center on your face. So there's a huge responsibility for all permanent makeup artists.
Yeah. I always tell my clients, I'm harmonizing your face and putting it together. I'm not making a highlight. If you put too much color on one thing, but people are going to be looking just at your lips or just at your brows or just at your head.
Like that's not the whole point. The whole point is to bring it together. So you wake up in the morning, feel good, and you're ready to go. That's it.