Are you thinking of getting your PMU (permanent make-up) eyebrows removed? After doing some research, you’ve probably learned that a potential side effect from laser removal is the pigment turning red, orange or even yellow.
To understand why PMU pigment changes colours, you have to know a little bit about what’s actually been tattooed in your body. Permanent makeup pigment typically includes warm undertones that are meant to prevent the brows from turning cool over time. The warm undertones are usually either red or yellow, or a combination of the two.
When we see dark brows we normally target the pigment with the 1064 wavelength which, on many occasions, will lift the dark pigment immediately. When the dark pigment is lifted the warm undertones are revealed. So, the pigment isn’t actually turning colours, it’s revealing the undertone of the PMU pigment.
Makeup may be worn on the treatment area a minimum of 12 hours after your appointment. Most of our clients are able to conceal the warm undertones during the removal process by using foundation makeup.
Red is a tough colour to treat compared to black. It’s possible to remove red pigment but the process is more complex. Where you sit on the Fitzpatrick Scale determines how aggressively the red pigment can be treated. The lighter your skin, the more aggressively we can treat. In most cases, people who are a Fitzpatrick 5 or 6 will have a difficult time removing warm pigment tones completely. For Fitzpatrick 1-4, we normally have no difficulty removing warm tones. We’ll go over all of the risks in your free consultation.
We never guarantee 100% removal but we’re confident that red, or other warm tones, can be successfully removed. We have, however, run into certain pigments containing yellow that have been extremely stubborn. In these cases, we may recommend getting saline removal, but only if we determine the yellow is not budging from with laser treatments..
Each case is unique so we recommend booking a free consultation to discuss the options for laser PMU removal. We’ll do our best to provide accurate information, based on a number of factors, so you’re able to make an informed decision. Our number one priority is to leave your skin and hair follicles completely intact and undamaged during and after the removal process.