Vancouver microblading removal and permanent makeup removal: does it work?

Featured image photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@gaberce

Jump to:

• What is microblading vs semi-permanent makeup?
• Is permanent makeup the same as tattooing?
• Is it possible to completely remove microblading or semi-permanent makeup in Vancouver?
  • Vancouver cosmetic tattoo removal requires fewer sessions than with traditional tattoos
  • Eyebrow hairs may be temporarily removed
  • Lips can temporarily change colour with laser tattoo removal
• What about saline and chemical peels to remove microblading and semi-permanent makeup?
• You don’t have to live with cosmetic tattoos

If you’ve had microblading or semi-permanent makeup done, there is a chance you’ll notice it fading over time. This fading can look undesirable. Or worse, fresh cosmetic tattoos can look awful, and not what you expected them to be. Some can turn blue or gray, like traditional tattoos. In these cases, Vancouver microblading removal can come to the rescue. But, does it work?

In this article we’ll explain how cosmetic tattoo removal works (including for microblading), and which methods you may want to stick to.

But first…

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What is microblading vs semi-permanent makeup?

Microblading (also known as micro pigmentation) deposits cosmetic ink into the skin’s epidermis with a sharp tool to carefully create hair-like lines on the eyebrows. This creates the illusion of real eyebrow hairs. People seek this service because they want to reshape their eyebrows, or to make their eyebrows appear fuller and darker.

Semi-permanent makeup also uses cosmetic ink. However, it is applied differently. The ink is spread over an area to create, for example, ombre brows (i.e. powered-look brows). These don’t have the fine-hair, line-by-line look to them.

Cosmetic tattooing with semi-permanent ink can also be used to create eyeliner, or to colour the lips, sometimes called “lip blushing” or “lip tinting.”

These techniques can be done with hand-held tools, or with machines that control the depth of needle penetration and flow of ink with each stroke.

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Is permanent makeup the same as tattooing?

So-called ‘real’ tattoos deliver ink deeper into the skin than with the microblading or semi-permanent makeup techniques. Cosmetic tattoos are supposed to be delivered into the epidermis. Permanent tattoos are delivered into the dermis.

Permanent and cosmetic tattoos also use different types of inks.

Semi-permanent makeup is designed to last between 6 months to 3 years. Because it is placed closer to the surface of the skin, the fading can begin almost immediately. The more you exfoliate or tan, the quicker your top layers of skin will shed the ink.

However, there are three caveats to these ‘rules’ noted above:

1. A cosmetic tattoo artist can deliver ink too deeply into the skin, resulting in permanent tattoos. These can turn blue or gray, which is often undesired.
2. Semi-permanent makeup and microblading always leaves a tinge of ink behind that’s hard to get off naturally. They are almost always permanent, even if faded.
3. Some tattoo makeup artists use REAL tattoo ink and tattoo methods to get absolutely permanent tattoos into the skin.

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Is it possible to completely remove microblading or semi-permanent makeup in Vancouver?

Yes! Vancouver laser tattoo removal can work on microbladed eyebrows or semi-permanent makeup. This can be done anywhere on the face except the eyelids. It is the only viable method to completely remove leftover ink from semi-permanent makeup applications.

There are a few things to know about this procedure, however.

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Vancouver cosmetic tattoo removal requires fewer sessions than with traditional tattoos

We’ll start on a positive note: removing microbladed eyebrows or semi-permanent makeup in Vancouver won’t take as long as removing traditional tattoos. However, this is provided the ink hasn’t been placed too deeply, and that traditional tattoo ink was not used to create the brows or lip colour.

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Eyebrow hairs may be temporarily removed

When using laser tattoo removal to get rid of microbladed tattoos, there is a chance that the laser will also remove eyebrow hairs. However, these lasers are not the same as lasers that remove hair by destroying the root. Eventually, the hair will grow back. But it needs time.

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Lips can temporarily change colour with laser tattoo removal

When performing laser tattoo removal on the lips, the pigment that was embedded into the lips can turn black. This can leave the lips looking black for extended periods of time. This is also temporary and will go away eventually.

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What about saline and chemical peels to remove microblading and semi-permanent makeup?

Saline removal is popularly spoken of on the internet as a way to get rid of microbladed brows or semi-permanent makeup. This method claims to remove tattoo ink by injecting saltwater into the skin, which then draws the ink out. However, this solution can not only do more harm than good, it can also require several sessions of saline injections to begin to see a removal of ink.

Then, there are the exfoliation methods. These include scrubs, creams and glycolic peels (or other chemicals). In order to work, exfoliation techniques need to go as deep as the dermis to truly get tattoo ink out of the skin. While they exfoliate, they will inevitably damage the skin. This can lead to scars and pigmentation issues (i.e. darkening or lightening of the skin).

In the end, they may not even work effectively to get the ink out.

The only way to get rid of any tattoo ink – whether it was intended as temporary or permanent makeup – is to use a laser designed for the job.

The most modern way to get rid of tattoo ink is with picosecond lasers. Q-switched lasers can also work, but can take longer to see results.

Lasers work by breaking up the ink particles in the skin. This allows the particles to be dislodged. From there, they can be removed by the lymphatic system. The process is designed to keep the skin intact while destroying only the ink.

Learn more about laser tattoo removal here.

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You don’t have to live with cosmetic tattoos

As we’ve seen above, cosmetic tattoos can come in the form of microbladed eyebrows or semi-permanent makeup as ombre brows, lip blush or eyeliner. Except for semi-permanent eyeliner, cosmetic tattoos can be removed with laser tattoo removal. The amount of sessions they require to be removed completely depends on how deeply they have been placed in the skin. 

Sometimes, temporary balding of eyebrow hair, or temporary blackening of the lips can occur with laser removal of cosmetic tattoos. However, it is still the most effective and safe method for removing any type of tattoo. Other methods either won’t work, or can leave scars and pigmentation issues. Ineffective methods include saline removal and glycolic peels.

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