When an eyebrow tattoo goes wrong
Bold, defined eyebrows are in style right now and this trend has brought with it a boom in eyebrow tattooing or microblading.
The tattooing technique involves utilising a blade or needle to draw or make fine incisions in the top layer of the skin. The ink is applied and left to be absorbed by the skin. Accomplishing this look is easier than ever but what do you do when you want fuller brows and end up with bad brows – ones that are disproportionate, an unnatural shape, discoloured or over bold?
Fortunately these nightmare brow tattoos can be removed. The ink used in tattooing the brows can be lightened or removed just like any other tattoo with laser treatment.
The latest generation of laser, known as the “Nu Pico Laser”, holds more promise in effectively removing tattoos, with fewer sessions and less unwanted side effects.
The “Nu Pico Laser” uses a sophisticated, cutting-edge technology called “picosecond”. Picosecond technology works at a trillionth of a second – 1,000 times faster than a traditional laser that uses nano technology.
The picosecond technology delivers laser energy into the skin in a much shorter time, producing a photoacoustic effect that’s non–thermal, which can shatter tattoo ink into miniscule particles.
The tiny broken ink particles can be then easily removed from the body by the lymphatic system. To remove the brow tattoo, you will need approximately three to five sessions, half the number of treatments you would require with a nanosecond laser. The clinical efficacy of picosecond laser in removing tattoos was first reported in the late 1990s and today it’s more effective and faster than ever before.
As it uses a shorter pulse duration, this novel laser has lower a risk of thermal damage, causes less pain and reduces post-treatment side effects such as burns or hypopigmentation. It is effective for any skin type, including Asian skin.
The Nu Pico Laser uses three distinct wavelengths of energy, which give a dermatologist the versatility to treat the multi colours of tattoo ink. Before the tri–wavelength Nu Pico Laser, blue and green inks were two of the most difficult colours to remove. Thanks to newer technology, laser tattoo removal has become more effective and easier. Patients can return to normal activity immediately following treatment as there is no downtime or special wound care requirement.
THANISORN THAMLIKITKUL MD is a member of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery and certified in dermatological laser surgery. Send your questions for her to [email protected].
