How to remove green permanent eyebrow makeup
Why an Nd:YAG laser can't remove green eyebrow PMU, what turns brows green (chromium oxide, titanium dioxide), and why a 755 nm picosecond laser works best.
This case was sent to me by one of the graduates of the course on laser PMU and tattoo removal. She faced a difficult situation – the client had 6 permanent makeup application procedures and 4 PMU laser removal procedures using a neodymium laser. The clearance of the skin is no longer progressing, and she asks which laser can achieve a good result in such a situation.
Indeed, this colour of permanent eyebrow makeup is not removed by an Nd:YAG laser, because green pigment practically does not absorb the 1064 and 532 nanometre wavelengths (these are the wavelengths of the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser for PMU and tattoo removal).
There can be several reasons why the eyebrow PMU turned such a green colour. One reason is the presence of green chromium oxide as a component of olive-coloured ink, which some PMU artists use to correct the red colour of old permanent makeup instead of removing it with a laser. Another reason could be the attempt to correct permanent eyebrow makeup with flesh-coloured permanent makeup or the presence of a large amount of titanium dioxide in the composition of the inks used by the PMU artist. After several sessions of laser exposure, titanium dioxide could undergo a paradoxical blackening and eventually turn green!
What to do
Continuing to try to remove this colour of permanent eyebrow makeup with an Nd:YAG laser is almost pointless! There will be no effect, or it will be completely negligible, because green absorbs virtually none of the 1064 and 532 nm wavelengths of the Nd:YAG tattoo removal laser.
In order to successfully remove such green-coloured permanent eyebrow makeup you need the 755 nm wavelength of an alexandrite nanosecond or picosecond laser. You can also use the 694 nm wavelength of a ruby nanosecond laser. However, practice shows that the 755 nm wavelength of the PicoSure picosecond laser shows the best results when removing such green shades of permanent makeup. The reason for this is that the absorption spectrum of green pigments includes exactly the 755 nm wavelength, and as a result, it is possible to achieve good destruction of pigments of such colours.
Here are examples of removing such green permanent eyebrow makeup residues from my graduate https://www.instagram.com/cederman.clinic who has successfully dealt with such green residues using the original CynoSure PicoSure picosecond alexandrite laser.
Frequently asked questions
Can an Nd:YAG laser remove green eyebrow PMU?
It is almost pointless. Green pigment practically does not absorb the 1064 and 532 nm wavelengths of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, so there will be no effect or a negligible one.
Which laser is best for green eyebrow tattoo removal?
You need the 755 nm wavelength of an alexandrite nanosecond or picosecond laser, or 694 nm of a ruby nanosecond laser. In practice, the 755 nm PicoSure picosecond laser shows the best results on such green shades.
Why does eyebrow PMU turn green?
One reason is green chromium oxide in olive-coloured ink used to correct the red of old PMU instead of removing it. Others are correction with flesh-coloured PMU or a lot of titanium dioxide in the inks, which after several laser sessions can blacken paradoxically and eventually turn green.
