Semi-permanent makeup is sold as something that fades. Often it doesn't, or it fades into a colour nobody intended. Removing it is more delicate than removing a tattoo, and it needs to be approached differently.
Why SPMU is not just a small tattoo
The principle is the same as tattoo removal, but the pigments are not. Semi-permanent makeup pigments are frequently based on iron oxides and titanium dioxide, chosen to sit in soft browns, taupes and pinks.
Those compounds can behave unpredictably under laser light. Rather than fading, some oxidise on contact and turn darker, greyer or orange immediately. It's a known effect, it's usually reversible with further sessions, and it is deeply alarming if nobody warned you it could happen.
This is the single most important reason a patch test is done first, and why the first full session is approached conservatively rather than aggressively.
The work is close to your eyes
Brow work sits within centimetres of the eye. You'll wear protective shields, and the pace of treatment is deliberately slower than it would be on an arm. There's no advantage to rushing delicate work in a sensitive area, and a great deal to lose.
What it can address
- Microbladed brows that have healed too dark or too cool in tone
- Powder or ombre brows that are heavier than you wanted
- Brows with a shape or position you're unhappy with
- Old work that has faded to grey, blue or orange
- Lip blush that healed uneven or too intense
- Lightening ahead of new work, where an artist needs a cleaner base
Lightening for a correction is often a shorter job than complete removal. If you're planning to have the area reworked, bring your artist into the conversation early so we're fading to what they need.
How many sessions
It varies more than tattoo removal does, because SPMU pigments vary so much between brands and artists. How much was implanted, how deep it went, how old it is and what it's made from all change the answer.
What you'll get at consultation is an honest assessment and a plan reviewed at every session, rather than a package sold up front.
Afterwards
- Expect redness and swelling for a day or two. Brows and lips swell more than other areas.
- Scabbing is normal. Let it come away on its own. Picking is what causes lasting marks.
- Keep the area clean and dry, and avoid make-up on it until fully healed.
- No saunas, swimming or sunbeds while healing.
- Use a high SPF on the area once it's healed.
Who it isn't suitable for
- Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding
- Anyone on medication that increases light sensitivity
- Anyone who has taken oral isotretinoin in the last six months
- A history of keloid scarring
- Active cold sores, infection or broken skin in the area
- Very recent SPMU work, which needs to settle first
This page is general information, not medical advice. Because SPMU pigments behave unpredictably, no outcome can be promised before a patch test and consultation.