Brows changed colour during laser removal. What does it mean and how to adjust the plan?

“An orange shade appeared after the treatment. Is it supposed to be like that?” This question can come up during permanent make-up removal. In another case, the client notices that a light, skin-toned camouflage has turned grey or greenish.

For the client, this above all means a change in how the brows look. For the person carrying out the removal, it is a signal to assess: was a previously invisible component of the mixture revealed, or did the pigment change colour under the laser?

What matters is the pigmentation history, previous corrections and camouflages, the device used and the skin’s reaction. Colour alone does not allow you to determine the product’s chemical composition with certainty or to predict the whole further course of removal.

In an analysis of 76 people who underwent laser removal of permanent eyebrow or eyeliner make-up, Kream and co-authors described the revealing of previously invisible colours in 26.3% of cases. These included red, orange, yellow, green and blue.[1]

This is a valuable observation, but it applies to a specific group and the technologies used. It does not mean that one in four clients in every practice will show the same change.

The number of treatments should be read in the same way. The long series described in the literature show the possible course of specific cases. They do not set a mandatory scheme for every permanent make-up.

That is why we treat the plan as a forecast, which we verify on the basis of subsequent assessments.

Brown in permanent make-up can arise from a combination of several pigments. When the visibility of the dark component decreases during removal, the remaining colours may become more noticeable.

We then see warm shades: red, orange, brick, salmon or yellow. In some make-ups, cool colours are also revealed, for example green and blue.

Previous corrections also matter. Make-up that has been corrected many times with different products may contain components that react differently to the laser. Their visibility may change at successive stages of removal.

This does not mean that successive layers literally move to the surface of the skin. What changes is the share of individual pigments in the visible colour of the make-up.

An example course: initially brown make-up, reduced visibility of the dark component, revealing of a warmer shade, reassessment and adjustment of further management.

A separate phenomenon is paradoxical darkening of the pigment, also called colour inversion. It may occur, among others, in products containing iron oxides or titanium dioxide. The action of the laser may trigger transformations of the pigment’s components and a change in its colour.[2,3]

A light, white or skin-toned pigment may turn grey, greenish or darker. Such a reaction requires assessment, but in itself it does not mean that further removal will be impossible.

The literature describes successful removal of pigments after they had darkened.[2,3] However, the course depends on the specific product, the technology used and the response to subsequent treatments. It should not be assumed that every light pigment must undergo an identical change.

An example course: light camouflage, a colour change after the action of the laser, assessment of the pigment and skin, an individual plan for further removal.

Both described mechanisms may change the appearance of the make-up, but they need to be told apart. The mere appearance of a different colour is not sufficient proof of the cause of the change.

Publications help us understand the possible reactions of pigments. We supplement them with experience from everyday work in the practice.

Working with Gangsta Lasers technologies, we also observe shorter removal courses than in the cited descriptions that required many sessions. This also applies to make-ups containing mineral pigments, including iron oxides and titanium dioxide.

Depending on the case, we use different wavelengths, chosen to match the current colour of the pigment, the phototype and the skin’s reaction. In selected situations we use several wavelengths within one session in order to work with different components of the make-up.

Among our observations there are also cases in which, after one treatment and the end of the healing period, we find no visible pigment residue. Others require further sessions or a change of method.

These are experiences from the practice, not a comparative study with the devices described in the publications. They are not a guarantee of an identical result for every person.

That is why we document the immediate reaction separately from the result after healing and the time needed for further lightening. We use the term “clean skin” to mean no visible pigment residue in clinical assessment. It does not mean laboratory confirmation that all of its particles are absent.

A colour change is an indication for reassessing the pigment and the skin’s reaction. We check what has remained visible, how the skin reacted to the previous session and whether the plan so far is still appropriate.

Whether to use several wavelengths within one session also requires an individual assessment. It is not a mandatory scheme for every make-up.

We leave the skin time to regenerate and to assess post-treatment lightening. We set the date of the next session according to the skin’s condition and the course so far.

We discuss with the client the reason for the change, the possible results and the further plan. We record the agreements in the documentation.

With light pigments, skin-toned camouflages and a suspicion of components that may darken, it is worth considering a test on a small area.[3]

It allows you to assess the local reaction of the pigment and skin. What matters is both the picture directly after the test and the result after healing and an appropriate period of observation.

The test helps plan further management, but it does not guarantee an identical reaction across the whole area of the make-up. The composition, amount and depth of the pigment may be uneven.

Information about the product used and previous treatments remains an important part of qualification.

Before removal begins we discuss the possibility of other shades being revealed and of some pigments darkening. We explain that these reactions may require adjusting the further plan.

Not every change is a complication, but not every change can be assumed in advance to be a normal stage. Worrying symptoms require assessment, regardless of whether the colour of the make-up has changed.

The conversation should also cover the possibility of transient lightening or whitening of the eyebrow hairs, described in the literature.[1] Advice on aftercare and on returning to tinting should be adjusted to the condition of the skin after the treatment.

Clear information before the first session helps the client understand the possible stages of removal and take an informed part in setting the further plan.

We document the appearance of the make-up before the treatment, the immediate reaction after the treatment and the result assessed at subsequent visits.

We take photographs in lighting, positioning and framing that are as consistent as possible, without filters or retouching that alters the appearance of the pigment or skin. Each photograph should carry a date and information on the stage at which it was taken.

We clearly separate the immediate effect from the result after healing. This lets us base subsequent decisions on comparable observations, and the client sees the real course of removal.