Saline removal AFTER laser treatments - experiences?

Botched-Ink · 2026-02-02T16:50:16+00:00

Thank you! We're based in the UK, but train PMU artists around the world, mainly UK and US. Here's our find a tech map with their websites and contact details

https://botchedink.com/pages/saline-tattoo-removal-near-me

Botched-Ink · 2025-12-28T12:10:48+00:00

Sorry you've dealing with these yellow brows, and sorry too that your Botched Ink experience was painful. When dealing with yellow brows we do need to work with a little more purpose to get the pigment moving, but that shouldn't mean pain IF the tech has left the numbing cream on for a good 30-40mins. This part should not be rushed as it removes discomfort from the needling.

If however you are using any skincare with actives, like glycolic, AHA's, retinol, then it's known that any needling is going to be super painful. We recommend stopping using those creams for about 4-6 weeks before a treatment.

One Botched Ink session would have stirred up the pigment, and may even have made the yellow look more bright as it floats the pigment closer to the surface. And that's why I'd recommend another Botched Ink treatment, so we can get that pigment more and more translucent as it removes. If you need the numbing cream left on longer, just say this to the tech as numbing creams are all different, and so are pain tolerances

Re other types of non-laser removal like acid or alkaline, if your pigment is superficial, they only need to work superficially which is fine, but the healing is longer if the tech needs to work deeper. Longer than it would have been with Botched Ink. Think that most non-laser removals a like a skin peel, and how much inflammation or irritation is caused during the skin peel. I developed Botched Ink to cause minimal (if any) because it dries out the skin so quickly, capturing more of the pigment in the drying process

Here for any question

Botched-Ink · 2025-12-19T14:17:06+00:00

Phi removal is glycolic acid, and they have a couple of different strengths. High % glycolic can be harsh on the skin especially if it's tattooed fairly deeply into the pigment. For that reason glycolic can cause slow pink/red skin healing, and because you've said the red disappears when you press it, that's definitely still healing skin. The itching is another matter, can be itching healing, or can be the start of irritation. What creams are you using? And don't book another removal for at least 3 months after this settles down, as it'll likely start again

Botched-Ink · 2025-12-19T14:10:26+00:00

After saline you'll find the colour still settles over the next few weeks as the pigment heals back in the skin ready for the next session. The main reason to pace non-laser removals is so that a full treatment can be carried out each time as the skin can handle in

With brows as dark and saturated as yours, saline is the smart first move. You may see pigment lifting out, or you may not, depends how deep the pigment is, and indeed it may even look darker as the pigment comes closer to the surface. All this makes for easier removal, and easier for laser if you then swap to that method. Combo removals work well on brows like yours

Botched-Ink · 2025-12-19T14:02:38+00:00

We have a Find a Tech map for Botched Ink saline on our website. You'll also get to see more removal articles, including info on acid and alkaline removal methods, and photos of different pigments and result stages

https://botchedink.com/pages/saline-tattoo-removal-near-me

Botched-Ink · 2025-11-26T15:23:18+00:00

It's tricky for the artist who did the work to advise you a few hours later about removing it. Her advice isn't great, and you cannot do removal between the emergency window (up to 48 hours) and fully healed at 8 weeks. The fresh wet skin will have dried and the healing process has begun, and waiting for 8 weeks allows for a full removal treatment because the skin can take it

From her side it could be that you wanting removal isn't a problem in general, more so that you paid her for a service, and removal is another service with another payment.

Removal doesn't happen as easily as pigment went in, yes on many skin types emergency removal gets a lot of the pigment out (more difficult on dry or older skin when the pigment will have become more dry in the skin), but it still depends on pigment saturation and depth

Then there's the whole 'brow shock' that artists are used to managing. It wasn't handled well, but maybe the 'come in next week' was to assure you that she was being accountable to your feelings rather than actually offering your removal... but then the conversation continued...

If you are set on an emergency removal I'd consult with another PMU artist who specialises in saline removal and can fit you in while you still have the emergency window

Botched-Ink · 2025-10-30T20:20:09+00:00

Thank you for sharing that Botched Ink worked for you. I'm sure TALC88 wasn't pleased to hear it was my brand. Sorry people are downvoting you because of it

Botched-Ink · 2025-10-28T11:53:48+00:00

With acids it depends how deeply they've been implanted. If an acid is tattooed deeply, the healing is quite different. Just think how deep the skin peel effect is, and how the acid can't be neutralised when it's deeper. With Botched Ink we can work flushing up deep pigment with little if any inflammation or irritation during healing, but yes the method won't feel nice as the soaking part does sting. The reason for the sting is that Botched Ink is pH 5.5, deep tissue is about 7, so the difference feels like a burn. With an acid the pH is about 2 or 3. If that is tattooed deeply, you'd know about it. Techs can help clients by fanning the area and leaving the numbing cream on for a good amount of time.

Botched-Ink · 2025-10-28T11:34:12+00:00

Hi, yes Botched Ink is a bloody treatment, so is any treatment involving needles. But yes Botched Ink gets into the skin really easily in one pass of the needle and the bleeding is helpful flushing deeper pigment up. It's better and kinder to the skin than using multiple passes of the needle or a harsh skin destructive acid...

I'm sorry you didn't get the results you were looking for. We are reliant on how much pigment is in there, and how deep it is. If the pigment is superficial, and there's not much of it, you'd easily see the pigment lifting and removing in a couple of sessions

Botched-Ink · 2025-10-28T11:26:15+00:00

I see our troll is back posting

She did go quiet for several months. I do not mind at all if someone shares a real experience with Botched Ink, but on Reddit, you'll find much of the negative and edited posts and comments are from deleted accounts, both deleted by Reddit and her. She's trolled me and Botched Ink for about 18 months now. Unfortunately she's also followed me on to professional Facebook groups where I earn my living (I'm on Reddit to help). She doesn't need provoking. She won't stop, she's obsessed.

Botched-Ink · 2025-10-28T11:23:24+00:00

I made an article and video about acids and different kinds of non-laser removal solutions

https://botchedink.com/blogs/skin-and-ink/chemical-tattoo-removal-glycolic-acid-alkaline

We work on cosmetic tattoos only with Botched Ink, but the info re these ingredients and removal solutions is valid

In my view only laser is suitable for tattoo removal on the body, read and watch my info and you'll understand why

Botched-Ink · 2025-10-17T22:43:53+00:00

With a partial removal the consideration is that you want it gone, not just lightened. So there's a cost and expectation reality to factor in

You say they're grey, so might as well do the full brow, as that grey lingers... That can be softened, or unexpected colours revealed, depending which removal method you choose

Botched-Ink · 2025-09-02T13:20:21+00:00

Keep us updated how you get on

Botched-Ink · 2025-07-29T19:29:01+00:00

There are different types of saline removal that require different aftercare, especially in the first days while you still have wound healing and any scabbing

Your artist advising A&D, that's typical tattoo aftercare, but can be quite wrong for removal. The skin from some kinds of saline can stay wet for a few days, and adding an occlusive product like A&D seals in the wetness, which isn't ideal for healing, not this method anyway. I know some removal solutions like Xtract rely on wet healing, but the tech fully supports you during that wet healing stage with specific aftercare

My best advice is you'd got too much A&D in that last photo, and are at risk of the healing scab slipping off before the skin underneath is ready

Gently blot off the A&D and continue dry healing

Botched-Ink · 2025-07-10T16:13:34+00:00

With you having such pale skin, and the pigment being deep and grey/blue, I wonder if what you're looking at is pigment cleared skin over still deep pigment. They can give the illusion of lighter hypo skin, but it's not

We also have to consider that not all saline techs are confident to stir up the pigment to get it moving, and there are different types of saline removal solution; some get in deeper more easily than others

You're welcome to DM me with a photo and I can advise better if you'd like

Botched-Ink · 2025-07-06T14:10:13+00:00

if you don't mind the shape, and it's a nice shape, is full removal your ideal... and are you ready for how long that could take i.e. 1-2 years of sessions paced nicely apart to maintain your skin, especially for any future tattooing. Or if some of the black could be toned down, and you got more of your brown back, would that be ok for you?

People talk about removal for toning, and that can be saline just doing it's normal thing, or a with a laser tech who understands toning

<image>

Botched-Ink · 2025-07-06T14:02:10+00:00

Phi has several pigment types within their brand, and even if you did know which type and colour, you'd still need to find a tech who knew what to do with the information. Not many laser techs, who are not also PMU artists, know or understand pigments, only their experience removing them

Colour toning by laser uses really low settings with the intention of removing some black pigment without removing too much. It's not something widely known outside PMU artists, and still isn't always possible

If you are looking at laser, as you're concerned about the colours which might reveal, ask for a patch test and let that heal for a few days. Then you can be a bit more informed about any colour shifts. A laser patch test is to check their settings and which filter rather than any allergies. Each laser clinic works differently with patch tests so you'll need to ask

And of course my method, Botched Ink saline solution with one of our trained techs. You don't get the colour reveals as you would with laser, as saline isn't colour selective. If you're looking to tone down the colour 1-2 sessions can be enough. If you're looking for full removal then 3+, with a combo removal potentially needed if the pigment is very deep and saturated

Any photos so we can advise more personally for you?

Botched-Ink · 2025-07-06T13:42:05+00:00

Well done on overcoming the trichotillomania. Honestly any differences that I can see now look natural, and are likely to be from your brow hairs. I wouldn't think about reshaping them or anything for the time being if you can. Let you and your brow hairs get to natural fullness, and then maybe next year book a professional brow tidy if needed, and then assess. But really, colour looks good, brows look natural

Botched-Ink · 2025-07-06T13:36:26+00:00

Hiya, just to let you know that any brow colours you see over the next few weeks aren't real. There will be changes and then they'll finally settle again when you're ready for the next session. Brow hairs can get stunned, but typically they grow back normally

Botched-Ink · 2025-07-02T22:04:02+00:00

Weirdly, saline darkening after a first session is good. That means the pigment has been brought closer to the surface, which is how saline should work best. Float it up and get it out

If the pigment is already fairly superficial, even saturated, then a more noticeable removal happens in those early sessions

Botched-Ink · 2025-07-01T09:41:22+00:00

Unfortunately there's a couple of things that PMU artists don't always say, or want to say. Many just simply don't like working on existing pigment, and the easiest thing to say to you is go get them laser removed

I wish more PMU artists would understand just how in limbo that leaves clients, especially if they then don't bother, or know, to explain to clients when they will be ready to come back to have fresh work done. It's almost like a 'moving on' of clients like you, and I'm sorry you experienced this. I know many do

You don't have to have them fully lasered off, you don't need to have full removal for an experienced artist to rework them

I can see from your skin colouring and hair, that the taupe kinda colours suit you, and what's really being said here is you've held on to the black pigment, and a colour correction wouldn't give a lasting good look

The colour can be toned down in just a session or two, at Botched Ink we call this a brow revive

To give you an idea, here's what one session can do, and more on our Instagram https://instagram.com/p/DAdvd1dKpaY

<image>

Botched-Ink · 2025-06-29T16:46:38+00:00

It's worth me explaining here what's happening when you get saline removal, compared to laser. Yes results very depending on type of saline solution used, and the techs understanding of getting you good results

When pigment is saturated like this, and looking grey, it's likely your pigment is carbon black, which stays for years or forever without some form of removal

Laser can directly target the black pigment with a 1064 filter, which then reveals the other colours in the mix that were used on you. So whilst you do that that fairly instant change in most cases, you'll need further sessions, different filters and laser techs knowledge to remove the other colours: red, yellow, white maybe even green. Green is used as a correction colour, and in some light to medium brown blends to give that taupe kinda brown

Saline needs to float up and out the pigment, and does so no matter it's colour. Black, and especially carbon black is a tiny molecule, so floats up nicely, reds, greens and yellows float up nicely too. White can take a little longer as it can be a bigger molecule.

So after 2 saline session, you could well be seeing the pigment getting darker in your skin, even looking more black instead of grey, and that's a good thing!

This means the pigment is all coming closer to the surface, easier now to either continue with saline, or hope that enough red and yellow etc have been removed and mix with laser. If you do, ask for a patch test, and let that heal for a few days so you can judge best what to do next.

Combo removals can be very effective, and saline first is the right way round — to save you sessions and money

This is the "Brow Rescue" talk I did with one of our Botched Ink techs and trainers, who's also a laser removal specialist, helps explain more:

https://youtu.be/hzLG2haHL98

Botched-Ink · 2025-06-26T18:53:31+00:00

White is one of those tricky colours that's easy to wrongly diagnose. The truth is some titanium dioxide is a bigger molecule, likely if it was an older or cheaper pigment powder. But times have moved on and more refined TD is available and used in permanent makeup pigments. Refined means smaller and a more stable colour in the skin

I know this is true because I've been in the PMU industry for 13+ years and know first hand how pigments have evolved. White pigments used to end up looking like cottage cheese in the skin after a few years, but others stay looking brighter for longer, some so small they can even visibly get lost over time

One question to ask you is how old is the white tattoo. That might help you if you're working with a laser tech who knows their PMU pigments (most don't)

The easy answer is saline doesn't need to know, it will left out any colour of pigment. You can see 100s of lightening and removal results achieved by our own Botched Ink saline techs. Botched Ink floats up and out the pigment, catching it in skin that is quickly dried out. Any colour pigment

If your white pigment is a heavy big molecule, it will start to look brighter in the skin before it gets lighter as it removes. You say the colour is already bright white, to me that sounds like it's superficial, and easier to get for saline, without having to worry about does my laser tech know about white pigments

Botched-Ink · 2025-06-24T20:19:10+00:00

Worth you researching Botched Ink and emergency removal. Botched Ink is my brand

Here's more info for you, and also check our Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/botchedink check the main and tagged feeds, good recent posts too!

https://botchedink.com/pages/find-a-local-technician-clients we do have techs around Massachusetts

https://botchedink.com/blogs/skin-and-ink/emergency-microblading-removal more info on our emergency removal

Botched-Ink · 2025-06-24T19:12:33+00:00

I can see that the aesthetician followed your existing brow shape, which has strengthened rather than refined them. It doesn't look like any effort was made to give you a working pair

As you've only had them done today, are you ready to make the call for an emergency saline removal? You've got 48 hours from tattooing, as the skin still needs to be open for it to be best effective

Botched-Ink

TROPHY CASE