Saline Tattoo and Microblading Removal

Pigment removal is any sort of action or procedure where the goal is to lighten or remove ink from the skin. Typically this takes place after someone receives permanent makeup or a tattoo that they no longer want.

A natural saline solution, called Li-FT. It is implanted over existing permanent makeup or small tattoos using a machine and needles, or manual tools with needles. Implanting the solution into the skin breaks up the healed pigment, and begins to lift the pigment out of the skin by osmosis. The pigment pulls toward the surface of the skin thanks to the saline solution, and becomes a scab. The scab then falls off and leaves a lightened tattoo. 

os·mo·sis /äzˈmōsəs,äsˈmōsəs/ 

a process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one, thus equalizing the concentrations on each side of the membrane. 

The simple answer is, anyone that has had poor permanent makeup or tattoos that they want removed from their bodies. That said, there are certain people who will be poor candidates before you even get to a point where you can assess their work to see if it can be removed. Those situations are listed below.

• People taking blood thinners/bleeding disorders may bleed lightly during this procedure and should consult with a doctor before proceeding. 

• People with skin irritations near the area such as sunburn, severe acne, eczema or psoriasis would be extremely sensitive to the procedure and it will be painful, resulting in poor retention. If they have this issue when they come in for an appointment they will have to reschedule for when their skin returns to normal. 

• People using acids, anti-aging, acne and retinol products - These will make them bleed more and make them very sensitive. These should be stopped at least 2 weeks prior to the appointment. 

• People who have used accutane within last year - This compromises the skin and therefore makes it unsuitable for tattooing. 

• People with a history of keloid scarring - It’s possible they would be candidates, assuming they’ve had tattoos with no evidence of keloiding. Advise them as with any injury, it’s possible they could develop keloiding. 

• People will uncontrolled auto-immune deficiencies - Lupus, Alopecia, etc. They typically have less than average retention if they’re not in the best health. Make sure they are healthy before proceeding to ensure the best heal.

•  Pregnant women - We do not work on pregnant women or women who think they might be pregnant due to the chance of an infection during after care which could harm the baby or cause pregnancy complications.

•  Chemotherapy patients will need to wait until their treatment is complete and they are healthy.

Li-FT is made by Li Pigments in a state licensed and regulated manufacturing lab under sterile conditions and it’s independently tested for safety. It is a non-acid, high concentrate, saline based solution. The ingredients are: Lemon seed extract and orange seed extract, which aids in fading and exfoliation, aloe vera, which aids in skin conditioning, and sterile water. The consistency is that of a smooth gel, with no separation, which makes it very easy to use and safe since it stays put.

Osmosis is a process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated solution. This achieves the same amount of concentration on each side of the membrane. Water in the cells beneath the pigment contain lower amounts of salt and water will rise to the area containing higher concentrations of salt (which is your saline solution.) It is through this process that the pigment is lifted up and out of the skin, as opposed to it primarily being absorbed back into it, as is the case with laser removal, for example. The scabs that form contain the trapped pigment, thus the pigment is removed when the scabs fall off resulting in a lighter tattoo.

There is no set number of sessions and there is no way for you to know exactly how many it will take to lighten pigment significantly. In some cases one session will be enough, but in many a few will be needed. It’s critical that the skin is given adequate time to heal between sessions - approximately 6-8 weeks, no sooner.

    Factors that affect how many sessions will be needed:

• What type of pigment is being removed? Many times clients don’t know what ink was used on them, but if they do it can help us assess how many sessions might be needed. Titanium is a larger molecule and its particles do not travel up and out of the skin as easily as smaller particle inks. Carbon on the other hand is a smaller size and far easier to remove.
• How long ago and how deeply was the ink implanted?
• How saturated is the pigment? 
• What part of the body is it? Back of the neck, heads, fingers can be difficult spots. 
• How sensitive the skin is? 
• How well does the skin heal, and how well is the aftercare followed? 
• How much pigment needs to be removed? If this is done to receive another procedure of tattoo and just wants the ink to be lighter, fewer sessions may be needed.

As with every any form of removal or tattooing, there are risks of scarring, hypopigmentation, and hyperpigmentation, especially if the proper directions are not followed