Good microblading is a dream come true. Bad microblading can be a nightmare.
Unfortunately, sometimes microblading doesn’t work out, fades unattractively, or you just change your mind about it. So people seek out various removal options, and they often wonder if they can get microneedling for microblading removal. Microneedling engages a principle similar to machine PMU, so it’s logical why people think it could be a good way to reverse microblading.
And they’re not far from the truth! Let’s see how microneedling is adapted for microblading removal.
How to Use Microneedling for Microblading Removal
Microneedling is the basis for several microblading removal methods, but it’s always combined with different chemical solutions for this purpose.
It’s actually at the heart of saline microblading removal, an established, effective way to remove microblading. It uses the principle of opening up the skin in tiny punctures, just like microneedling for skin-perfecting purposes, but it’s more elaborate. Let’s discuss it in detail.
What Is Microneedling in General?
Microneedling is a skin treatment which is used for achieving various skin-perfecting effects. It implies puncturing the skin with thin needles in countless tiny punctures. The punctures have a twofold effect:
- They are perceived as injuries by the body and the regeneration and collagen production processes which are triggered in turn lead to better new skin and patching up the injured spot.
- They provide a path for products to penetrate the skin and maximize their effects.
This technique is primarily used to diminish skin conditions such as scars, fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, hair loss, and similar imperfections.
But the skin perforation technique is so versatile that it was adapted for another use. It was combined with different chemical solutions and an effective method for microblading removal was developed.
Image source: Freepik
What Is Saline Removal?
Saline removal is a permanent makeup removal technique which works for getting rid of unwanted microblading, but also machine brows, permanent eyeliner, or lipstick tattoos that have migrated outside of the lip edge.
It can also be used to remove body art tattoos.
It’s a way of extracting unwanted pigments from the skin by lifting them up and taking them away with the scabs that form, gradually fading the residues into invisibility.
Image source: Instagram @tanela_beauty
How Does It Work?
Saline removal is usually done with a permanent makeup machine, a device very similar to the dermapen used for microneedling. The machine features a very thin needle which vibrates and goes in and out of the skin, creating perforations as it’s moved across the pigmented portion of the skin.
The needle opens tiny paths for chemical solutions based on salt – hence the name saline removal – to penetrate the skin to the layer where the pigments were originally deposited. The solution reacts with the pigment molecules – it dries them out.
The dried pigments are then lifted from the skin by the secretions the skin produces as part of its healing – primarily lymph. A scab forms on top of the skin, and it traps the dried pigments. Once the skin underneath has healed, the scab will fall off, taking away the dried up pigment which was lifted.
This is a gradual process – not all of the pigment can be taken away in one session, especially if its concentration in the skin is high.
How Many Sessions Will I Need for Microblading Removal?
This depends on how saturated the area is with pigment, but most clients need between 3 and 6 sessions.
If you don’t need to remove the visible traces completely, but rather lighten them up enough for a new brow tattoo to be applied over it, you may achieve the desired effects in 1-2 sessions.
Image source: Instagram @missmalbrows
Alternative Microblading Removal Methods
Saline removal uses one specific type of formula, but there are alternative methods which also engage the principle of microneedling, but use different solutions.
Primarily, blends of acids.
There’s an ongoing debate about which type of chemical solution is gentlest on the skin and which components remove pigments more or less effectively. So, there are now many branded techniques that use patented solutions which contain different ingredients.
So, don’t be surprised if you come across different variations of this removal method.
We should also mention laser removal as the go-to option, but also point out that laser removal tends to be more uncomfortable than spin-off on microneedling for microblading removal. Some claim it’s more aggressive and that it doesn’t work equally well on all pigment colors, but this is an ongoing debate. New technologies are perfected everyday, and they are more and more effective for microblading
In any case, if you need more information, check out our guide through microblading removal.
Image source: Instagram @sandra_driziene_permanent
Can DIY Microneedling for Microblading Removal Work?
Not really. First, if you’re doing microneedling at home, you’re doing it with much shorter needles than a professional uses, which don’t reach far into the skin. Secondly, you don’t have the products used for pigment removal, and you’re not trained in using them.
Okay, we know that you can get more or less anything online, but we strongly advise you not to try to remove microblading on your own. You can cause permanent damage to your skin and it’s just not worth it.
Final Note
If you have microblading you’re not happy with, your first option for fixing it should be to try and get it corrected. There are many skilled and experienced artists out there who can correct uneven or discolored brows.
Only if the situation is so bad it can’t be corrected, or if you can’t wait for it to fade and you want to get rid of your microblading altogether and never get another brow tattoo again should you go for microblading removal.
It’s a long and pricey process which you will need to commit to.
Cover image source: Freepik
