At Neue we offer both methods for removing unwanted Tattoos – Laser or Saline. Laser Tattoo removal is ideal for larger body tattoos and for the extremities. Our Picosecond Laser shatters the ink held in the skin so the body can then naturally eliminated the fragments of ink via the lymph system. For smaller and cosmetic tattoos, Saline is the natural way to gently lift the ink out of the skin.
Li-FT is produced by the very reputable LI Pigments, a US company that has produced permanent makeup pigments and pigment removal products for over 25 years. It is a salt-based product that also contains citrus seed extracts to promote fading and aloe to promote healing. The solution is implanted (tattooed) into the skin, and the solution pulls the pigment out of the skin by osmosis – 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 solution pushes the pigment to the surface of the skin. The pigment collects within any scab that is formed, leaving a lightened or removed tattoo when the scab falls away.
How does LI-FT tattoo lightening solution differ from laser tattoo removal?
Li-FT solution relies on your body’s natural healing mechanism to gently lift the pigment up and out to the surface of your skin. Laser tattoo removal involves the application of bursts of heat to break up large pigment particles which are then absorbed from within your body. Laser tattoo removal can also cause pigment to be pushed deeper and underneath the scar tissue that it creates. In this case, tattoo may appear lighter but it is still present underneath the scar tissue. This may affect the ability to apply a new tattoo or permanent makeup pigment in the future. In addition, the heat damage caused by laser tattoo removal may cause permanent damage to your melanocytes (pigment-producing cells), which is why it is common to see a white “ghost image” of a tattoo removed by laser.
An advantage of Saline removal is that it is not selective about the colours that are removed. Dark, Light, Red, Green, Blue, Yellow……Whatever the colour, saline can help to remove it.
How many LI-FT tattoo removal or permanent makeup removal treatments will It take?
The number of Li-FT removal treatments required depends upon several factors including your skin type and the depth, age and type of tattoo or permanent makeup pigment used. It also depends on your desired outcome. In some instances, lightening is adequate before covering the area with new work, and in other cases complete removal is desired. Generally, 1-5 tattoo removal treatments are needed.
What Should I Expect After a LI-FT Tattoo Removal or Permanent Makeup Removal Treatment?
The Lift Saline process is often not as painful as having the tattoo done originally. At the end of the treatment the solution is soaked onto the treated area for a few minutes. This may sting a little, but is over quickly.
Immediately after each treatment, the area will appear quite red, or sometimes the colour of the pigment being removed. We clean the treated area but do allow a slight pooling of fluids to encourage coagulation and the formation of a crust. The appearance is initially very similar to that of a scraped knee.
The treated area should be kept dry and left alone as long as possible. The longer the crust stays in place, the better your tattoo removal outcome. Generally, this is 7-10 days.
Fortunately, the treated area is in exactly the shape of your tattoo. So, in the case of eyebrows for instance, although a crust will be present, it may just appear as darker eyebrows to those around you. Most of the eyebrows we remove are FAR worse than surviving a few days of crusting!!!
You will need to keep the area clean and dry and protect the area from sun for at least 4 weeks or until your next appointment. It is normal for your skin to appear pink for several weeks. No matter how healed your skin appears on the surface, we wait a full 8 weeks for skin to be thoroughly healed before retreatment.
Most people see a difference with every session. Every session the ink is pulled further out of the skin. This can happen at different rates…. but WILL happen.
Saline removal does not cause scarring or effect hair growth. Whilst being effective at removing ink and pigment, it is gentle on the skin.