Laser Brow Treatment

Must be off Accutane for 6 months before undergoing the service.

Must not be undergoing chemo or cancer treatments – without doctors note.

Must have no brow peircings in for the treatment.

No surgical pins in the area. 

No recent brow or eye surgery.

You must not be pregnant or breastfeeding while undergoing laser pigment removal.

Avoid tanning, sunbathing or long periods of sun/UV exposure to the treatment area for at least 30 days after the procedure. Wear a hat, and/or apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF 30+.

Avoid strenuous exercise for at least 48 hours after the procedure to reduce the risk of bleeding or bruising.

Avoid hot steamy showers, baths, swimming, sauna, for the first 48 hours as well.

Do not use any Retinol or exfoliator on or very near your brows for 7 days. Using a soltuion like Retinol, AHA or BHA, Glycolic Acid or a physical exfoliant will irritate the sensitive skin.

Do not wax your brows for 2 weeks. Do not get any brow treatment like tinting, lamination, or Henna for at least 2 weeks. 

Very gently cleanse your brows once a day for 7 days, apply the ointment if desired, or a gentle moisturizer of your own may be sufficient depending on how your skin reacts.

Any mild soap or cleanser is fine, as long as there is no active acid or exfoliant.

You may apply makeup on your brows after 24 hours. Do your best to wait, so as to not irritate the skin or risk infection.

Be sure to avoid products that contain acids on your brows for 1 week.

Smoking can negatively affect the healing process and potentially slow down the removal process. High consumption of alcohol puts additional strain on your body which is working hard to eliminate and heal from the laser process.

Avoid picking or scratching at the treated area, as this can lead to infection or scarring.

1st session: We will target the dark colour with the 1064nm wavelength, and the warmth with 532nm. Your brows will likely lighten some, but not a huge difference will be seen from the first session.

2nd session: We will target the red colour with the 532nm wavelength first, them with 1064nm. The brows will likely turn grey, with some red potentailly showing through still. 

3rd session: Depending on the previous work done on your brows, there may be parts where the artist went quite deep and those areas may still be holding pigment. Whichever colours are present, we will target and ideally achieve yellow.

This kind of brow is more likely to require a fourth session compared to the other kind of start points. 

“The End Point” for laser removal is yellow – this colour is difficult if even possible for lasers to remove. Furthur removal is via manual methods only or natural fading over the next few years.

Once only yellow is left over, the protocol is as follows depending on the desired end result:

You want to go back to your natural brows (not get new permanent makeup). 

or

You want new, natural looking permanent makeup (nano).

We begin sessions of microneedling to manually remove the yellow pigment with 4 weeks between appointments. 1-5 sessions is expected.

*If you’d like to try to re-grow your natural brows, microneedling with a particular enriching serum can be effective to encourage your natural brow hairs to grow back. This treatment can begin once the yellow is gone.

Or, after sufficient removal of the yellow, hairstrokes (nano) can be done if you decide to get new permanent makeup. This can also be done after trying to re-grow you natural brows, but not before.

Once only yellow is left over, the protocol is as follows depending on the desired end result:

Ombre Brow Coverup/ Correction

Ombre Brows can cover and correct the leftover yellow, and yield great healed results. Any yellow left outside of the new shape will continue to fade with time – usually gone in 2 years. Keep in mind, if the previous shape is very “off” compared to the new desired shape, manual removal with microneedling may be best to reduce the boldness of the remaining yellow.

***We cannot do hairstrokes (nano) over yellow brows. The yellow is too apparent and will distort the colour of the brows in an undesirable way.

Laser Brow Toning is a more conservative approach to laser pigment reduction. Rather than attempting to remove as much pigment as possible, the treatment is used to selectively reduce unwanted colour or excess pigment while preserving brows that are otherwise well-shaped.

It can be particularly useful when older Permanent Makeup has become too cool, grey or ashy, or when the brows simply contain more pigment than desired.

For example, an older grey-toned brow may respond to treatment by revealing a warmer underlying tone, creating a softer and more desirable appearance.

Some clients are happy with the result of toning alone. Others use it as a step toward corrective Permanent Makeup or a future Brow Refresh once the brows have fully healed.

Because cosmetic tattoo pigments can contain multiple colour components, the exact colour revealed by laser cannot be guaranteed in advance and will be assessed as the brows heal.

Laser Brow Removal uses the same principle as laser tattoo removal, specifically adapted to existing Permanent Makeup in the eyebrows.

The laser delivers energy that is absorbed by tattoo pigment, causing pigment particles to break down into smaller fragments. Your body's immune system then gradually clears some of that fragmented pigment over the weeks following treatment.

Removal is a process rather than a one-time treatment. Each session targets pigment that can be safely treated at that stage, followed by a healing period before the brows are reassessed.

Some clients may require only a few sessions, while others require several. The number of treatments depends on factors including pigment composition, colour, depth, saturation, number of previous PMU procedures and individual response to laser.

As darker pigment is reduced, warmer tones such as red, orange or yellow may become visible. Yellow pigment can be particularly resistant to some tattoo-removal lasers and may require a different approach once the darker pigment has been sufficiently reduced.

The goal does not always need to be completely pigment-free skin. Depending on your plans, enough pigment may simply need to be removed to create a safer, cleaner foundation for future Permanent Makeup.

Laser Brow Removal targets tattoo pigment within the skin — not the eyebrow hair follicle itself. Your natural brow hairs generally remain intact throughout the removal process.

Because the laser can also interact with pigment within the brow hairs, temporary whitening or lightening of the hair is possible. At OPIA, special topical solutions are applied to the brow hairs before treatment to help protect them and minimize this effect.

In OPIA's experience, this typically protects approximately 90% or more of the brow hairs from visible whitening, and many clients experience very little whitening at all. Results can vary, however, and some individual hairs may still temporarily lighten.

If whitening does occur, it does not mean the hair follicle has been permanently damaged. The affected hair can be managed cosmetically while it grows through its normal cycle.

As the tattoo pigment underneath becomes lighter, your natural brow hair often becomes much more visually prominent, giving us a clearer picture of the fullness and shape you naturally have to work with. This is also why treatments such as Brow Lamination, Shaping & Tint can be so effective between laser sessions — enhancing the natural hair while the unwanted pigment underneath continues to fade.

Losing the colour and definition you're accustomed to from Permanent Makeup can feel like a big adjustment — but your brows don't have to look unfinished while you're going through removal.

Once your brows have healed following laser treatment, Brow Lamination, Shaping & Tint can be a great way to enhance your natural brows between removal sessions.

At OPIA, many removal clients have been loving this option. Lamination helps redirect and flatten the natural brow hairs across the skin, creating the appearance of greater coverage and fullness. Shaping gives the brows structure, while tinting adds back some of the colour and definition you may be missing as the tattoo pigment is removed.

The result can make a surprisingly big difference — you get to enjoy groomed, full-looking, defined brows while still allowing the unwanted Permanent Makeup underneath to continue through the removal process.

Brow Lamination can typically be considered around 2 weeks after laser treatment, once the skin is completely healed and back to normal. Your brows will always be assessed before proceeding to make sure the skin is ready.

Laser treatment is very quick, but it is not completely painless.

At OPIA, a strong topical anesthetic is applied for approximately 30 minutes before treatment to help make the procedure more comfortable.

You may still feel brief heat, snapping or stinging as the laser fires, but the actual treatment itself is very fast — typically around a minute per brow.

OPIA also uses a cold-air cooling machine during treatment to soothe the skin and improve comfort.

Most importantly, the uncomfortable portion is over very quickly.

There is no reliable way to know exactly how many laser sessions you'll need before seeing how your pigment responds.

Some brows respond dramatically to the first treatment, while others require a longer removal process. Factors that can affect the number of sessions include:

• How many times the brows have previously been tattooed
• The amount and depth of pigment present
• Pigment composition and colours
• Technique used by the previous artist
• Scar tissue
• Your individual response to treatment
• Whether your goal is toning, sufficient lightening for new PMU, or maximum possible removal

Clients with multiple layers of previous Permanent Makeup generally should expect a longer process than someone with a lightly saturated single treatment.

Sessions are typically spaced far enough apart to allow the skin to heal and the body time to continue clearing fragmented pigment before deciding whether another treatment is needed.

Immediately following treatment, leave the brows alone for approximately 6–12 hours. If they feel warm or swollen, a cool pack may be applied gently with a clean cloth barrier between the pack and your skin.

After the initial period:

• Gently cleanse the brows daily and apply the healing ointment provided for approximately one week.
• Avoid makeup directly on the brows for at least 48 hours, and longer if the skin has not returned to normal.
• Avoid exercise, excessive sweating, saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs, swimming and very hot baths/showers for at least 72 hours.
• Protect the treated area from UV exposure for 30 days. Use physical protection such as a hat while the skin is healing and SPF once appropriate.
• Do not scratch, pick or remove any scabbing or flaking that develops.

Your brows will continue changing well beyond the initial healing period as your body gradually clears fragmented pigment.

Review the full Laser Brow Aftercare Guide here

Laser Brow Treatments are not appropriate for everyone. Treatment may need to be postponed or may not be suitable if you are:

• Pregnant or breastfeeding
• Currently taking or have recently taken isotretinoin/Accutane
• Currently taking or have recently completed certain antibiotics or photosensitizing medications
• Undergoing chemotherapy, radiation or active cancer treatment
• Experiencing an active infection, wound, irritation or skin condition in or around the treatment area
• Unable to remove a piercing or other metal item within the treatment area
• Recently treated with Brow Lamination, tinting or other brow treatments (2 weeks)
• Recently treated with Botox, filler or other injections around the treatment area (2 weeks)
• Living with a medical condition or taking medication that may significantly affect healing, photosensitivity or immune response

Certain implanted medical devices, medications and medical conditions may also require additional assessment or medical clearance.

This is not a complete list of contraindications. OPIA's booking system will take you through a detailed health and contraindication questionnaire before treatment. Please answer all questions accurately and disclose relevant medications, medical conditions and recent treatments.

Immediately after treatment, the skin may appear red, slightly swollen or lighter/whiter around the pigment. This initial appearance is temporary and should not be used to judge your result.

With Laser Brow Toning, redness is generally mild and the brows may initially look noticeably lighter before settling. As the immediate skin response subsides over the following hours and days, the underlying pigment colour becomes easier to assess.

With Laser Brow Removal, the colour you see can vary considerably depending on which pigments remain. Brows may appear grey, red, orange, yellow, brown or a combination of tones at different stages of the removal process.

This is because Permanent Makeup pigments are often made from multiple colour components that don't necessarily respond to laser at the same rate.

Your result is not finished when you leave the studio. The brows can continue lightening and changing over the following weeks as the skin heals and your body gradually processes fragmented pigment.

Yes. A strong topical anesthetic is applied for approximately 30 minutes before treatment to make the procedure as comfortable as possible.

Laser removal can still produce a brief hot, snapping or stinging sensation, even with topical numbing, but treatment of the eyebrows is extremely quick.

OPIA also uses a cold-air cooling machine during treatment to soothe the skin and further improve comfort.

Laser tattoo removal is generally well tolerated when appropriately performed, but side effects and complications are possible.

Expected temporary reactions can include redness, swelling, tenderness, warmth.

Less common risks can include:

• Itching, pinpoint bleeding, blistering, crusting
• Hyperpigmentation — temporary or prolonged darkening of the skin
• Hypopigmentation — temporary or prolonged lightening of the skin
• Blistering or prolonged irritation
• Infection during healing
• Changes in skin texture
• Scarring, although uncommon
• Temporary changes to brow hair
• Incomplete or uneven pigment removal
• Unexpected pigment colour changes or darkening

Cosmetic tattoo pigments can respond unpredictably to laser because their exact composition is not always known. Some pigments can change colour when exposed to particular laser wavelengths, which is one reason treatments are approached progressively rather than attempting aggressive removal in a single session.

Following all pre-care and aftercare instructions helps minimize avoidable complications.

Don't judge your brow colour immediately after laser treatment. What you see when you first look in the mirror is not necessarily what your brows will look like once the immediate skin response has settled.

Laser can temporarily cause the treated area to appear lighter or white, and the underlying pigment may look quite different as that reaction subsides.

Over the following days and weeks, your brows can continue changing as different pigment components become visible and your body gradually clears fragmented pigment.

At OPIA, treatments can use different laser wavelengths where appropriate to target different pigment colours present in the brows. However, cosmetic tattoo pigment is complex, and no laser treatment can guarantee the exact colour that will be revealed afterward.

Grey, red, orange or yellow tones may become visible at different stages of removal. This does not necessarily mean something has gone wrong — it may simply represent another layer or component of the original pigment that is now visible.

The important thing is to allow the brows to fully heal before evaluating the result. Once they've settled, your artist can determine whether the next step should be another removal treatment, additional toning, corrective Permanent Makeup, or simply more time to fade.

Yes. Most Laser Brow Removal clients come to OPIA with Permanent Makeup originally completed elsewhere. Previous Microblading, Nano, Ombré or Combo Brows can be assessed to determine whether Laser Brow Removal, Laser Toning, continued fading or another approach is most appropriate.

Not every unwanted brow needs complete removal. If the shape is still flattering but the pigment has become too dark, grey, cool or saturated, Laser Brow Toning may be enough to improve the colour and create a better foundation for future Permanent Makeup. Brows with unwanted shape, heavy saturation or significant pigment buildup may benefit from more complete removal. A consultation or Brow Review can help determine the best approach.

Laser Brow Removal at OPIA is $150 per session + GST. The number of treatments required varies depending on the amount, depth, colour and composition of the existing pigment, as well as previous Permanent Makeup treatments and individual response.

New Permanent Makeup should only be performed once the skin has fully healed and the pigment has had sufficient time to continue clearing after the final laser treatment, for most clients this is 6-8 weeks. Timing varies depending on the treatment response and condition of the skin, so the brows are reassessed before booking new Permanent Makeup. 

Not every brow needs full removal. If the shape is still flattering but the pigment has become too grey, dark, cool or saturated, Laser Brow Toning may be enough to improve the colour and create a better foundation for future Permanent Makeup. Brows with unwanted shape, heavy saturation or significant pigment buildup may benefit from more complete removal.