Tech Talk #53: Laser Cosmetic Tattoo Removal and Yellow Brows

Laser removal of cosmetic tattooed eyebrows is very popular. It’s fast, effective on some of the colours in brow pigments, and if the technician is using the latest pico laser technology, the risk of hair loss and scarring is low.

Is there are problem here? Well, yes there is, because clients are often left with residual yellow pigment. Let’s unpack why.

Laser Removal Targets Pigment using Light Wavelengths

Laser are high energy beams of light on one wavelength that target one colour. Pico laser shots last for one trillionth on a second and explode the pigment particles. Here’s a table that shows which laser targets which colour.

Notice anything missing? Yes, yellow, although an Nd:YAG laser at 532 nanometres wavelength comes close.

Cosmetic Tattoo Pigment Colourants

Brow pigments almost always comprise of three main colourants: Red, yellow and black, which makes as many different browns as you can imagine. There might also be some titanium dioxide white, which presents separate complications for laser removal.

A state-of-the-art pico Nd:YAG laser that can do shots at 1064 or 532 nanometres can hit the black and the red but may not affect the yellow colour much at all. So, the client is left with yellow brows.

Yellow brows can be removed using THink Pigment Remover, which can also remove the other colours as well, with no risk of hair loss or scar tissue.

We've included an example from thinkpigmentremover.com by technician @feather_brow_couture, showing a single session of removal with THink Pigment Remover on neon yellow left from laser pmu removal.

P.S. Do you wonder what happens to the pigment after it has been exploded by the laser? That’s another story.

See more Tech Talks related to cosmetic tattoo removal:

April 13, 2026 — THink Aesthetics

Tags: cosmetic tattoo removal

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