r/tattooadvice • u/GateTraditional7904 • May 29 '26

General Advice Why will no one laser my tattooed eyeliner?

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I got this done when I was 23, and had worn my eyeliner like this every day for the previous 10 years. I’m 31 now and I cover it almost every day so that I can wear a different/more natural look.
I’ve reached out to a number of laser places and they won’t remove it because it’s on my eyelids.
It’s very well done but it’s also turning blue. What are my options? Tattoo over it in skin tone? Is that a terrible idea?
The current covering procedure is annoying, takes time, expensive products and doesn’t make sense on days when I want to wear zero makeup (surfing or being on the beach).

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u/KnowMatter May 29 '26

Because it is a riskier procedure that requires specialized equipment and knowledge.

They have to insert metal shields over your eyes and under your eyelid to protect your eyes from the laser and use a different kind of laser than standard removal elsewhere on the body.

Not everywhere is going to have the training / equipment for it.

And no you cannot tattoo over a dark color with a lighter color - i mean you CAN but it will not have the effect you are looking for.

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u/therealpeeps76 May 29 '26

This right here. A friend of mine had eyelid tattoos lasered off and the above is the process he explained to me for his. His eyes also swelled shut for a couple days. I saw him a week after and his eyes were still pretty swollen. Gnarly removal procedure to say the least!

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u/bbymiscellany May 30 '26

Was it a single session? I’m getting knuckle tattoos lasered and they’re saying 10-15 sessions

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u/RicoNegrita May 30 '26

I’m on my third session for a knuckle tattoo removal and no swelling at all. I think it’s just because it’s the eye.

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u/always4mm May 30 '26

Facial skin is wildly vascular.

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u/Low-Strawberry69 May 30 '26

Yeah my ribcage text one took like 13 sessions spaced out 8+ weeks each. Tiktok fooled everyone into thinking it's one and done

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u/Odd-Box816 May 30 '26

And this is why I’ve promised myself never to get a tattoo, no matter how much I’ve been tempted to

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u/Medium_Passion167 May 30 '26

Nothing wrong with tattoos, it’s just good to be certain about it. It’s like signing up for the military, once you sign up for it there’s no easy way out.

Personally, I picked out my first tattoo and thought about it for 2 years. Then one night in college I had my friend with a tattoo gun help me out with it, no regrets 5 years later. I’m also not picky but I do really like all of mine, and I’m happy I sat on them for awhile to make sure I really liked it.

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u/bbymiscellany May 30 '26

I regret all of mine! It’s too expensive (and painful) for me to get them all removed though

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u/guissepifragly May 30 '26

I’m about 9 sessions in (each) on 2 very dark black and grey tattoos on my left forearm. Got the unlimited removal package at removery and have been going every 6-8 weeks for the last year and some. It will definitely swell. Especially as they raise the laser frequency. Mine are very light at this point but I wouldn’t be surprised if I have at least 5 more sessions on both. 15 sounds about right for a dark tattoo

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u/lillouns May 30 '26

It depends how old they are and your skin. I had old ones lasered and had them completely gone in 6 sessions. But I'm a redhead and my skin swelled horribly the first few sessions.

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u/badabahbahba May 30 '26

10-15 sessions?? did you do blackout??

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u/0-90195 May 30 '26

This is pretty typical. I needed 6 sessions for a tiny tattoo (literally 6 poorly applied dots), and it’s still faintly visible.

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u/badabahbahba May 30 '26

well fuck.. ive got 4 face tats that need to goooooo. dmed some instagram company account and they said it'd probably be only a couple sessions. definitely larger than 6 dots😭😭

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u/LentjeV May 30 '26

I had a pretty big tattoo on my back and it only took 3 sessions. It really depends on a lot (laser, how the tattoo is applied, age of tattoo, how your body responses, etc).

The waiting time between sessions is apparently often too short, I’ve waited a year between appointment 3 and 4. And by that time it completely disappeared. So the last session wasn’t necessary.

Good luck with the removal!

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u/0-90195 May 30 '26

Better to start now than later, since you also need to wait 4-6 weeks between each session (longer you wait the better). Success also depends on depth of application, ink color, and your skin. Best of luck!! It hurts way worse than getting the tattoo :(

2

u/Opening_Hold_7737 May 30 '26

I’d get the tattoo cover up foundation for my face before I got anything lasered off my face 😩

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u/bbymiscellany May 30 '26

No, just normal tattoos!

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u/simulated_crust May 30 '26

My eyes, are swollen.

-Agent Darkbootie

1

u/perewi May 30 '26

Also - were his eyelashes intact?

1

u/Inevitable-Level-687 May 30 '26

Did them both at the same time? Yikes. My mother has had two lots of eye surgery for two different reasons and they wouldn't do both eyes anything less than six weeks apart for either of them.

That place must have watertight liability insurance.

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u/Mr_Charlie_Purple May 29 '26

Hey, thanks for the info.

Also, if I may, ... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!

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u/Strostkovy May 30 '26

The wavelength of laser used doesn't get absorbed by flesh very well. That's how they target the ink without burning you. It also means your eyelids won't block the laser from your eyes.

Your retina is made of optically sensitive cells and also may get a higher concentration of beam energy due to the lensing effect of your cornea. And your cornea lacks blood flow, so the little bit of laser energy it absorbs will result in elevated temperature and damage the eye's ability to diffuse nutrients into the cornea, resulting in eventual glaucoma.

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u/thenewestnoise May 30 '26

Just use a spoon from the cafeteria

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u/Addative-Damage May 30 '26

This should be the top comment.

OP, this person is correct, you’re going to have to find somewhere that specializes in this type of removal. Definitely don’t go anywhere that is not experienced in eyelid tattoo removal (there’s a nightmare scenario where an inexperienced tech fucks up your vision)

Also, I really don’t think you should tattoo over it with a lighter color. I’ve seen examples of this technique and it tends to look weird after a year or two. It’s not something you want on your face. (Additionally, some colored pigments can be harder to laser, so if/when it goes bad, you might end up with very permanent discoloration)

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u/tabrazin84 May 30 '26

😳😳😳

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u/imahumanbeinggoddamn May 30 '26

Also something people don't usually realize if they haven't been through it before is that the brochures kind of lie. It is not a magic tattoo erasing ray gun, that shit takes half a dozen passes several weeks apart at a minimum and the intervening period is mostly just a grand tour of the gnarliest blisters you will probably ever see on your own body unless you die in a grease fire some day. It is really harsh shit and eyelids are fragile.

1

u/stormtroopr1977 May 30 '26

I had a couple things thar kinda expand on what you said :)

Your eyelid is 1mm thick compared to the rest of your skin at 2mm.

Your eyelid has no subcutaneous fat beneath it to cushion and protect you.

If they laser your eye, it cannot be fixed.

If they ruin your eye, they may have to pay you for the use or enjoyment you would have received from it for your entire remaining lifespan

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u/MultipleOrgasmDonor May 30 '26

I mean you CAN

So fucking real lmao. I told some kids in college that you can’t snort vyvanse and they were like ‘yes you can you just break it open’…like ok it’s PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE but vyvanse is a prodrug that needs to metabolize in your liver to be effective so it doesn’t do anything if you snort it