Every person’s skin tells a story – it shows who they are and what they have been through. Scars have a way of reminding people of what they’ve endured – some come from health conditions like vitiligo (a disease that causes loss of skin color in blotches) or surviving skin or breast cancer while also helping clients that have endured other surgeries or injuries causing scarring. Permanent makeup artists have developed medical tattooing that utilizes scar camouflage to cover up scarring. This is truly enhancing the lives of men and women throughout the world and in this blog, we’ll be providing information below on if it’s right for you or your client.

Are You a Candidate for Scar Camouflage? Here is the criteria of an ideal candidate:

• The scar is healed and no longer pink or changing color: Your scar should be at least 9 to 12 months old with stable color. If it is red or pink or still changing color, the tissue may still be healing. A reputable, experienced medical tattooist will not work prematurely on scar tissue because it may cause further damage to the skin.
• The scar is smooth and reasonably flat: Camouflage tattooing cannot disguise or correct extreme changes in skin texture. If your scar or skin area is bumpy or raised, the process may not be effective. If you have any skin surface irregularity, please consult with a Dermatologist or Plastic Surgeon first to see if any type of medical treatment can first improve the skin texture.
• The scar is without dark edges: Dark edges or borders around a scar indicate Post Inflammatory Hyper-pigmentation (PIHP) from the initial trauma or surgery. It is possible that the camouflage tattooing process may increase the hyper-pigmentation and create a wider, darker border. The risk of this happening is usually greater with darker skin tones.
• Do not have one of the following: Keloid, scars with raised dark edges, Port Wine birthmarks; spider veins; freckles; age spots; under-eye circles; hyper-pigmentation; or unstable vitiligo (not in remission). These can be improved with non-tattoo medical treatments such as lasers, sclerotherapy, or chemical peels. Please consult with a physician regarding the best course of treatment for these conditions.
• The candidate does not regularly go tanning: A scar camouflage tattoo will not be a “perfect” match to the surrounding skin color. This is due to the constant changes in skin tones from blood flow, body temperature, and tanning. The pigment in the tattoo will not darken if it is exposed to sunlight or tanning booths, so the tattoo may appear lighter if the surrounding skin tans. When the tattoo color matches tanned skin, it may appear darker once the surrounding tanned skin fades. Therefore, if you spend time outdoors, you will need to adjust your lifestyle or decide to match the tattoo to “winter” or “summer” skin and live with the changes in between.

Please remember the Camouflage re-pigmentation process can take time and patience. It is performed on more sensitive skin and its immediate response can vary.