Specialist medical tattooing to restore, recreate and camouflage

Changes to the appearance of your skin can happen for many reasons, including surgery, scarring, skin grafts, changes in pigmentation and other skin differences.

Medical tattooing is a specialised form of cosmetic tattooing that uses carefully selected pigments to restore, recreate or camouflage areas where the appearance of the skin has changed.

It may help soften the appearance of suitable scars, blend areas of altered pigmentation or recreate the appearance of a nipple and areola following surgery. It may also help create a more balanced, natural-looking appearance.

As a specialist Medical Tattooist and Camouflage Make-Up expert, I provide personalised advice and treatment based on your skin, circumstances and desired outcome.

Your treatment, your choice

There is no right or wrong reason to consider medical tattooing.

You may want to make a scar less noticeable, restore pigmentation or recreate the appearance of a nipple and areola following surgery. You may simply want an area to look more balanced with the surrounding skin.

I will listen to what you would like to achieve, explain the available options and help you decide whether medical tattooing is suitable for you.

Every patient’s experience is personal. For some patients, treatment may have a positive effect on how they feel about an area of their body. The aim is to support your individual goals and choices.

Medical tattooing can help with:

• Scarring
• Lack of Pigment / Hypo-pigmentation
• Skin Grafts
• Port Wine Birthmarks
• Nipple / Areola Re-pigmentation
• Hair Loss
• Gender Reassignment
• Cleft lips

How does medical tattooing work?

Medical tattooing involves implanting specially formulated cosmetic or medical tattoo pigment into the skin. This can help recreate colour, definition and visual dimension.

The technique may help camouflage suitable scars and blend areas of altered pigmentation with the surrounding skin. It may also be used to recreate or enhance the appearance of the nipple and areola following surgery or other changes.

Every treatment is individual. Pigment selection, colour, technique and placement are carefully considered according to your skin tone, the treatment area and the result you hope to achieve.

Suitability varies from person to person. During your consultation, I will consider the condition of the scar or skin, any previous surgery or treatment, your skin type and your medical history.

Why are specialist pigments used?

Pigment selection is an important part of medical tattooing.

Specialist tattoo pigments are formulated for implantation into the skin. They are selected according to the treatment area, your skin tone and the result you would like to achieve.

Pigment colour and appearance can change over time as the skin naturally renews and the pigment gradually fades.

The longevity of a medical tattoo varies between individuals. Factors such as the treatment area, skin type, sun exposure, lifestyle, aftercare and individual skin characteristics can all affect how the pigment looks over time.

A colour refresh or further treatment will be required to maintain the appearance of a medical tattoo.

During your consultation, I will explain what you can realistically expect from your treatment, including the likely longevity of the result and the need for future maintenance.

Is medical tattooing right for you?

Medical tattooing may not be suitable for everyone. A consultation is an important first step and allows us to assess the area, discuss your expectations and determine whether treatment is appropriate.

The condition of the skin, previous surgery or treatment, your skin type and your medical history will all be considered before treatment is recommended.

Medical tattooing cannot remove a scar or change the texture of the skin. However, where suitable, it may help make differences in colour or pigmentation less noticeable.

A natural-looking result

Medical tattooing is not intended to create a completely uniform appearance.

Skin naturally varies in colour, texture and tone. Scars and other areas of altered skin may continue to have a different texture, even when pigmentation has been successfully camouflaged.

The aim is to create a natural-looking and harmonious result while working with the characteristics of your existing skin.

Treatment results vary, and no result can be guaranteed. During your consultation, I will explain the likely outcome, limitations and any future maintenance that may be required.

Camouflage Make-Up

If medical tattooing is not suitable, or if you prefer a temporary option, camouflage make-up may help reduce the visibility of certain skin differences.

It can be useful if you want flexibility, or while waiting for a scar or other skin change to mature before considering longer-term treatment.

During your consultation, I can advise whether camouflage cream may be appropriate. Where suitable, I can redirect you to a specialist service for colour matching and product selection.
A colour-matching session and product selection are not included within the consultation.

Permanent Make-Up

Permanent make-up may also be considered to draw attention away from certain features or visible differences by enhancing other facial features.

In suitable cases, permanent make-up and medical tattooing can work alongside one another as part of a personalised approach tailored to your goals.

I can explain the available options and help you choose the approach that best suits your needs.

Say hello to confidence

If you have a visible difference, such as a scar or skin condition on your face or body, it can seriously hamper your confidence, self-esteem and ability to face the world.

Being asked questions or stared at is something no one should have to encounter. And yet, people with visual differences find this a fact of life. If you’ve had surgery, have birthmarks or a distinguishing feature that is causing you stress and anxiety, exploring medical tattooing or camouflage make-up could be the step that changes your life for the better.

As a specialist Medical Tattooist and Camouflage Make-Up expert I work with patients to reduce their fear through reducing their visible difference. I take them on a journey that includes education about the options; advice and support in making choices, and ultimately being able to brave the world more positively and confidently.

Being able to offer a choice between covering up, whether on a daily basis with camouflage or long term with medical tattooing, takes the fear factor out of the equation, and can have a major positive effect on many areas of your life including relationships, work and social life.

The benefits of medical tattooing are visual, physical and psychological. You want to look better, feel confident, to have a say in your appearance – and this may be the final stage of a medical journey. This service is usually a last port of call; when surgery is completed and a final touch is needed for enhancement.

How does it work?

Medical Tattooing is the process of implanting medically certified pigment into the skin creating definition, shading and colour. It can treat the following conditions:

• scarring
• skin grafts
• nipple / areola
• cleft lip
• port wine stains
• lack of pigment in skin
• lack of hair on brows, lash line and scalp

Why is pigment used?

One of the most important factors in tattooing is the pigment choice. Pigments these days are medically certified and are used instead of ink. Ink in a normal body tattoo is a large molecule that is too big to travel through the layers of the skin, so it stays where it is implanted; into the dermal layer. Medically certified pigment is a much smaller molecule and is implanted into the same layer as ink, but it CAN travel through the layers of the skin. The lymph then comes along and processes it (breaks it down) and gets rid of it. Therefore, medical tattooing and semi-permanent makeup fade with time, varying between one and five years depending on age, body temperature, medication, skin type and aftercare. Colour boosts are necessary when the colour starts to change and fade. The pigments are safe, non-toxic and non-irritant.

Semi-permanent makeup can then be applied to features such as eyebrows, eyelids and lips.

Get started:

Consultation

A consultation is essential to determine a full medical history, patient expectations, suitability of treatment and a personalised treatment plan. For your safety as well as your practitioners preparation, a consultation is a requirement to determine the best course of action.

Pre-Treatment

For your comfort, refrain from alcohol or caffeine in the 24 hours pre-treatment.

If you are having medical tattooing on your face, please arrive without makeup on, or arrive early and remove your makeup 20 minutes before your treatment time. This gives your skin time to calm down and return to its normal colouring.

If you have had even ONE COLD SORE in the past, and are having a lip treatment or the area of concern goes onto or close to your lip, use an anti-herpes medication 5 x daily before your treatment and for 5 days afterwards. This will help prevent a breakout which could cause you discomfort and scarring. You will need to obtain this from a chemist or your doctor.

Please arrive for your appointment at least 10 minutes early to fill in any clinic forms, use the bathroom and get yourself settled. Rae will come to the waiting room/reception at your appointment time.

Treatment

You will be taken to the treatment room for initial photographs. Before any treatment begins, the area to be tattooed is cleaned. If required, a topical anaesethic will be applied and the pigments will then be mixed. Once the anaesethic has worked, any drawing on of features or shapes will happen. You will have time to discuss, modify, work out the most suitable shape, size and placement for you. Once this is all agreed, the tattooing will start. It is not a particularly painful treatment but more anaesethic can be applied during the treatment if needed.

Review

This is booked during your treatment. It will be between 4-6 weeks post your second treatment. Reviews can be in the form of a text message, online or in-clinic. Healed photos are required to update your file for any future Colour Boosts.

Aftercare

No shower, bath or sweaty exercise for 48 hours.

If you have a dressing on, keep it on for no longer than 48 hours.

After 48 hours, have a warm (not hot) shower and moisten the dressing before removing. Do not face the shower spray directly onto the tattooed area.

Make sure you have a clean towel, and then dab the area dry.

Apply the balm given to you during your treatment. Use a clean cotton bud and wipe a small amount over the tattooed area. Use the balm morning and evening for five days.

You may experience the following: tenderness, flaking, dryness, itching, swelling & redness over the first week.

Leave the area exposed to air as much as possible, or covered by loose, clean clothing in order for it to be air dried.

When the area is healed, usually between 5-10 days afterwards, you can use an unscented moisturiser.

Important ‘DO NOTS’

DO NOT pick, peel or scratch the treated area, even if it is itchy. This could result in the colour healing unevenly, and being at risk from scarring and infection.

DO NOT apply makeup for 72hrs post treatment.

DO NOT expose your skin to extreme heat, cold or moisture for 10 days following your treatment. This includes direct sunlight, tanning bed, jacuzzi, sauna, pool, hot tub, direct shower spray and creams.

DO NOT expose the tattoo to direct sunlight for at least 3 months to prevent sunburn or pigment changes.

Contraindications

• Very dark scarring
• Scars and skin grafts must be fully healed
• Keloid scarring that has been treated with steroids
• Laser can turn pigment dark so please make sure all laser treatments are finished before commencing Medical Tattoo treatment.
• Vitiligo needs to have been dormant for at least seven years otherwise a recurrence of spreading can be stimulated
• Roaccutane use in the preceding six months
• Pregnancy or breast feeding

Get started:

Rae Denman Medical Tattoo & Expert Witness Ltd

Located at: Tillow Barn
Roothill Lane,
Brockham,
BETCHWORTH,
RH3 7AS