While skin-colored camouflage pigment becomes permanent once it’s implanted into the skin in the sense that it won’t wash off once the skin is healed, it does eventually fade over time due to the layers of the skin gradually growing out along with regular exposure to light – which degrades lighter colors more quickly than darker colors – and chemicals. If the skin camouflage is located on a part of the body that is typically protected from exposure to light and harsh chemicals, then the color has the potential to last many years.

While skin-colored camouflage pigment becomes permanent once it’s implanted into the skin in the sense that it won’t wash off once the skin is healed, it does eventually fade over time due to the layers of the skin gradually growing out along with regular exposure to light – which degrades lighter colors more quickly than darker colors – and chemicals. If the skin camouflage is located on a part of the body that is typically protected from exposure to light and harsh chemicals, then the color has the potential to last many years.

While skin-colored camouflage pigment becomes permanent once it’s implanted into the skin in the sense that it won’t wash off once the skin is healed, it does eventually fade over time due to the layers of the skin gradually growing out along with regular exposure to light – which degrades lighter colors more quickly than darker colors – and chemicals. If the skin camouflage is located on a part of the body that is typically protected from exposure to light and harsh chemicals, then the color has the potential to last many years.

Tattooing skin color over a scar is most effective when the scar is flat and lighter in color, or at least not significantly darker, than the surrounding skin. If the scar isn’t dark but is raised or hypertrophic, the pigment color alone will do little to disguise the surface irregularities for the scar. If the scar is flat but hyperpigmented and significantly darker than the surrounding skin color, then the appropriate pigment color is unlikely to be able to fully block out the underlying hyperpigmentation.

Tattooing skin color over a scar is most effective when the scar is flat and lighter in color, or at least not significantly darker, than the surrounding skin. If the scar isn’t dark but is raised or hypertrophic, the pigment color alone will do little to disguise the surface irregularities for the scar. If the scar is flat but hyperpigmented and significantly darker than the surrounding skin color, then the appropriate pigment color is unlikely to be able to fully block out the underlying hyperpigmentation.

For skin color to match the rest of the skin, it works best if the matching color is tattooed over a hypopigmented (i.e., white) area so that there is no interference from any underlying color, whether it’s from hyperpigmentation or preexisting ink.

A tattoo is a carefully controlled wound that is created in the dermis and is expected to fully heal with only the intended deposit of color left in the skin. If performed properly and allowed to heal without adverse interference, the healed skin should be healthy as before. However if the tattooed area has been unnecessarily and repeated irritated either during the procedure or during the critical healing window immediately after the procedure, then the tattoo can also result in a scar.

The purpose of skin camouflage is meant to conceal any apparent irregularity in the skin such as a scar, a blemish, a birthmark like a port wine stain, or a skin condition. Skin camouflage can be conventional makeup such as removable concealer or skin colored pigments formulated for intradermal use that does not wash off.

A well-done tattoo can certainly be good for covering up a scar, particularly as it refocuses the attention onto something else entirely. A camouflage tattoo, on the other hand, can help disguise or at least soften the appearance of a scar. Nevertheless, it’s important to keep in mind the limitations of working on scars as scar tissue can have a more dense and uneven texture than normal skin, which affects how well the ink can be implanted into the scar.

If you are looking to cover up an old scar with a cosmetic tattoo, the goal is to find a pigment color that will blend the scar into the surrounding skin. If the scar is hypopigmented, then you want to a close a match as possible with the surrounding skin color. If the scar has healed permanently darker than your usual skin color, then you will want to find a lighter pigment color that can conceal the hyperpigmentation.

Thanks to the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 (Click here for more info), your insurance is required to cover post mastectomy reconstruction, to include areola/nipple repigmentation.

Check with your insurance regarding this service and then give JuvEssentials a call 415-654-5859.

I had surgery recently and now I have white patches where the scar is. Can you mask skin discoloration with permanent cosmetic tattooing?

We can most certainly improve the appearance of your skin and camouflage your depigmentation with permanent cosmetic tattooing. It’s a very common side-effect to surgery and we do a fair amount of camouflaging procedures to mask the discoloration at the site of the scar. It is best to wait a year after you notice the skin discoloration as the pigment does return to the skin on occasion.

Especially as the weather gets warmer, we want to shed those layers and you may be feeling insecure about doing so in public with depigmentation. A fairly quick and effortless visit to JuvEssentials will have you walking out the door with a renewed sense of confidence and leave you wondering why you hadn’t done it before!

Vitiligo is generally felt to be an autoimmune disorder whose symptoms are characterized by a loss of skin pigmentation that can affect any part of the body. Because its causes are complex and multifactorial, it doesn’t always respond effectively or predictably to treatment. Non-surgical medical options for vitiligo typically include topical corticosteroids, topical calcineurin inhibitors, controlled UV phototherapy, and excimer laser therapy – all done at frequent intervals for several months at a time with most topical therapies requiring a twice-daily application. 

One surprisingly effective paramedical option for treating vitiligo is melanocyte restoration. While a camouflage pigment is tattooed into the areas of the skin affected by vitiligo, the needling of the skin itself may help restore proper functioning of its melanocytes to once again produce pigment.

Below is an example of a client who has received 2 treatments of melanocyte repigmentation needling after not getting any improvement from the XTRAC excimer laser.

Always! Proper preparation of the skin is a must for all procedures and this includes the numbing step. Ample topical numbing solution (4-5% lidocaine) is used prior to any procedure and is usually sufficient for most people. However, for the particularly sensitive, it may be helpful to take Tylenol or acetaminophen ahead of the procedure. Clients are also welcome to come prenumb using an OTC or prescribed topical numbing solution.