At Home with Dr Christian Jessen - 254

| UNDER YOUR SKIN|

the so-called 'tramp stamps' - as
50% worry they will be considered
'common, uncultured or a bit of a
chav'. However, there are ways of
getting rid of them and there are
also some tattoos that you really
won't want to fade.
As well as the rise of decorative
tattoos, semi-permanent make-up
- a type of medical tattoo - is also
becoming a popular choice.

'A DECORATIVE
TATTOO, ONCE
A PRIDE AND JOY,
CAN BE THE CAUSE
OF DISTRESS IF YOU
WAKE UP ONE DAY
AND REALISE THAT
YOU SIMPLY DON'T
WANT IT THERE
ANY MORE'

CONFIDENCE BOOST
Used to ﬁll in sparse eyebrows or
for an eyeliner effect on your upper
or lower eyelids, semi-permanent
make-up, also known as medical
tattooing, is usually made from
natural
pigment. It is
mineral-based
and non-toxic,
meaning that the
treatments are
hypoallergenic.
Pharmaceutical
grade pigment
- instead of ink
used for normal
tattoos - is
implanted into the
top layer of skin
using a sterile
needle. The pigment
comes in a range of
different colours that
can be blended to suit
the person's skintone.
People who opt for this type of
tattooing are usually professional
women who don't have much spare
time, sportspeople who want to
look good without the smudge effect
as well as those who are allergic to
make-up and even busy mums.
But it's not just make-up that
medical tattooing can be used for
- many women choose to have
areola tattooing if they have
had breast cancer and had to have
a breast removed (a mastectomy).
And it can even be used if you suffer
from hair loss and thinning hair,
as hair loss can be camouﬂaged by
replicating hair follicles in the exact
hair growth pattern. It can even
be used to camouﬂage scars.
The most popular treatments
using medical tattooing are usually
eyebrows and scalp. The very ﬁne
hair strokes can be recreated and, if
done properly by a professional,
they can look completely realistic.
If medical tattooing is something
you might consider, make sure the
254 | MARCH 2015

person you go to
for treatment is
an experienced
technician who has
been trained to use
the equipment.
Don't be afraid to
ask questions about
their background
and speak to clients
who have already used the service.

TAK E I T AWAY!
FROM SEMIPERMANENT
MAKE-UP
TO CREATIVE
DESIGNS
FOR FUN,
TATTOOS
ARE STILL
EXTREMELY
POPULAR

A decorative tattoo, once a pride
and joy, can be the cause of distress
if you wake up one day and realise
that you simply don't want it there
any more. And it's then that you
might start thinking about getting
rid of it forever. There are three
main methods used...
SURGICAL REMOVAL

A local anaesthetic will be used to
numb the area and then a surgeon
will begin cutting out small sections
of the tattoo. The smaller the tattoo
the faster the process, but if your

tattoo is relatively large then the
process could take a few months
and you may need a skin graft to
cover the area of affected skin.
It is relatively painless as the
area is numb but there can be skin
tenderness for some time afterwards
and it can cause bruising, too.
LASER METHOD

It takes several sessions to remove a
tattoo using lasers - they are used to
separate and fade the ink within the
area. Some colours may not fade
though, so it's not always 100%
effective and often it can cause
pigmentation on your skin, so
some parts look lighter than others.
CREAMS

There are many tattoo removal
creams on the market so it's worth
seeing a tattoo removal expert to
recommend those that will work best
on your type of tattoo. Again, some
colours may not fade with the use of
cream and it can take much longer
than other methods to get a result.
At Home with Dr Christian Jessen

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