Helping scars reach the vanishing point

Article By: Kim Holden

Scars make some people feel self conscious about the way they look and at times ugbring back bad memories. But there is a way to wipe away those ugly marks on their skin and it appears to be growing in popularity.

"I`m not comfortable wearing v-necks or bathing suits in the summer because it`s the topic of conversation at the pool. People are always asking me, oh what`s that? How`d you get that?"

Suzanne Herzner is talking about a scar on her chest where doctors removed a cancerous growth six years ago.

She says, "I`ve wanted to try to cover it up as much as I could, and it just doesn`t work," she says.
Now she`s found something that does work.

It`s called para-medical cosmetic tattooing and it uses a different kind of ink than traditional tattoos.

"It`s basically tattooing, but I`m using permanent cosmetic pigment and not tattoo ink," says Melany Whitney, a permanent makeup artist. "I mix and blend camouflaged colors to match the skin around the area that is not hypo pigmented under pigmented or lost its color."

The procedure is done with a standard tattoo gun, which injects the color into the patient`s skin.
In Suzanne`s case, the embarrassing scar practically disappears.

"It`s amazing," says Suzanne. "I`m so excited."

Hers was considered a "good" scar.
Debbie Guastella, owner of the Guastella Institute in Metairie, says the procedure doesn`t work on all scars.

"I can`t do a darker or hyper-pigmented scar with color. I can`t do anything to that, because it could cause the skin to re-pigment itself and you`d end up with a darker scar," says Guastella.

"I can`t do vitiligo, that`s where you have the whitening of the skin, and there`s no pigment. We can`t tattoo that."

No stretch marks either.

She says white scars are easiest to camouflage. But that`s just one part of this growing industry.

"There was an industrial accident that pulled a woman`s entire scalp off. We were able to tattoo her eyebrows on, after multiple surgeries."

Another patient of hers had brain surgery which left him with a permanent bald spot.
Guastella was able to camouflage that as well by tattooing small hair strokes on the scalp.

She says for so many patients it`s more than just a cover up. It`s a way to overcome physical and emotional wounds.

"It gives them back their self esteem. They become whole again," says Guastella. "It just doesn`t become part of their journey anymore. They kind of get rid of that and can move on to something else. Now they can look in the mirror and say, oh yeah, that`s me. I`m back.. and it`s wonderful."

This type of permanent tattooing works on every skin color. It can cost anywhere from $250 to $1000.
If it`s being done as part of breast reconstruction, it is covered by insurance.

The pigment lasts 3-5 years.

Original Article

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