Scar Camouflage

What is Scar Camouflage?

Living with scars can be devastating. Whatever the cause, scarring can damage your self-esteem, wreck your confidence and leave you feeling that part of who you are has been taken away. Scar camouflage treatment is a long-term solution to scarring.

For clients from all walks of life, with scars ranging from the minor to the severe, we will do our best to use all of our artistic skill to effectively conceal even seriously disfiguring scars.

We understand what a difference that scar camouflage can make. Bringing confidence back to our clients, who can testify to the dramatic and lasting confidence boost that scar camouflage can deliver. The results can be truly life-changing.

We are driven by a desire to give you a new lease on life, confidence knowing your scars are camouflaged. As if they were no longer there at all, allowing you to get back to living your life.

How it works

Consultation: We will take time to discuss your requirements, assess your scarring and propose a tattooing strategy to meet your needs.  We will advise you of the number of sessions we expect your treatment to take and fully explain the procedure. We will make sure you are completely happy with the proposed treatment before proceeding.

Pigment blending: We will prepare a number of custom-blended pigments specifically for your skin tone.

Tattooing: Before beginning the treatment, we will apply local anesthetic cream to make the procedure as comfortable as possible, helping you relax. We will then use our artistic skill with the tattooing pen to recolor your scar, using pigment blends prepared for you to recreate your natural skin tone.

Healing: We will apply a healing ointment and, if necessary, a light dressing. Healing time varies, but in most cases, after about five days the top layers of skin will have healed. The pigments will continue to settle under the top layers of skin for some time after this.

Throughout the process we fully understanding the sensitive nature our work, treating you with warmth, respect and care, making you feel comfortable and relaxed. 

While scar camouflage is not suitable for every scar, it is ideal for almost all white and silvery colored scars. We treat a wide range of scars, including those related to medical and cosmetic surgery, self harming, alopecia, vitiligo, accidents and burns. Scar camouflage is suitable for all nationalities and skin types.

Whatever the circumstances in which you were scarred or left with skin pigmentation damage, don’t live with the results any longer. Let InkCredible Outcomes help you step into freedom, to live and enjoy your life.

Scar Relaxation Techniques

What if we told you there is a treatment that could significantly improve the appearance and feel of scars, stretch marks and burns?

Many of us have scarring that we are self-conscious about, whether it’s from an accident, surgery or stretch marks due to childbirth or weight gain/loss. Most people have no idea this treatment even existed. Most people are elated when they discover that they could do something about their scarring!

The treatment’s name – MCA Scar Treatment. To give it its full name; Multi-Trepannic Collagen Actuation. Let us explain what the treatment involves and it’s wonderful benefits.

Firstly, please don’t be put off by the word ‘tattoo’ or ‘tattooing’.  This treatment is a dry needling treatment, which means there is no pigment used at all. So while the machine is indeed a tattoo machine (a specialist medical machine), this is by no means a tattoo treatment. We promise you will not be leaving with any ink in your skin whatsoever!

Interested? Are you wondering how it works?

MCA scar treatment involves the use of a specialist needle that enters the surface layers of the skin, just enough to cause a minor controlled trauma to the scarred area.  This minor trauma stimulates the blood flow to the area, which kick starts the body’s natural healing process.   The dry needling technique causes tiny punctures, which creates channels that trigger the body to produce collagen, melanin and elastin, therefore promoting further healing.

Sounds a bit scary, but we promise it isn’t. The area is numbed for 20-30 minutes with local anesthetic. The “worst” part about this treatment is how it looks immediately afterwards: Red (that’s the blood that’s been bought to the surface) and may feel like you’ve sustained a fresh injury. Dry needling is so concentrated and is very minor that it really doesn’t cause any real pain for discomfort.

So what happens after an MCA Scar Treatment?

• New tissue grows into the damaged skin and collagen, elastin and melanin production is stimulated as part of this new healing process.

• Loose and sunken stretch marks fill out and appear smoother and firmer.

• Discolored scars start to normalize and skin tone/color evens out.

• Scars that are raised and bumpy flatten out and become less visible

• Tight scars relax and become less restricted.

• Areas of scar numbness begin to have returned feeling.

This treatment really is fantastic for anyone that would like to improve the appearance and feel of a scars, burns and stretch marks. While there is no guarantee as to the exact results, most patients will notice a marked improvement after just one treatment. 

The treatment plan usually consists of three treatments, each four to six weeks apart. It is at this point that we will know how well the treated area is responding. We would need to wait a further four to six months after the third treatment, before determining whether a fourth treatment is necessary. 

• During the treatment you will barely feel any pain.

• Immediately after treatment: It will be bright red and look like a new injury, however, this is a good sign as the healing process has started.

• Over the next seven days keep it dry (apart from showering) and apply vitamin A&D cream twice, daily.

• The first three weeks, it will look like a healing wound; a little bit pink and scaly. No deep scabbing, though, as the trauma was only surface level.

• After four weeks you could start to see some great results!

• At six weeks, you will be ready for your second treatment.

MCA Scar Therapy (Multi-trepannic Collagen Actuation) is also known as dry needling or micro needling.

MCA Therapy is carried out with the use of a specialist medical tattooing machine, using a dry needle technique (no pigment/colour used).  The treatment consists of a needle that enters the surface layers of the skin, just enough to cause a minor trauma and stimulate blood flow to the area.  The process causes minute punctures, which creates channels that trigger the body to produce collagen, melanin and elastin, in order to fill the wounds – therefore promoting further healing.

Whilst this isn’t a scar removal treatment (no such thing exists unfortunately), it can improve the look, feel, firmness and appearance of scars considerably.

So, what happens after an MCA Scar Treatment?

• New tissue grows into the damaged skin and collagen, elastin and melanin production is stimulated as part of this new healing process.

• Loose and sunken stretch marks fill out and appear smoother and firmer.

• Discolored scars start to normalize and skin tone/color evens out.

• Scars that are raised and bumpy flatten out and become less visible

• Tight scars relax and become less restricted.

• Areas of scar numbness begin to have returned feeling.

This treatment really is fantastic for anyone that would like to improve the appearance and feel of a scars, burns and stretch marks. Whilst there is no guarantee as to the exact results, most patients will notice a marked improvement after just one treatment.  Typically a course of treatment is three to four treatments to be carried out 4-6 weeks apart.   

Most scars, burns and stretch marks respond well to this treatment. 

Skin Needling

Skin needling can improve the texture and tightness of your skin by as much as 50%. Needling treatments, also known as micro-needling, stimulates healthy growth and recovery below the skins surface.

We can reduce the appearance of acne scars, sunspots, saggy skin, crow’s feet and more.

Short, surgical grade stainless steel needles on a needling pen are applied directly to the affected area over multiple sessions, creating a “controlled injury” that activates collagen and elastin production in skin cells.

Skin needling – also known as micro-needling, dry needling, dry tattooing, intradermabrasion, derma rolling, percutaneous collagen induction (PCI) or collagen induction therapy is the most effective on white scars or stretch marks.

Needling can also reduce liver spots, but additional treatments may be required.

Collagen and elastin are the primary proteins that make up your body’s connective tissues. When more of these natural elements form in your skin, deep lines start to fill in, stretch marks and acne scars fade as new pigment appears, and your skin looks more elastic and youthful.

Is Paramedical Tattooing Right For You?

Also known as ‘medical tattooing’ and ‘medical micropigmentation’. Skin camouflage helps improve the appearance of a person with skin disease such as vitiligo or post inflammatory hypopigmentation from skin trauma. Scar camouflage helps reduce the appearance of scars from accidents, burns, surgeries, or the repair of congenital disorders such as cleft palate. Hair simulation helps restore the appearance of missing hair lost to disease (cancer or alopecia), trauma or natural thinning within an eyebrow, mustache or scalp. That technique can also be used to simulate hair stubble. Reconstructive camouflage helps post-mastectomy patients by creating a nipple and areola on the newly reconstructed breast surgeries for augmentation, reduction, and breast lift can also be masked

Our expertise also extends into the paramedical field of scar revision, scar camouflage hair follicle replication as well as areola restoration, vitiligo, and skin pigmentation disorder camouflage and much more. We use the latest state of the art equipment and a higher grade pigments for all our procedures.

Skin or scar camouflage is tattooing of the skin with different colors of flesh tone pigments. Its purpose is to disguise a scar or skin area that is missing pigment or color. It is a specialized area of permanent cosmetic that falls under the category of medical and paramedical tattooing. This process is also called corrective pigment camouflage (CPC) Corrective camouflage, skin repigmentation, scar camouflage, scar camouflage tattooing and skin color tattooing.

The specialist performing these procedures must understand the science behind pigments and the physiology of human skin and tissue. These procedures require advanced knowledge, training, skills, and experience in permanent cosmetics as well as an artistic eye for skin tone.

Who is a good candidate for skin color repigmentation?

Even if you have a scar or skin abnormality, you may not be a candidate for skin repigmentation. You might be a candidate if you meet the criteria below

If your scar is healed and no longer pink or changing color:

Your scar should be at least nine to 12 months old with stable color. If it is red of pink, 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.

If your scar is smooth and relatively 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 your scar does not have 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 hyperpigmentation and create a wider border (note: The risk of this happening is greater with darker skin color.)

Who is not a good candidate for skin repigmentation?

If you have any of the following you would not be a good candidate for skin color repigmentation: port wine birthmarks, spider veins, freckles, age spots, under eye circles, hyperpigmentation or unusual vitiligo (not in remission). These issues can be improved with non micropigmentation medical treatments such as lasers, or chemical peels. Please consult with a physician regarding the best course of treatment for these conditions.

What you need to know about camouflage/scar revision:

Camouflage tattooing will not completely restore skin to the way it looked before it was injured. The process will not “erase” a scar or skin abnormality so it appears completely gone and the area looks “perfect” again. It improves the color difference that helps disguise the scar and make it less noticeable to other people. So you must have realistic Expectations.

A scar camouflage tattoo will not be in a “perfect “match to the surrounding skin color. This is due to the constant changes in skin tone from blood flow, body temperature, and tanning. The pigment in the tattoo will not darken if it is exposed to sunlight or a tanning booth, the tattoo may appear lighter than the surrounding skin tans. When the tattoo color matches the tanned skin it may appear darker once the surrounding skin fades. Therefore, if you spend time outdoors, you will need to adjust your lifestyle or decide to match your tattoo to “winter” or “summer” skin and live with the changes in between.

Camouflage repigmentation is a process, not a one-time “cure”. It is performed on “unhealthy” skin that has been damaged or altered. It’s response cannot be predicted Scar or vitiligo patch may have areas that absorb pigment, reject it or both. The area will look dark and red immediately after a tattooing session, and then it takes several weeks to show the healed color (or not). This requires time and patience.

Case Study: Areola Recreation

For this patient, we recreated an areola over a scar across a newly-inserted implant. The areola and nipple, along with breast tissue, were all removed during the patient’s mastectomy surgery and an implant was inserted by the surgeon to rebuild the breast. If patients have been referred to me from a surgeon, we ensure communication with the surgeon and work to the time frames they suggest so that the area heals well. We recreated the areola and nipple by using three different shades. 

By using a circular movement, with a five-round needle, we were able to create a ripple effect, resulting in a more textured appearance, which produced a very natural-looking areola. For the nipple, we then used some lighter shades to create a ring with a three-micro needle device, giving the illusion of an outward-projecting nipple. A eleven- flat needle was then used on the outer edge of the areola. This provided a softened edge, to ensure the areola did not look ‘too perfectly’ circular. All of these needles mentioned vary in thickness and are commonly used for shading work and to create a circle formation on the skin.

This type of procedure can take two sessions or more. If the scar tissue is dense and tight, then care is needed when inserting the needle, so that the placement of the pigment goes into skin, to achieve the desired results. If too much pressure is used, the pigment could merge out and the resulting color may appear too grey. If not enough pressure is used, then during the healing process, the pigment may be rejected and leave the skin. In my experience, a scar which is silvery white and flat, with not much tight scar tissue, would retain the most pigment and the best- looking result, however it is important to note that no scar is consistent all the way through.

After the first session, the patient was very pleased, but during healing there was some unevenness in pigment, which is completely normal. In the second session, I went over the area again and evened out the pigment. The first procedure would have broken down some of the scar tissue present in the areola and, from personal experience; it’s almost always easier to get pigment to sit correctly the second time around. The procedure usually takes around two hours. There can be some soreness or swelling to the area, which sometimes lasts up to five days. A light dressing should be applied following the procedure. I normally advise my patients to wear loose, comfortable clothing and most definitely a loose-fitting bra; they normally have their post-surgical bra. The way pigment breaks down in each patient is different but generally, most patients will not need the area retouched for about five years. Overall the patient was happy. In my experience of treating breast cancer patients, this is their chance to fully say goodbye to cancer and frequently provides patients with a sense of closure.