The area of application of permanent makeup is much wider than the “eyebrows-lips-arrows” trinity. Yes, it makes the facial features brighter, but it can also transform the skin to hide some of its defects. For people who have pigmented spots this is a real opportunity to get a smooth skin tone, to get rid of complexes and improve the quality of life without resorting to aggressive cosmetic procedures or surgeries. For those who want to add piquancy to their appearance, permanent makeup also offers the solution – the creation of artificial pigment spots. But first things first.
Camouflaging of pigment spots
Dermography is a kind of tattooing which is used for camouflaging the skin imperfections that appear due to the pigmentation disorder. This technique is an alternative to grinding, laser and exposure to acids. However, dermography has a strong advantage – it does not destroy the epidermal cells, but retains the structure of the skin while also aligning its color.
The skin tone is determined by four pigments: melanin (brown color), carotene (yellow color), hemoglobin (red color) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (blue color). Sometimes the ratio of these elements gets disrupted, and spots of different shades, shapes and sizes appear on the skin.
In itself, a pigmentation disorder is not a disease. This is always a result of some disease, changes in the hormonal background, lack of vitamins and minerals, aggressive environmental influences and other factors. Therefore, it is very important that before the session of dermography the client receives the approval of a dermatologist, and in some cases oncological consultation might be needed as well.
So, let’s see what kinds of pigmentation disorders exist in nature.
- Leucoderma – spots of white or light pink color, the appearance of which is associated with a decrease in melanin or its complete absence. Vitiligo is an example of this type.
- Melanoderma – light brown or dark spots associated with hyperpigmentation and elevated levels of melanin. This class includes freckles, chloasma, moles, birthmarks, melanomas.
- Gray-blue dyspigmentation accompanied by the deposition of melanin in the skin or non-melanin changes in it.
Color selection is a key step in dermography. Taking into account the skin tone of the client, an artist mixes several colors to achieve the desired color; it must fully correspond to the natural tone of the skin. A lighter/darker or cooler/warmer shade of the color will be noticeable and in the future will require a series of corrective tattoo sessions or daily camouflaging with a makeup. It is unlikely that such a result can be called satisfactory. For this reason, an artist working in camouflage technique must have an excellent vision and knowledge of color.
It is equally important that during the session an artist picks the right proportions of the pigments used in the client’s card. This information is useful in the following cases:
– Planned correction in a month.
– After a couple of years, when the pigment will lose its saturation and re-pigmentation will be required.
– In case if in time the center of a pigmented area becomes larger and the artist would have to “finish” borders.
After permanent makeup procedure the treated area requires the same care as with any other kind of micropigmentation: do not soak treated area the first 5-10 days, do not rip off the scabs, work with ointments, avoid visiting the sauna/pool and do not apply decorative cosmetics and creams on the area of exposure until complete healing.
Pros of camouflaging pigment spots by dermography:
– Small number of sessions.
– Good tolerability.
– Short term of rehabilitation.
– Doesn’t break the structure of the skin.
– High efficiency.
Disadvantages of camouflaging pigment spots by dermography:
– On the tanned or reddened skin the area of exposure may differ in tone.
– In a few years correction is required.
– The difficulty in selecting the right shade of pigment.