What does ‘Skin Camouflage’ mean to you and how do we know what terms to search for in an ever-increasing market?
Skin Camouflage, Scar Camouflage, Camouflage Cream, or Camouflage Tattoo. How do you determine what search term is best, and what it is that you’re looking for?
Skin Camouflage
This is most often referring to Camouflage cream cover. Skin Camouflage is the process of using a cream-based product that is applied by the patient over the area of visible difference. It can last up to 12 hours on the face and up to 2-3 days on the body. Practitioners will offer a Skin Camouflage consultation to aid the difficult process of finding the correct colour and product match, as well as teaching you the application and removal techniques.
Camouflage Cream
This is the product used for Skin Camouflage. It is specifically designed to help cover discolouration of burns, scars, birthmarks and pigmentation. It is fully waterproof, transference proof and can be applied daily without any problem to the skin. It can last two to three days on the torso and limbs, and up to 12 hours on the face. There is a vast range of colours and products available, and colours can change when applied to different skin types. Once applied it should not be noticeable that the patient is wearing a cream, but blend into the face or body and look completely natural. It is high in pigment, so is very different to makeup foundation or concealer. It is used by men, women and children.
Scar Camouflage
This is a term used within Medical Tattooing for implanting pigment into a scar to make it look like the surrounding skin. It is performed by a Medical Tattooist and can last anywhere from 1 – 4 years.
After a scar has healed, skin-coloured pigments can be implanted into the scar to match the scar to the tone of the surrounding skin. This is performed by building up the colour and detail over a number of sessions. The larger the area concerned, typically more sessions are required.
After a treatment the area will look red, sometimes raised and darker than the desired result. It can take three to seven days to heal, slight sloughing may occur and then the colour will look approximately 50% lighter. Some redness may occur on certain skin types and certain scarring for a couple of weeks.
Medical Tattooing – the umbrella term that oversees Scar Camouflage
The risks involved are minimal;
- As with all injection sites, there is a risk of infection. To minimise this risk the aftercare needs to be adhered to. A dressing can be applied for the initial 48 hours to help reduce this risk.
- On a few occasions, the skin does not retain the pigment well. More sessions may be required.
- Occasionally the colour can turn darker in the skin. This will fade over time and is best left alone unless your practitioner is very skilled and has dealt with this situation before.
- Hyperpigmentation is a risk, and darker skin tones will be more at risk than lighter. This is why Patch Tests are offered and occasionally are deemed a necessity.
Camouflage Tattoo
A Camouflage tattoo is generally defined as a normal body tattoo that is drawn by a tattoo artist to cover either an old tattoo, a scar, or other kinds of visible differences. The tattooist will use ink, and the image will last forever, although it will blur and lose certain colours over time.
Camouflage – your chance to blend in whilst standing out
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