Consider Cosmetic Tattoos as an Alternative to the Knife

Tattooing has been used for centuries for body art in every culture in the world. Scientist have found mummified remains with tattoos dating back to 9500 BC. While this practice is far from a new concept, modern techniques have widened the usage of the application far beyond body modification. It has become a viable alternative to many plastic surgery procedures.

Permanent eyeliner and permanent eyebrow arching are becoming more and more refined and less "artificial" looking.This can be a great benefit to those who suffer from a lack of eyebrow hair or even eyelashes. Subtle shading of the lash or brow line can make the appearance of thin, sparse hair look fuller brightening overall youthful appearances.Even lip color can be enhanced and uneven formation of the lip line can be camouflaged leaving the lips looking
healthier and more even in shape.

More importantly tattooing is now used to camouflage the appearance of scars and surgery wounds all over the body. Pigments are carefully matched to the skin tone and injected below the skin carefully into the scar leaving droplets of missing pigment to fill in the white lines left from injuries or pigmentation losses. Plastic surgery can fix things under the skin, but generally leaves unsightly scars which you have to hide with makeup. This application can even be used in cases of skin grafting and burns as long as the scars that are left are white in color. Cleft palate scars, skin cancer scars, acne scars and more can benefit from this procedure.

Evening out skin pigment on the facial area is a wonderful idea as well! Years of sun damage can lead to pigmentation problems. Lasers can be used to remove dark spots but placed where pigmentation has been lost can only be fixed by reintroduction of pigment into the skin.

The best use of the tattooing process is probably for breast cancer victims who have lost their aureoles and nipples. Implants and skin grafts can replace the fullness of the breast, and reconstruct the shape of the nipple. The coloring and shading of the area though is something is left to a skilled medical tattoo artist.

It is good to know though most insurance companies will cover cosmetic tattooing that is used to cover scarring and reconstruction!

Tattoos for cosmetic purposes do fade over time and may need touched up now and then. The time between touch up largely depends on the skin being tattooed and how
well it holds the ink. Touch ups are usually less time consuming and less painful than the initial procedure.

What is it like to get a tattoo? Well the best I can explain it from personal experience is it feels like someone rubbing a hot match over your skin repeatedly. It
isn't exactly pleasant, but its a more of a discomfort than a pain. Tattoos performed on scars is said to be slightly more painful than on unscarred skin. Medical
tattoo artist operate in highly sterile environments. Needles come in single use prepackaged sterilized packs similar to any other sharps used in medical facilities.

Choosing your tattoo professional should involve more than a phone call! Go in and see the facilities. Ask to see photos of before and after pics. Get an in depth consult on exactly what they would recommend. Make trips to several artist before you decide on one! While you may think you LOVE the first one you visit, you need to compare the artist capabilities to make sure you are getting the best possible results. Tattooing is an art for and like any other art each person
sees things from their own viewpoint so make sure your artist can fulfill your visions.

Before you get a tattoo procedure done, check with your doctor! Medications like blood thinners and certain pain medications and any type of bleeding disorders and anemia can cause excessive blood loss during tattooing. Avoid any alcohol a few days before the procedure as well because alcohol thins your blood as well. You may think, ohhhh what does it matter if I bleed a little more. Well for starters, your bleeding back out the ink you just went through all the work to
inject! You also do not want scabbing of the area to occur. This can lead to scarring and leave the skin prone to infection.

Aftercare is generally pretty simple. Leave the dressing on for a few hours if applied. Make sure to gently wash away any oozing plasma left over on the area because it causes a scab to form which you do NOT want. Most times A&D ointment is recommended for aftercare. Neosporin is not recommended but they should tell you what you need to use over the area. Redness and irritation should be minimal and be soothed by a cold compress.It should be totally healed in a few days. Again avoid anything that will thin the blood until it is healed. Don't use anything abrasive on the would like a washrag. Clean hands and some antibacterial soap is just fine. Pat dry don't rub. It will feel like a pretty good sunburn for about 48 hours no biggie.

So now that you know the ins and outs of cosmetic tattooing, consider it as an option before deciding to go under the knife!
The dangers are significantly less and alot of times the results are far better.