Fixing up old medical tattoos
In 2019, I trained in areola restorative tattooing. Since then, I have been closely observing medical tattoos, asking questions and trying to understand why so many of the tattoos I was correcting for patients had significant scar tissue, lacked realism and, frankly, were consistently subpar.
I recently found myself in a conversation with a former technician who had worked with a surgeon and assisted in the tattooing stage of breast reconstruction. They described how the procedure was performed.
The method was unlike anything I had ever learned about the art of tattooing. It was so far removed from the basic concept of implanting pigment with a tattoo needle. In fact, they did not use tattoo needles or any related equipment I was familiar with. According to their description, the machine scraped the breast skin to create a wound. A colour bath of pigment was then applied and left to soak in, and the skin was left to scab over.
Hearing this, I couldn’t help but question how much this approach contributed to the scar tissue I was seeing. Scraping already compromised breast tissue and disrupting the skin barrier could potentially cause further damage.
The impact goes beyond the physical. Disappointing results and repeated procedures can also affect a patient’s mental well-being. Some patients returned multiple times for this procedure.
Our ability to share knowledge has grown, our tools have evolved, and pigments have come a long way. Practising gold-standard tattoo techniques should be non-negotiable.
There is absolutely no good reason for any patient to receive poorly executed nipple and areola tattoos using outdated methods or equipment, or from someone with little to no experience or training in tattooing.
With the bar set so high in tattooing, natural, realistic results are possible.
Tattooing has been an art form for over 5,000 years. If the work we put into the world today is not our best or does not meet professional standards, where is the integrity in tattooing?
Integrity in tattooing lives in the daily choices of the artist, the ethics of the studio, and the respect behind the craft.
If you have old, faded medical tattoos and would like higher-quality work, please reach out. I’m happy to chat about what we can do to help.
If you’re a surgeon looking to offer the best possible outcome for your patients, I would love to connect.
— Lexi