Medical tattooing is a procedure where specially formulated pigments are implanted into the skin to replicate skin tones or add colour.
Here at the Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust we use tattooing to create the image of a nipple areola for women who have breast surgery, or to enhance the appearance of the eyebrow thinned or lost by previous drug treatment.
Before Treatment
Please let us know before your treatment starts if you have any known allergies for instance, to metals such as nickel, or to local anaesthetic.
Also, let us know if you are going on holiday within six weeks of your appointment, or you are unwell or have a cold.
Before we begin treatment, the nurse will then mix the colour from the specialist pigments. It can take some time to get the exact shade, so it may take more than one episode to achieve a match.
If you are having eyebrow tattooing please inform us if you have had recent injectable treatments. A patch test may be performed.
Treatment
For some, having a tattoo can be uncomfortable and local anaesthetic cream is used to help. The procedure takes up to an hour.
- Measure and size the area
- Clean the area with an antiseptic solution
- Outline the area to be tattooed
- Apply the colour-matched pigment to the tattoo area
- Clean the area and put on a dressing
We offer two sessions initially six to eight weeks apart to even the tone and give it the lasting effect. The first episode is generally 4-6 months after surgery and is a base with episode perfecting the imprint.
Aftercare
- Leave the dressing/gauze on for 24 hours if areola tattooing.
- Keep the area dry for 7 days avoiding showering, swimming and the use of sauna and hot tub.
- You may have temporary swelling around the tattoo for the first day or two.
- The tattoo will dull, after initially being red and more intense in colour.
- Flaking can appear on the tattoo area and it is important not to pick at it. This will fall away over 3-5 days.
- Once flaky, it may itch – you can use moisturiser.
- When the area is healed, usually between 7-10 days afterwards, you can use a moisturiser on the area.
- By 2-3 weeks the area should heal, check the colour as it fades.
- The tattoo should not be exposed to direct sunlight for at least three months to prevent sunburn or pigment changes, consider using a sunblock.
- If you need an MRI after procedure please inform that you have had micropigmentation as you may experience tingling.
- Eye brows –
- Do not apply make up for 24 hours
- Avoid laser eye surgery for 8-12 weeks
- Retinol and Vitamin A skin preps should not be used for two weeks before procedure and avoided for four weeks after.
- Some people may have a reaction to one of the pigments used for tattooing, resulting in swelling or itching. If there is any redness, heat or pain, please contact: 0113 206 5569 (Breast Outpatients).
Further Tattooing
You may need several tattoo sessions before you get the right colour or effect. As the colour fades, you may also need further touch ups. Tattooing lasts an average of 2-6 years. It’s best to wait at least six months after the initial tattoo before further tattooing.