Medical tattoos may benefit surgical scars read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/994-medical-tattoos-may-benefit-surgical-scars

Patients with unsightly scars from cancer surgeries may benefit from "medical tattoos" that can help restore some of the skin's natural appearance.

It can be used anywhere where the application of pigment aids the appearance of a region. When an area or structure is too light, it can be made darker and vice versa. 

Dr. Jessie Cheung, a dermatologist in Willowbrook, said, medical tattooing is probably most often performed on patients after breast cancer surgery.

The new study specifically looked at tattoos that were used to make skin look more natural after procedures related to tumors in the head and neck.

The researchers focused on survey responses from 56 patients who underwent medical tattoo procedures at an Amsterdam hospital between 2007 and 2015. The patients had an average age of 57, and 75% were women.

In one case, tattooing techniques restored the redness in a woman's lower lip after she underwent a procedure that robbed her lip of its color. In another case, tattooing helped remove much of the redness from a long scar down a woman's neck.

On a scale of 0-10, with 0 being worst, the study patients, improved the average ranking of the appearance of their scars from 3.8 before the tattoo procedures in 7.8 after.

"In addition, all questions regarding patient satisfaction and quality of life improved significantly after treatment," said van de Langenberg an ENT surgeon at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

In order to side effects, medical tattooing can be covered by insurance, if it is designated as part of reconstructive surgery. The anticipated side effects of tattooing are temporary redness, scabbing and crusting. Tattoos can get infected, but patients are instructed on wound care to avoid this complication.

Most patients don't know that medical tattooing is available. If they want to explore the option, most dermatologists and plastic surgeons wouldn't have the knowledge to perform the tattoo procedures.

 

Many dermatologists and plastic surgeons employ or have a business relationship with cosmetic tattoo artists for permanent makeup and medical tattooing.