Medical make up
If you have a blemish that needs covering up the market now offers a number of choices
Not only are beauty treatments moving closer to the pharmaceutical industry with the birth of a new breed of cosmeceuticals, but they also seem to be merging with the medical industry.
Semi-permanent make-up has evolved and no longer only refers to those sometimes artificial looking painted lines for eyebrows and eyeliner, a procedure that would perhaps be better carried out by an experienced make-up artists or beauty specialists with an eye for the subtlest enhancement of a face using realistic tones and colours.
Micropigmentation can greatly improve the appearance of severe scarring caused by anything from burns and cuts to post-operative problems. It can also improve the appearance of skin disorders such as vitiligo, where there is a total absence of melanin, resulting in one or more patches of white on the skin. This form of semi-permanent make-up can improve the appearance of a problem area and lessen the obvious nature of a scar.
Cancer patients can also benefit from the procedure, a good example being women who have had breast surgery that has left them with no visible areolas or nipples.
Colour can be introduced into the skin to give the breast a more natural look. Pigments can also colour in scars on the face or body, so the colour of the scar becomes closer to that of the normal, surrounding skin.
Even hair loss patients can benefit. Alopecia sufferers can have tiny, realistic ‘hairs’ simulated onto eyebrow bone area and eyelids where real hairs should be. This procedure is a far cry from those heavy, inked-in lines normally associated with semi-permanent make up.
Another example of simulating hairs is the ability of these specialists to pigment in stubble on a man with chemical burns on his face whose facial hair follicles were burned with the skin. A hare lip can be greatly improved by the tattooing in of special pigments to give better colour and definition. These treatments are not the same as tattooing, the needles are much finer and pigments are injected at a shallower level.
Scars can also be improved by a process called Multi Trepannic Collagen Actuation, where a colourless glycerine mixture is injected onto the scar or burn to bring about a mild reaction in the skin, which causes the body to process more collagen in the area. This brings about a healing action and a softening of the scar tissue.
Specalists in the UK offering these services include: Diahann Berridge 0044 870 1635 110; Debra Robson Lawrence 0044 845 230 2021; Karen Betts 0044 845 644 3994; and Finishing Touches 0044 8452 30 1210.
Make-up cover ups
For the everyday cover of marks, imperfections or even more severe scarring or birthmarks, a good camouflage make-up can really help. It can be a great quick fix for other problems such as excessive redness of the face and neck and takes just a few minutes to apply, giving the individual confidence and a smarter appearance. The trick is to find just the right colour and texture for your skin, and to apply it correctly so that it blends with the skin rather than highlighting the problem.
There are more products on the market that are suitable for this than you may realise. Here in Cyprus there is a range specially designed for problematic, red or scarred skins. Couvrance is a ‘medical’ line of camouflage make-up and is manufactured in France by Laboratoires Dermatologiques Avene. It is available at most chemists and consists of a green tinted fluid for excessively red skins, natural looking fluid foundation for sensitive skins and heavier compact foundations which double up as concealer when better camouflage of scars or birthmarks is needed (tel: 22 423035).
Dermablend is also a good specialist brand for the camouflage of scars but I have not seen it in Cyprus. MAC’s Studio Finish concealers are good if you need a heavier cover for small marks on the face. If you are not sure how to use these products, a session or two with a professional make up artist will teach you the tricks and what you can realistically achieve. (If you need advice or camouflage make up lessons, contact me on 99 548338).
It is worth noting that high iu Vitamin E oil is well known to really help soften and improve scarring, especially if it is quite recent. Natural vegetable oils such as rosehip, avocado, argan and wheatgerm are also very helpful, but never apply anything to scars that are not fully closed up and healed and always check with your doctor first.
