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Permanent Make-up Tattoos
Permanent Makeup or Semi-Permanent Makeup tattoos are cosmetic tattoos that are meant to alter pigmentation in the facial features. Some types of permanent makeup are used for medical conditions, such as to cover up scars or  vitiligo, while other types are simply for aesthetic reasons like tattooing eyeliner, lip color or eyebrows. The pigment is inserted into the surface of the skin in patterns to be able to cover the desired areas.

Permanent Makeup is typically done with some form of tattoo machine. There are machines now that are needle-less which should result in less painful procedures. These needle-free devices are considered safer and more sterile to use than traditional tattoo machines. They are designed to create a more comforting experience during the application process and eliminate the possibility of spreading disease like HIV, hepatitis and other healthcare issues. The needle-less device is also capable of inserting the pigment deeper into the skin than machines that use needles.

There are several different ways to get rid of these tattoos, the most common being laser removals. It is suggested that different color pigments should be removed with different lasers in order to reduce the risk of scarring and ink retention. The needle-free machines also have the capability of removing or lightening the pigment from the skin as well by adding in a removal solution into the skin.

Permanent Makeup or micropigmentation is much like any tattoo and can have side effects over time. Infections, fading, scarring, inflammation, and allergic reactions are just a few of the side effects that have been reported from patients who received permanent makeup procedures.

Nipple-Areola Tattoos
Tattoos have also made an entrance into the medical field. Nipple-areola tattoos are a form of medical tattoos that can be done for those who lost their nipple during a mastectomy and had breast reconstruction surgery. The tattoo artist tries to recreate the same pigment and shape as the original nipple and areola, although it may not always result in an exact replica as the patient’s old nipple. The tattoo may not be the exact or desired shade of the nipple that the patient originally had because the artist may make the tattoo a bit darker in order for the tattoo to lighten up over time, ultimately resulting in the correct shade. The machine that is used during the procedure will also affect the color that the tattoo has and how the pigment will react with the skin.

Not all nipple-areola tattoos are successful. There is a chance that the tattoo could get infected just as any tattoo can. In a study from 1988—1993 of 103 patients who received nipple-areola tattoos, 5 patients reported getting an infection, 1 patient reported getting a rash, one reported getting slough, and 19 patients had to have their tattoo touched up due to the pigment diminishing from the tattoo through the healing process.

Nipple-areola tattoos tend to be one of the final steps to breast reconstruction surgery. In the study of those who received the tattoos, 86% said that they would get the procedure done again if they needed to.