Undesirable consequences of the work of the PM master: how to avoid scars

Lyubov Malysh, dermatocosmetologist, specialist in hardware and injection techniques for face and body correction, leading specialist in exclusive hardware techniques (France) of the BIDC clinic, member of the Association of Cosmetologists and Aromologists of Ukraine

Such undesirable consequences of the work of a permanent makeup master, such as scars and hypopigmentation, are one of the most acute problems of the area, since it is extremely difficult to correct them, and often even impossible. What is a scar and how to prevent its appearance?

Scars... How many conversations around them, myths, fears, ugly photos in social networks! How many unreasonable intimidations of masters and clients! I have read many articles, comments on this topic, the attention to this issue is so great, the discussions and disputes are so sharp that I decided to look into this problem together with you and write an article in which I will express my opinion as a physician.

Is it really possible to do so much harm with the micropigmentation procedure to provoke a scar? And if so, can it be avoided? To begin with, let's find out what a scar is and the nature of its origin, as well as remember the anatomy of the skin and consider the process of scar development.

A bit of theory

What is a scar? A scar is a replacement of the skin's own connective tissue, which differs in appearance and function. In this case, the connective tissue plays the role of a building material that connects the edges of the wound. I must say that this connective tissue does not have extensibility and elasticity, differs in appearance from the skin and is very noticeable. If the body has metabolic disorders in chronic diseases associated with hormonal and immune causes, then abnormal pathological growth of the scar may develop - tissue hypertrophy (keloid) and even deformation of nearby tissues.

Types of scars: normotrophic, atrophic, keloid

The reason for the appearance and development of the scar is a damaging factor: mechanical, chemical, ionizing radiation, a deep and prolonged inflammatory process in skin diseases and as a result of surgical interventions, as well as deep invasive cosmetic procedures - hardware and injection. Ethnicity also plays a role. It has been observed that the skin of Indians and African Americans is more prone to scarring than that of Europeans.

But does skin damage always lead to scarring? No, not always! So what does it depend on?

Our skin consists of three layers: the hypodermis (subcutaneous fat), the dermis (which is actually a connective tissue and consists of two layers - the reticular and papillary) and the upper layer - the epidermis, which is constantly updated. The origin of corneocytes (the main cells of the skin) takes place in the basal (lowest) layer of the epidermis, and in case of damage to the skin up to the papillary layer, healing takes place without scarring. But if the skin is damaged deeper and the dermis is destroyed to the mesh layer, then the scar cannot be avoided during healing. However, even at this stage, with partial preservation of the basal layer and proper care, healing without a scar is possible, but there is a risk of developing a light spot with atrophic edges (hypopigmentation), which you cannot remove and mask qualitatively. In addition, age spots may appear around it over time.

Skin structure

Safety regulations

So, we draw conclusions. Can a micropigmentologist make a scar or bright spot to a client during the procedure? Theoretically, unfortunately, yes, if the master penetrates deeply into the skin during the procedure and completely or partially destroys the basal and papillary layers of the skin. But, fortunately, such complications can be avoided.

The jewelery of the work of the PM master should be taken into account: he must control not only the depth of the needle insertion, but also the width of microdamages, because the farther the edges of the wound are from each other, the longer the healing process takes and the more difficult it is for the body to tighten its edges. The release of a large amount of blood and interstitial fluid during the procedure leads to the fact that a crust is formed much rougher, and to the formation of a white spot, moving the hairs away from each other and facilitating the washing out of the pigment. Also, one should not forget that infection of microdamages and improper care after the procedure can almost certainly lead to complications in the form of scars and spots in the area of pigment penetration.

Finally, a little hack. The client's tendency to form a keloid can be determined by the earlobe, feeling for a seal in the form of a small ball there, or in another area of the skin where the piercing was made. And remember that by following all the rules of the procedure and taking into account contraindications, you will reduce the risk of complications to almost zero. Good luck and great work!

The material was first published in Permanent No. 1(9)/2018