Camouflage & Corrections - Case 2

Client Information

Can Brows with a Green Colour Change be Corrected with Tattooing?

This client presented with a marked green colour change in her brow tattooing that was performed by another cosmetic tattooist approximately 5 years previously (whom I contacted to establish exact details on the original pigment that was used for the service), there had been no prior tattoo removal attempts and the client did not wish to undergo tattoo removal. Colour correction was performed over 4 procedures and annual refresh will be required for maintenance.

NB. The original pigment was not manufactured by Amiea.

Before Photo

After Photo - (healed 6 weeks after first procedure)

Comments: The challenge with this particular case was several corrective/restorative requirements were identified and tackled over successive procedures;

• Relocate some portions of the existing pigment within the skin to improve the brow shape and location (yes pigment can sometimes be moved in the skin)

• Colour correction

• Prevention of green colour migration

What Might Cause a Green Colour Shift after Tattooing in Some Cases?

Over recent years there has been some controversy among members of cosmetic tattoo industry regarding green colour change in a few cases, some industry members have claimed that the green brows they encountered could not be colour corrected and that tattoo removal attempts resulted in migration in some cases. The source of the green colour shift will depend on what type of pigment range was used and the cause may depend on a variety of factors, in some instances it may simply be that other colourants within the pigment mixture have faded faster than a green component within the mix.
If a body art tattoo pigment was inappropriately used for a clients original service then the green colourant within the pigment mixture may have contained a copper based colourant compound as has been found by chemicals regulators in a number of products in the market place e.g.

• Pigment Green 13 - CAS RN: 148092-61-9

• Pigment Green 36 - CAS RN: 14302-13-7

• Pigment Green 7 - CAS RN: 1328-53-6

If a body art pigment had been used by the original tattooist then I would not have attempted a colour correction as migration would have been much more likely with these types of colourants and they also tend to bloom through colour correction attempts.

I this particular case a cosmetic tattoo pigment had been used for the original service, it is best to check but in general cosmetic tattoo pigment manufacturers are more likely to have used a chromium oxide based colourant for a green component in a pigment mixture rather than a copper based colourant compound e.g.

• Pigment Green 17 - CAS RN: 1308-38-9

• Pigment Green 18 - CAS RN: 12001-99-9

NB. Chromium Oxide can vary in colour between black, blue, green, yellow and orange depending on the oxidation state of the individual chemical, Cr2O3 tends to be a green or slightly bluish green colour and chemicals such as Ammonia and Hydrogen Peroxide might affect the oxidation state of Chromium Oxide.

Chromium Oxide Cr2O3 is quite a stable insoluble chemical colourant but it might react with a range of chemicals that may be found in beauty, skin, and hair lightening/tinting treatments or home remedy tattoo removal products that might potentially affect the colour, particle size or solubility of the colourant compound e.g. Acids, Alkalis, Ammonia and Hydrogen Peroxide etc.
Conclusion: Colour correction of a green colour shift in a brow tattoo may be achievable by a cosmetic tattooist who is experienced in restorative/corrective tattooing however it will depend on the type of colourant used in the brow tattoo and I would not attempt correction if there has been any prior tattoo removal attempts as migration of the green colourant would be much more likely in that instance.
 

Equipment & Products

• Sterile Gloves
• Sterile Dressing Packs
• Sterile Gauze
• Sterile Saline
• Barrier Wrap
• Tube Sleeve
• Machine Covers
• Alcohol Based Hand Rub
• Disinfecting Wipes
• Aftercare

Often technicians claim to be using 'sterile technique' or 'aseptic technique' for a cosmetic tattoo service when in fact the products being use are not of those standards. Aseptic technique involves the compliance with specific standards, the use of a particular grade of consumable supplies and the use of hygiene barriers wherever possible. For example a procedure can hardly be claimed to be 'aseptic technique' if un-sterile gloves or un-sterile gauze are used during a service to wipe tattooed skin or if food handling protective equipment is used instead of the appropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as recommended by health authorities.

If a cosmetic tattoo store is offering food handling mouth shields for sale it is a fair indication that they do not understand the difference between the kind of PPE required for Cosmetic Tattooing to protect the client and the technician vs. those used in the food industry.

For this reason I recommend that technicians are not misled into purchasing products that are inappropriate for use during a skin penetration service by suppliers who do not hold the necessary qualifications to make these kinds of recommendations, ideally this kind of advice is provided by a supervising Registered Health Professional.

• Amiea Linelle Supreme
• Amiea Drawing & Stirring Pen
• Amiea Control Pen Red Examination Light

Any serious full time cosmetic tattooist will have 2-3 or more devices to choose from when providing client services and at least 2 hand pieces for each device, leading technicians and educators such as myself will often have 5-10 devices that are all used for different purposes. Most of us will have a go-to device that is our day to day workhorse for the majority of procedures and mine is the Amiea Linelle Supreme I have used them all at one time or another over the years and the Linelle Supreme always comes out at top of the list.

• Amiea 3 Slope
• Amiea 5 Slope
• Amiea 1 Liner
• Amiea 1 Micro

      Procedure 1

• Amiea Derma Safe - Caramel
  
  Procedure 2
   
• Amiea Derma Safe - Caramel
• Amiea Derma Safe - Cognac
  
  Procedure 3
   
• Amiea Derma Safe - Caramel
• Amiea Derma Safe - Pearly Blond
  
  Procedure 4
   
• Amiea Derma Safe - Pearly Blond
• Amiea Derma Safe - Cocoa (hair strokes)

For the vast majority of Cosmetic Tattoo procedures I advise against mixing pigment colours together as there is a risk of creating a 'mud mix' this is a muddy brown/blue/grey colour that can result from mixing colours unnecessarily, however for some specialised procedures such as this particular case the blending of a range of colours is required for an optimal result.

Many Cosmetic Tattoo Technicians seem completely unaware of the legal requirements related to manufacturing or importation of pigments into Australia, a recent survey by our Chemical Regulator the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme "AICIS" formerly known as "NICNAS" highlighted that many pigments currently on the market may not be compliant.

Before purchasing any cosmetic tattoo pigment always insist that the supplier provides written confirmation that they are registered with AICIS and that they have audited their pigment for compliance with Australian Regulations and they hold product liability insurance, if not you may be taking an enormous risk.

The European Commission have tasked their chemicals advisory body ECHA with recommending restrictions on the use of a wide range of chemicals that are currently in use by tattoo pigment manufacturers and the European Community are due to vote on the proposed restrictions in 2019. Some of the Medical Professional Associations have publicly stated that even these proposed new restrictions do not go far enough. Our expert opinion is that much stricter regulations will occur in the EU and these standards will eventually be adopted in many other countries.

Some pigment suppliers seem to be totally oblivious to their obligations under the law or the changes that are taking place around the world related to the health and safety of tattoo pigments. In addition to the strict manufacturing standards followed by the PhD chemists at Amiea we independently audit the pigments that we supply for compliance and I recommend that our customers consider carefully the differences between Amiea and alternative brands before making any pigment purchases.

You may find our Amiea Pigment Colour Selection Interactive  & User Tips are helpful for learning about the Amiea pigment range and for choosing pigments for your client.

Training is the most important investment that a cosmetic tattoo technician can make for the future of their career, it often puzzles me why anyone would think that they can offer services to members of the public for hundreds of dollars without spending an adequate amount of money on their own training in the first instance, the more training and experience the better.

On a strictly limited basis I sometimes offer boutique one on one and small class training with an honest desire to provide accurate educational information based upon evidence based practice, and I have conducted rigorous research of the medical and scientific literature related to cosmetic tattooing on an ongoing basis and we have published authoritative articles on a wide range of topics and published them here for our clients and customers. Our articles have been plagiarised by others so often that we had to publish an another article explaining why it is unethical to plagiarise.

I have previously trained some of the leading technicians in Australia and internationally, training is based upon the core principles of ethics and best practice together with a genuine desire to assist students with their education with reliable well researched information, click here for further information on training.

To make a booking for Cosmetic / Medical Tattoo client services contact Andrea by email.