Medical tattoos: disguising scars with a tattoo, tattoos on scars

People with chronic diseases leave information on the body for resuscitators, reporting insulin-dependent diabetes, allergies or other diseases. It is believed that it was diabetics who invented medical-themed tattoos and introduced a fashion for them, if in this case it is appropriate to talk about fashion.

Medical tattoos are an alternative to informational bracelets or tokens engraved with vital information about a patient. Such accessories break or are lost at the most inopportune moment, so you cannot fully rely on them. And your own skin is always with you, so tattoos on medical topics are as relevant as possible.

So far, there is no single standard for the appearance of medical tattoos. Such information is not yet regulated by law and is not binding on physicians. Nevertheless, masters in tattoo parlors are increasingly receiving orders for medical tattoos. The client hopes that in a critical situation such “body drawings" will help save his life. Or, on the contrary, do not save her – there are cases of writing on the body of a refusal to resuscitate terminally ill patients.

Most often, people order a medical tattoo about diabetes, asthma, allergies to drugs or foods, hemophilia, epilepsy, the presence of a pacemaker. It is recommended to write the diagnosis in Latin or in English so that the doctors understand it exactly. Tattoos on medical topics are bright, clearly visible, located in prominent places.

As a rule, they are done on open areas of the skin (for example, a hand or forearm) or where they will definitely be seen by resuscitators (on the chest or on the front of the shoulder).

The attending physician must give permission for the application of a medical tattoo – for example, with hemophilia or diabetes, there are a number of restrictions and rules for the safe conduct of this procedure.

A variation of the tattoo can also be used in radiation therapy. The doctor is interested in irradiating the affected area as accurately as possible and minimizing damage to surrounding tissues. Marking with tattooed points on the patient's body helps to solve this problem.

Medical tattoos can also be used as indicators of blood glucose levels. The corresponding tattoo inks were developed at the Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. If the blood sugar level is too high, the tattoo will turn yellow. When the glucose level is too low, it turns purple. If everything is normal, the tattoo is colored orange. It takes up to 20 minutes to change the color of a tattoo. However, this method is no less reliable than twice-daily blood glucose measurements.

Blood type tattoo: blood type tattoos in the photo

A separate type of medical tattoo is information about the blood type and Rh factor. In an emergency, such a tattoo can save doctors time and help save a person's life.

Blood type tattoos are usually applied just below the armpit, they are very popular with military personnel.

At the beginning of World War II, almost all members of the SS had blood type tattoos.

The photo shows that they were performed on the inside of the left arm next to the armpit. This drawing was used as a source of information in case a soldier needed a blood transfusion. By the end of the war, such a "label" became the exception rather than the rule. And it is not surprising, because a tattoo made it possible to accurately determine a person's belonging to the SS. After the end of the war, it was this "black mark" that helped to identify many former SS fighters and bring them to trial.

Currently, blood type tattoos, as seen in the photo, are made by both men and the fair sex, who are not involved in military service. And the location on the body of such "identification marks" can be different – from the hand to the thigh.

Covering scars with a tattoo, tattoos on scars

A separate direction of medical tattooing is the masking of scars from operations (often to remove tumors of the mammary glands), scars and skin defects. There are cases of applying extensive tattoos after the complete removal of the mammary glands in women in order to disguise the consequences of the operation. It is a widely used procedure to cover up scars with a nipple tattoo after mastectomy operations on reconstructed breasts. Masters today are able to create even a three-dimensional optical illusion. The tattoo artist is also contacted after breast reduction or breast lift surgery to mask the depigmented areas of the areola.

Without disguising scars with a tattoo, plastic surgery is indispensable. The tattoo master can make postoperative scars lighter or put a shadow on them, depending on the location. In some cases, artistic tattoos on scars completely hide the scars, creating the illusion that the tattoo was made for a purely aesthetic purpose.

Scarring after cleft lip surgery, post-burn scarring, and in some cases the appearance of vitiligo are also often masked in the tattoo parlor. Specialists can cover up scars with a tattoo to hide the effects of hair loss due to trauma, cancer or alopecia, “finish” an eyebrow, mustache or hairline.

The most common medical tattoos in the photo:

diabetes

pacemaker

epilepsy

asthma

drug allergy

hemophilia.