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Vitiligo Treatment: Micro pigmentation

Finding an effective vitiligo treatment can be very demanding for vitiligo sufferers as

there are plenty of options but very few seem to offer long-term and effective results.

One breakthrough vitiligo treatment option has emerged in the form of

micro-pigmentation or the camouflage tattoo method. This treatment is usually done on

the most obvious and visible parts of the skin like facial skin or neck. Rather than

eradicating the spread of vitiligo patches or treating vitiligo, this treatment is aimed only

at camouflaging the de-pigmented look of vitiligo patches, i.e. this is only an aesthetic

treatment.

Understanding Micro pigmentation

The treatment uses an unusual approach of implanting artificial pigments into the skin,

i.e. the skin ís outer layer is colored using a special technique. The equipment used

during this method is very similar to devices used in specialized tattooing methods. In

fact, the method in which the pigments are patterned in and around the vitiligo patches

is also similar to the manner in which tattoo ink is manipulated when creating the tattoo

designs. This is why this treatment is often dubbed as medical tattooing.

The pigments used here have to be metabolically inert and are different from any kind of

tattooing ink. These pigments are immune to the biological changes in the skin or

changes induced by external factors, ensuring that the original shades of the pigment

are retained for almost a lifetime.

Due to the highly-specialized and demanding nature of this procedure, the expertise

and experience of the micro pigmentation technician is critical to the results. The

immediate results of this approach and its non-invasive nature have made it a preferred

option for many vitiligo sufferers. The procedure is not very expensive and doesn’t

require surgical sedation or hospitalization.

Micro pigmentation Limitations

Micro pigmentation vitiligo treatment is usually suggested among people suffering from

non-progressive vitiligo, i.e. where new white spots or patches have ceased to surface

and the existing patches aren’t gaining in size. Among people with a history of herpes

simplex virus infection or those who have tested positive for HIV, micro pigmentation is

not recommended. Similarly, people with a medical history of skin problems like

psoriasis are likely to be refused this treatment.