Annette Power is a leading name in paramedical tattooing and has been helping people struggling with scars or burns for the last fifteen years.
Annette Power
However, paramedical tattooing remains a procedure that many people know little about and we caught up with Annette to chat the treatment and her work in this field.
- Over the last fifteen years, you have done a range of paramedical tattoos for your clients - so what is paramedical tattooing?
Paramedical tattooing is when pigments are used to correct or disguise scars caused by accidents, burns, surgery, acne, alopecia, re-construct nipple post breast cancer surgery, help with vitiligo, basically if a person has a problem area and that area or scar is lighter than their skin tone we can usually help. Similar to semi-permanent makeup we select the correct pigment colour and insert it into the skin using needles.
- How does the paramedical tattooing procedure work?
The procedure works by correct colour selection, a person has a consultation and test patches of pigment are used as scared skin is not the same as healthy skin so we must determine the correct pigment before we go ahead with the procedure.
It takes more than one appointment-usually one plus a top up of colour a month later. For example, if someone has a white scar caused by an accident or surgery we get the correct skin colour match and fill in the white areas with a skin colour and that makes the scar appear to disappear.
- How regularly do you carry out this procedure and how much has demand for this procedure risen over the years?
About 40% of what I do is paramedical procedures. Due to the internet and Google there is access to finding out about people like me that can help solve these problems so yes this demand has grown and continues to grow.
- This is a procedure that is not very many people know about so what do you think needs to be done to help highlight this treatment that could help so many more people?
Not enough people know about these procedures so articles like yours help, plastic surgeons, dermatologists and any doctor dealing with burns and accident patients could help by informing their patients that people like me are available to help.
- I imagine that those who have suffered from scaring may have some real self-esteem issues by the time they come to see you. How do you see them change from the start to the end of the process you will undertake together?
People with scars have usually been through a lot already whether that is surgery elected or medically necessary, self-harm, bad acne, hair loss, accidents or burns etc. so when they come to me they want help getting to feeling better about that problem area.
Often I can help either make something seem to disappear or at least help improve the appearance of their problem area, they, therefore, go away feeling better about themselves and very happy, I am often a last resort. It is great to be able to help with these problems.
- How satisfying is to be able to give your clients some self-confidence back?
It is very rewarding to help anyone with these issues, it gives me and them a great deal of satisfaction.
- When it comes to paramedical tattooing, what have you found are the most frequently asked questions and greatest concerns for your patients?
The most frequently asked questions are what can I do to help and if it will work for them so I have to give a very honest answer about what I believe I can achieve and manage their expectations, very often what I deliver in terms of results is even better than they were hoping for.
- You are well known for the work that you do in cosmetic enhancements and corrective/reconstructive procedures, so how did you get into this line of work.
Thank you. Yes I am very well known for my cosmetic work but these procedures I have also done for 15 years as I trained at the same time to do paramedical/medical tattooing as this was important to me as I had scars myself and knew the impact.