Whether you are a suitable candidate for treatment depends on the type, colour, and age of the scar, as well as if you have any skin or medical conditions.

For camouflage using skin tone tattoo ink, the scar or stretch marks need to be lighter than the surrounding skin. Stretch marks or scars cannot be silvery, dark or red. If your scars are darker than the surrounding skin, you can still benefit from enlightening dry-needling treatment (MCA) or derma pen microneedling using serums - this will gradually soften and lighten the scar tissue.

Pink or red stretch marks indicate the skin hasn't finished healing yet, so they need to be left alone until they go white. If they stay red after 2 years, then you can have dry-needling to lighten and heal them.

If you have stretch marks, you may not necessarily need the use of tattoo ink. Some clients have skin tone and stretch marks that are too similar in colour for micropigmentation.

The stretch marks are only visible because the scarred skin is slightly lower or higher than the normal skin. In this scenario we would perform dry tattooing or micro needling treatments instead. This involves the same steps as a regular treatment, but without the use of any ink colours.

The skin on the scars are carefully damaged just enough to induce the healing process which stimulates collagen and elastin production. The scars will soften. When fully healed, the scars will no longer be as deep as they were before, meaning they will be less noticeable.
Please note that stretch mark tattoo ink camouflage and micro-needling / dry tattooing are 2 different treatments which require different techniques and different needles.

Some clients will need to have micro-needling done first, before progressing to tattoo ink. This is to relax the skin and scar and promote some healing. Usually 2-3 micro-needling sessions will be needed first. You will be advised if you should have micro-needling first.
There are certain conditions under which we cannot treat someone, such as if you are pregnant, or have a bleeding disorder, amongst several things. We would discuss this with you prior to treatment to see if you are suitable.

The Brazilian stretch mark camouflage tattoo procedure is a form of micropigmentation.
Pigments are inserted into the deeper layers of skin to correct the colour of the stretch marks and blend with the surrounding natural skin colour. By colour matching and mixing specially formulated pigments with mixing agents, the appearance of stretch marks are reduced.
This technique is intended to create a pigment illusion, so the stretch marks are less noticeable. Please note that this treatment cannot remove stretch marks but the process of needling itself can help improve and soften them, as it stimulates collagen and elastin production and then the ink of course disguises them further.

Skin tone ink is mixed to match the client's skin tone, together with mixing solution. A small patch test is performed on the site to see how well the ink takes. If this result is satisfactory, then a full session will be booked. The ink is essentially tattooed on the skin like a regular tattoo, using a shading technique. This ink is inserted in the 2nd layer of the skin.
How long does the treatment take?
It can take anywhere from 1-5 hours depending on the size of the area being treated.
Obviously if more than one area is being treated in the same visit, then this will be longer. Also note than large areas of ink pigmentation can't be done on a single visit, since it will be too much ink going into your body in one go and you could feel unwell afterwards. For multiple areas, you will have to book separate appointments, unless the areas are small. On receiving photos of the area to be treated, we can let you know the treatment time. Please note that colour matching your skin tone and mixing the pigments can take up to 40 minutes before your treatment and it is so important you are patient during this very important process. Feel free to amuse yourself on your phone or read whilst this is done. We will require you to work with us on agreeing the final colour to be used

This is a very popular question we get asked regarding stretch marks and tattoos, if it is ok to tattoo on recently formed stretch marks.
Raised stretch marks, or those that are red, silver or purple, are more difficult for the artist compared to stretch marks that are older and more faded. Newer stretch marks are often more sensitive, and the artist must take special care when working on them - for this reason we will only treat stretch marks that are at least 12 months old with needling or 2 years old for inking.
Newer stretch marks that are raised and not faded yet can be more noticeable even through the tattoo ink. When tattooing over raised skin texture, the artist will have to select colours and placement which will act as a camouflage for the area and it may not be as effective when the scar is at this stage. It does take skill and knowledge to get this right, so it's very important to find a technician that you know and trust to work on stretch marks. You need to let the stretch marks settle and fade to their white colour before having treatment. Sometimes the newer red / purple stretch marks will start to disappear on their own as the body heals itself. Dry-needling or microneedling is recommended on newer stretch marks. Shiny stretch marks also need to be needled first.

The short answer is yes but you need to consider some factors. The artist you use, and their experience is of key importance. Aside from experience, proper training and artistic ability, make sure the premises follow government guidelines regarding sanitation. Ink Illusions Trained Practitioners are trained in Infection Control, all equipment and furniture is sterilised after each client and fresh, sterile needles are used for each client. Inks and needles are high quality, purchased from well-known brands. Aftercare you perform once the work is finished is of utmost importance to avoid infection, which can lead to scarring and other complications. Tattooing over any scar tissue poses a greater risk to the finished work than a regular tattoo on undamaged skin. Our pigments contain some traces of metal such as Chromium or Titanium Dioxide which are proven to be safe in the skin. If you have any known allergies to these metals, we will not be able to carry out the treatment.

Titanium Dioxide is an organic pigment used to lighten colours - it reflects light and is seen as white. The particle sizes of Titanium Dioxide are the largest of all pigment sizes. For this reason, this is the last colour to fade, because your body is not able to break down the particles as fast as smaller pigments. Therefore, depending on what inks have been used, over the years, your stretch mark tattoo will fade and lighten and may appear whiter over time. This can be corrected at a later stage if it is required. Different brands also use different types of Titanium Dioxide - you want to be sure your artist is using inks with Rutile titanium dioxide which doesn't change colour over time. Older inks containing Anatase Titanium Dioxide have a tendency to turn slightly yellow over time.
Be careful to find a practitioner who uses 100% inorganic tattoo ink if possible, as this is more stable and less likely to colour-shift over time, and it will last longer. Avoid any artist re-purposing MU inks for medical tattooing as some brands may heal warmer or cooler over time.
This Brazilian technique treatment has not been around in a more mainstream capacity for more than 5 years, so long term results using new techniques and newer pigments is not documented. However, the techniques that initially started coming from Brazil use dilutions so the ink in the skin isn't thick and saturated, so will fade more naturally. Also note, that traditional skin camouflage techniques in a medical capacity have been around a lot longer - if any inks used to camouflage the skin are fleshy coloured, then they too contain Titanium Dioxide - the particle size of titanium dioxide CANNOT be any smaller in semi-permanent micropigmentation ink compared to permanent ink! Stay away from semi-permanent inks for medical tattooing
There is not much controversy over medical skin camouflage when it is essentially the same thing! You will also see that lips, eyebrows etc change colour very quickly after tattooing.
This is because the pigments in semi-permanent micropigmentation inks are smaller, built not to last as long, but the titanium dioxides and iron oxides last longer than the original colour, no matter what. Permanent inks with larger overall pigment sizes, and 100% mineral (inorganic) pigment means that the colour that was inserted will stay true and will not fade as fast. Of course, if a client wants a semi-permanent result then they can opt for semipermanent ink, although you will find that semi-permanent inks are rarely semi-permanent and some remaining colour will be left in the skin for years after. Anyone undertaking any type of skin tattoo treatment needs to understand this.
You CANNOT have any laser treatments forever after having tattooing on an area. This is because titanium dioxide will turn black with laser treatment. Finish any hair removal etc before having this treatment.

Absolutely, patch test will be done at your consultation before your appointment.

Stretch mark or scar camouflage is a penetrative skin treatment with permanent results. This means that the results last indefinitely, provided that the correct after care procedures are adhered to. As with any tattoo ink, this will fade slowly over time, but the inks we use should not change colour (they fade). The longevity of results varies greatly depending on many factors such as a person's immune system, sun exposure, products used on the skin, age, and adhering to the aftercare whilst the skin is healing. On average the results can last anywhere from 3 years to 7 years and touch ups are available. We cannot predict how your skin will deal with the ink and how quickly it will fade, so we can only advise on averages. The pigment doesn't last as long as a traditional tattoo due to the dilutions required for natural results. With regular tattooing, the artists really push and pack the ink in to the skin, which we definitely don't do with stretch mark camouflage, but we do more so with surgical / injury scars.

Its still a tattoo to some degree, of course it is going to nip but nowhere near as sore or invasive as artist tattoos. The needles penetrate the skin so you will feel a scratching feeling and some discomfort. We recommend taking some paracetamol before your treatment if you have a low pain threshold. Please do NOT take aspirin as this will affect blood clotting at the treatment site.
We do not use numbing cream as this interferes with the skin texture and ink insertion during treatment and can affect the results.

We recommend you have a good scrub of the area that will be treated to remove dead skin cells. Also please avoid alcohol and caffeine for 24 hours before and 24 hours after treatment. In the run up to treatment, please moisturise or oil your skin so it is in good condition. Dry, flaky skin will not take the ink well and the results will not be as good. On the day of the treatment, do not use any lotions or oils on the area you want treated as this can interfere with the ink placement. Make sure you eat before your appointment as this will help with pain thresholds and feeling well for treatment and feel free to bring a sugary snack. Buy a cold compress ready for your aftercare when you get home (you can use a bag of peas from the freezer too!). You will also need a petroleum-free aftercare balm or Coconut oil to use for your aftercare. Wear comfortable clothing to your appointment - no jeans! The clothes should not rub on the treated area.

There will be raised lines of redness and swelling in the area which is normal. You need to use a cold compress to take the swelling down. This will subside over the coming days and weeks and will scab over whilst healing. If you’ve had a regular tattoo, you’ll be aware of the aftermath.

You will be swollen and red so may feel a little discomfort after the procedure. You can go back to work, however. Do not do any strenuous exercise causing sweating or rubbing on the area for 7 days. You also need to avoid showering for 24 hours. You cannot take a bath or go swimming for 14 days until the scabs have healed.

You need to avoid sunbeds or direct sunlight on the treated area, saunas for a week, exercise for 1 week, no swimming for 2 weeks, and if going out the in the sun, use an SPF of 50+. You will need to avoid showering on the area treated for 24 hours. The area will scab slightly as it starts to heal - do not scratch it if it itches! This is SO important. If you scratch it and you bleed, not only will you lose some pigment, but you may cause scarring. Only use aftercare balm or cream recommended by your practitioner, or coconut oil after 7 days. A petroleum-free aftercare is essential so the skin can still breathe whilst healing. Your practitioner will provide an aftercare pack for you to take home, but always check so you are prepared. The ingredients in your aftercare will also affect your results - aftercare with peptides, epidermal growth factors, vitamins etc, will enable faster healing and better results.

The results are not immediate, in fact, it’ll look massively worse straight after treatment and during the healing process exactly the same as regular tattoos or injuries in the healing process. But you may notice a difference depending on your original skin tone / stretch mark contrast. Expect to leave red and swollen. The final result will show after the skin has completely healed which is normally circa 60 days. If you suffer from hyperpigmentation, you are looking at a longer heal time, up to 90 days or sometimes more.
Taking care of the treated area will help produce better results also. Your treatment area will scab like any regular tattoo treatment and it is important to leave your skin alone during this process to avoid any scarring.

The number of treatments depends on the condition of the skin and the area that needs to be covered. It also depends on following the aftercare advice. For stretch marks the average is usually 2 sessions or less. For other scar types the average is 2-4 sessions. It is very difficult to know how many treatments will be needed, as you cannot tell how deep the scar is in the skin, or how well your skin will retain the ink. There are no guarantees that this treatment will work on everyone, although it is very rare for it not to work. Following the aftercare is extremely important for the best chance of a successful result. Body healing response plays a big part in the final result, which is out of our control. Please note than 40-80% of ink is lost through immune system clean up after each session.

Not unless it is MCA Inkless! If we are using ink we need to match the ink to only your natural skin tone and require that our clients postpone their treatment until their tan has faded. This ensures that we are able to custom blend an ink pigment colour that will look most natural whether you are tanned or not tanned.

Currently I work from a fully converted ground floor front facing room in my own home. This means I do not have expensive overheads and allows me to bring my clients the best pricing out there in a comfortable and safe enviroment.