Dermatography

In cases where surgical improvement of scars is no longer an option, dermatography (medical tattooing) may be used to make the scar more supple and/or less obvious. If there are colour differences, skin pigments can be inserted in the scar. Hypertrophic scars can be treated with anti-inflammatory agents. This leaves the scars more supple, and on the same level as the surrounding skin.

Scar tissue demarcated by hair can be camouflaged by adding tiny dots with black and brown. This mimics new hair growth (pseudo hair formation). Unfortunately, scars can never be made invisible.

This work is done for us by Eddy van der Velden, founder of the Dutch society for Dermatography (www.dermatografie.nl), a man of international repute. He conducts research at various academic hospitals within the country and internationally, looking for new ways to use dermatography as a treatment. He trained as a visual artist, and his work is nothing less than a real work of art.

  Eddy van der Velden