A port wine stain is a flat, red or purple birthmark that’s present at birth. It’s caused by a gene mutation that occurs early in pregnancy. Port wine stains are also known as capillary malformations
It is an irregularly shaped, red or violaceous, macular capillary malformation that is present at birth and never disappears spontaneously. They occur in .1 to .3{acd464af5d2b5e6d45bf79342a5a3bf9237f0c395ff8b52c4dc0d2dbac975fed} of newborns. They most commonly involve the face and present unilaterally. The capillary malformation is usually confined to the skin and is an isolated anomaly.
However, they may be associated with developmental defects.
Other considerations
- Port wine stains are not contagious or genetic
- They shouldn’t itch or hurt
- They should be protected from the sun
For some people with port wine stains, these become part of their identity over the years, and a special feature that makes them unique. If this is the case for you, you may prefer to partially conceal rather than fully cover the area.
Medical tattooing can help tone down the appearance of port wine stains by implanting skin-coloured pigment but it cannot remove your port wine stain. It’s also known as cosmetic medical tattooing or skin camouflage tattooing.
How it works
- A skin-coloured pigment is implanted into the skin to reduce the appearance of the red or purple colouring
- The pigment can be applied in multiple sessions until the colour matches the surrounding skin
Benefits
- can help people feel more confident about their skin
- Medical tattooing can be a valuable alternative to more aggressive treatments
Frequently asked Questions
How many sessions will I need?
This is very dependent on how large and how dark your birthmark is. Generally, it will be between two to eight sessions, lasting one to three hours, each session being four to eight weeks apart.
Can I wear camouflage cream or makeup after my session?
You will need to wait until the top layer of skin is healed before wearing camouflage cream or makeup. This will take between 3-10 days depending on how quickly you heal. The majority find they heal between three to six days.
My eyes weep a lot which removes or smudges my makeup, can this area be tattooed?
Yes, it can, we can go right up to the eyeline but it is often a very reactive area and may swell, so only a certain amount of tattooing can be performed at each session on this area.
Do you work over the whole birthmark on each session?
That is dependent on each person’s requirements and the size of the birthmark. If the birthmark covers over a quarter of your face, we can discuss your preference. It can all be covered in a session but the amount of coverage you get in each area will be less. Or, we can concentrate on a smaller area and get more coverage and spread the coverage over each session. This is something that we will discuss during the consultation, and can remain flexible during the treatment process.
How long will the tattooing last?
this is very dependent on each individual, but the majority of patients come back for a colour boost every one to three years. As long as you haven’t left the tattoo to fade more than 50{acd464af5d2b5e6d45bf79342a5a3bf9237f0c395ff8b52c4dc0d2dbac975fed} you should only need one to two sessions for a colour boost.
