Vitiligo

[Estebanluckys]

A friend of mine wants to bring her daughter in to get tattooed for the first time but she has Vitiligo. Is tattooing someone with this condition possible? Has anyone had experience with this in the past? How would the condition affect the tattoo?

[Julio Avila]

Vitiligo is nothing more than loss of pigmentation in one's skin. Tattooing over skin that's lost it's pigment is just like tattooing a very light skinned person. The skin condition will not have an effect on the color pigment you put in via tattoo. The tattoo will probably look better in the long run compared to peoples without vitiligo. People with vitiligo have to stay out of the sun/wear plenty of sunscreen.

[Deb Yarian]

Is she getting tattooed to mask or cover the area that has no pigment? or does she want a tattoo and just happens to have vitiligo?

I have seen where someone has been tattooed ( in a shade similar to their own pigmented skin) Pretty successfully.

Works fairly well with brown skinned people.

I recently tattooed a lady who had massive pigment loss after a hormonal change during pregnancy. I did her tattoo as i would any other and it healed like any other.

[Julio Avila]

I've always been skeptical about trying to match up skin tones. One, colors are different from the bottle to healed tattoo. Second, tattoos and their colors change with age/time. In the long run, I dont think the tattooed skin tone will match the regular akin tone.

[Deb Yarian]

I agree and I'm not fond of any cosmetic tattoo results unless very subtle and natural, however sometimes the total absence of pigment can be such a stark difference that the cosmetic results of tattooing a small area can give very positive results.

[G.Uristti]

i had a client many years ago with it and it was never a problem. it was actually kinda cool cause he was a light skinned black dude so where ever he lost natural pigment the tattoos looked like they were on the whitest white dude.

he never had a problem with healing and, in fact, he started to get tattooed cause he wanted to cover up the loss of pigment. so it worked out great for every body

[Gia Dobson]

First off I will say that I am not a tattoo artist so my opinion on this means fuck-all but I was curious if anyone on the interweb had posted pics of results they'd gotten and came across this girls blog:

Me and my Vitiligo: My tattoos

In my opinion she got excellent results getting her light spots tattooed. I think the tattoos give the eye something else to look at and become the focus rather than her Vitiligo and if I had such a condition I would definitely do the same. Im sure this condition is embarrassing and makes the sufferer extremely self conscious; at least I know I would be, so if you can help alleviate some of those feelings for someone by giving them a nice tattoo that is double amazing.

[Julio Avila]

I have a cousin or two with vitiligo. I can see how it could be an embarrassing issue with some people. Especially since it affects alot of people hands and face. If I had this condition, getting my hands tattooed wouldn't be a big deal. But my face?!!! I think I'd deal with the spots.

[Aiysha Mayo]

First, I want to say this thread is AMAZING! Through my extensive search on trying to figure out how to best address my new found issue wit vitiligo, it's super reassuring that a cosmetic approach is not as far fetched as some people are telling me. I am experiencing discoloration on my face, around the eyes and mouth to be specific. So, I guess my questions really falls to the professional tatoo artists; 1. Are these areas extra sensative or less responsive to traditional tatoo methods? 2. Have you ever done tattoos to these areas? and if so, what were some of the results? 3. If you would recommend another course of action, if yes, what?

Keep in mind I am a dark-skinned woman, who has alergic reactions to most widely used concealing products....

[Shotsie Gorman]

Vitligo is far more than a simple loss of pigment, it is an auto immune disorder. The body sees the bodies natural melanocytes as invading substances and begins to attack them. It's related to other auto immune diseases and has no clear path of origin or currently no clear path of soving. It can lie dormant for months sometimes years even regenerate and reimpigment spontaneously. Often people with this issue suffer small cuts on pigmented areas and it can cause a loss of pigment and start a larger loss in that areas affected.

Tattooing over areas or patches of white skin can cause areas of hyperimpigmentation on the borderline between the tattooed area and the exisisting area of pigment loss (creating a ring aroound the area.) In addition exposure ot the sun can cause loss of pigmernted areas surround the tattoo. Blacks and very dark skinned people can find some relief with hiding the depigmented areas as long as thier skin is not exposed to the sun.

In some cases the gene TYR, which makes the melanocyte more susceptible to the immune system in vitiligo, also makes the melanocyte more susceptible to the immune system in the skin cancer malignant melanoma. Vitilgo activated oin a tattooed are can actually pull the pigment from the tattoo as well.

[Rebushido]

i have vitiligo.. and on the areas that crosses over with tattoos gets a lighter tone and brighter color..

i think my skin is thinner in the vitiligo areas.. and if you look close u see the diffrence in the tones.. but there no problem to tattoo.. i never lost any pigment in my tattooes but my condition is not that agressive..

but i have on my hands,elbows knees and around my eyes..

alot dont show now as i get more and more covered..

so i say go for it!

good luck to your friend and her daughter..

i know vitiligo sux.. shes a trooper!

cheers

awsome thread!

[jaco batista]

today a client came in needing a touch-up. looking at the tattoo from a distance it looked like scab picking, but once i got closer i realized it was something more. an upper arm tattoo that I had done showed no prior sign of vitiligo, when i started the tattoo. 7 months later there are light spots in the skin, but the tattoo pigment still shows. guy who rents booth from me commented on how it should not have effected the tattoo,,,,,, should not??????? it did. the pigment was not lost , it is lighter in some small areas, giving a blotchy appearance. closer look shows all the pigment in the skin, just lighter in some areas.