Last Updated on 4th January 2024 by Caroline Haye
Body art and micropigmentation for white patches
Tattoos have never been so popular. Once the preserve of sailors, manual labourers and bikers (almost exclusively of the masculine gender) they are now considered a unisex and mainstream fashion statement by people all ages and backgrounds. And currently one of the hottest of hotbeds for this topic is the vitiligo community. Tattoos and vitiligo are both making headlines: often in the same headline. No doubt Michael Jackson, if he had been a generation or two younger, would have covered the early signs of vitiligo on his hand with a tattoo instead of the iconic glove. But, before you head out to your local tattoo parlour, you would be wise to take as much time as you need to consider the pros and cons of tattooing vitiligo skin. I like to think of myself as an upbeat sort of person, so let’s start with the pros…
3 reasons to have a tattoo
1. Tattoos as a statement
Some individuals with vitiligo are hitting the headlines with eye-catchingly creative examples of this form of body art. Some strike me as being a positive reaction to a negative situation: a way of saying to yourself and to others, “Life had handed me lemons, so I’m going to make lemonade”. Or even, “If you’ve got it, why not flaunt it?” They see this as a way of embracing their vitiligo by embellishing it. A way of accentuating what makes them unique by making it into a feature. And the results can be stunning, as in Ashley Soto’s case.
Others are using tattoos to send a more pointed message. Having “It’s called vitiligo” tattooed on your arm or leg (like Tiffany Posteraro and Dionne Lees respectively) is a fun and funky way of making a public statement. It’s a way of educating others and deflecting unwelcome questions. And it’s clear to see how this can serve as an effective coping mechanism, as well as contributing to vitiligo awareness.
2. Tattoos as camouflage
More commonly than either of the categories above, vitiligo sufferers are turning to the tattoo artist for camouflage. And they are doing this in two distinctly different ways. The first kind of camouflage is the same concept as the military uses. It hides what you don’t want seen behind colours and patterns that distract and confuse the eye. So you might cover a vitiligo patch with a tattoo of a flower. This either obscures the area of white skin completely or at least partially masks it with the various colours and shapes of the ink so that it is no longer obvious.
The other kind of camouflage does not attempt to distract the eye with unnatural designs. Instead, it tries to “correct” the skin discolouration, as perfectly as possible, by matching the size, shape and shade of tattoo to the surrounding skin. This is generally referred to as medical tattooing or micropigmentation. And, if done well, it can be a good solution for some disfiguring conditions that are stable, like burns for example. How often it produces a truly satisfactory result with vitiligo is another matter.
3. Tattoos as harmless fun
Whatever your motivation for considering a tattoo, and whatever form that tattoo may take, one thing is for sure… Having one is not a decision to be made lightly. A person with perfectly healthy skin may decide, on a whim or on the suggestion of their friends, to go under the needle. After all, it’s just a fashion statement, a fun way of expressing yourself, a bit of harmless fun, isn’t it? But anyone with a skin disorder (which, whether you embrace it or loathe it, vitiligo is) should carefully consider all of the facts before taking the plunge. If you are the spontaneous sort – or else the kind of person who is easily swayed by peer pressure – and you are in the mood for some harmless fun, then you might be better off doing a sky-dive or a bungy jump rather than racing off to the nearest tattoo artist.
6 reasons not to have a tattoo
1. Tattoos are permanent
The first of the cons I want to mention is actually the least important, in terms of vitiligo specifically, because it applies to normal, healthy skin too. But let’s get it out of the way at the start. A tattoo is permanent. So, if you then change your mind or are unhappy with the result, it will be too late to undo it. (Tattoo removal is uncomfortable and not always effective.)
2. The Koebner response (Koebnerisation)
The next factor to consider is specific to vitiligo (and a number of other skin disorders); and that is the Koebner response (an effect often referred to as Koebnerisation). The tattooing process increases the likelihood of triggering further pigment loss as a result of the skin trauma involved. Puncturing the skin even once can cause de-pigmentation in someone who has vitiligo, so puncturing it multiple times is sure to carry a high risk of this occurring.
3. Chemical leucoderma
In addition to the concerns above, inks and dyes are among the list of substances that can cause contact vitiligo, or chemical leucoderma. So placing tattoo ink not just on, but under, the skin (and in an area that is already prone to de-pigmentation) must surely carry an even higher risk than every day hazards like inadvertently touching a leaky printer cartridge.
4. Tattoos are static: vitiligo is not
You may place a design on a patch of vitiligo, only to find that this patch spreads, moves (or maybe even re-pigments) leaving you with a tattoo that is either misplaced or unwanted. Even if your vitiligo has been stable for a long time, it is important to realise that vitiligo is nearly always progressive. And, given the risks I mentioned above, you might be pushing your luck by going under the needle. Finding that a tattoo no longer covers your vitiligo could lead you into an ongoing cycle of adding to existing tattoos just to keep pace with increasing areas of pigment loss.
5. Tattoos can make vitiligo more obvious
Leading on from the previous point, tattoos do not always end up covering vitiligo completely. So it is worth bearing in mind that having a piece of eye-catching body art almost, but not quite, covering your white patches could end up drawing attention to your vitiligo instead of camouflaging it (which may, or may not, be your intention).
6. Medical tattoos won’t tan like natural skin colour
The last in my list of cautions relates more specifically to medical tattoos, or micropigmentation. This technique aims to achieve an exact colour match with your normal skin tone. But, in reality, that is all but impossible because the tattoo will not change colour in the way that the rest of your skin will. Your normal skin will continue to tan or fade with the seasons, and with age, but your tattoo will not. So you will still not achieve a total camouflage, even if the tattoo is in the perfect place and your vitiligo remains completely stable.
This, in itself, may not be a major concern for some people who would welcome any reduction in the contrast between their white patches and their non-vitiligo skin. But it is still a factor to take into consideration, along with the others I have outlined, before deciding to go ahead with the procedure.
My personal thoughts on vitiligo and tattoos
I have tried to set out the pros and cons of tattooing vitiligo skin in a factual and impartial way. But, since this is a personal blog, I am going to end by sharing with you my own thoughts and feelings on the subject.
There may be others of you out there who feel the same way as I do; there will certainly be many who don’t… and that’s fine. I am not trying to win an argument or sit in judgement on anyone else. I am perfectly aware that millions of people around the world love tattoos and have every right to celebrate this form of body art and self-expression. And I completely understand the attraction of both decorative and medical tattooing to anyone with vitiligo. I do get it – I really do. This is not me saying that my view is right or that anyone else’s is wrong. I am just being honest about my own gut feelings on the subject. So here goes…
My instinctive reaction to tattoos is one of horror (and not just in relation to vitiligo skin either). Not that I think they are ugly. They can be fascinating, witty, striking and, yes – I admit it – beautiful. Tattooing is an art form, after all. No – it’s not the look of them that troubles me. It’s the thought of voluntarily subjecting precious, perfect skin that has absolutely nothing wrong with it (not to mention skin that does have something wrong) to a process of seemingly wanton injury and irreversible disfigurement.
Why I feel the way I do
To appreciate why I feel the way I do about tattoos you would need to understand how living with vitiligo for so long has coloured (no pun intended) my viewpoint. I spent the best (or worst) part of 50 years struggling to cope with relentless and unpredictable pigment loss, not to mention the sensitivities and inflammation that went with it. I desperately wished I could re-gain the flawlessly even skin tone I was born with and that most people take for granted. So the notion of drilling inky graffiti into my skin, or anyone else’s, with a needle strikes me as an act of vandalism. Why in the world would anyone want to submit to such a thing?
I do, of course, realise that my opinion might have been very different if I had never had problem skin. I might have looked at tattoos as a bit of harmless fun, just as so many people do. But the fact is that battling with vitiligo for so long, and overcoming it to the extent that I have, has left me with a heightened awareness of my skin’s vulnerabilities and a greater admiration and respect for skin in general. I have a reverence for the vital role skin plays in the human body. Not only does it provide us with protective “packaging” for our skeleton and internal organs, but it is the most amazing living, breathing organ in its own right, performing countless physiological tasks as part of that infinitely complex ecosystem we call a human being.
Closing thoughts
Whether or not to have a tattoo is clearly a very personal decision. The idea is undeniably appealing on many levels and for various perfectly understandable reasons. And it is easy to see why it can be an attractive proposition for many people with vitiligo. But, speaking for myself, it is not an option that I would ever consider. And if my best vitiligo friend asked me if I thought he or she should have a tattoo, I would say three things:
- It’s your choice – I can’t make the decision for you
- Before deciding, take time to read up on all the pros and cons
- If you do go ahead, research and choose your practitioner very carefully to get the best outcome possible.
… But if my friend pressed me for a more definite answer, I would, in all sincerity, have to say “Don’t do it”.
Read about celebrity chef and vitiligo ambassador Dean Edwards’ experience with tattoos in his blog.
