If accident or illness has left you with unsightly scars or without hair Louise Walsh can help…
Professional medical tattooist, Louise Walsh, has transformed the lives of thousands of people who’ve been affected by scarring or hair loss.
Walsh gives clients back their confidence, by disguising unsightly scars, or creating
the appearance of eyebrows and lashes in cancer and alopecia patients.
Her story began after a chance meeting with a semi-permanent make-up artist. She was intrigued and impressed by what she saw, and went on to train in academies in Orlando, Los Angeles and New York, before returning to the UK to practice. Walsh has now joined Abu Dhabi’s Harley Street Medical Centre.
Semi-permanent make up typically involves the application of eyeliner, eyebrow simulation and adding colour to camouflage scars. Technical expertise, artistry and application of theory rank as equally important for Walsh, coupled with a desire to treat each client with sensitivity and professionalism. She said: “It’s imperative that I listen to requirements and also any concerns my clients may have. My clients always return to
me because they trust me 100 percent.”
Making her mark
“Normally as scars heal they go through several colour changes,” said Walsh. “Some scars heal with reddish or bluish undertones. People should not undergo any tattoo procedure until the colour has stabilised, which may take several months or one or two years.
“Scars can be the result of an accident, dermatological condition or surgical procedure. They can be depressed, raised, shiny, smooth or rough in appearance. They can be completely void of colour, which is called hypopigmentation, or darker than the natural skin colouring, which is known as hyperpigmentation.
“After certain cosmetic surgeries such as facelifts, scars are left behind the ears and along the scalp line. These are usually white or hypopigmented. Using a variety of camouflaging techniques, they can be micropigmented to match the patient’s natural skin colour resulting in a less visible mark,” said Walsh.
This tattooist is able to blend flesh tone colours to create a customised ‘Camouflage Procedure’, which can be completed within two or three visits. She explains that hypopigmented scars are the easiest to camouflage to match natural skin tone colours, whereas dark-coloured or hyperpigmented scars are very difficult to colour match to the surrounding skin.
“With extreme care in custom blending colours hyperpigmented scars can be restored somewhat successfully. It is one of the most complicated treatments and one that does not guarantee results 100 percent of the time.
“Scars such as stretch marks that have a crinkled appearance are also challenging to camouflage,” Walsh added.
Raising eyebrows
A side effect of some cancer treatments is hair loss. Walsh creates natural looking eyebrows and lashes for those who feel uncomfortable without hair.
Firstly the eyebrows will be designed using cosmetic pencils so that the patient can visualise and discuss the shape. It is not necessary for the client to remove the eyebrow hairs that they have. Once a shape has been agreed on, she will apply semi-permanent colour by tattooing each individual hair.
“I tattoo the hairs one-by-one using the feathering technique to build long and short strokes, following the growth pattern of your natural eyebrows. Your eyebrow design will be created without the use of stencils, it will be original – I never do the same design twice!”
Eyeliner on the lid is added to define and enhance the eye. There are two options for eyeliner, the first is called an enhancement and is a thin, natural looking line along the lash line. Walsh achieves this look by making several small dots along the lashes. The second option is the eyeliner line and is for those who want a more noticeable look. She achieves this style by adding another line on top of the enhancement.
“Semi-permanent eyeliner is delicately applied with a sterile applicator made specifically for fine, detailed facial work, utilising the micro-pigmentation process. Colour is applied along both the upper and lower lash lines, creating a defined but soft radiance around the eyes. If a stronger look is desired, thickness of the colour may be increased gradually over several sessions,” Walsh added.
For more information call Harley Street Medical Centre on: 02 613 3999 or visit: www.hsmc.ae
