Former Beauty Therapist Transforms Lives
Medical tattooist and skin specialist Caron Vetter is leading the way in transformational cosmetics with innovative medical and cosmetic tattooing in the UK, and changing the lives of those with cleft lip repairs as well as alopecia sufferers by using a specialist technique to create 3D individual hair strokes for bespoke tattooed eyebrows and dry needling to flatten scar tissue before adding coloured pigments.
Vetter, who is the co-director of Whitethorn Fields MediClinic in Stoke Mandeville has over 35 years’ experience working in the beauty industry and specialises in cosmetic and medical tattooing including teaching NHS nurses to perform areola restoration tattooing to breast cancer patients. For those who have undergone cleft lip repair surgery, Caron offers a procedure that involves tattooing the scar tissue around the area so that it is transformed to blend in with the surrounding skin. It is a form of semi-permanent make-up and works the same way as a standard tattoo, although pigments are used in the place of inks.
“Cleft lip scarring can be obvious and as a result it can have an enormous effect on one’s confidence. My patients often come to me with low self-esteem and I feel privileged that I am in a position where I am able to help. It is not an understatement to say cleft lip tattooing can be life changing.”
Caron, who completed her training in Paramedical Tattooing in the United States, also offers her skills to help those who suffer from alopecia by tattooing semi-permanent eyebrows for those who have lost theirs due to the condition: “The process is similar to a typical tattoo although it uses pigment rather than standard ink. The pigments are placed within the skin’s dermal layer and can be done within an hour meaning that we sometimes even have patients booking in during their lunch-break.”
Brenda Finn (29) from London has had alopecia since she was 14. She went to bed with full head of hair, woke up and half of it was on her pillow. She rubbed an eyebrow and then realised most of it was in her hand. Brenda has had wigs with fringes but she still feels her face isn’t framed well without eyebrows. “The tattoo itself wasn’t painful and Caron was both calming and experienced. My new eyebrows have changed my life, made my daily routine easier and helped my confidence.”
As with the cleft-lip tattooing, Caron sees a huge transformation within the patients after they have undergone the treatment: “As women, our hair is hugely important to us. It makes us feel feminine and forms a strong part of our female identity. To lose ones hair can obviously be very traumatic. I feel proud that I can make a difference, no matter how small.”