A new lease of life

SHELLEY MARSDEN finds out how medical camouflage can change lives... - 17/11/09

I meet the lovely Hina Solanki of Solcosmedics in her offices, in North West London. Hina works in the field of ‘medical camouflage’ – using the latest technology to minimise scars and skin problems, in doing so giving many people a joie de vivre that they have not felt for years.

Sol Cosmedics are specialists in the field of Micropigmentation, otherwise known as Semi-permanent Cosmetics, Semi-permanent Make-up and Permanent Make-up. Hina has a impressive reputation in the field, and her level of expertise allows her to create results which can be subtle or dramatic, depending on what you wish, creating a look that is at the same natural and beautiful.

WHAT IS IT EXACTLY?

Micro-pigmentation/permanent cosmetics are an advanced form of cosmetic tattooing. Regular tattoos go very deep into the skin, while the kind of precision art Hina does just pierces the upper dermal layer, so it’s not as permanent. It must be called ‘permanent make-up’, however, as tiny little molecules are left in the skin.

They are there forever, but are not visible to the human eye and fade over a period of years. A micro-pigmentation treatment will normally need to be done again after three to five years – not a full treatment, just a ‘colour boost’.

Over the past ten years, permanent cosmetics have improved continually with the introduction of computerised digital machines, disposable cartridges, state-of-the-art pigments and, most importantly, the quality of treatments available and the ability of practitioners to pass their knowledge on to students.

Clients no longer have to be satisfied with heavily blocked brows, thick eyeliners and unsightly lip lines, as the techniques, colour knowledge and pigments have advanced massively in permanent cosmetics.

SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE

Hina Solanki got into this specialist field of work some years ago, after she fell ill and had to have permanent cosmetics herself, which is one of the reasons she is so obviously passionate about what she does – this is much more than a simple ‘job’ for her.

“I was diagnosed about six years ago with an auto-immune disorder, and unfortunately I lost a lot of my eyebrows”, she recalls. “They went completely white and it looked like I had none; there was no definition around my eyes. It was horrible.”

She is much better now and, after having had permanent cosmetic work done, says she felt incredible, like she was’human’ again.  It was at this point that she thought how amazing it would be to make people feel that good on a daily basis, and began to study towards doing this herself, giving up a successful personal finance business in the process. 

“Now, I go into work and I can have people hugging me, dancing around the room, saying I’ve changed their lives! That makes you feel on top of the world, it’s a great feeling. Because I’ve been ill myself, I understand what people are feeling, and perhaps that’s why they tend to feel comfortable with me straight away. That’s important – even simple cosmetic enhancements are nerve-wracking, so the trust must be there.”

DIFFICULT CASES

Sometimes, Hina will deal with self-harm victims who perhaps have ugly scars they want to hide on their wrists and arms. She remembers one month recently, when she had about three patients who had self-harmed, one after the other. Staying strong emotionally, she admits, was tough.

She says, “The parents would be in here crying, the person themselves would be in tears. I can feel myself praying inside to keep it together, because I’ve got to be reassuring and calm, which I am – but I’m still a human being. And sometimes, there are situations which touch me deeply.”

SPREADING THE WORD

Hina is dedicated to spreading the word about medical camouflage, as she feels there are so many people with burns, accident scars, even cosmetic surgery scars, that simply don’t realise it exists, despite extensive media coverage on the treatment.

“I do a lot of voluntary work just to get the word out; not about coming to get treatment specifically from me, as there are a good few people around – I just want people to know they don’t have to suffer. They don’t have to put up with something they don’t what they have.”

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Visit www.solcosmedics.co.uk for more.