What is a “3D-Art” implant?
“3D-Art implants” (a term coined by Steve Haworth, one of the first modern proponents of this artform) are objects implanted fully under the skin, generally for the purpose of affecting a sculptural change of the surface topography. How are implants usually put under the skin? For smaller implants, some artists use a procedure similar to the beading procedure above, but this is not the norm, nor is it even an option for anything much larger than a small bead. The majority are inserted using a surgical method, roughly simplified as: 1. The final location of the implant is drawn on the skin as a reference. 2. An incision is made a small distance away from where the implant will rest. 3. Through this incision, a “pocket” is formed using dermal elevators. 4. The implant is inserted into this pocket. 5. The incision is closed using sutures or suture tape. What is a dermal elevator? A dermal elevator is a small “spatula” used to separate layers of tissue. Different spatula designs of varying
