A Basic Guide to Tattooing over Scars
Your body may have noticeable scars due to surgery or an accident. While some people are proud to display them, others find them quite distracting and unappealing.
Although scar tissues can fade and soften after two years, the remaining mark or gash will remain, according to the National Health Service (NHS) in England.
To do something about the scars, people think of tattooing over them. But should you do it, will you benefit from it, and more importantly, how do you know if it’s the right thing to do?
We’ll answer these questions in our basic guide here.
Should I tattoo over my scar?
Tattooing over your scar is a viable solution to hide it on your body. However, you shouldn’t immediately decide on whether to do so; you should consider it very carefully first.
The first reason is that tattooing is painful. All kinds of tattooing are—unless the nerve tissues are damaged around the scarred area and you don’t feel a thing on it.
Second, your skin needs time to heal. Gianna Caranfa, a tattoo parlour owner, advises you need to wait for at least a year so your skin will be in the best state and receptive to the new tattoo.
Rushing into tattooing the scar may result in a disappointing new tattoo, and worse, you might not be able to remedy the flaws or remove them totally.
And third, you should determine whether you can tattoo over the scar because this can be hard to do. Scars come in different depths, textures, and sizes, and some are easy to work over, but others aren’t.
Those that are easy to remove include self-harm scars, which consist of small ragged lines or nicks. Whereas those that come from surgical procedures, like plastic surgery and blepharoplasty, are harder to hide since their scars can be deep and textured.
Before tattooing on your scars, it’s crucial to find and consult with a great tattoo artist. They can discuss with you about covering up your scars and what needs to be done for the best results.
But if you have a certain health condition like high blood pressure, diabetes, autoimmune disease, or another illness, it’s best to consult with a doctor before you approach a tattoo expert.
Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding should definitely not tattoo over their scars because their baby’s health might be affected.
Will I benefit from it?
With a safe and proper tattoo procedure, yes, you can benefit from tattooing over your scars. It can be worth all the patience and pain you’ll endure.
Whereas before you see an awful-looking scar on your body, now you see a tattoo design there that you like, and other people can’t see the scar anymore. So your insecurities and bad memories will lessen to a certain extent.
And in case the scar can’t be entirely covered, it can be nicely incorporated into a tattoo design. This may work for keloid scars that come from burns, acne, piercings, or cuts.
Is it the right thing to do?
As we said, tattooing on your scars is painful—even more than tattooing clear and unscarred skin. And also, consider that tattoos are bound to fade in colour over time.
Besides, if you don’t want your scar to be seen, you can just wear clothing or an accessory (say a watch, ring, or bracelet) to cover it up.
If you have a tattoo on a normally exposed part such as your face, then you can use a concealer or foundation or both to hide them.
There are many natural remedies out there too; one of which is aloe vera. You simply need to apply its gel to your scar twice daily, and it should get better over time.
Also, for hypertrophic or keloid scars, you can use silicone gel sheeting to cover them up, which will serve to improve their appearance.