It is important to give a valid answer to the question ” Can you tattoo over scars?” . Tattoos are markings on the body done with ink and needles, this marking is usually permanent although some are temporary. The ink put into the skin (the second layer of the skin which is the dermis), the wounds from the insertion scab over and the skin heals. After the healing, the skin shows the design under the new layer.
Before the ink is inserted or the tattoo process starts, you should spend your time and carefully go through the tattoo art styles to make your choice. Do not hastily chose an art style that you will not like after it has been drawn, in fact this is one of the reasons why many people remove their tattoo.
Also, take your time to look for best tattoo artists because the beauty of your tattoo depends largely on your choice.
CAN YOU TATTOO OVER SCARS
This is the question most people with scars ask, scars can be liken to a tattoo because they are both permanent marks on your outer body that may have meanings. Some people rock their scars beautifully like tattoo, while other do not wear their scar with pride maybe because there are negative memories behind them so they choose to hide them.
Those with scars can actually get tattoos over them although the procedure is more challenging and difficult than those without scars as the wounds from the tattoo may not heal properly or the design may not come out nice and beautiful. Before you consider doing this, you should look for a skilled and well trained artist to either turn you scar into tattoo or draw it over the scar.
WHY DO PEOPLE DRAW TATTOO OVER THEIR SCARS
The only reasons why people draw tattoos over their scars is to conceal their scars or make them invisible. Some scars may have beautiful memories while others do not. For people whose scars are reducing their self confidence and self-esteem (like surgery marks and mastectomies), tattoos over the scars can help regain confidence.
Others whose scars cannot be totally covered will have tattoo incorporated into their scars. This will shift attention from the scars to the beautiful designs.
DOES TATTOO OVER SCARS HURT MORE
Tattoo on an unscarred skin is even painful not to talk of skin with scars, the scars will make the procedure more painful than it should normally be as damaged skin and tissues is more sensitive than regular skin.
However, the amount of pain you feel can be determined by the level of pain tolerance. That is why this topic ” Can you tattoo over scars?” is recommended for all.
Different people have different levels of pain they can endure, while others may feel pain and discomfort, others will not. Another factor is the type of scar, some scars are more painful than others. Such scars include:
1. Burn scars: These are gotten from burns like fire and hot liquids. If the burn is just on the outer skin, the scar will fade out with time but if the burn affects and damages the deeper tissues if the skin, the scar may be permanent and have irregular appearance. The scars can be small or large depending on how the skin is burnt.
2. Keloid scars: Keloid scars are smooth, hard, benign growths that also form when scar tissue grows excessively. According to the National Health Service UK. A keloid scar is usually enlarged, raised scar that can be pink, red, skin-colored or sometimes darker than the surrounding skin. It can appear after a piercing, an acne or pimples.
3. Atrophic scars: When the skin cannot regenerate tissues, atrophic scars can form. These scars are indented and they can be as a result of severe acne or chickenpox. They look pitted and the area around them are sunken.
4. Hypertrophic scar: These scars can occur after a burn, surgical cuts or skin trauma. They happen when the body has abnormal response to a wound healing process. They look thick, are red in color and have an unsightly look.
These scars are painful when tattoos are being drawn over them. To help with the pain, you can get tattoo numbing creams like Zensa Numbing Cream. The cream should be applied before the tattoos are drawn, one tube of the cream can be enough for a large tattoo.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE GETTING A TATTOO OVER A SCAR
1. The color of the scar: A scar with red color will not be easily colored and concealed because the ink cannot be absorbed as compared to an old, pale looking and faded scar. The more the scar stay, the more the color changes to dark to off-white.
2. Healing of the scar: It is not advisable to get a tattoo over your scar if it is still fresh because the skin is still sensitive, inflamed and irritated. The healing period may take weeks, months or even years depending on the cause of the wound and how severe it is. In order not to make the scar worse, you should wait till you are properly healed.
3. The structure of the scar: Some scars may look raised and this can make it difficult to be worked on. Scars that sits with the rest of the surrounding skin can be easily worked on that thick, raised skin. Raised skin can be because the scar has not fully healed, so you can give it more time especially if the skin is still new or not too old.
4. The length and width of the scar: How long or wide a scar is can determine how the tattoo will look, a wide or long scar can be difficult to be covered and if covered may not turn out as expected.
You can look for an expert artist and choose a design that will match the length and width of the scar.
5. The depth of the scar: This is an important consideration. If the scar is too deep into the skin, this can make the skin not be absorbed into the skin. The depth of the scar tissues can prevent the ink from being placed exactly where it needs to go, and this can lead to blurring and distortion within parts of the tattoo.
Will more scars appear on the same area? There are scars that are likely to appear more in an area like stretch marks. Getting tattoos on an area that are prone to more scars can cause damages later. They can distort the shape of the tattoo and make the design to become less beautiful.
WHAT SOME SCARS WILL LOOK LIKE WHEN A TATTOO IS DRAWN OVER THEM
1. Keloid scars: Keloid scars are difficult to work with because they may make the tattoo look distorted, cause more scars or look raised if the tattoos are drawn over them. This is why many do not consider drawing tattoos over them. The best way is to incorporate the tattoo designs into them. You can look for a design that may have a raised part or would not look too bad if these scars are added to the drawing. By doing so, it will be difficult for people to tell the design apart from the scar.
2. Surgery scars: Surgery scars can be small cuts, although they can be larger and bigger depending on the type of surgery done. You can draw tattoos over them or simply use these incisions and lines to create something beautiful. Most people turn their surgery scars to feathers, butterflies or even birds.
3. Burn scars: Burn scars are tricky because they are still sensitive, and gave irregular appearance. This is why you need an expert for this type of tattoo drawing. The best designs are colored tattoos to hide the color of the burn and maybe a design with lines to conceal the irregular appearance.
4. Amputation or skin-removal scars: These scars are so painful while being tattooed on and they can be sensitive too. However, they are smooth to work on and can fit with any design. They are always drawn on and nor incorporated.
5. Scars on the stomach: Scars on the stomach can be because of surgery like c-section during delivery. They can be covered with tattoos. You should know that as your stomach increases or shrinks, your tattoo will too. This is why it is advised that you hold on with having a tattoo after child birth or weight loss.
WHO SHOULD NOT GET A SCAR-COVERING TATTOO
There are people with scars that should not get a tattoo over their scars to avoid complications and further pain, which are:
• People with fresh scars: A scar does not mean that a wound has properly healed. Getting a tattoo over a fresh scar can cause intense pain, make the scar to reopen or even cause infection on the wound.
• People with low body immune system: If you have low body immune system, it may take long time for your wounds to heal. Also, for your scar tissue to heal, energy and time is needed. If your wounds take longer time to heal because you have immune system, you should not consider having a tattoo over your scar.
CONCLUSION
We have exhuastively discuss on ” Can you tattoo over scars? ” . Tattoos can be beautiful, they can be used to cover scars and turn those ugly scars to creative and beautiful designs. Before drawing tattoos over your scars, you should make sure the wounds are fully and properly healed to avoid more pains and other complications. Look for an expert who will carefully handle your scars.