In some methods, scars are like tattoos. They’re everlasting physique markings of a sure time and place in your life.
In some instances, scars, like tattoos, would possibly carry optimistic reminiscences. However in different instances, they don’t. That’s why some individuals put on their scars with delight, whereas others select to cover them. Both selection is completely OK and completely as much as you.
When you have surgical procedure carried out on a tattooed space of your physique, there’s an opportunity the process may disfigure the tattoo. Nevertheless, surgeons could make their incisions in such a means that the tattoo actually conceals the longer term scar.
Whereas it’s attainable to tattoo over most scars, doing so is tougher than tattooing over unscarred pores and skin. So, it’s necessary to make use of an skilled tattoo artist who’s comfy tattooing over your scar or incorporating the scar into the tattoo design.
If you happen to’ve been occupied with overlaying your scar with a tattoo, it may be useful to be taught extra concerning the course of. This can make it easier to make one of the best choices on your physique.
An individual would possibly select to cowl a scar or stretch mark with a tattoo for any variety of causes.
Individuals primarily select to cowl scars as a result of they aren’t happy with their look. Most everybody has scars, however some persons are much less comfy with how they give the impression of being than others. Some persons are merely extra comfy hiding their scars beneath tattoos.
Different individuals have scarring after having survived an accident or a serious well being subject requiring surgical procedure, like breast most cancers. In these instances, getting a tattoo over scars can really feel like reclaiming one’s physique and self.
For instance, numerous girls who’ve had mastectomies say they really feel extra assured overlaying their scars with lovely, customized tattoos.
Everybody’s physique is totally different, so everybody’s degree of ache tolerance is totally different, too. That’s why some individuals expertise a variety of discomfort when getting a tattoo and others don’t.
Nevertheless, as a rule of thumb, scar tissue is mostly extra painful to tattoo than unscarred pores and skin. And in some instances, it is perhaps extraordinarily painful.
Consultants say that scar ache is frequent, particularly for individuals whose scars have induced nerve injury or compression, like amputation scars.
Some kinds of scars are likely to extra painful, corresponding to:
- keloid scars
- atrophic scars
- hypertrophic scars
- burn scars
Scars which are deep or massive may even be extra painful to tattoo. Tattooing over delicate scarring is less complicated and a bit much less painful, as a result of they’re smaller scars that lie largely flat to the pores and skin and stay within the boundaries of the outdated wound.
There are just a few extra concerns to remember if you’re considering of overlaying your scar with a tattoo.
Your tattoo may trigger extra scarring
That is primarily a problem for individuals who have or are vulnerable to keloid scars.
Keloid scars are normally thick and crimson with a raised, rounded, and irregular form. Generally the scar tissue builds up lengthy after the preliminary damage, or spreads past the borders of the wound.
When you have or are vulnerable to keloid scarring, there’s a better likelihood that getting a tattoo to cowl your scar will make the scar worse. If you wish to cowl a newly fashioned keloid scar, wait at the least a 12 months till it’s fully healed.
For deeper or bigger scars, you may need to attend for much longer for than that, like 3 or 5 years. Tattooing a keloid scar that’s fully healed reduces the chance of worsening the scar.
The colour of your tattoo may bleed
Scars harden your pores and skin and make the floor irregular. Scarred pores and skin is much less capable of take up ink than unscarred pores and skin. Ink additionally tends to extra irregularly settle in scar tissue than it does in unscarred pores and skin.
Due to this fact, it’s attainable that the ink within the tattoo overlaying your scar will migrate, inflicting your tattoo to look smudged or unclear.
Selecting a tattoo artist with expertise overlaying scars may help cut back the dangers of worsening it.
Your tattoo would possibly seem irregular
Some scars, like stretch marks and pimples scars, are thought of atrophic. This implies they indent the pores and skin. These scars are additionally typically delicate to the contact and a lighter tone.
It’s normally secure to tattoo over atrophic scars as soon as they’re healed. However as a result of atrophic scars are sometimes discolored and don’t match your pores and skin tone, it may be difficult to discover a design that may cowl these scars easily.
An skilled tattoo artist may help you discover a design that works finest on your scar. Or, you would possibly need to take into account a medical-grade tattoo that higher matches your pores and skin tone.
Listed here are a number of kinds of frequent scars and what they’ll seemingly appear to be after they’re tattooed:
Amputation or skin-removal scars
When pores and skin is eliminated and stretched, it’s typically clean. Scars that cowl areas the place pores and skin or a physique half have been eliminated can normally be tattooed simply, so long as that space of the physique isn’t too delicate. Tattooing over these areas will be very painful.
Keloid scars
As talked about earlier than, keloid scars will be particularly difficult to tattoo. As a result of they’re raised and will scar extra after a tattoo, some individuals select to cowl solely part of a keloid scar.
They could additionally tattoo round these scars by incorporating them into the tattoo. This may help disguise their look whereas stopping additional scarring.
Burn scars
Burn scars will be delicate when tattooed and are normally irregular in look. This could make them difficult to tattoo. A very good design with varied traces and colours can go far in concealing them as a lot as attainable.
Scars on the abdomen
Stretch marks and different scars on the stomach, corresponding to from a cesarean supply or surgical procedure, will be lined with tattoos.
Simply remember that as your stomach grows or shrinks, so will your tattoo. If you happen to’re planning on changing into pregnant or shedding a variety of weight, you would possibly need to maintain off in your stomach tattoo till after giving beginning or reducing weight.
Surgical procedure scars
Surgical procedure scars are normally exact incisions that go away minimal scarring. These scars are finest labored into the sides of a tattoo to attenuate their look.
However you may also tattoo proper over them, as is often carried out with mastectomy scars — so long as they’re healed first.
Step one in getting a tattoo to cowl a scar is discovering a good tattoo artist with expertise overlaying scars. Name tattoo retailers in your space and ask whether or not they have artists who’ve tattooed over scars earlier than.
Discover a number of tattoo artists who’ve expertise overlaying scars, and ask to try their work. Think about an artist’s degree of expertise, previous tattooing work, and the cleanliness of their store.
Tattoos that cowl scars, like all tattoos, carry dangers, corresponding to an infection and blowouts. A blowout occurs when the ink penetrates too far into the pores and skin, inflicting the tattoo to blur.
The extra skilled your tattoo artist and the cleaner the store, the much less seemingly you might be to have issues.
Determine in your design and current it to the tattoo artist you resolve to work with. They are going to in all probability have some concepts, too.
You too can look on social media to seek out examples of tattoos over scars like yours to get some inspiration.
Many individuals select to cowl their scars with tattoos. Doing so generally is a good approach to disguise the looks of a scar you’re uncomfortable with, or to mark your victory over an sickness or damage.
If you happen to’re contemplating a tattoo to cowl a scar, there are some issues to think about first. You’ll need to take into consideration the kind of scar you’ve gotten, what tattoo design may finest cowl your scar, and which artist you need to have do your tattoo.
If you happen to’ve considered these issues, you’re extra more likely to get the very best outcomes.
