h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I wonder...is it possible to build the scar in to the tattoo so it looks like a natural part of the design, without actually having to tattoo over it? Depends on what sort of design you want, I guess.

I've never actually met anyone who has had a tattoo done over scar tissue, so i dont have any idea what it would look like.

I'd like an all black celtic/tribaly type tattoo. Not a fan of multi colours! I have a couple of designs, swirly, loopy, kinda things. Amd just gonna have to speak to Mr Tattoo-artist and see what he suggests would work best to disguise scar. (whether it be over or around it, although I'd prefer over)

I love tattoos, they can look very beautiful. I've wanted one since I was a teenager & I'm now nearly 30, I've just held off til I got my designs 100% right in my head!

I really am hoping that when I speak to tattooist it all works out ok. I'd sooooo much rather some art work on my arm than what's there just now!

I'm also a great fan of tattoos, i'm sure you'll get what you want as there will be hundreds for you too choose from in a tattoo shop!

Will you let us know how you get on and what you choose?

Yup, will do.
Am hoping to get into town at some point over the next couple of weeks for a chat with the tattooist, so I'll let you know.

Brilliant, hope the tattooist can give you some good advice. Let me know on my space if you like

And please try to not fall back on the flash in the tattoo parlour. Always always try and make the artwork you put on your body ORIGINAL. There is nothing worse than seeing the same tattoo over and over and over again on different people.

I totally agree!
I know at least four people with the same tattoo and another couple with very similar ones. It looks "tacky" when they're all in the same room showing them off!

Maybe this thread should be moved over to A1021285?

What a fab place!



mozelda

You can tattoo over scar tissue (have 3 good friends that are tattoo artists and lots of tattoos, including a sleeve covering a bunch of scars), but the scars have to be fairly old. Scar tissue sort of changes over time. It hurts more than the rest of the skin. Arms are the least painful place to get tattooed (in my experience, and I'm covered in them) except for the inside of the elbow, the upper inside arm near your armpit and wristbones/elbows/various bony parts.

The scar tissue is tougher and the ink doesn't take as well, so you might have to go back for touchups on the scarred bits. I did.

They can be an interesting or funny part of the tattoo, too. My friend Justin had a 3-inch stab-wound scar in his arm and had it worked into a picture of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac (comic book by Jhonen Vasquez) holding a knife to where it looked like he'd just made the wound. The scar was outlined in red to look like a new injury.

You might want to consider working them into the design, as they don't take ink well. I don't suggest trying to cover them up with a solid color, as the ink will look different over the scarred part. A good tattoo artist should be able to work with you for a design that can include the scars and still draw attention away from them. Mine is busy with lots of fine, straight linework to cover up long, straight scars.

Make sure you know for sure what you want. I mull over each new tattoo idea for at least a couple of years before I get it. Then get a good artist that is into the design you've come up with. The best artist in the world might not put a lot of love and effort into something they think is silly.

And good luck. I encourage people to get good tattoos, so maybe if there are enough respectable people with tattoos, I'll stop getting followed around by store detectives even though I've never stolen anything in my life.

If your scar is only five months old, it's still in its' infancy in scar terms. You can get an assortment of scar treatments at chemists that reduce the red raised element of scar tissue, and either encourages good skin to regenerate, or, if the scar is bad, reduce it to the white line stage. As previous researchers have mentioned, it is difficult to tattoo over scar tissue, although it is obviously different for each case. I would reccomend getting a custom job done, which can look fantastic when it's the tribal/celtic black stuff that you're looking at. I'm halfway through a custom tribal job on my back that's incorporating the three tribal tatts that I've already got, as well as having to go over a substantial amount of scar, and the end result shoul look fantastic! It's a good feeling to be able to wear tatts under the suit during the week, and then break them out for surfing at the weekend!