What kind of tattoo should cover my scar or stretch marks?

What type of tattoo do you use to cover my scar?

What are the best tattoos to cover scars? Sometimes we display our scars and stretch marks as a badge of honour. But more often than not, we prefer to hide them. A great alternative to simply just covering them up is to get a tattoo. It can be a stunning way to turn something that affects your self-confidence into something that makes you look really cool.

Sergy and Thais, our tattoo artists experts have helped us to answer to the most common questions around tattoos and scars.

And believe it or not getting a tattoo to hide a scar or stretch mark is a pretty common request. It is also possible to completely cover them depending on where it is and how big your scar is. But there are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to the type of tattoo that will best cover your blemish.

So what technique do you use to cover my scars or stretch marks?

The technique used to cover a scar or a stretch mark is similar to getting a normal tattoo. But what can complicate the process is that the skin tissue of the affected area has to be well stretched and of course with a scar the skin is not regular. This means it requires more time as there will be several retouches needed due to the ink not penetrating the tissue as well as your unblemished skin. This added complication requires the tattoo artist to be more patient than normal. But the technique will not change.

Also there will also be a little more time required in your aftercare follow-up to ensure the ink and pigment has integrated okay into the scarred area.

So it’s not more difficult for you than a “normal” tattoo ?

No, it is not more difficult. It requires a bit more work and time but the technique itself will not change. It’s just the damaged skin itself makes the job a little longer for us than ‘normal.’

What do you most often advise your customers to do when they ask to cover their scar with a tattoo?

As well as apply tattoos, our role as artists is to guide our customers by properly listening to how they would like to cover their scar.

We will offer them several options that we think will best match what they want. For instance we can offer them darker or darker colours to try to cover their scars as much as possible, if that is the goal.

And in general, are most people who cover their scar and stretch marks satisfied?

Yes, in general the solutions provided by our artists leave our customers satisfied. In many cases it allows them to change the perception of their scar and look at it in a more positive way. Of course not always will the tattoo cover the scar. But it will still give a stunning new dimension.

Quite often that scar represents an unpleasant memory. So it changes the way the person views it or helps them more easily accept it as a part of who they are.

Am I going to be in pain ?

Pain is very subjective, so this is a difficult question to answer. But in general, we don’t think that there is any difference in pain sensitivity between a normal tattoo and a tattoo on a scar.

But sometimes, depending on the person, it can be more painful. However, this may due to them simply being more sensitive or maybe the scar has become sensitive to pain. It really depends on your tolerance level and history. While it can also depend where on the body you want your tattoo. Generally, the thinner the skin area, the more it can hurt. But quite often a scar can add some thickness to the tissue too.

I am vegan. Is it possible to use a vegan anchor to cover my scar?

Yes, it’s possible to cover your scar with vegan ink. Many brands today use it. But it is important to research vegan inks as the pigments are not quite the same as normal colours. So do ask for a similar ink that you used before – or if it’s a new tattoo take a note of the brand.

How long after I get a scar, can I get a tattoo?

It really depends on each scar. However we’d recommend coming in when the scar has aged enough that it is white. Getting a tattoo can be sore on the body so you need to be fully healed before you undergo the process of getting a new one.

You certainly should not get a tattoo when the scar is still fresh or red. Not only will this create complications for us but it will probably make it too sensitive and sore for you too.

Will the healing of the tattoo be different when it comes to scars?

Healing has many complication elements and mainly depends on where you do it on the body. For example some parts that are difficult to heal include wrists, ankles, elbows, nape of the neck, mouth and throat, feet, fingers, helix and the back of the ear, face and on the hands. All these places are often in motion or the ink will not penetrate as well as other parts of the body. So if your scar is in these parts of your body too, then they may take longer to heal.

Will scars and stretch marks be less visible thanks to tattoos?

There are two ways of looking at it, either you want to be playful with your scar and integrate it into the design. Or you want to camouflage the scar, by aiming to reduce its visibility. So you can choose between these two techniques to either hide, disguise, reduce, or integrate your scar or stretch mark.

Do you think it is a good alternative to hide scars with tattoos?

We think that tattooing on scars is an excellent option. This is because it’s quite a positive action to change the meaning or role of the scar on your body, especially for those who can’t accept them. So this allows them to take ownership of the scar and rethink it from a psychological perspective.

Is a tattoo on a scar durable over time?

Yes, usually a tattoo on a scar will last over time. But for some people it may need to be retouched regularly, depending on the colour. And that’s because the ink can have more trouble penetrating the skin.

What are your recommendations for aftercare – using creams or exposing to the sun?

Each customer will have their own specific instruction regarding our after recommendations, and it’s important that you respect them. Lesions, redness or infections may occur if you don’t follow these so should be careful about what you apply to the skin. Also keep your tattoo out of the sun until fully healed.

Can I remove a tattoo on my scar?

Although not straightforward, it is always possible to remove tattoos by laser. But afterwards we cannot promise that you will not have any marks because removing a tattoo depending on the size can create visible marks or scars. This can also be painful to the scar depending on how old or sensitive it is.

Got more questions?

We hope this gives you all the information you needed around tattooing over scars and stretch marks. But If there’s something in particular we haven’t covered, we’ll be more than happy to discuss that with you.

Alternatively you can read more about preparing your tattoo session and know if you should shave before your tattoo appointment. We wrote some articles on why tattoos fade or tattoo blowout.