Scar Cover Ups

I have some experience of tattooing over scarring particularly self harm scarring which I am the most comfortable with.

Please get in touch via my booking form or email to discuss your tattoo in more detail to see if I can help you with your tattoo journey.

If you would like some more general info please read below-

If you are interested in having a self harm scar cover up work completed by myself - I recommend a black and grey style with an organic subject matter, as it is a less traumatic tattoo style and process for skin that is already scarred. In my experience it is effective at disguising or minimizing the appearance of scarring, it won’t make the scars or raised skin disappear but it will become less noticeable. I’ve had a lot of success with this type of tattooing in giving my clients the confidence to wear short sleeve t-shirts in the summer and help them move forward and start a new chapter in life.

If you contact me to discuss as scar cover up there is never judgement on your scarring only compassion and understanding, you don’t need to explain anything or worry about showing your skin to me. Any photos I take or have you send of your skin/body placement are treated in the strictest of confidence and are used to design the tattoo.

If you have any anxiety or trepidation about the tattoo session, worrying what to do, say etc, please try not to worry about this, I look after your during a session, put you in the correct positions and direct the session, your free to talk to me about any subject whether its personal or more general or have your tattoo done quietly, with a film on , background music or feel free to bring headphones and listen to your own music/watch a film on your phone.

If you would like a quiet session with limited talking/chit chat please let me know - I’m very happy to accommodate.

We take comfort breaks for yourself and me and take a lunch break too as I find this the best way to manage a session successfully and the best for most peoples health and wellbeing including my own.

These following things are what I ask all scar cover up clients to consider carefully -

How healed your scars are - I prefer to tattoo scars that are very well healed and silver or white in appearance, this means there is less risk of any issues during the tattoo process - ideally scars that are at least 2- 4 years old, however I can usually determine if scars look ready to tattoo over from a clear photograph or an in person consultation. Please don’t be disheartened or offended if I say your scars need a bit more healing time before their suitable to be tattooed over, this is to minimize risk to you during the tattooing and healing process.

Risks -

Fragile skin - Very thin fragile skin that is easily damaged could halt the tattooing process and mean we have to stop the tattoo session. Tattooing this type of skin could result in further scarring, risk of infection, and a very poorly healed tattoo. Please be aware of this before the session,

Bleeding - excessive bleeding, there is a risk of bleeding and excessive bleeding during a tattoo although very rare, if this happened during a scar tattoo cover up I would have to halt the session, try and find the reason for the excessive bleeding and continue the session another time once the issue is resolved.( its often due to a health issue, lifestyle or medication which we would try and resolve and complete the tattoo in another session )

Redness and swelling - I find that during the tattoo process, that tattooing over scarring causes greater redness than normal and extra swelling which can take a few days to settle down, clients need to be prepared for this and managing some potential discomfort post tattoo. Pain relief and limiting activity post tattoo is very important to manage this.

Bruising - tattooing over skin that has previously been damaged there is a high chance for bruising, either straight away as the skin is tattooed and bruising that comes out as your tattoo heals. This is very manageable and common when tattooing over scarring or with heavy saturated tattoo work. Be aware this could quite easily happen but will calm down as the tattoo heals.

Slow healing - the scar tissue and skin around it may heal slower and need very careful aftercare, this is where you need to treat the tattoo like a wound, keep it very clean, avoid exercise and dirty situations, heavy exercise, bathing and swimming, saunas, toilet seats, pets, pet hair, dirty bedding and clothing etc

Infection - Scarred tissue that heals slowly is at extreme risk for becoming infected - extra careful hygiene measures need to be put in place to keep your tattoo very clean. A genuine infection from a tattoo is no joke and would signal to me poor aftercare - keeping yourself healthy for the tattoo prior and post procedure is super important. I use anti bacterial and antimicrobial products to keep the skin clean during your time in the studio, and adhere to strict cleanliness of all items used during your procedure with everything I used being wrapped or disposable.

A good heal - your tattoo may need a touch up once it’s finally healed and settled, my advice is to give a tattoo on scarred skin at least 3 months before doing a touch up,

Tattoo distortion - tattooing over scar tissue can mean lines and shading may not tattoo as accurately or cleanly as other skin types, and may look not as perfect, this is to be expected, straight lines don’t work because of this so I recommend more organic styles of tattooing.

Numbing cream - so far I haven’t had clients use numbing cream on scarred skin, so I would recommend getting advice from a health professional or pharmacist on the risks of this. Please let me know in advance if you plan on using numbing cream for your tattoo as there are a number of risks when using such creams such as fake creams and risk of chemical burns, so use of correct creams and the correct application & removal is vital.

*As I tattoo more types of skin and scarred skin I will update this section as my knowledge and understanding develops.