Tattoo Ruined by Scar, What Now?
Scars due to injury or surgery are a part of life. You needn’t be accident prone or an action sports fanatic to sustain one, as the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology finds that 53.5% of individuals bear the distinction of a life lived. Further, a scar is just the result of your skin's natural and healthy healing process after a wound or injury, replacing damaged skin with fibrous tissue (primarily composed of collagen). What is a bummer, however, is when trauma to the epidermis and subsequent scar occurs over a beloved tattoo. No matter how well one attends to it with topical solutions during the healing process, it can leave the design distorted, blurred, uneven in color, and rendered a different texture. Of course, given that you’re reading this you are probably the owner of a tattoo ruined by a scar and are wondering if there is anything you can do about it. While there is no magical solution for a quick fix, there are courses of action to take as soon as the scar has fully healed. Let’s review!
How Laser Tattoo Removal Provides an Effective Solution for an Old Tattoo Ruined by a Recent Scar
Complete Removal of the Tattoo
For more dramatic scars and a truly ruined tattoo, you have a decision to make; Either live with the indistinguishable design, or have it removed. The latter is generally preferred if there is no way to rescue the original tattoo.
If you decide to move forward with removal, find peace of mind that state of the art laser technology applied by an expert technician will completely remove the ruined tattoo. About one-year after healing, you can either attempt to cover the clean canvas with a new tattoo, or use a photo of the old (and meaningful) tattoo and have it applied to a different part of your body where the skin texture has not been compromised.
Fading for Cover Up
For a lucky number of individuals, the original tattoo can be “salvaged”. This can be accomplished via the application of premium laser to lighten the ink enough to address the blurred, distorted, or uneven portion of the original tattoo. From there, a skilled tattooist can redo the appropriate section of the tattoo and return it to its former glory. As an alternative in the same vein (so to speak), laser fading can be applied to lighten the design to the point that a tattooist can apply an entirely new design over top of the scar. They may even leverage the scar’s raised textures to come up with a cool new and 3-dimensional design, where possible. View more on laser fading for coverup.
Do you live within, or are able to visit the Vancouver area often enough to undergo more than one laser removal or fading session? Tap the link below to schedule a FREE noncommittal consultation at our West 4th avenue studio
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