Tattoo over deep scars

[Summerflames]

Hi all,

I had surgery on my leg as a child and have always had deep ugly scars as a result.

I'm contemplating getting a tattoo over them.

Has anyone tattooed over a deep scar before? Not a regular "flat" scar but a deep indented scar? Did it hurt? Does it heal well. Have there been any issues with blowout or fading/healing incorrectly as opposed to regular skin.

Really hopeful for some advice here and obviously if I ever pluck up the courage to go for it I will find a reputable tattoo artist.

Thanks

I have. Tattoo over several arm scars, I made sure to find an artist that had experience of scar work. 10+ years and it still looks as good as the day it was done. It means I can have my arms uncovered and unless people look closely, they cant see the scar.

Colour took well - didnt hurt anymore than the other tattoos I have.

Same here. No bleeding or fading of colour. Not painful.

Tattooist here - research your artist and be prepared to travel, and pay a reasonable amount of money. Don't just go with the first one you find, our experience and skill levels can vary wildly.

Some tattooists will tattoo over scarring but would need a face to face consultation in most cases. Your chosen artist may need to split the work into more than one session to see how it heals before completing.

There are no guarantees, as with any tattoo, but particularly with already compromised skin, of the end result.

I hope you get a beautiful tattoo you truly love x

Thanks all for the replies. Its definitely something I'm going to consider as I feel my scars hold me back a lot and I hate showing my legs which is annoying especially when it's hot.

@nobodysdaughter can I ask if you can walk normally after having a leg tattoo? I have one tattoo on my shoulder already but that's very different to standing up and walking around all day x

OP, you might find more specialist help on the MN Tattoo Forum page https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/tattoos

I had some old self-harm scars tattooed over after chatting with an experienced artist who'd done it before. Healing took a bit longer, but the result made a big difference mentally.

That's amazing, I'm very happy for you @Epokamexa

Can I ask how long it took for the scarred skin to heal compared to normal skin? And did it heal the sake way? I was told scarred skin can heal lighter than the rest.

Thanks @Summerflames 💛 For me, the scarred areas took a couple extra weeks to settle compared to normal skin. It healed okay, just a bit slower and yeah, it did fade lighter in spots — kinda expected that, though. Still super happy I did it.

I’ve got scarring too and ended up going to a studio that specialised in paramedical tattooing. The artist there had loads of experience with different types of scars and showed examples of a 3D Areola Tattoo she’d done for people after surgery. It made me feel more confident that she knew what she was doing. Make sure you ask to see healed work, not just fresh tattoos.

Had my tattoo today! Absolutely thrilled with the result, you can't see the scars at all. Obviously needs time to heal now and its very tender but honestly im delighted. I will wear nice summer clothes again! I'm so happy I made this decision.