Tattoos Over Scars: What Actually Works

Every scar has a tale. Sometimes you’d keep it, but sometimes you’d rewrite it.

I don't know what's more satisfying for an artist to do than tattoo over scars. I will say that this is a very challenging style, because scar tissue is very different than regular skin. The collagen is arranged differently, the way the top skin layer is different, so the ink behaves very differently in all scars. Every scar is different, and an artist has to figure out what the scar is like before they decide to do any tattooing. If you rush it and go over it too fast, the ink will move, blow out, and wash out in just a few months. But if you do it right, it changes the scar and changes your feelings about that part of your body.

Not All Scars Take Ink the Same Way

Usually, flat, white surgical scars are the easiest to tattoo. The skin around them is stable and smooth, so when the tattoo needle enters, the ink is applied predictably. The scars can become quite similar if they have faded to silver over time. Hypertrophic scars, on the other hand, can be a little more difficult as the tissue is raised above the skin surface. The scar's ridged, elevated surface will reflect light differently than smooth skin, often resulting in uneven coverage and unpredictable ink saturation. For this reason, experienced tattoo artists often have to work the area in passes while carefully monitoring the needle depth.

And keloids are scars that grow past the original wound, making a mass that can be itchy, uncomfortable and sometimes even painful. These can be tattooed. But, as the author notes, in people that form keloids, the trauma of the needle can encourage more keloid formation. A burn scar is a different beast altogether. A first-degree burn scar might tattoo much like regular skin. A third-degree scar that's deep with some skin grafting? Now you need a tattoo artist who specializes in burn scar coverage, and who knows the different needle configurations and types of ink that will work with a different graft skin texture.

When Your Scar Is Ready for a Tattoo

If there's one word I can't stress enough about scar tattooing, it's "patience." A scar must be completely fully matured before you even consider seeing an artist. So, when we say "matured," what exactly do we mean? It means the color has settled, typically shifting from a vivid red or pink to a softer white or silver, and that the scar has stopped shifting around. It's no longer itchy, tightening, or evolving. This kind of waiting period is 12 to 24 months for most scars. In the case of a burn scar, that wait is longer still, at least three years.

If your scar is still pink then you should definitely put off your appointment; pink means that the blood supply is still present and that it’s still remodeling; collagen is being broken down and reformed and any chance of getting a good tattoo on a pink scar is very remote and if you insist on it it will likely not hold well and the aftercare will be much more difficult and your scar may well end up looking worse as a result. Any reputable artist will tell you that it’s too early, an outstanding artist will be able to educate you on what signs to look out for in a tattoo session.

Finding an Artist Who Knows Scar Tissue

Scar work is not every tattoo artist’s bag. Plain and simple. Do not settle for just a portfolio of fresh, healing work. Look for healed scars at the three-month and one-year stage of healing. Scars heal differently than regular skin, so while the tattoo might look perfect the day of the procedure, it might look patchy once the scars fully heal. Read our guide to looking through a tattoo artist’s portfolio to find out how to tell the difference between quality artwork and good photography.

Pay attention to how they assess the scar. Do they examine the scar itself, asking the age, how the scar was formed, different textural parts of the scar, etc., or do they look at the scar and immediately start talking about the design? Do this, and move onto a different artist. Many successful scar cover artists have backgrounds in paramedical tattooing and also have trained to be specialist scar tissue camouflage artists.

What the Session Actually Feels Like

Well, the truth no one’s ever going to give you online is: It depends on your scar. Some people have scar tissue that contains less nerves than the skin around it. So you might only get the tattoo on some of it because it feels like nothing. And other people have scar tissue with overgrown nerves that feel like shocks when they get touched. And others have a mixture of both, where it’ll feel like nothing when the needle goes through one spot on the skin but then shocks when it goes through the next spot.

Sessions may be shorter than regular tattoos. They often involve more breaks, lower pressure during passes, and more checks for saturation. For example, the first session may actually be part diagnostic: The artist is figuring out how your scar is absorbing the ink in real time. To see what level of pain to expect for different body areas, see our tattoo pain chart, but note that scar tissue pain is in addition to pain by placement.

Designs That Work Best Over Scars

This is why organic designs are used most of the time for scar coverups. Because the design itself is uneven (flowers, vines, branches, feathers, anything that is not strictly geometric), the irregular nature of it disguises the uneven nature of scar tissue. Geometric designs look great on flat, uniform scars. However, if that scar is bumpy or raised, then straight lines will be wobbly and it will be obvious. Bold, saturated styles, like bold blackwork and bold neo-traditional, work better for covering a scar because of the amount of ink needed for that style covers up the uneven absorption of ink on the scar.

Colour can either be your best or worst ally here. Dark saturated colors (i.e. deep purples, forest greens, rich reds) hold better in scars than pastels or light washes. One artist uses a technique of painting the skin-tones over the scar to “camouflage” the skin-tone before tattooing the design on top. Another artist has a tattoo that they’ve been trying to create as a permanent piece over a scar that they’re trying to remove with laser treatments, just to see if it could be done. I’m trying to think of other artists I’ve seen who are good at tattoos over scar tissue that aren’t listed here, but I think this will get us a great starting point! If you want to try out a design over your scar before getting tattooed, the Inkjin AR tattoo try-on is the best way. It isn’t a perfect representation of how your scar will take the tattoo, but it’ll help you start a discussion with your tattoo artist about what style will work best.