Why Do Tattoos Scar & How Do You Prevent It?

Getting a tattoo may be one of the most exciting experiences of your life. After all, you’re getting a mark of something important for the rest of your life.

It’s no wonder you are looking forward to how it turns out. Nonetheless, you must also stay prepared for the complications that may arise after getting a tattoo.

Tattoo scarring is quite a common issue that arises after getting a tattoo. It may occur due to many issues that occur as a result of the tattooing process and the way you take care of your new tat. Tattoo scarring may also occur after a tattoo removal process.

Regardless of how it occurs, it requires immediate attention. If you’re currently experiencing scarring on your tattoo or want to prepare yourself for the worst before getting one, you’ve come to the right place.

Over here, you will learn about what a tattoo scar is and how it appears, along with the related information and guidance you need on tattoo scars.

What is Tattoo Scarring?

Tattoo scarring appears when you begin to see a weird clogged up formation on your tattoo. It may start to form a  few days after your tattoo process.

After getting a tattoo, you begin the healing phase, and many symptoms will occur, such as redness. These symptoms are quite common and a good sign that your tattoo is on its route of healing.

Scars start to form in the epidermis, which is the top layer of the skin after the tissue damage occurs.

It may be hard to tell if you’re experiencing scarring on your tattoo during the first few weeks. However, with time, the scars become quite prominent and ruin the appearance of your tattoo.

One of the main reasons a tattoo scar might occur is when the tattoo needle damages the tissue underneath your skin. How can you tell your tattoo is scarring? How does it occur?. Well, surely you have all these questions in mind, so continue reading to find out.

Why does it occur?

The tattooing process may seem like something very common and easy to carry out, but a set of skills is required to pull off a smooth and successful tattooing process.

This is why you must go to a trained and well-experienced tattoo artist who will help prevent complications such as scarring from appearing. During the tattooing process, your tattoo artist will gently insert the tattooing needle into the outer layers of your skin.

While doing so, you will experience moderate skin damage, which heals within two weeks showing signs of peeling and scabbing.

Sometimes, the tattoo artist tends to pressure the needle when penetrating it into the skin. Doing it harshly may lead to damaging sensitive and deeper layers of the skin.

This situation may be common among inexperienced and heave-handed tattoo artist. Once this damage occurs, the healing process slows down, and you may start to experience intense tattoo scarring.

You will only notice scars on your tattoo once your tat starts healing. If your deeper dermis faces injury during the tattooing process, it cannot heal properly. Hence, once healing takes place, scarring appears more like a clogged up thick feature on your tattoo.

The scars on your tattoo contain collagen, which is a tissue with alternative proteins replaced by your body. You will notice a weird layer on your tattoo that looks a bit dull and raised and may also change color.

This is what collagen looks like and doesn’t have one appearance.  These scars usually never go away, which is a hard truth to accept. But remember that scarring can also occur due to other issues and may not be entirely your tattoo artist’s fault.

Is My Tattoo Scarring?

Sometimes, it’s difficult to tell if your tattoo experiences scarring as you can only make this out once the healing process completes. You will slowly start to notice the scar in a bumpier and inflames feature.

This happens when the body keeps transferring collagen and more blood flow to a specific area. The scars may start to settle if your blood flow returns back to normal.

This will allow all the scarred tissue to look less inflamed and may start slightly fading away. Even then, you might not be able to see your scar properly, and the final result takes a longer time to appear, depending on the load of scar tissue and damage left that needs settling.

In some cases, you may notice Keloids (big raised scars) form all over your tattoo area that start to become prominent over time.

You will notice redness and swelling in the first few weeks as part of the healing process. It becomes hard to tell the difference between whether your tattoo experienced a smooth healing process or if it’s experiencing scarring.

You will experience a few symptoms in tattoo scarring: re-do’s, puffiness, and distortion of the skin.

How Can You Prevent It?

The better your tattoo heals, the more likely you’re able to turn away from tattoo complications such as tattoo scarring. Though tattoo scarring may mainly derive from poor tattooing techniques leading to damage in the lower skin layer, there are other things that may cause tattoo scars.

The healing process can get a bit tricky at times as you will experience scabbing, which is a good sign.

When you experience scabbing, you must resist the urge to scratch and protect the areas from bacteria and other harmful germs. Scabbing tends to become thick over time.

You must prevent it from getting caught on different surfaces and especially clothes. If it gets continuously caught, the scabs might stretch, leading towards scarring.

You will also have the urge to scratch over time, and your tattoo will start to get dry. To avoid scratching, keep your tattoo moisturized using the right products.

More importantly, you should fight the urge to scratch, which is no doubt a challenge. You must maintain your immune system before getting a  tattoo, especially if your body takes a longer time to respond to open wounds.

You are most likely to experience scaring if you suffer from different medical conditions. Avoid getting a tattoo at all costs to prevent scarring if you’re prone to poor healing of scrapes and cuts.

One of the best things you can do to prevent tattoo scars is by going to a professional tattoo artist. The more experienced and well-trained your tattoo artist is, the less likely you may go through a clumsy tattooing process that may cause tattoo scars.

How Do You Fix Tattoo Scarring?

Tattoo scars don’t magically disappear, and they may not ever, as once your skin tissue gets a scar, you’re probably going to have to deal with it forever. You can do a few things that may change the appearance of the scars making them less visible and fade over time.

There are a few things you can do to lessen the scarring on your tattoo. Products that contain Aloe Vera are highly beneficial when it comes to dealing with skin conditions.

Your scarring may simmer down if you keep applying Aloe Vera to the scarred area. To achieve faster results, you will have to do this at least twice a day, every day, and you may notice a significant or minimal difference.

You must also keep applying lotion on your scarred tattoo to give it nourishment and prevent it from drying up further. By applying lotion, your scar may settle in with your skin and fade away within time.

The other reasonable option would be to apply a bit of concealer or any camouflage products that will hide the scars for a few hours. This is the best option for when you’re in a hurry.

Lastly, if you hate your tattoo outlook, you can get a tattoo touchup that will involve the tattoo artist re-coloring the area to blend it within the tat. For this, make sure to go to a well-trained tattoo artist.

How Long Does Tattoo Scarring Last?

Tattoo scarring may last up to 3 months or more, depending on whether or not your blood supply goes back to normal. Once this happens, your tattoo scars will start to fade lightly, getting rid of the overly inflamed look.

The scars on your tattoo don’t go away. However, if you practice a few ways on how to lessen it (mentioned above), you never know you may not even see any scars.

Does Tattoo Scarring Go Away On Its Own?

Tattoo scars never go away on their own, even if you try the basic ways to fix them. However, this will surely help fade the scars overtime.

There is not much evidence backed on remedies improving tattoo scars, but there is no harm in trying it, and you will notice a little change.

Can You Touch Up a Scarred Tattoo?

Yes, you can get a tattoo touch upon your scarred tattoo, and your tattoo artist may most likely recommend it if you’re experiencing color distortion.

Touchups may not be the ideal choice if you have Keloid scars. These scars make it difficult to touch up as the scars pop up directly from the skin, making it hard to carry any tattooing procedure.

Final Words

If you’re already experiencing tattoo scarring, you have a few ways to eliminate it subtly, which should be good news for you. If you still haven’t entered the path of getting a tattoo, keep all these points in mind to avoid a dreadful experience such as tattoo scarring.

With this article’s help, you can now surely avoid this situation and experience a smooth healing process.