Do you have an old tattoo that you remain proud of as far as concept/design is concerned, but are not happy with some or all of the black ink and prefer to add color over the top of certain areas? This conundrum isn’t quite as simple as it is with changing other colors for another. Black ink is black ink. It’s the deepest and darkest tone of them all. Remember that the oscillating ink-coated needle of a tattoo gun punctures the skin and deposits the black ink pigment about 2 mm below the skin surface into the papillary layer of the dermis. If it were black-and-grey shading that we were discussing it may be possible to tattoo over the area with a strong hue. However, you’ve come online to ask “Can you tattoo a color over black?” which infers exactly that. We know that the response doesn’t seem promising thus far, but fret not. There are indeed corrective courses of action to consider which we have detailed below.
3 Things That Can be Done to Color Over the Black Ink of Your Old Tattoo
Expand on the Design with Color
Before looking towards more dramatic measures (below), have you considered enhancing the tattoo to add color around the black ink that no longer inspires you? There may be ways to add color instead of replacing blackwork so that the tattoo as a whole is more vibrant and “pops” the way you want it to. If this sounds like something that you may want to explore, schedule a consultation with an Adrenaline Studios near you.
Fading for Color-Over
If accenting your blackwork tattoo with color isn’t a reasonable option, then you will need to solicit the services of a local studio that provides laser tattoo fading for cover-up. Consider laser tattoo fading to be an evolution of traditional cover-ups and color-overs. It allows the laser to fade the black ink to the point that it can be colored over in a preferred hue, but does not require the design itself to be removed. This is most likely the best option for you, especially if you want to replace the black ink with strong tones such as dark purple, blue, green, and the like. Schedule a consultation today to find out if this is the best option for you.
Remove and Replace
Ultimately, you may find out that simply fading a black ink tattoo for cover-up won’t cut it. If this is the case, we encourage you to choose the best laser tattoo removal service in your area and have the old tattoo removed and (after healing) replaced with the more colorful design that you really want.
Can you tattoo a color over black? Where there’s a will there’s a way at Adrenaline Studios in Vancouver BC and Toronto ON. Schedule your consultation to choose the best course of action.
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Adrenaline Tattoo
Tattoos, not attitudes. Piercings, not pricks. From the beginning, Adrenaline’s focus has been on delivering the best customer service possible within the body modification industry.
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