Body changes & Tattoos
Do Tattoos Stretch With Muscle
Growth?
Unless you opt for laser removal at some point in the future, a
tattoo is for life. The size and shape of your various muscles,
however, is unlikely to stay the same throughout your lifetime. When
considering tattoo placement and design, it is important to consider
whether the tattoo is likely to stretch with changes in your muscle
tone and size.
Stretching
When tattoos are placed over a muscle, the tattoo may stretch if you
subsequently increase the muscle mass in that area. According to the
website Muscle Gaining, moderate muscle growth should not have any
noticeable effect upon a tattoo. However, sudden or significant
muscle growth may damage the design and ink of the tattoo. If you
develop stretch marks from sudden gain of muscle mass or weight,
these stretch marks may destroy some of the ink in your tattoo.
Expert Insight
Any tattooed area of the body which becomes swollen or distended is
likely to experience stretching and distortion of the tattoo. This
particular article considers the effects of tattoos and piercings on
pregnant women's bodies--the same issues of stretching and
distortion of tattoos would, however, occur in areas of pronounced
muscle growth.
Prevention/Solution
If you want to minimize the risk of a tattoo stretching due to
muscle gain, make sure to get the tattoo at a time when your muscles
are at the size you expect them to be in future. If you are already
a bodybuilder, wait until you have reached the optimum muscle mass
you are aiming for before placing a tattoo on your muscles. You
should also be aware that a tattoo on a muscle will be prone to
shrinking if you cease working out or weightlifting after the tattoo
is placed.
Warning / Loosing Weight & Tattoos
Although tattoos are increasingly common in Western societies, many
employers require employees to show no visible tattoos at work.
Before you get inked, consider whether a visible tattoo may
negatively affect your employment prospects. Furthermore, you should
bear in mind that tattoo ink is not regulated or approved by the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. According
to MayoClinic.com, this is because tattoo ink is considered a
cosmetic item.
Changes in your body, including weight gain, pregnancy, weight loss
or aging, can impact the appearance of your tattoos.
The placement of your tattoo will significantly impact how much it
changes as your body changes. Tattoos on the hands, wrists, feet,
ankles and back of the neck will be minimally affected by weight
loss. Men are apt to find that ink on their arms or stomach is
significantly changed by weight variations, while women will notice
more differences if their tattoos are on their hips, thighs, breasts
or belly.
Slow weight loss will reduce the change to your tattoo. Rapidly
losing or gaining weight is more likely to distort your tattoo
design than slow gain or loss and may be more likely to cause
stretch marks or sagging skin. If you do want to protect your tattoo
while dieting, opt for a healthy and gentle weight reduction, rather
than drastic fad dieting or weight-loss surgery.
Size
Larger tattoos may show less distortion over time and through body
changes than small ones, according to Tattoo.com. A sleeve or other
large tattoo on your arm, thigh or chest may shift less visibly. If
your tattoos do shift in an unpleasing way, you may be able to add
to them or touch them up rather than having them removed or covered
up.
Types
Highly symmetrical tattoo designs, like tribal or Celtic patterns,
are more likely to show the effects of weight loss than a less
symmetrical one. If you are planning a tattoo on a fleshy area and
expect to lose a significant amount of weight, work with your artist
to design a tattoo that can accommodate these changes to your body
without distorting into an uneven or asymmetrical shape.
If your tattoo has distorted significantly due to weight loss, you
may find that a skilled tattoo artist can repair or cover up the
design or you may wish to consider laser tattoo removal to eliminate
an unattractive tattoo.
Stomach Tattoos - Solution after
pregnancy?
Stretch marks can appear on your stomach due to several causes.
Weight gain, diseases (such as Cushing's) and pregnancy can all
contribute to stretch marks on your torso. If you have stretch marks
on your stomach and are not happy with your appearance, getting a
tattoo may be a great solution to cover the scars and boost your
confidence in your self image.
A tattoo applied by a professional tattoo artist on top of and
surrounding your stretch marks can completely cover or camouflage
the look of the indented marks in your skin. A tattoo artist will
ask you to visit the tattoo shop for a consultation before booking
an appointment for you. The tattoo artist must first see your
stretch marks to conclude if you are a candidate for a cover-up and
discuss your design options.
Before you get the new ink, think about the possibilities of
covering the old ink. Not every cover is a good cover! Think twice,
think carefully. Ask the tattoo artist for an opinion - not just for
the design, but for the colors, the right placement - how big it
should be etc. Some people choose darker inks to cover the old
ink... If your tattoo is faded you can go with a great floral design
or black and white tattoo. It depends.
The type of tattoo design that can be used to cover-up stretch marks
on your stomach depends on the length, depth, color and number of
stretch marks that are present on your stomach. Another factor in
the design is where on your stomach the stretch marks reside. For
example, if your stretch marks are on the left side of your stomach
and travel up your side, your tattoo artist will draw a design that
flows vertically across your stomach and perhaps wrapping around
your hip and ribs to conceal the stretch marks. Give your tattoo
artist a general design idea, such as floral, tribal or abstract, so
they can base the cover-up design on this reference.
Choosing a tattoo artist that specializes in covering up stretch
marks will ensure that you are satisfied with the end result. A
professional tattoo artist that is experienced in performing scar
and stretch mark cover-up tattoos will offer you a portfolio of work
to look through.
If you plan to have a child, or additional children, waiting until
after you have conceived the number of children you desire before
receiving the tattoo is the best option. The cover-up tattoo could
be damaged by the addition of more stretch marks on your stomach.
Healing time
Your new tattoo takes time to heal. It can usually take 3-4 weeks
with a proper aftercare treatment.
Remember: Choosing a professional tattoo artist is very important.
Tattoo artists that are not skilled or experienced in covering up
stretch marks with tattoos may tell you that you cannot conceal the
marks on your stomach with tattoo work.
Not every tattoo design can cover stretch marks, but a skilled
tattoo artist will create a custom design with texture to conceal
your stretch marks. The look of your stretch marks have a chance of
being enhanced if the tattoo artist attempts to apply a cover-up
with a method that works on smooth skin, causing the ink to bleed
and the color in the tattoo to heal with uneven patches.
CHECK OUT:
Tattoos & Tanning
Tattoo Scarring
Tattoo Scabbing
Tattoo Fading
Sweating & Tattoos
Signs Of Tattoo Allergy
Proper Tattoo Healing