These days, medical professionals have warned that tattooing over a birthmark can lead to negative consequences. However, many tattoo artists are still willing to create a tattoo to cover your birthmark.
After all, can you tattoo over birthmarks? Is it safe to do it by any chance? This article will provide a profound insight into this matter. So don’t miss out until the end.
Can You Tattoo Over Birthmarks?
Technically, yes, you can have a tattoo over your birthmark if that’s what you want. Most artists are willing to tattoo any part of your body as long as you ask them to, regardless of any problems that may cause down the road.
Almost everyone has birthmarks on their body at birth, which will fade over time. Yet, sometimes, they can stay on your skin forever, making you uncomfortable and self-deprecating.
However, note that you should think carefully before coming up with that tattoo decision.
Usually, the birthmark will have a similar texture as the skin around it, so many think that tattooing over it will not affect their health. However, medical experts have confirmed that this point of view is entirely wrong. Instead, they believe that getting a tattoo on a birthmark will cause severe consequences for your health.
Continue reading to explore some reasons why tattooing over birthmarks may not be as beneficial as you thought.
2 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Tattoo Over Birthmarks
As mentioned earlier, no tattoo artist will refuse to tattoo your birthmark because it’s their job, and they might think it’s completely safe to do so. But, on the other hand, medical experts have mixed opinions; they believe that tattoos over birthmarks may hide melanoma and cause risk with unpredictable consequences.
Tattoos will Hinder the Early Detection of Melanoma
According to medical experts, birthmarks appear with a discolored appearance; sometimes, they signify the formation of melanoma under the skin. Of course, having a birthmark on your skin doesn’t mean you’ll get melanoma forming underneath it, but you’ll be more likely to get it.
A previous JAMA Dermatology report showed that at least 16 patients with melanoma (a deadly form of skin cancer) were detected in one day; it mainly develops on a pigmented spot covered by a tattoo.
When it comes to this type of melanoma, it is a disease that starts in the melanocytes (the pigment melanin). This melanocyte can originate from any pigmented tissue on your body, such as birthmarks, moles, eyes, and intestines.
These melanomas usually appear as dark pigments such as black or brown. However, they can also be pink, white, or tan.
While melanoma is rarer than other cancers, they are often more severe and can lead to death. According to estimates by the National Cancer Institute, in 2013, there will be nearly 77,000 new cases of melanoma, and more than 9,000 people will die from this disease.
They also add that this type of cancer has dramatically increased for at least 30 years, and it is 20 times more common in whites than in African-Americans.
Experts have stated that 50% of all melanomas develop in pre-existing birthmarks on your skin. Therefore, monitoring birthmarks covered by tattoos become more complex and may affect the diagnosis and detection of disease.
Tattoo Ink on Birthmarks can cause Skin Cancer
Dr. Ariel Ostad, a dermatologist in New York, N.Y. wrote on the Skin Cancer Foundation’s website that tattoo ink could seep into the skin where birthmarks form and can lead to skin cancer. Therefore, limiting tattooing on that area is best to minimize the risk of melanoma developing around your birthmark.
3 Tips To Cover Birthmarks Without Tattooing (Detailed Instructions)
People with prominent birthmarks (especially on conspicuous places like the face, arms, or legs) tend to feel self-conscious about their appearance. Therefore, they often look at laser tattoo removal procedures.
However, this procedure only makes your birthmark fade, which becomes even harder to detect melanoma. In addition, because this method also helps you remove pigment, if there is any abnormal pigmentation hidden under your birthmark, it will be difficult for doctors to detect it after laser removal.
So how can you cover the birthmark without affecting your health? Here are three tips for covering up birthmarks without a tattoo or laser.
1. Covering Birthmark with Regular Makeup
- Step 1- Choose Concealer, Foundation, and Full Powder
It will help if you choose a concealer, foundation, and powder that matches your skin tone or is a little darker. If you choose a concealer that is lighter in tone or lighter than your skin tone, the birthmark will be more visible.
To be able to cover your birthmark well, you can blend concealer and foundation on your skin.
- Step 2 – Wash the Area Where Your Birthmarks Appears
It would help if you used a cleanser or a facial cleanser to remove oil and impurities from the skin. Then apply moisturizer or toner to moisturize the skin.
- Step 3 – Apply Concealer on Birthmark
You just need to dab the concealer on the birthmark and surrounding skin lightly and then blend it to blend into your skin. If the first blend still doesn’t cover your birthmark, you can apply a second concealer. However, you’re better off using a brush or beauty blender to apply the concealer on your skin more evenly.
- Step 4 – Apply foundation and blend evenly
Similar to step 3, you just need to apply the foundation on the concealer and blend evenly on the skin.
- Step 5- Dust face powder over the spot as a final coat
Using foundation is an essential step in keeping your concealer and foundation from slipping off. As such, your birthmark is completely covered at this point.
However, be aware that these products can be used on any part of your body, but they can only cover small birthmarks and are not too dark.
2. Covering Birthmark with Tattoo Concealers
- Step 1- Buy a tattoo eraser and tattoo concealer
Tattoo erasers can help you cover up black tattoo ink, so they can also quickly help you cover birthmarks very well. In particular, they are also not easy to drift, so you don’t need to worry about your birthmark being exposed when it rains or sweats.
- Step 2- Erase your Birthmark with the Tattoo Eraser
You just need to gently work the tattoo eraser tip over and around your birthmark and wait for it to dry. Then do it a second time to cover your birthmark completely.
- Step 3 – Blend the tattoo concealer
After the tattoo eraser, you can apply concealer to make your birthmark wholly hidden.
3. Covering Birthmark with Fashion and Accessories
This is often used to cover up protruding birthmarks that concealer or tattoo erasers can’t do.
You can wear a scarf, gloves, or long sleeves for birthmarks located on the neck or arms. Or you can also try a tattoo cover to cover up your birthmark quickly.
FAQs
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Final Thought
By now, you probably already know whether tattooing over birthmarks is good or not. In short, although it is gradually becoming a trend these days, you need to consider the potential consequences, as demonstrated above.
Instead, you can apply the ways we have shown to cover up your ugly birthmark.
We hope this article has helped you to understand the issue of over birthmark tattooing better, and don’t forget to revisit our website for more helpful tips.
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