If you’re getting your very first tattoo over freckles, pain and design are probably not the first things you spend your time thinking about. It is all about making sure that it is safe to pierce the needle over these brown spots first.
So, can you tattoo over freckles? What are important considerations when you’re getting ink over freckled skin? Let’s get to it!
Can You Tattoo Over Freckles?
It’s perfectly safe to tattoo over freckles. They are typically harmless and cause no bleeding issues during the tattooing process. Tattooing on freckles is just the same as on clear skin, and with a great design, you can incorporate the freckles into the tattoo for a stunning piece of art.
What are freckles?
Freckles are flat, brown spots on the skin, often in areas regularly exposed to the sun. These harmless spots result from the overproduction of melanin which is in charge of hair and skin color.
Some people are more susceptible to freckles than others due to their skin type and genes. For example, those with blonde, red, light brown hair and fair skin complexion are more likely to have freckles.
- Lentigines
Lentigines or solar lentigines vary in colors, from light yellow to dark brown and lumpy. The number and size can increase when you age, and unlike ephelides, they don’t fade during the winter months. Because of their lumpiness and tendency to increase in size, you should consult a dermatologist before getting a tattoo over this freckle type.
- Ephelides
Ephelides are flat spots of around 1-2 millimeters or larger and can be red, light, or dark brown. They typically appear after the skin is exposed to the sun during the sunny season and in winter. It is safe to tattoo over this type of freckle.
Don’t confuse freckles for moles
These words are often used interchangeably, but they are two different things. Moles are clusters of pigment-forming cells with a greater than average supply of blood vessels. They typically appear at or soon after birth.
Moles are darker than freckles, and the color does not change to sun exposure. In addition, they are raised from the skin surface, while freckles are often flat spots.
Even though moles are typically benign, there’s still the likelihood that they are developing melanoma. So, it is essential to seek advice from a dermatologist first.
In addition, both moles and freckles can appear in the area you want to get inked. A skilled artist will know how to work around them, so it pays to spend time searching for an able artist in your area.
What To Consider Before Getting Tattoo Over Freckles
Tattoo Design
If you decide to tattoo over freckles, these flat spots become part of your artwork. It means that you should factor in the tones of your skin and freckles in the tattoo design.
You have the options between black, grey, or full-color tattoos, and what you choose will determine whether the freckles are eclipsed or flattered. Dark colors work great to conceal the freckles, whereas lighter shades can let your freckles shine through and enhance the tattoos.
Tattoo colors for freckled skin
The suitable color scheme for the tattoos significantly depends on whether you want to highlight or cover the freckles.
If you want to make your freckles less pronounced and focus more on the tattoos, choose dark colors such as black, dark grey, dark blue, dark purple, red, emerald green.
Light ink colors like pink, orange, yellow, light blue, and white inks can show off your beautiful freckles.
Tattoo styles for freckles
- Classic Americana: This old-school style with bold color still allows space to highlight your freckles
- Blackwood: Thick and bold black ink lines form various geometric shapes, and there are wonderfully beautiful speckles in between.
- Trash Polka: With bold and fine lines in the combination of black and red inks, these dramatic, abstract tattoos can incredibly stand out. These tattoos are a collage of words, symbols, and imagery that won’t entirely cover up your freckles.
- Portraiture: You can choose an image of anyone, be it real or fictional. Yet, this tattoo style is quite demanding and requires fine skills from the tattoo artists to bring out the unique characteristics of the person’s face.
- New School: New School is an excellent style to experiment with if you think the black lines are a little stark. It’s known for its vivid color scheme, heavy outline, and imaginative content.
You can refer to this collection to know more about freckle tattoo styles and samples.
Tattoo artist
The quality of your tattoos significantly depends on the artist’s skills and experience. Thus, you should ensure that the artist you’re working with has confidence and experience of tattooing over freckles.
Artists who have prior experience with freckles will probably ask you about the freckle patterns, density, and tone. Also, they may want to know whether any moles are mixing in between. If moles are present, the artist usually needs to work around them instead of going over them.
They also want to know if you wish to add more tattoos around the spot to determine the suitable replacement and design for the tattoos.
[alert-success]Read more: How To Find A Good Tattoo Artist? [/alert-success]
Sun exposure
Extended exposure to the sun (UV light) can trigger melanocytes to produce more melanin, making freckles darker. It is why freckles are more noticeable in summer.
Most people have their tattoos in this season as the artist can choose a suitable tone and design. However, don’t go into a tattoo shop if you’ve just got sunburnt. The artists might refuse to tattoo over sunburnt skin.
Aftercare For Tattoo Over Freckles
Freckles are more likely to develop on a fair complexion. In general, fair skin is more sensitive and needs special care and attention. Here are some tips to make sure the healing process goes smoothly.
- Avoid exposing the tattoo to the sun until it’s fully healed (1 or 3 weeks)
- If you desperately need to get outside, apply a tattoo-specific 30+ SPF sunblock on the skin.
- Stick to the tattooist’s aftercare and healing regimes
- Don’t go swimming for at least 3 weeks or until your tattoos entirely heal. The water can cause infection or interfere with the healing process.
- Do not consume stimulants or alcohol to keep your skin in good condition. Foods high in saturated fats and oils should be avoided, either.
- Drink water (before and after getting new ink) to keep your skin hydrated.
- Avoid heavy sweating activities. You should at least wait for the second round of layered tattoo peeling finishes.
Conclusion
Now you know the answer to “Can you tattoo over freckles?” Tattooing over freckles to many artists is incredibly exciting, and we hope you’ll feel the same. So prepare yourself for your big day, choose an artist that has experience with freckles, and let your creative juices flow. The result will be stunning!
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