Hello. I had another question regarding top surgery. I'm sure it's been posted about before, but I couldn't quite find the answers I was looking for, and I didn't want to bump a super-old thread.

So, did any of you get tattoos over your scars? And if you did, what of? How long did you have to wait until you got the tattoo? How badly did it hurt going over the scar tissue?

I'm planning on getting an array of tattoos in the future (I have about 8 planned), but I was curious about this in particular. Thanks in advance, guys.

You'll want the scars to be completely and utterly healed first, which can take quite some time. If the scar is healed, but you still don't have much feeling in it, I can't imagine it would hurt terribly. Have you had a tattoo before? Everyone's tolerance is different, even for people who get on in the same place.
dragonflyink.com/custom-tattooing/scar-tattooing/frequently-asked-questions-about-tattooing-over-scars/ has some basic over-scar info.

Quote from: Soren on July 13, 2013, 09:22:30 PM
You'll want the scars to be completely and utterly healed first, which can take quite some time. If the scar is healed, but you still don't have much feeling in it, I can't imagine it would hurt terribly. Have you had a tattoo before? Everyone's tolerance is different, even for people who get on in the same place.
dragonflyink.com/custom-tattooing/scar-tattooing/frequently-asked-questions-about-tattooing-over-scars/ has some basic over-scar info.

I mean, I knew they had to be completely healed; I suppose I worded that wrong. How long does it usually take, in general?

I haven't gotten a tattoo (yet) and this one I would expect to be my very last tattoo, in general. So by then I would probably know how they feel.

Thank you for all the info! ^^

Quote from: Rin on July 13, 2013, 10:15:15 PM
How long does it usually take, in general?

That, I don't know. brownsteincrane.com/faqs/ Says 6 months before you can go for a "normal hot tub session" and I'm gonna take a shot in the dark here and say tattoos'll take a bit longer than that.

Thank ya. Yeah, I figured a year or more after would be normal.

Besides the tattoo that I'm pondering now I might wait on because I figured out how to make it work with the chest and it'll prolly take me about that long to save up for it, lol.

I also plan to get a big chest piece once my scars are healed. I've gotten advice from other men that said to wait at least 8 months to a year, just to be safe. That's perfect timing to save up the money for the piece since surgery is so expensive to begin with. My tattoo I have now didn't hurt, but it's on the back of my leg. I would definitely suggest you start out with something simple or small to make sure you can handle it.

Quote from: Lance on July 14, 2013, 12:37:00 AM
I also plan to get a big chest piece once my scars are healed. I've gotten advice from other men that said to wait at least 8 months to a year, just to be safe. That's perfect timing to save up the money for the piece since surgery is so expensive to begin with. My tattoo I have now didn't hurt, but it's on the back of my leg. I would definitely suggest you start out with something simple or small to make sure you can handle it.

Yeah, I'm thinking a year might be good. I have a parlor near me who has a "Wimp Out Wednesday" thing they do - you play a flat fee of $450 and just sit for as long as you can and get w/e you want. I got the piece that I wanted (on my back and decided I could have parts of it wrap around my chest and cover the scars) priced and it's a big piece upward of $2k depending on where I go. So I might go the W.O.W. route lol. The first ones I'm going to get are going to be near my ankles, which I know is gonna hurt like a b*tch because it'll be near the bone, but they'll be worth it when I'm done (they're actually religious tattoos for me, so they're very important).
 
Oh, yeah; I actually have a high pain tolerance (I was a jock all my life, so I guess I got used to getting knocked around; I think I did every sport my tiny Catholic school had to offer), so that might not be a problem. Also, all the needles I've ever encountered tickled me, so I guess my pain tolerance/skin is weird. I heard tattoos kind of feel like one continuous bee sting. We'll see.

I heard ant bites. When I got it though it wasn't that bad. I have a high pain tolerance as well, luckily. So we've decided on a year, sounds good, lol.

Quote from: Lance on July 14, 2013, 10:04:18 AM
I heard ant bites. When I got it though it wasn't that bad. I have a high pain tolerance as well, luckily. So we've decided on a year, sounds good, lol.

I've never actually had an ant bite, so I can't say that I would know what that feels like. (My sister seemed to have all the run-ins with bite-y and sting-y insects; got hornets, wasps, and yellowjackets or something all in her sock once when she was little; it was awful). A bee sting I can relate to. I feel like if I mentally convince myself it's going to hurt worse than it actually feels, I might just be like "Oh, hey; this isn't so bad". Either that or I'll bring a pair of leather gloves to bite on, lol.

Most people say it tickles at first. Then it goes anywhere from so-painful-they-can't-breathe to i'm-bored-i'm-gonna-take-a-nap.

Quote from: Soren on July 14, 2013, 11:27:16 AM
Most people say it tickles at first. Then it goes anywhere from so-painful-they-can't-breathe to i'm-bored-i'm-gonna-take-a-nap.

My friends have often told me I'd end up being the I'mma-take-a-nap-wake-me-when-you're-done type, haha.

Quote from: Rin on July 14, 2013, 11:36:17 AM
My friends have often told me I'd end up being the I'mma-take-a-nap-wake-me-when-you're-done type, haha.

lucky 

Quote from: Soren on July 14, 2013, 12:14:18 PM
lucky 

Indeedy; I hope it's true. I'll have to visit the parlor for quotes; it'd be good to know the actual prices first o.o

Quote from: Rin on July 14, 2013, 12:45:05 PM
Indeedy; I hope it's true. I'll have to visit the parlor for quotes; it'd be good to know the actual prices first o.o

Are you planning on flash or custom? With custom there's a designing fee.

Quote from: Soren on July 14, 2013, 01:05:31 PM
Are you planning on flash or custom? With custom there's a designing fee.

I actually have some pictures of things I want - the only thing I don't have is the MAJORLY big one on my back.

The ones on my ankles are gonna be similar to this

because Hermes is my patron god, so I wanted to get them for that.

Quote from: Rin on July 14, 2013, 01:28:13 PM
I actually have some pictures of things I want - the only thing I don't have is the MAJORLY big one on my back.

The ones on my ankles are gonna be similar to this

because Hermes is my patron god, so I wanted to get them for that.

Ooh, very nice.

As I understand it, tattooing scare tissue causes the needle to "stick". Meaning it slows it down when going over the scared area. What I plan to do is to minimize scaring with scare soften-ers and bio-oil, wait a year or so and go to an artist to see what they can do. It is possible that they may have to tweek the design.

As somone who has done many tattoos in the past (old me) would say yes and no. The thing is a tat in its self is a scar and scar tissue has a hard time holding ink. Its like trying to go over a old tat (cover up) it can be done but you always have that faint outline of the old scar tissue that is now just a little thicker.

Yes you have to slow down the machine along with trying to stay in the area as little to not make much more damage. But as for time it comes down to everyone heals differently so when the scar tissue will take ink is when it can be done.

Lots of luck in your healing

Izzy

Honestly I would wait a year or two before getting any tattoos, just to let your skin heal and adjust as much as it's going to. Everyone else has already addressed pretty well the issues with it holding ink and whatever. Also that pain can range all over the place.

I got a large chest piece on half of my chest a couple months ago. I waited till I was 2 years post op (the different tattoo artists I asked, all suggested that the scars be atleast 2 years old).
   Also, I wanted to be extra careful since my scars all stretched out. The widest parts were upto an inch wide :/

The tattoo I got done in one 4hr session, I designed it so that it only went across my left side (didn't want a full chest tattoo, but wanted to camouflage atleast one scar).

It did hurt, and this wasn't my first tattoo. However, it was the area around the armpit, nipple and on the chest bone, not on the scar, that stood out as being the most painful. I was anxious about how it would feel going over the large scar, but by the time he got to that area, my skin was already feeling hot and in pain so it just blended :p