Permanent solution for fading tattoos?

Question

Hi! i have a black tattoo on my foot which has of course faded to that greenish blueish grey colour. Rather than get it retouched repeatedly for the rest of my life, i was thinking about getting it redone with a dark brown over the black. im wondering if anyone has done this? i was thinking that the black and brown (even when faded) might result in a nicer darker colour.

yeh i know black is darker, but then the same thing will just happen again. i dont mind if it fades a bit i just hate that greenish grey colour, so i was thinking if its black mixed with brown it might be a nicer colour even when faded?

the problem with foot tattoos is
1. the skin itself is thinner so artists cant go any deeper without scarring.
2. they see a lot of sun
3. when they are not in the sun they are being rubbed by shoes.

this all means they are notorious for fading much worse than other places. its pretty much unavoidable.

Answer 1

You are pretty much stuck with having to have it touched up. I have the whole top of my foot covered with a skull that is done in black and greywash that I have to have touched up about every other month, otherwise the side's of it's face (near the edges of my foot) completely wears off to the point of just being a faint little scar with no ink. I've had my artist actually dig in on one of the touch ups to the point of me being in severe pain, and that didn't even prevent it from growing out.

Feet do not hold ink well anywhere near the edges (or the bottom for that matter...which is why most of my practice in my apprenticeship is done on the bottom of my feet, 3 weeks later I have a clean canvas again to do another design on, and this actually hurts 10 times less than the top of the foot, lol).

If you have it touched up with dark brown over the black, you're still going to have the same problem of it fading, but the brown most likely will turn into a very soft brown, and you'll possibly end up with a speckled look from the black in it when it does fade.

Answer 2

Cosmetic tattooing is only a semi-permanent procedure, as special inks are used (so it doesn't blue, purple, or green out over time) and because your face is exposed to the sun all the time, causing fading within the following few years (usually 2-4 years at most). Whether you choose the SoftTap method (little "pens" that contain the needles in the end that are used by pushing the ink in by hand) or by tattoo machine (far quicker, with the ink being placed in just a few passes), it's relatively a simple procedure, with professionals numbing the area with a topical ointment before the procedure, and then again on the broken skin after the first pass to be certain that the area is completely numb. The things you'll want to look for are photos of both fresh and healed cosmetic tattoos in their portfolio, as well as specifically formulated cosmetic tattoo inks (make sure they're not mixed in with primary-type colors and that the bottles are no larger than your thumb). Also ask for an initial consultation and ask about color matching for your skin tone (there are specific formulas that remove the blue or green undertones in these inks to match up better with olive or ruddy skin tones as well by simply putting in a drop or two with the cosmetic inks). I have personally had my eyeliner done (machine method). It was less than an hour from start to finish (including numbing time and color matching). The first pass was nerve-wracking (it takes a bit for you to wrap your head around the fact that needles are right next to your eyes), but it was painless - a little pressure on the first pass, and then nothing after the second numbing. The healing was a piece of cake, also... however, after the second day of ice packs for the swelling and ointment for moisture (Aquaphor was recommended), the skin peeled, causing 2-3 days of red eyes from itching (which is also completely normal). I would DEFINITELY recommend it to anyone wanting to avoid the additional time each morning with application. It's SUCH a timesaver. The downside though, you have to touch it up every so often... for some people (depending on how much time you spend in the sun), every year, for others, every few years for touchups.

Answer 3

i found this new ink online called black onyx and it seems to keep the darkness very well i have a tat on my wrist that kept fading so i went over it with this and it has stayed dark for a while longer and when it does fade it looks like normal black
i found the ink on this site inkcraft.biz

Answer 4

If the tattoo is fading it means that the artist did not lay the ink far enough under the skin. Next time you have it touched-up, ask the artist to go over the tattoo, but lay the ink further into your skin (a few layers down). Otherwise, you'll have this problem for a while.

Answer 5

If I could see it, I could tell you for sure, but..............
it may be that you shoe/sneaker is rubbing it and that's why it's
fading....and unless you go barefoot all year long, you
will still have that problem.
No, black is darker than brown so it wouldn't make it darker.

Answer 6

Always use sun screen on them, but it is too late for that now. I"d go with black again, and there are so many shades of black and different brands of ink vary too.

Answer 7

Claire hey when you get a chance add me [e-mail] for my msn messenger name... i tried adding you but it did not work

Answer 8

I have always wondered about this one. I hope you get some good answers.

Answer 9

try dark purple

Answer 10

you should moisturise your tattoos - this should help with the colour