If the tattoo is
There's nothing you can do now to make it lighter without damaging the tattoo. Just wait until it's completely healed, the difference will be way less and maybe not bother you as much.
The answer is that you can't lighten up a tattoo. You can strategically darken some areas to add more contrast, but you'd want to do it very minimally.
The best way to ``brighten `` an old tattoo is chemical exfoliation-removing dead dull surface skin cells-use a body serum or lotion with physical exfoliating ingredients like AHA/BHA-these are often in lotions designed to fight body acne. I like Glow Recipe Watermelon glow lotion and AprilSkin Carotene body lotion.
Natural ingredients such as lemon juice, glycolic acid, and hydrogen peroxide are known for their mild bleaching properties, which can be employed to fade tattoo ink gradually.
Lastly, you can continue using coconut oil on older tattoos to help them look bright and vibrant for years to come. Even years after receiving a tattoo, it's important to look after the skin, so it, and your tattoo, continues to age well.
Hydrogen peroxide
It is designed to work as a disinfectant but is moderately effective at fading superficial layers of ink. On its own, hydrogen peroxide is not potent enough to penetrate the second layer of skin. As a result, fresh tattoos or deeply embedded tattoos won't be phased by it.
Yes, it is possible to completely remove a black tattoo, although the process may take several sessions to complete.
Lastly, the American Academy of Dermatology states that petroleum-based products can cause the ink to fade. After all the pain and hard work you had to endure to get that beautiful new piece, surely you're not too keen on it just fading from something as simple as petroleum jelly, would you?
Diluting your tattoo ink with distilled water is a great way to add dimension in your pieces that require shading. It's also great for clients who like the more washed out, gray look in their fine line tattoos!
Typically, you will start to see tattoo fading around sessions 3-5 which is optimal for people who are seeking removal for a cover up, but it will likely take 10-12 sessions to see complete removal results.
Changing the Hue of Subtle Colors
Logically, tattoos done in lighter and subtle colors can be tattooed-over in a deeper darker tones while maintaining the existing design and general aesthetic. This is done in the same vein as a traditional cover-up.
Overall, the best way to lighten a tattoo is by using a white base layer and applying a lighter color layer. However, you may also do it by applying darker colors and a white layer. In this case, the white layer has to be darker than the colored layer.
Specifically, lighter colors like white, yellow, light blue, and pink are the most difficult to remove, as are green, red, and neon colors. White ink (and light colors that were made by combining darker ink with white ink) sometimes turns darker before it begins to fade.
Is It Possible to Lighten a Dark Tattoo? You can absolutely lighten a tattoo that is too dark. If you still like your design, but it's just too dark or bold, laser removal can help you achieve the results you want.
Hydrogen Peroxide and Exfoliation - Exfoliation paired with hydrogen peroxide can do wonders to gradually fade tattoo ink naturally. This is because exfoliation removes dead skin while hydrogen peroxide is a skin lightening agent that has bleaching properties.
A salt/saline solution is a common, effective approach to lightening tattoos. Although it is a slower process than other treatments, this method is popular because it is safer than other tattoo lightening procedures.
Buff out the damage once or twice a week on fully healed tattoos. Apply BUFF to a washcloth or shower scrubber and use a circular motion to gently polish off dead skin and grunge residue. If your skin gets red, sore, or inflamed, lay off the buffing and stick to moisturizing until your skin is healed.
Essential oils can potentially fade tattoos due to their natural bleaching properties. Lemon, lavender, frankincense, helichrysum, and tea tree essential oils are the best options for fading tattoos.
Adding a tattoo brightening cream to your skincare routine can bring amazing results. The best tattoo brightening creams work with your healed ink to bring it back to life. Look for a cream that has amino acids to exfoliate and refresh skin, as well as natural oils to nourish and hydrate.