For tattoos with dark black ink, you should use a deep red neutralizer. If the tattoo has a variety of colors, you'll need to reference a color wheel and use complementary colors on each part of the tattoo.
Colour correcting your tattoos follows the same ground rules as concealing blemishes on the face. The trick is to cancel out the tints in your tattoos with complementary colours. Use a peach corrector for black/blue ink, a green corrector to cover up red, and yellow correctors for purple hues and vice versa.
Color Choice: Darker colors, such as deep blues, greens, or reds, can often cover black tattoos more effectively than lighter colors. However, lighter colors may be used if they are applied with sufficient opacity and layering.
Use shades of orange, peach, or red to cancel out darker areas. Apply a dark red colorcorrector over the tattoo. Blend it out. Apply a foundation or a concealer on top of the color corrector. Blend all of that together. Use foundation powder.
It is difficult to cover up a black tattoo with any color other than black. Other dark tones like navy or brown might work, but lighter colors won't be effective in covering up an original black tattoo.
“For tattoos that are newer or a blue-black color, use an orange or peach-toned corrector,” adds Guerra. “For older, faded tattoos or a more green-based black ink, use a red corrector.” “The deeper the skin tone, the deeper the corrector will need to be,” Cruz adds.
If the tattoo is inked with a dark color, the tattoo artist may lighten it by using a white base. Again, this is not just a plain white, but a white with other colors added to it. This way, the tattoo will seem to lighten up by using a lighter base.
How to lighten a tattoo effectively? Laser removal is by far the best way to fade a tattoo. This is the quickest, safest, and most efficient removal process, says Cooper Ferreira, a Removery technician and experienced RN. “This is a process that utilizes your immune system to remove ink in a safe way,” he emphasizes.
The application of white ink introduces a stunning contrast, transforming a once-dominant black tattoo into a complex tonal interplay. Here, the black serves as a shadow, highlighting the ethereal quality of white ink and creating depth where there was none.
Consider laser tattoo fading to be an evolution of traditional cover-ups and color-overs. It allows the laser to fade the black ink to the point that it can be colored over in a preferred hue, but does not require the design itself to be removed.
Hydrogen Peroxide and Exfoliation - Exfoliation paired with hydrogen peroxide can do wonders to gradually fade tattoo ink naturally.
The reason tattoos turn green is that some of the ink gets absorbed into the skin, lightening the concentration and creating a green hue. Black ink is the most common culprit, but other shades change over time in other different ways.
Use a darker color palette: When tattooing over black ink, itʼs important to use a darker color palette. Darker colors, such as navy blue or forest green, can help to fully cover up the existing tattoo and prevent it from bleeding through the new tattoo.
While laser treatments are the most common approach for black tattoo removal, surgical excision may be an option in certain cases. This method involves physically removing the tattooed skin through a minor surgical procedure. Pros of Surgical Excision for Black Tattoos: Immediate and complete removal of the tattoo.
Lighter tones – Lighter tones like yellow, blue, purple, and green can be tricky because they are placed in the lower part of the absorption spectrum. This also applies to neon-colored inks. White – White inks are the hardest tattoo ink to remove because it doesn't absorb much of the light.
The key to covering up a black tattoo is to choose a color that will contrast well with the black ink. For example, lighter colors such as white, yellow, or light green will stand out against the darkness of the black ink. Darker colors, such as dark green or blue, can also work well for covering up a black tattoo.
Shades on the opposite end of the color spectrum will neutralize their counterpart. The most commonly used neutralizing color is a deep orange to cancel out the blue and blue-green shades of common tattoo inks. For tattoos with dark black ink, you should use a deep red neutralizer.
Regular exfoliation with a salt or sugar scrub can help fade your tattoo. Try to exfoliate for 5-10 minutes per session and avoid being too rough with your skin. Applying lemon or lime juice, glycolic acid, and hydrogen peroxide can lighten skin if you apply it directly, especially if you do it right after exfoliating.
Witch Hazel Distillate by Aloe Tattoo is ideal for diluting tattoo inks to create different tones when shading. Made by distilling the leaves of the Hamamelis Virginiana plant, its properties help to calm irritated skin and prevent bleeding to promote healing.
For dark colored tattoos, you may consider using a color corrector such as Quick Fix™ Color-Correcting Powder Pigments on top of the tattoo before applying makeup. Use orange over areas of blue or faded tattoos and red for deep black ink. This will ensure the actual coverage is faster and more effective.
UV Exposure
UV rays cause damage to the skin that also extends to permanent ink. Sun exposure will cause all tattoo ink colors to fade. The best way to avoid UV tattoo fading is to cover tattoos when in the sun. If this is not possible, apply a high-SPF sunscreen.
The L'Oréal Paris Infallible Full Wear Concealer up to 24H Full Coverage comes in 25 shades with a matte, full-coverage finish and waterproof formula that makes it ideal for concealing tattoos anywhere on the body.