Repairs
Tattoos can be repaired by our skilled professionals if the client wishes to retain the idea of the image they had in mind and sadly received it at the hands of an inexperienced practitioner. We enhance the original design with the inclusion of details and nuances previously neglected. A nice example is the portrait shown above.
Restorations
Tattoo pigment is semi-transparent and assumes the skin tone of the individual wearing the design. As the tattoo ages within the skin, tiny molecules of pigment are carried away by the macrophagic action of the cells leaving the tattoo appearing a bit faded over the course of time. The misnomer “the sun fades tattoos” is incorrect; known dermatological fact … one summer in the sun without a sunblock will change the color of the skin for up to three years.
Dragon Moon Artists are adept at restoring the tattoo to its original condition by re-working the entire image; line work and color are re-applied to enhance the existing image, often with better results than the first time around! Loss of elasticity and collagen is a normal part of the aging process and unfortunately we can do nothing about this though one can retard the ravages of time by daily use of sunblocks which do help lessen damage due to over exposure to UV rays. One of our favorite block is “Bullfrog” brand found in most drugstores.
Cover-Ups
“What was I thinking?!” is an exhortation we frequently hear when clients show us a design they’d like to cover. We will be happy to bury your sad, bad, downright ugly tattoo with a new design. Our guarantee to you: the existing image will be completely obscured and we challenge your friends and family to “find” the old one that we covered with your new choice.
The old adage that only panthers, roses or eagles will cover a poorly executed tattoo is outdated (though we still like panthers, roses and eagles!) we can creatively cover your design by discussing what you’d like to see in its place. Stop in today and we’ll show you what can be done for you!
Laser Removals and Subsequent Applications of a New Tattoo
Your last resort may be choosing to remove your tattoo completely, then applying another design to obscure micro particles of pigment that were not leached from the skin. The laser works by breaking the particles of pigment into smaller pieces. As the smaller pieces work their way up to the surface layer and slough off with the natural exfoliation process of skin, the tattoo appears to be disintegrating. This is a process and cannot be achieved in just a few months. Unfortunately, we see many cases of maceration of the skin through improper use of the laser … and sadly most people do not understand one simple fact of laser removal:
it takes approximately 45 days for new skin cells to regenerate and rise to the epidermal layer.
If a “laser doctor” tells you to come back in 3 weeks for another laser session — we request you wait at least 6–8 months in between treatments — you will experience much better results.
We recommend clients with laser removals to wait at least 6 months after receiving the final laser session before booking a consultation. In the mean time we recommend daily use of Palmer’s Cocoa Butter or Eucerin’s Aquaphor to help soften the damaged skin prior to covering the removal with a new image. This too is a process and requires patience on the part of the client. Instant gratification cannot be expected when covering areas that were lasered.
