What is Tattoo Blowout?

You may have heard this term or even experienced it, but what exactly is ‘blowout’? Read on to find out!

First, let’s look into what happens when the skin is tattooed. Here, you can see the layers that make up your skin and what lies beneath. Typically, the ink is deposited in the dermis, where it sits indefinitely.

I say indefinitely, because the body treats the process as an infection, and if it succeeds in its mission to remove it, the ink fades…or, of course, if you get laser removal treatment, the ink will break into smaller pigment particles and be absorbed by the body (we’ll save that for another blog post).

The unappealing effect comes about when ink is injected deeper than necessary.

What Does Blowout Look Like?

Embarrassingly, this is one by me. 😱 Must have been having an off day. Still, I’d rather use my own example than potentially upset another artist.

The easiest way to describe it is like an ‘ink bruise’ that surrounds the tattoo. They typically start from the edges of the tattoo and slowly fade outwards.

What Can Cause Blowout?

There are multiple factors that can play into this – some are down to the artist, others due to aftercare:

Needle being pushed in too deep,
Needle being inserted at an awkward angle, puncturing an area of skin that doesn’t align well with the surface,
Stretching the skin too much whilst tattooing
Impact or pressure on the tattoo during the healing process
Excessive stretching/moving of the tattoo during the healing process

What Areas are More Prone to Blowout?

Wrists
Ankle
Feet
Hands

…essentially, bony areas and places with thin skin (or both).

Can Blowout Be Removed?

Like the rest of your tattoo, it’s there to stay. Your options include:

Laser removal treatment
Altering the design to cover it (such as adding a gradient or colour around it)
Cover up the tattoo with another design.

The original tattoo was covered up with a new design. It isn’t necessary to go this big for a coverup – it just happens to be a design this client wanted.

What If I Don’t Want Another Tattoo?

The short answer is: either learn to accept it or consider getting the unwanted areas removed using Laser Removal Treatment. Tattoos are permanent markings in the skin and clients must be prepared to this commitment prior to getting their body art.

What Can I Do To Fix Mine?

If you’re looking to have your tattoo altered or covered up, please use the form below to book a Consultation. We’ll chat about your tattoo and ideas:

If you’d rather have the blowout (or whole tattoo) removed, NAOHOA is affiliated with Rethink The Ink (Porthcawl).

5 sessions in (click here to see the post)

Jon is a fantastic practitioner whose work doesn’t leave scarring or change of skin pigmentation. Let him know that I sent you. 😉

Thanks for reading! For more information, check out my blog posts that cover Tattoo Advice, Lifestyle or follow other people’s journey via #NAOHOAstory. 💗