# If you get a cut on a tattoo, and the cut scabs over, does it ruin the tattoo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2011, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-get-a-cut-on-a-tattoo-and-the-cut-scabs-over-does-it-ruin-the-tattoo/570128 "2011-02-04T08:13:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shabbyskunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Shabbyskunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shabbyskunk)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-get-a-cut-on-a-tattoo-and-the-cut-scabs-over-does-it-ruin-the-tattoo/570128/1 "2011-02-04T08:13:12Z")
Say it’s a rather large cut, when it eventually heals, would it leave a blank space of normal skin where part of the tattoo was? ---
**Author:** ![Hairy\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecc23a/32.png) [@Hairy\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hairy_Bob)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-get-a-cut-on-a-tattoo-and-the-cut-scabs-over-does-it-ruin-the-tattoo/570128/2 "2011-02-04T09:47:33Z")
I’m just speculating, but I think if the cut is large/deep enough to leave a scar, then the scar might well just be skin coloured. ISTR that you can’t tattoo scarred flesh, anyone want to back me up? ---
**Author:** ![Turpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-get-a-cut-on-a-tattoo-and-the-cut-scabs-over-does-it-ruin-the-tattoo/570128/3 "2011-02-04T13:59:08Z")
Yes, it does. ---
**Author:** ![ybot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@ybot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ybot)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-get-a-cut-on-a-tattoo-and-the-cut-scabs-over-does-it-ruin-the-tattoo/570128/4 "2011-02-04T14:25:00Z")
Not necessarily. It depends a lot on how the cut heals, whether it was sutured, the type of cut and on and on. You can most definitely tattoo scars, I have had it done. If the cut deep or not is a nice straight cut steri-strips can be used to close it. If care is used in closing it you can get it lined up pretty well. On the flip side if most of your cuts heal and the resulting scar is a keloid then it will most certainly be unsightly. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-get-a-cut-on-a-tattoo-and-the-cut-scabs-over-does-it-ruin-the-tattoo/570128/5 "2011-02-04T15:18:16Z")
if it leaves a scar you could get a knife blade placed over part of the old tat going into the scar. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-get-a-cut-on-a-tattoo-and-the-cut-scabs-over-does-it-ruin-the-tattoo/570128/6 "2011-02-04T16:48:37Z")
That’s the biggest issue with Tat’s. Skin changes over time. That cute tat at 20 looks a lot different when you’re 60. They stretch with weight gain. Ink fades over the years. Surgery can slice them up. By the time you’re sixty you’re sick of seeing it every day. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-get-a-cut-on-a-tattoo-and-the-cut-scabs-over-does-it-ruin-the-tattoo/570128/7 "2011-02-04T17:24:49Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > That’s the biggest issue with Tat’s. Skin changes over time. That cute tat at 20 looks a lot different when you’re 60. They stretch with weight gain. Ink fades over the years. Surgery can slice them up. By the time you’re sixty you’re sick of seeing it every day. So does that answer the question about why tramp stamps are still popular? Because the owner doesn’t have to look at them? Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-get-a-cut-on-a-tattoo-and-the-cut-scabs-over-does-it-ruin-the-tattoo/570128/8 "2011-02-04T17:39:46Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > So does that answer the question about why tramp stamps are still popular? Because the owner doesn’t have to look at them? > Roddy I thought the benefit of tramp stamps is that they are self removing as the skin sags 😃 ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-get-a-cut-on-a-tattoo-and-the-cut-scabs-over-does-it-ruin-the-tattoo/570128/9 "2011-02-04T17:45:41Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > By the time you’re sixty you’re sick of seeing it every day. Maybe for some people, but certainly not for all. For one thing, I usually can’t see most of my tattoos - they’re under my clothes most of the day. For another, they’re like moles or freckles, just part of my skin. I don’t get sick of my freckles and - as yet - I have not felt any signs of getting sick of seeing my tattoos. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-get-a-cut-on-a-tattoo-and-the-cut-scabs-over-does-it-ruin-the-tattoo/570128/10 "2011-02-04T20:30:28Z")
I got my last tattoo on my inner forearm in midwinter when my skin was as white as a blizzard. I had completely forgotten the small scar there as it is not raised or generally visible. There is a definite small colour difference in that area (that doesn’t bother me one bit) but I haven’t experienced any scarring over tattoo and hope I don’t. I have not had a single moment of regret over my tatts, even the first one I got when pretty young, in fact, they possibly even give me more pleasure now after losing 60kg and a lot of skin tone but then, I think I chose designs well with an eye to the future and allowing for skin changes - my forearm has a multi coloured lizard hanging on for dear life. I am a 45 year old woman, I don’t see that I will change my mind by 60 ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-get-a-cut-on-a-tattoo-and-the-cut-scabs-over-does-it-ruin-the-tattoo/570128/11 "2011-02-04T22:09:31Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > That’s the biggest issue with Tat’s. Skin changes over time. That cute tat at 20 looks a lot different when you’re 60. They stretch with weight gain. Ink fades over the years. Surgery can slice them up. By the time you’re sixty you’re sick of seeing it every day. Who cares ? It looks purdy now, and nobody plans on picking chicks/guys up with cool tats when they’re 60 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kamrusepas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@Kamrusepas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamrusepas)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-get-a-cut-on-a-tattoo-and-the-cut-scabs-over-does-it-ruin-the-tattoo/570128/12 "2011-02-04T23:18:48Z")
Well I had a tattoo done on my ankle last summer. A few months later, I made a _nasty_ cut while shaving my legs. The area of the cut looks slightly faded now. So yeah, I can say from experience that it might affect it a little.