It takes some courage to decide why you want to get a tattoo. After all, whatever design you want to get, you will be subjecting your skin to the pain of having any number of needles stab at you repeatedly. But in some cases, it takes more courage to get a tattoo and flaunt it. While it might be a great idea to show off your new wrist piece to your friends and co-workers, you also know that your boss could fire you on the spot faster than you could say "I can have it erased!" if he ever saw it.
Some people are forced to hide their tattoos and any other type of body modification because they need to conform to some antiquated office policy. Others hide their ink in order to appear more professional during an interview. Others, still, simply want to keep their tattoos away from the prying eyes of their parents, or their other, more conservative relatives.
It is easy to hide small tattoos, especially if they are placed on some inconspicuous body part that is often covered up by your regular clothes. But how do you conceal your ink if it is on your neck, or your forearm? Since laser tattoo removal is, and should very well be, absolutely out of the question, the answer to your tattoo concealment issue is makeup.
Here are two easy ways to hide your tattoo whenever the situation calls for it:
Aside from enhancing a person's looks by accentuating one's desirable features, makeup is also widely used to cover up irregularities such as scars, moles, and blemishes. It has been around for decades, and the practical use of cosmetics has since grown beyond making a person look more beautiful. If applied correctly, makeup can also be used to effectively conceal tattoos. Here are the steps:
Begin by making sure that your tattooed skin is clean and free from dirt. This prepares the skin and makes it easier to put makeup on it. Then apply a heavy-coverage liquid or cream concealer that is several shades lighter than your natural skin tone. Dab or blot the concealer onto your tattooed skin using a stippling brush or a makeup sponge in order to increase coverage without wasting too much of the product. At this point, your tattoo will most likely still be visible. Just let the concealer dry for about a minute or two.
Once the concealer is dry, you can start applying foundation. Choose a foundation that matches the natural color of your skin. You can opt to use liquid or cream foundations, but if you don't have much experience in applying makeup or any other type of cosmetic product, you might be better off using a spray foundation as these products are easy to use, and provide the most even skin coverage. Your tattoo should no longer be visible at this point, with the foundation evenly blending in with your natural skin tone. Let the foundation set for about a minute before moving on to the final step.
Finish off your tattoo concealment with a light spritz of hairspray. This process ties all the layers together and prevents the makeup from rubbing off onto your clothes, your car seats, or your furniture. Just make sure that the area has completely dried before covering it up. If you are planning to hide your tattoos for a special event like a wedding or a job interview, it would help to practice your technique beforehand.
Also, do not put makeup on a new tattoo if it has not completely healed yet. Reputable artists will advise against covering up tattoos that have not yet healed because you run the risk of infection as well as the possibility of ruining the ink on your tattoo. On average, new tattoos take around 45 days to fully heal. If you really want to get a tattoo, but you have a job interview in the morning, you need to either hold off on getting inked for a few weeks, or start looking for a more sensible employer.
Other than regular makeup, there are specialized products that can help you conceal your tattoo. These products are available in the market today, although some brands may be a bit more expensive than regular makeup.
One example is stage makeup. Also commonly referred to as theatrical makeup, stage makeup is a type of cosmetic product used by actors, in conjunction with lighting and other special effects, for theater productions. Stage makeup is great for hiding tattoos because it provides heavy and long-lasting coverage. It also works great for covering large tattoos. You can find stage makeup that matches the color of your skin, or use white stage makeup to hide your tattoo and use regular foundation to complete the effect.
Another way to easily conceal your tattoo is to get an airbrush tan. If you are looking to hide a small tattoo or a design that only uses light colors, you may be able to get away with a simple airbrush tan. There are plenty of DIY spray tan products available in the market today, and they are great for darkening your skin, evening out your skin tone, and covering up imperfections. You can also choose to visit your local tanning salon if you are looking to get a more professional treatment.
Lastly, you can talk to the people at your local tattoo shop about specialized products that are designed specifically for covering up tattoos. These products usually come in the form of a kit, which contains just about everything that you will need in order to cover up you tattoo. Some of these products are even advertised as "tattoo removal kits", although they really ought to be called "tattoo concealment kits".
For whatever reason you would want to have your tattoo covered up, remember that society today is slowly becoming more accepting of people with body modifications. Wear your ink with pride, as you should. If your boss has a problem with that dragon slithering around your arm, you might want to start giving your career choices a long, hard look. Or you can always go with any of the options mentioned in this article.
