So, you have got a tattoo that is rocking some serious dark shading. But over time, the dark shading seems a bit boring to you and you want to lighten up that dark shading a bit. But do you know how to lighten dark shading on a tattoo?
Dark shading can add depth and drama to your tattoo. But you may some your personal reason to lighten that dark shading. Making dark shading tattoos is one thing, but making that same thing lighten is a whole different story. Fixing up a darker shading tattoo can be a bit more complicated than you think. But fret not, in this article I have elaborated on all the methods you can go about to lighten your dark shading on a tattoo and more.
Key Takeaways
- Using special tattooing techniques to create dark shade and provide depth, contrast, and dimensions on a tattoo is dark shading a tattoo.
- Professional ways to lighten dark shading on a tattoo are using white ink and laser treatment.
- A few DIY ways to lighten dark shading on a tattoo are using lemon juice, lemon juice with salt, baking soda, toothpaste, orange juice, etc.
- The benefits of lightening dark shading on a tattoo are design alteration, cover-up preparation, enhanced visibility, and correcting shading.
What Is Dark Shading On A Tattoo?
If you are not sure what dark shading is and if your tattoo falls under dark shading then this portion is for you. So, what is dark shading on a tattoo?
Using dark ink color to use a special technique to make shading and create depth, contrast, and dimension within the tattoo design is called dark shading on a tattoo. Basically creating shades within a tattoo to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
If you want the illusion of three dimensions then shading is the way to go. And dark shading can provide an elegant and classic vibe to your tattoo.
2 Professional Ways To Lighten Dark Shading On A Tattoo
There are many ways to lighten a dark shading on a tattoo professionally. I have listed them below.
1. Using white ink
A professional and experienced tattoo can lighten up darker shading by using white ink over it. The process is called “greying out”. Just like your tattoo artist mixes white ink with black ink to make it grey or to get preferred shading, your artist can tattoo white ink over the darker shading to grey it out or lighten it. It is a complicated process and not all sorts of black shading can be lightened using this method. Make sure to talk to your tattoo artist and see if it is possible to lighten your darker-shade tattoo using white ink or not.
2. Laser treatment
A laser removal procedure is one of the best ways to fade or get rid of any sort of tattoo, including dark shading on a tattoo. Laser treatment uses a laser beam to target the tattooed area. This beam’s high temperature causes the ink pigments on the area to break. Broken-down pigments get removed by your body naturally.
A professional laser treatment specialist can target the only dark shading area and not the whole tattoo to lighten it up. The laser treatment procedure may cause slight pain and discomfort but it is the best method to lighten your dark shading. A laser removal specialist can remove the tattoo completely or fade it if you want to. So, getting rid of dark shedding on the tattoo or just making it lighter can be done using laser treatment.
8 DIY Ways To Lighten Dark Shading On A Tattoo
Many folks out there like to take things into their own hands. If you like to do everything yourself as well then in this portion I have listed many ways you can apply and lighten dark shading on your tattoo. The good thing is you can use these methods at home which could save you some money as well as time.
1. Lemon juice
Lemon juice can be considered a natural bleaching agent. Lemon juice has plenty of nitric acids that you can use to lighten dark shading on a tattoo. You can apply and gently rub lemon juice in a new tattoo can see it fade within a few days or try.
2. Lemon juice with salt
If the lemon juice alone is not a strong bleaching agent for you then you can add some salt to the mix. Adding salt can make the lemon juice even more strong and then you can easily lighten the dark shading from your healing tattoo.
3. Baking soda
Baking soda is another easily available ingredient that works as a fine bleaching agent. You can use the baking soda from your kitchen to mix it with some water and rub over the dark shading on your healing tattoo. After rubbing for a while rinse it with water. Repeat this method twice daily for a few days and you will see your dark shading getting lighter.
4. Orange juice
Orange juice is another natural bleaching agent. It can be as effective as lemon juice. So, use it just like you use lemon juice on your healing dark shading and see it getting light in a few days of application.
5. Toothpaste
Toothpaste can not only remove those stubborn whiteheads from your face but also lighten the dark shading of your tattoo. Apply some toothpaste on your dark shading area that is still healing. Let the toothpaste sit there for a few minutes and then wash it with water. Repeat the process daily till your dark shading lightens up.
6. Tattoo lightening cream
There are plenty of tattoo lightening creams out there. Choose a reputable brand and use it on the dark shading of your tattoo. You may notice results within weeks of use.
7. Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide can peel your skin and remove the dead skin along with a bit of ink while the tattoo is healing. So, apply hydrogen peroxide while your tattoo is healing over the dark shading area, let it sit there overnight, and then wash it in the morning using water.
8. Submerging healing tattoo in water
Submerging your healing tattoo in water for a long time can naturally fade it or make it lighten up. But the downside of this method is, it will lighten your whole tattoo design and not just the dark shading area. During the healing period, the first layer or epidermis layer of your skin can not protect the second layer of your skin properly where the ink resides. This is why submerging a healing tattoo in water for too long can fade or lighten up the tattoo.
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Temporary Way of Lightening Dark Shading on A Tattoo
If you do not have time to do any of the above-mentioned methods and just want to lighten the dark shading of your tattoo temporarily then there is a solution for you. You can use tattoo-concealing makeup.
These tattoo-specific make-ups are designed to be skin-safe and cover or lighten up your tattoos. You can use tattoo-concealing makeup to lighten the dark shading of your tattoo easily. It is cheap and does not require much time either. Very convenient, isn’t it?
If you want you can conceal your dark tattoo completely as well using the tattoo concealing makeup. You can either purchase one of those concealing makeup kits or go to your tattoo artist and they will fix you up.
7 Benefits of Lightening Dark Shading on A Tattoo
If you are wondering about the benefits of lightening dark shading on a tattoo, then this portion is for you. I have listed a few cool benefits that you can have if you lighten the dark shading of your tattoo below.
1. Design alteration
When you lighten dark shading, it gives you the opportunity to make some alterations to the design. You can add elements and color to your tattoo now because the shading is lighter. You can transform or enhance the existing tattoo design to better align with your changing tastes or new creative ideas.
2. Cover up preparation
If you plan to cover up your tattoo then you should start by lightening the tattoo and the dark shading if you have any. Creating a new tattoo is always easy on a faded old tattoo. You fade it or make it lighten up so that your tattoo artist can easily create a new design over your existing tattoo.
3. Enhance visibility
Darker shades can be a bit difficult to see. Especially in sunlight, it is difficult to spot what shading or depth you have included in your tattoo if it is dark. If you lighten or reduce the intensity of the dark shading then it can enhance the visibility of your tattoo by a lot.
4. Correcting shading
Tattoos fade over time, it is a natural process. After years of getting the tattoo, the tattoo may fade a bit but the dark shading area is still as dark as ever. If so, then it would create a weird dynamic. To fix this issue you can lighten dark shading and get the accurate contrast and vibrancy.
Another reason for correcting shading could be your tattoo artist’s mistake. Your tattoo artist may have made a mistake by not blending the shading well with the tattoo design. In such cases, you can correct the shading by lightening it.
5. Improved aesthetics
For some, the dark shading may have been applied too heavily. To improve how it looks you can lighten the dark shading. Not to mention many prefer lighter shading instead of darker ones.
6. Personalization
Lightening dark shadings on your tattoo can help to make it more personalized. You can lighten it to match your vibe, style, and preference.
7. Reduce regret
If you feel like the dark shading is too dominant and ruined the appearance of your tattoo, then you can reduce the regret by lighting it. Even if lightening the dark shading does not fix the tattoo 100%, surely it will make it look better than before. Shouldn’t you go through a simple lightening process to make your tattoo look better?
FAQs
Can I lighten the dark shading of my tattoo at home all by myself?
You can lighten the dark shading of your tattoo at home but make sure to avoid any method that could harm your tattoo and your skin. To make sure what you are about to try is safe, consult with your tattoo artist beforehand.
What are some best ways to lighten dark shading on a tattoo?
The best way to lighten dark shading on a tattoo is laser treatment. Not only laser treatments are safe, but also they can be very precise, and only hit the shading area and avoid the tattoo design as well. Another highly effective way is to “grey it out” method where your tattoo artist will use white ink to lighten the existing dark shading.
How does laser removal work to lighten dark shading on a tattoo?
A laser beam hits the shading area and breaks tattoo pigments using heat. Not to worry, the laser treatment specialist will make sure not to break all the pigments which would completely remove the tattoo. Instead, they will ensure to break some of the tattoo pigments which your body would naturally get rid of you will end up with a faded or light shading.
Instead of lightening can I use tattoo removal cream to completely remove the shading?
Continuous use of tattoo removal cream over your dark shading may lighten it over time. Using it to completely remove the shading might not be possible. Complete removal of shading or tattoos is very rare using tattoo removal creams.
Will the dark shading of my tattoo lighten up after it heals?
Your tattoo will not look as bright or vibrant as it looks right after getting it. You will face some ink loss during the healing phase and it is completely natural. So, the tattoo and your dark shading will look slightly lighter after it heals compared to how it looked when you first got the tattoo.
Final Thoughts
If you are not satisfied with the dark shading on your tattoo then there is no need to stay stuck with it for the rest of your life. There are many ways to lighten a dark shading on a tattoo. The two most popular professional way to go about it is using white ink to lighten it and using laser treatment to lighten it. A few DIY ways you can go after consulting with your tattoo artist are using toothpaste, baking soda, lemon juice, lemon juice with salt, orange juice, etc.
There are plenty of benefits of lightening a dark shading of your tattoo such as design alteration, cover-up preparation, enhanced visibility, correcting shading, etc. Whatever your reason is, you can make the tattoo look better by lightening it.
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