You want to make sure your scar or stretchmarks have healed fully before you attempt a tattoo, and that means waiting at least a year. The scar (or stretch mark) should no longer be pink. Attempting a tattoo too soon would be painful and the ink may not hold very well.

Some people say the scar area is painless during the tattooing, but others say it hurts worse than unscarred skin. Keloids (raised ropy scars) are often quite painful, and some artists won't tattoo them. Raised scars in general will pose more problems for the artists, as they may not retain the ink well and may be very painful.

Stretchmarks shouldn't be any more painful to tattoo than any other part of the skin, once they have healed and are no longer pink.

If you definitely want to have a scar or stretchmarks tattooed over, try to find someone who has experience in that type of tattoo. Scar tissue poses particular problems, and you want someone who knows what he or she is doing. Sometimes the process will take more time than on unscarred skin, because scar tissue may resist the ink. Also, black inks might be best, because color may bleed more readily from the scarred skin.