With larger tattoo work, swelling can be a factor that needs special consideration, particularly with clients who are coming for multiple days. With scar coverups, these considerations become that much more important because the skin is far less elastic, meaning that the inflammation might be contained inside a part of the body that can’t readily accommodate the swelling. I recently did some large scar coverup work on a lower leg where we encountered this problem to a fairly severe degree, and although the piece healed well it was a painful recovery for the client- a situation that we always want to avoid. For his second visit we tried doing things differently with great success, allowing us to get all the work done while avoiding swelling issues through careful timing and the use of a fancy orthopedic device, the Game Ready compression boot. You can read detailed project notes in the Scar Coverup chapter of your ReinventingTheTattoo.com subscription.