thebibliosphere:

thebibliosphere:

i-want-my-iwtv:

For Ricean vampires (idk the rules with others), I don’t think dye would last forever bc they can cut their hair, and the dye would be effectively removed. 

Dye is a color treatment on material that’s basically dead and outside their bodies. Even though their hair does not grow longer than the length it was when they were turned, it can be cut off and will grow back their natural color. I don’t think the dye would vanish during turning, either, like nailpolish wouldn’t vanish during turning. The nail underneath would change to that vampiry glassiness, but not be visible. The hair would change in texture inside the dye.

With something like a tattoo, I would think that it could be permanent, if the mortal had them before being turned, because the ink is under the skin, but maybe the vampiric parasite would reject the ink as being unnecessary. I don’t think we have any tattooed vampires in canon to know for sure.

@thebibliosphere? Thoughts?

I treat vampires as just very long living humans, which means even tattoos fade over time as the skin cells regenerate. Vlad has one (it features in the book) which he had done while alive, but after 400 years it has faded into a smude under his skin. In another few hundred it’ll be gone entirely. They’re undead not dead, with abnormally lengthened lives, so regeneration seems plausible, unlike a zombie who cannot heal.

So things like hair dye would grow and fade out too, in my universe too. Which means now I’m imagining hair dying parties with other vampires cause they can’t see whay they’re doing in the mirror.

For Ricean vampires however I’d say cutting the hair off would probably remove the dye and purge any tattoos from under the skin, especially the metals found in the ink.

Thank u for your additions @thebibliosphere! Much appreciated.

I very much agree with “I treat vampires as just very long living humans, which means even tattoos fade over time as the skin cells regenerate.” and in fact, Ricean vampires do change, whatever animates them is working to convert their flesh; they can even accrue supernatural gifts over time*. I agree, then, re: your Vlad character, and it would probably be the same for Ricean vampires. Fading tattoos.

*Injury may also contribute to this, it’s implied that suffering damage will make them stronger (the old “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” thing, probably).

^YES. *grabby hands*