We all have one, right? A tattoo that we wish we could erase. It’s too dark, too small, old and blurry, ugly, stupid, or just not your vibe anymore? Fear not, friends! Cover up tattoos are here to save your skin!
In my opinion, a good cover up is any kind of tattoo that makes you feel better about the old one. I did my job well if you leave with a better tattoo than you came in with. The most successful cover up tattoos I’ve done have a few similar factors: new design is larger than original design; new design uses lots of color and texture in subject matter; we spend more than one session layering ink and healing the skin; and the existing tattoo is very old.
I’ll go into detail about those factors through answering commonly asked questions about cover ups.
What can I cover up my old tattoo with?
Almost any subject matter could work, but some ideas are better than others. In my experience, subjects with asymmetrical, organic shapes like: flowers, animals, and lady faces (their hair specifically) work best. Shapes that are symmetrical or geometric like: mandalas, sacred geometry, text, and logos are so precise that a discrepancy in design (like your funny old tweety bird tattoo) stands out underneath. This means your eye would look right at the part we covered, which is the exact opposite of what we want!
Can I cover my tattoo in black and white ink or color? Do I have to get black ink in a cover up?
Typically, new color ink covers old color tattoos well and new black and white (or opaque gray) ink covers old black and white tattoos well. It is possible to color correct and turn your old color tattoo into a new grayscale masterpiece, especially with a few tattoo sessions. And it’s very possible to mask old black ink with a new vibrant or saturated color palette. If your old tattoo has no black in it, it’s possible to cover with just color and no new black ink. I personally love using the combination of black and color inks because that lends well to the styles I prefer.
What tattoo style works best for cover ups?
Many styles can distract, mask, and subvert the appearance of an old tattoo. I have had success with illustrative, neotraditional, and realism styles for cover ups. I use a lot of black, saturated colors, texture, and movement with these styles - so they work for me. Not every artist with one of these styles is an ideal fit for a cover up tattoo, though. There are some styles that simply are not as effective in cover up an old tattoo design: fine line, no outline, no black ink, and delicate tattoo styles with lots of open (untattooed) skin.
Can I get a cover up the same size as my old tattoo?
The smaller the design, the darker it usually has to be. The darker it is, the more it looks like a cover up. The best tattoos have a variety of contrast, or light and dark areas. If the new design is at least double the size of the old one, it will usually be a better designed tattoo, have more balanced contrast, and therefore make a better cover up. It’s easier to get a really cool big tattoo that happens to be a cover up, as opposed to a really okay design that definitely looks like a cover up. Go big for big success!
How old does my tattoo need to be to get covered up?
The older, the better. A solid black tattoo that’s 15 years old is actually fairly easy to cover up, even with a light color like opaque pink. A fresh tattoo has not had enough time to break down in your body, so it will take more sessions to get a full coverage effect. I prefer tattoos that are at least one year old, before covering.
Is it possible to completely cover my old tattoo and not see it at all?
Yes, sometimes and no, sometimes. This depends on so many factors: the style of the tattoo, time it’s been healed, health of your skin, is there scarring, how was it applied, what ink was used, what are you covering it with — there are too many variables to give a simple answer.
If you can’t stand the idea of being able to see your old tattoo at all, make sure you find a cover-up expert, be prepared to spend a lot of time and money, and consider laser to help break down your old tattoo. If you are less picky, some of those factors are negotiable. Check out my gallery of cover ups below to see what kind of results you might see after one session.
How many sessions do I need on a cover up tattoo/ how long will it take?
I know you hate to hear it, but it really depends. If you want fuller coverage of the old design, at least two tattoo appointments should be expected. I’ve done as many as four sessions on really tricky ones. It’s important to fully heal between each appointment; I prefer 3 months between each session at a minimum. If you have a super tough tattoo to cover, that could mean a year or two of tattooing and healing and tattooing and healing.
Should I get laser on my old tattoo?
Laser tattoo removal is a great way to help break down to pigments in your old tattoo. The biggest benefit is that you have so many more options for color, style, placement, subject matter, etc when your old tattoo is faded from the laser. The drawbacks are: costs more than just a cover up, takes time to heal between removal sessions, and the lasered skin needs to heal for months before you can get tattooed. If you want more control over your design results, perhaps laser is a good choice for you. If you’re relaxed about cover up results, skipping the laser could work fine.
How to find a good cover up tattoo artist?
Ask friends for recommendations and follow up with your own research. Call local tattoo shops and ask if any of their artists are skilled with and enjoy cover ups. Check tattoo artist websites or social media for their cover up examples. If you aren’t seeing results that you’re confident in, hold off on booking. You can always let your tattoo age and become easier to cover, while you wait to find the perfect fit artist for you.
How do I get the best cover up tattoo?
A big part of cover up success is giving your tattoo artist flexibility. If you ask for ONLY bluebell flowers using ONLY the color periwinkle and MUST be stipple style and MUST be exactly the size of the old tattoo - it signals that you need more control than I can give, unfortunately. If you micromanage the results, you won’t get a good one. This is not to say artists don’t want any input or direction, I certainly need at least a little direction! I use all my years of experience I have to make the best decisions I can and sometimes that means doing something a little different than you expected. In the end, if the new idea is better than the old, and you’re open to a bit of change, we can both be happy.
Should I ask my same artist to cover their old tattoo on me?
I say absolutely! I’d love to get the chance to rework your old tattoo that I did into something that aligns with you better now. But that’s me, personally. Some things to keep in mind: not all artists have a style that works well for cover ups, not all artist enjoy or are experienced in cover ups, and your tattoo still needs to be healed and settled at least a year or more to have good results. If you trust your old artist and love their current work, just ask them.
I got a cover up and can see the old tattoo still, does that mean my cover up artist doesn’t know what they’re doing?
Seeing old ink still visible through your new tattoo is pretty normal. Multiple session are often needed before majority of coverage can be achieved. A great artist will help you set expectations beforehand, but results can still be unpredictable. This doesn’t mean you went to an inferior artist. Sometimes tattoos are super stubborn and hard to disguise, no matter how expert of an artist you work with. Do your research and trust the process.
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Cover ups can be tough, but living with a bad tattoo can be worse. By trusting your artist and allowing flexibility, you open yourself up to the best option for a cover up tattoo.
Cover Up Gallery:
All tattoos on left are not my original work, all work on the right is my cover up after one session. The only exception is the first tattoo photo, in which I did both the original and cover up.
Some of these have needed an additional pass of ink a few months later and others had good enough coverage in one shot that we left them alone.
