We have all made that silly mistake when we were younger—on the spur of the moment, walking into a dingy tattoo shop and getting some tribal, someone’s name, or just an awful tattoo!
We estimate that about 25-30% of our clients come to us wanting a cover-up. So, what does a cover-up entail? Can you cover up anything? Should I consider getting laser removal beforehand?
We will try to answer all these questions, but if you need any more help, drop us an email or give us a call on 01206 571151.
Can I get this covered?
For most people, the first question is whether their tattoo can be covered, and the simple answer is yes! Technically, every tattoo can be covered because any tattooist will quite happily cover the entire thing in solid black, and hey presto! One covered-up tattoo! (All joking aside, 'solid black' blackout or heavy geometric work can look amazing if done right).
The real question you want to ask is: Can I cover up my tattoo with something I actually want?
While most of the tattoos we see can be covered up, your creative freedom decreases significantly, meaning you need to be VERY flexible with the new design. Tattoo artists are somewhat restricted when creating a design specifically to hide an old tattoo. If you are happy for your design to be compromised and the finished product to be quite dark, then a tattoo can usually be covered up without any prior laser removal.
Please don’t be offended if our artists refuse to do a cover-up for you. Like all professionals, they will only take on work if they believe they can give you a high-quality end result that they are proud of.
What does a cover-up entail?
Like any tattoo at Monumental Ink, we go through our normal booking process. However, the initial consultation will likely take a little longer. We need to make sure the new design will sufficiently hide the old tattoo and ensure that both you and the artist are 100% happy with the plan.
You might see a lot of pictures online of tattoo cover-ups that look amazing, but often these are pictures taken before the new tattoo has healed. The problem is that the old tattoo can sometimes show through once the new ink settles. The only way to guarantee you will never see the old tattoo again without lasering is to use heavy dark ink, clever shading, and dense textures.
My old tattoo is scarred and raised above my skin. Can a cover-up help?
As we've mentioned in our other posts about tattoo misconceptions, some untrained “tattooists” go too deep into the skin, causing scarring that leaves the tattoo embossed and raised above the surface. Tattooing over this will not reduce or flatten the physical scarring at all, but a clever cover-up design can trick the eye and make the raised texture much less noticeable.
Should I get laser removal before I try to cover it up?
The simple answer is YES! If you are willing to go through laser tattoo removal, we HIGHLY recommend it. If you want it covered, you won't need full removal—just a few sessions to lighten the old ink.
Even one or two laser sessions will vastly improve the final result. It gives the artist much more creative freedom and significantly increases the chances that you won't be able to see the old tattoo once the cover-up has healed.
This is your body, after all. If you can be patient enough to wait for your tattoo to be lightened by a laser, you will be much happier with the final result. We would all rather wait a bit longer and end up with a tattoo we love, rather than compromise and get something heavy just to hide a tattoo we dislike.
For any further questions, head over to our contact page and send us an email. Or, check out our latest cover-up transformations on Facebook and Instagram.