A cover-up is a new tattoo designed to hide an old one. The artist does not simply paint over it. The saturation, shape, colour and size of the old piece all have to be taken into account, and the new design is arranged so the old one disappears into its darker areas.
When does a cover-up make sense?
A cover-up works when you still want a tattoo in that place, just with a different design. The new piece usually has to be bigger and darker than the old one. A light, delicate design rarely hides a strong black outline. In that case it is sometimes worth lightening the old tattoo with a laser specialist first.
What to expect
- A consultation with photos or an in-person look at the old tattoo.
- Some limits on the choice of motif and colours.
- A result that differs from a tattoo on clean skin. Our studio terms state that we cannot guarantee an identical look.
We compare the options in Cover-up or laser treatment: what can you do with an unwanted tattoo?. Cover-ups are also covered in our studio terms.