How Hard Is It To Cover Up A Tattoo?
Number 1: Tattoo Ink is See-Through – Putting one color of tattoo ink over another one does not “cover” the old ink, rather it adds a new color to the old one. When the new ink is first put on it looks like it covers the old ink, but in a few weeks as the new ink begins to set in the old tattoo will bleed through.
One tattoo artist explained it by comparing cover-ups to stained glass. You can put one color of stained glass over another one but you can still see the original color through the new one. This means two things.
First, the darker the original tattoo, the more it will show through the new one and second, the colors of the new tattoo will blend with or be affected by the new colors. A skilled cover-up artist understands this principle and uses good design and color theory to get the end result by knowing how the new colors will blend with the old ones.
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Is it difficult to cover up a tattoo?
Tip 1: Find the Right Artist – 
Coverup tattoo by Edward Kehoe As with any tattoo or body modification, finding the right artist plays a large role in the quality of your coverup. Do research to find the right tattoo artist to complete your coverup. Seek out tattoo artists who specialize in coverups and have experience modifying tattoos. Covering up an old tattoo can be a difficult process depending on the original piece of art, the placement and surrounding tattoos.
Choose an artist who has the skills necessary to completely hide your old tattoo and create something you’ll be proud to have on your body for the rest of your life. Covering up a coverup proves to be very hard for tattoo artists and is very limiting.
Make sure your coverup is something you definitely want to have on your skin forever. You’ll also want to find a tattoo artist who specializes in the style of tattoo you would like to have coverup the original. In many instances, you’ll have to go darker to cover up the original design, which means watercolor probably isn’t ideal for a coverup but can be depending on the piece.
Is it possible to cover up any tattoo?
More and more people are choosing to get cover-up tattoos instead of just having tattoo removal treatments because of the consistency and quality which cover-up tattoos offer. We’ve written this post so that you can have a guide for how to get a cover up tattoo.
Trying to remove every trace of a tattoo is time consuming, expensive, and inconsistent. If you choose top of the line laser tattoo removal, currently the only effective method of tattoo removal, be prepared to spend thousands – if not tens of thousands – of dollars, undergo between 12 to 15 sessions, and wait between 1.
5 to 2. 5 years to even get close to your desired results. Even after enduring all of these steps, there is no guarantee your tattoo will be removed. There often remains a dim trace of a tattoo no matter how many laser tattoo removal treatments you undergo.
To satisfy our clients and exceed their expectations, we recommend they consider a cover-up tattoo, since it’s the most consistent way to make sure your old tattoo is not visible. A cover-up tattoo can be done over an existing tattoo of virtually any size, design, and colour, although certain designs and colours lend themselves more to a cover-up tattoo.
A skilled tattoo artist can cover-up almost any tattoo and leave you with new ink that you’ll want to show off, not conceal.
Is it more painful to get a cover-up tattoo?
Frequently Asked Questions – Should you get laser removal before getting a cover-up? It is not always essential to get a laser treatment before every cover-up. If your tattoo is already a little faded, chances are that your cover-up won’t need any laser removal treatment.
But in some cases, your artists might ask you to get at least one or two sessions to fade your tattoo. Does a cover-up tattoo hurt more? The artist needs to ink over a wounded tissue while doing a cover-up tattoo.
There is a chance that it will hurt a bit more than your first tattoo. Although it depends from person to person. There are people who feel no difference in the pain between the first tattoo and the coverup tattoo. It is, nevertheless, considerably less painful than laser tattoo removal.
- Does a cover-up tattoo cost more? Well, they are bigger than your first tattoo, so those are going to surely add some more to the bill;
- Also, the artist has to put more effort in planning and design, as well as the execution;
So it should come as no surprise if the cover-up tattoo costs more. Can you still see old tattoos under cover-up? As discussed before it is very important to find an artist who has good experience with cover-ups. Because in many cases the cover-ups look very nice and opaque when it’s fresh.
- But once the tattoo is healed the previous tattoo may start showing up;
- Hence it is really important to go to an artist that has a good result of cover-ups even after healing;
- Can you cover up a black tattoo with color? In general, cover-ups should be in deeper colors;
So it’s not really possible to hide a black tattoo with color. A little faded black tattoo can be covered with a dark color in some circumstances, although this is rare. But if the black part is very prominent, only black and grey cover-ups are the options.
Is it better to get a tattoo covered up or removed?
When it comes to deciding between getting a cover-up or getting laser tattoo removal, it’s safe to say that laser tattoo removal will deliver the best results. Not only does laser tattoo removal make things easier on your tattoo artist, but it will open up the aesthetic possibilities for new body art.
Laser tattoo removal before a cover-up can be especially helpful when the desired cover-up contains a lot of detail. Without tattoo removal, you run the risk of getting another poorly executed tattoo, having the existing artwork still peek through, and not being able to get the look that you want to completely hide the original artwork.
Laser tattoo removal doesn’t always have to be correlated with removing a bad or unwanted tattoo. Laser tattoo removal can be used to lighten part of tattoos to add more detailed elements and color. Don’t stick to the limitations of cover-ups. Explore the world of laser tattoo removal and see how it can lead to you achieving the look that you want for your skin.
Is it possible to cover-up a black tattoo?
What to Do If You Want to Add Color Over Black Ink – This is where things get a bit more complicated. The brighter the colors the more of a challenge it can be. Navy blue is one thing, but hot pink? That’s a whole other story. That said, you’re not without recourse, you just need to approach the tattoo in a whole new way.
- For starters, you will need to fade the black tattoo to prepare for a cover-up;
- This can be effectively accomplished through laser tattoo fading (vs outright removal);
- In this case state-of-the-art laser technology will be employed to break apart the black ink particles to the point that they become noticeably lighter;
The brighter the colors you want to add for your new tattoo the greater number of laser fading sessions will be required. Yes, this adds to the length of time (months in most cases) it will take before your skin will be prepared to receive the new and preferred tattoo, but it’s worth the investment.
Can still see old tattoo under cover-up?
Covering old tattoos must account for each of these natural skin processes. – The new tattoo must not go too deep, or it will cause blowout. The new ink will undergo the same fading and microscopic migration as the old ink. What results is that most cover-ups look great on day one, but over time, the ink settles in such a way that the old tattoo will show through.
Traditional cover-ups must also take into account that whichever ink is darker will be the one that is visible. Much like coloring on paper with crayons, you can’t cover black or purple with white or yellow.
Both pigments will coexist in the same layer of skin, and the darker one will overpower the lighter one. Some artists attempt to overpower the old ink with multiple layers packed with light ink, but even this technique will usually fade over time and allow the old art to be visible.
How much does it cost to get a tattoo removed?
Average Cost of Tattoo Removal – So how much do tattoos cost to remove? The average cost of tattoo removal is $3,500 for complete laser tattoo removal, though prices can end up being more or less. If your eyes just fell out of your head in shock, keep in mind this is just an average range that includes every single tattoo removal treatment session – the price is completely dependent on a list of factors that affect safety and the time needed for removal.
