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Tattoo Cover Ups vs laser removal: whats the best option.
TATTOO REMOVAL OR COVER UPS, WHATS THE BEST OPTION FOR YOU?
If you have had a bad experience and gotten a tattoo you don’t like, or if you are looking at getting rid of an old tattoo, I will explain the advantages and disadvantages of both Cover-up tattoos and Laser removal.
With the rising popularity of tattoos comes an increase in tattoo “artists” and tattoo shops. It’s crucial to remember that some tattooers are inexperienced, which can lead to a less-than-desirable outcome. (Check out my article on choosing the right tattoo artists )
The good news is that cover-up tattoos and laser removal offer a way to get rid of a tattoo you’re not happy with. After reading this article, you will clearly understand which is best for you and your circumstances.
LASER TATTOO REMOVAL.
While laser treatment is a great tool for eliminating tattoos, it is best used to fade a tattoo enough so you can cover up the original piece with your desired tattoo design.
Specifically, We will discuss this later in the article. If laser removal isn’t for you and you’re looking for a coverup tattoo, there are restrictions on what you can use to cover the old tattoo with.
Fading a tattoo opens up many more possibilities, allowing you to explore different styles without compromise.
WHAT IS LASER TATTOO REMOVAL?
Simply put, laser tattoo removal eliminates or fades unwanted tattoos.
It involves using a specialised laser device that emits highly concentrated light beams to break down the ink particles in the skin. The laser targets the pigment of the tattoo, causing it to break down into smaller particles that the body’s immune system can naturally remove over time.
HOW MANY SESSIONS DOES laser tattoo removal IT TAKE?
This is dependent on many factors:-
- SIZE OF TATTOO—The same as getting tattooed, the larger the tattoo, the longer the laser tattoo removal process will take.
- COLOUR OF THE TATTOO—Black ink absorbs the most wavelengths of light, meaning the laser is most attracted to black and will break down quicker. Pigments like red and green can take considerably longer to break down. For example, a black tribal half-sleeve tattoo will disappear much quicker than a full-colour realism half-sleeve tattoo over time.
- TIME BETWEEN SESSIONS—If you are hitting the same area every time, the time between appointments is generally 4 to 8 weeks. However, this will depend on how healthy your skin is and how quickly you heal between appointments. A good laser technician will do a small patch test on you before treatments to determine how well your skin tolerates the process.
- HOW DEEP THE EXISTING TATTOO IS IN THE SKIN—An inexperienced tattooer can oversaturate and put the ink too deep in the skin. This will affect the number of laser treatments needed. Conversely, a poorly applied tattoo that’s faded and looks 40 years old after 2 weeks will take far fewer treatments to remove.
- FULL REMOVAL OR FADED—Complete removal takes a greater number of sessions, rather than fading a tattoo for a cover-up. It is a timely process. The more the tattoo fades, the less the laser is attracted to the ink. If you only want to fade a tattoo, this can take as little as a couple of sessions.
- LASER TECHNOLOGY—Like all technology, laser tattoo equipment is advancing quickly. The better the equipment, the better results you will see. Always search for someone who takes pride in what they do and the equipment they use.
DOES LASER SCAR?
We often hear this question in our shop.
Indeed, The laser will scar if the person holding it is inexperienced and doesn’t know what they are doing!!! Like a tattoo machine, laser removal can cause a lot of damage. Always seek out an experienced professional who is good at what they do.
A sound Laser technician will have a good reputation and a portfolio of their work.
Always ask to see their portfolio so you are satisfied with their work and get the best results possible.
HOW LONG BEFORE I CAN GET TATTOOED OVER THE LASERED AREA?
This will depend on how healthy you are and how quickly your body can clear out the broken ink particles.
Simply put, After your laser tattoo removal sessions, your immune system needs time to remove the ink particles from your skin. This process will take several weeks.
You will notice that over this period, your tattoo will fade more and more.
If you get a new tattoo over this area before the body is done clearing the ink, it can affect the new tattoo and also be too traumatising for the skin. Because of this, I like to wait eight to twelve weeks before I tattoo over the lasered area.
DOESN’T LASER HURT?
In all honesty, I would be lying if I said it doesn’t hurt, but it is over pretty quickly.
Laser sessions are considerably quicker than tattoo sessions. So, although it does hurt, it is totally bearable for the short amount of time you are in the seat.
If you are getting lasered in a particularly sensitive area, you can use numbing cream but I would consult with your laser technician beforehand.
PROS
– Great way for fading a tattoo in preparation for a cover up (this opens up more possibilities)
– Good if you want complete tattoo removal
– Quick procedure
CONS:
– Can be a long process (even a small tattoo will take multiple number of treatments)
– May cause changes to skin pigmentation ( can be an issue if you are looking at complete tattoo removal)
– Can be very painful ( you can use numbing cream)
TATTOO COVER-UP’S
Cover-ups are a great alternative if laser is not an option for you.
To start with, Cover-up work has restrictions depending on what you are covering up and your ideas for covering the existing tattoo. We always encourage the potential client to be open and flexible with their ideas. I sound like a broken record, but it is worth always mentioning that you should do your research and seek out an experienced artist who is competent at doing cover-ups.
WHAT IS A COVER-UP TATTOO?
To most, this is obvious, but im sure some people are unaware, so I will mention it briefly.
Simply put, a cover-up is going over your original tattoo with a new tattoo. This is often done if the client has had a bad experience and gotten a tattoo they don’t like or if they have an old tattoo they no longer like.
WILL ANY DESIGN COVER MY EXISTING TATTOO?
For a cover-up to be successful, there needs to be compromise with the new design.
Just because you are going over the original design with a fresh tattoo, it doesn’t mean it will be properly covered. To make it obvious but easy to understand, it would be impossible to cover up a tribal tattoo with a fine-line black and grey tattoo. A skilled tattoo artist will have the experience and knowledge to know what will make a nice cover-up.
When considering a cover-up, there are many considerations. Hopefully, this article will cover most of them.
DOES THE COVER UP TATTOO NEED TO BE BIGGER THAN THE EXISTING ONE?
Though it’s not always the case, we generally advise getting a tattoo two to three times bigger than the old one.
The old tattoo must be covered by the new tattoo’s darker tones and certain colours. I like to think of cover-ups as disguising the old tattoo. For this to work properly, the new tattoo must be bigger than the existing one.
CAN I COVER MY EXISTING TATTOO WITH A BLACK AND GREY TATTOO?
Yes, no, it depends!!
Generally, we don’t, but it takes a highly skilled artist specialising in black-and-grey tattoos to make this work. For this to work, the “Black” areas of the black-and-grey tattoo only cover the old tattoo. The new tattoo would need to be much bigger than the one it covers.
If you are not open to getting a tattoo this big, I recommend laser treatment to fade the initial tattoo.
This way, you will have more options for the size of the tattoo you are covering with.
CAN YOU COVER UP AN EXISTING SLEEVE OR LARGE-SCALE TATTOO?
Unless you are blacking out your arm or any other tattoo of this size, you can expect to see some areas of the old tattoo popping through. Cover-ups of this nature are extremely hard and would be considered more of a “blast over.”
WHAT STYLE IS BEST FOR A TATTOO COVER UP?
I will answer this question based on a tattoo that is two to three times bigger than the original tattoo.
Tattoo styles that are very dense and highly saturated with black and colour work the best. Tattoos that don’t require a lot of visible skin tone when the tattoo is complete. Tattoos that are very bold and solid that will age well and hold up in the skin for the rest of your life.
WHAT STYLE IS NOT BEST FOR A TATTOO COVER UP?
Intricate designs are generally not the best idea for tattoo cover ups.
When expecting to cover up a tattoo, many people will show us examples of fine-line, soft black and grey tattoos and other delicate images. Many people get very frustrated when we explain that their idea won’t work. Their expectation is so far from what will work that laser removal is the best option in this case.
WHAT COLOURS WORK BEST FOR A TATTOO COVER UP?
Bear in mind; This is a general guideline; other factors can affect this outcome.
These variables will depend on your skin type, what you cover, and the size and darkness of the original tattoo.
- Black (I know, it is a tone and not a colour)
- Blues ( lighter blues work better)
- Browns
- Olive green (lighter greens don’t work well)
- Greys ( straight out of the bottle, not to be mistaken for grey wash)
- White in very small amounts.
WHAT COLOURS DON’T WORK FOR COVER-UPS?
- Reds
- Light greens
- Purple
- Orange
- Yellow
PROS
-Immediate results.
-Overall, it is a more cost-effective process than Laser (If the laser is part of the cover-up process)
-Fewer sessions
Cons
– It may not work if you are unwilling to compromise on the design.
– Potential for a tiny bit of pop through (this is where small amounts of the old tattoo shows through the new one)
– It can be painful if the old tattoo has areas of scarring.
CONCLUSION
So, as you can see, tattoo removal and Cover-ups both have advantages and disadvantages.
In an ideal world, we would not need either, but that is not the reality of getting tattooed all the time. Personally, I have had both laser and Successful cover-ups, and I am glad both options exist.
I sometimes recommend clients get a few laser tattoo removal treatments before we cover up their tattoo.
Laser has a place and is a great tool for the right situation. At the same time, I have an equal number of clients who do not want to take the laser removal route. This is fine as they understand there is some compromise with the design.
In both situations, my clients are very happy with the end result.
Hopefully, this article has removed some of the confusion behind both methods, and you now understand which is best for you and your specific situation.