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50 Tattoo Regrets That Got A Major Upgrade (New Pics)

50 Tattoo Regrets That Got A Major Upgrade (New Pics)

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When I got my first tattoo, there were a lot of things I worried about. What if the design I picked doesn't transfer well on the skin? What if the artist gets a hand (or brain) tremor and I end up with one of those tattoos from the realm of "No Ragrets"? What if the tattoo ages horribly and bleeds out into the skin later?
Luckily, a comforting idea was always at the back of my mind. There's such a thing as tattoo cover-ups. I can always hide or add details to the existing tattoo to make it look better. And that's what this list is about – masterful tattoo cover-ups that showcase the true artistry of tattooists. So scroll through these artful improvements and let us know your tattoo story in the comments!

#1 The Dragon Was About 20 Years Old And Difficult To Cover-Up, So I Offered To Adapt It To A New Tattoo And He Accepted

The Dragon Was About 20 Years Old And Difficult To Cover-Up, So I Offered To Adapt It To A New Tattoo And He Accepted
117points

#2 Wonderful Cover-Up

Wonderful Cover-Up
116points

#3 Coverage With Portraits Of Masha And Pérola, Companions Of The Client

Coverage With Portraits Of Masha And Pérola, Companions Of The Client
113points

Who says you can't erase past mistakes? Certainly not when tattoos are involved! However, it's useful to know some things before deciding to cover up a tattoo. Salon owners and tattoo artists recommend doing a fair bit of research before making the big decision.

One might decide that the tattoo mistake is just not worth it and decide to get rid of it permanently. That's where tattoo removal comes in. Laser removal is the best option for those who want to erase their ex's name, an offensive design, or a poorly done ink job.

#4 Many Will Find It A Very Unusual Design, But It Was Created By My Client 20 Years Ago And Has Great Meaning. The Proposal Was To Keep The Same Idea As The Design But Keeping It More Current

Many Will Find It A Very Unusual Design, But It Was Created By My Client 20 Years Ago And Has Great Meaning. The Proposal Was To Keep The Same Idea As The Design But Keeping It More Current
109points

#5 Grampus Cover-Up

Grampus Cover-Up
105points

#6 25-Year-Old Rework. It Doesn’t Need To Be Always Fully Covered-Up

25-Year-Old Rework. It Doesn’t Need To Be Always Fully Covered-Up
100points

However, removing every trace of a tattoo can be expensive, painful and time-consuming. Depending on the person's skin tone, the removal process might leave some scarring. That's caused by the loss of pigmentation. 

Dermatologists say that the effectiveness varies individually: "Laser tattoo removal is a process that relies on the body eliminating ink from the skin which can take some time to process. While results will become apparent within a few weeks, it is not unusual for the body to take more than a year to completely eliminate ink."

#7 Check Out This Insane Cover-Up

Check Out This Insane Cover-Up
94points

#8 This Is The Most Detailed Piece I Have Ever Done In Such A Short Span Of Time, Less Than A Month, 8 Sessions. Everything Below The Neck Is Healed

This Is The Most Detailed Piece I Have Ever Done In Such A Short Span Of Time, Less Than A Month, 8 Sessions. Everything Below The Neck Is Healed
94points

#9 Cover-Up By The Amazing Tata At Recycle Tattoo, Ho Chi Minh City

Cover-Up By The Amazing Tata At Recycle Tattoo, Ho Chi Minh City
92points

Cover-up artists also recommend doing a few laser removal sessions before starting the coverup process. Chronic Ink writes that artists can cover up any tattoo, they just might need 2-3 removal sessions beforehand. "Doing a few removal sessions may lighten your tattoo, or bring your scarring down, so that the cover up tattoo has a better chance of really covering as if it were never there," the specialists at Tattoo Do write.

#10 Cover-Up Inspired By Van Gogh

Cover-Up Inspired By Van Gogh
87points

#11 Many People Think That To Cover It They Need To Make A Much Larger Design, This Is Not A Rule, It All Depends On The Creation Of The Art

Many People Think That To Cover It They Need To Make A Much Larger Design, This Is Not A Rule, It All Depends On The Creation Of The Art
In this case, we mold the design to fit the cover to the millimeter.
86points

#12 Long Journey Of The Tribal Cover-Up Comes To An End

Long Journey Of The Tribal Cover-Up Comes To An End
86points

A complete tattoo cover-up is not always the only option. Some people may choose to reinvent the existing design on their skin. There's a possibility to incorporate the old tattoo into the new design. Perhaps the best example is that drunken Pikachu painting himself that Jessica Baker redid several years ago. 

#13 Well-Executed Cover-Up Project

Well-Executed Cover-Up Project
84points

#14 Cherry Blossom Butterfly Cover-Up By Me

Cherry Blossom Butterfly Cover-Up By Me
83points

#15 Homer Rework

Homer Rework
82points

A blast-over is also an option. That's a technique of putting a new tattoo on top of the old one without covering it completely. Tattoo Do writes that they can be especially eye-catching if the previous tattoo had light or faded colors. Then they can look similar to stained glass.

#16 Beautiful Cover-Up Tattoo

Beautiful Cover-Up Tattoo
82points

#17 I Took Advantage Of The Cat's Structure To Create A New Drawing And Also Took Into Account The Anatomy Of Her Body, Muscles, Tendons And Bones

I Took Advantage Of The Cat's Structure To Create A New Drawing And Also Took Into Account The Anatomy Of Her Body, Muscles, Tendons And Bones
81points

#18 Another Tribute Made To Lilith

Another Tribute Made To Lilith
77points

The success of the cover-up also depends on the color of the previous design. Darker colors with a heavy use of ink are more difficult to cover up than light-colored tattoos.

"For example, it would be easier to do a cover-up of a tattoo done in the watercolor style than it would be to cover up a traditional style tattoo. In cases where stronger colors are used, your artist may recommend a fading first," the artists at Chronic Ink write.

#19 One Of My Favorite Cover-Ups

One Of My Favorite Cover-Ups
Report
72points

#20 Cool Cover-Up

Cool Cover-Up
72points
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