23 Tattoo Cover-Ups That Prove A Bad Decision Can Be Reworked

We’ve all been warned about how thoroughly we need to think through tattoos before getting them, but that doesn’t stop us from forging ahead with our ink. You only live once, after all! The Pew Research Center reports that a third of Americans today have at least one tattoo, and 22% have more than one piece of ink. So inevitably, with the millions of tattoos that are done every year, they can’t all be winners.

According to Gitnux, research from the UK, US, Australia and Canada found that 78% of tattooed individuals regret at least one of their pieces. So many of them turn to sources like the Fixed Tattoos subreddit to see if anything can be done about their unfortunate artwork.    

The Fixed Tattoos subreddit is a wonderful, supportive community for anyone who wants to transform their old or lifeless pieces into something they’re proud of. The group, which has been around since March 2018, has amassed over 30k members simply for sharing “pictures of bad tattoos that were fixed very well.”

The community is dedicated to sharing photos of great cover-ups, seeking and providing suggestions for how to fix unfortunate pieces, and posting “true fixes,” which are corrections of the original pieces, rather than completely new artwork intended to cover up an old piece. The group is inspiring for those of us who have a regrettable tattoo that we tend to cover with clothing and extremely helpful for anyone who would like to transform an old piece with some new details.      

When it comes to having a tattoo that you hate, there are a few courses of action you can take: live with the regrettable piece and hope it grows on you, book some laser-removal sessions, or cover it up with something you actually love. Removal has become increasingly popular over the years, as searches on Google for “tattoo removal” increased 40% between 2020 and 2021. But the process can be painful, expensive, and you might not want to completely remove the artwork from your body.     

If you’re more interested in fixing or covering a bad tattoo than completely eliminating it, you’re not alone. According to Kenneth “K-Bar” Restrepo, owner of Leathernecks Tattoo in Brooklyn, cover-ups account for at least half of his company’s business. And apparently, an old and faded tattoo is the perfect piece to transform into something new. “It’s easier to cover an older tattoo,” Restrepo told Men’s Journal. “The ink tends to settle into your skin after some time. And if you did them a while ago, the quality of ink has changed.”

It’s also wise to take your time, do some research and figure out exactly what you’d like to replace your old tattoo with before consulting an artist. They can help you craft the perfect piece, but Restrepo says the more sure you are of what you want, the better. “[Clients] often come in thinking, ‘Okay, I have a circular tattoo, maybe you can do a black sun. I have lettering, so maybe I can do bigger lettering,’” he explained. “They should come in with what they actually want. Give me a subject, and it’s my job to make sure it works.”

Clients should also be aware that a good quality cover up will likely be more expensive than the original piece, but it’s worth it to have something you really love on your skin. “Ninety percent of the time, if the guy’s willing to give you a bargain, it’s because he’s not busy,” Restrepo told Men’s Journal. Resist the urge to book with the first artist available or the cheapest one. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for with tattoos.

There are many factors to consider when deciding to cover up a tattoo from your past, including what colors you want to use for your new ink. According to TattooDo, the most common color choices for cover-ups are blues, browns and blacks because these are the best at covering up old ink. On the other hand, shades of red, yellow and orange should typically be avoided, as they aren’t always strong enough to hide a different shade of ink. However, if you want to go lighter with your cover-up tattoo, a few sessions of laser removal can help to fade the original piece.  

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