ADVERTISEMENT

No matter how much thought you put into a tattoo, there’s no guarantee you’re still going to love it in 10 years. Times change, ink fades, and your taste may not be stagnant. But “no ragrets,” right?

For those of us who start having second thoughts about our pieces of ink after the freshness wears off, there are thankfully some creative artists out there who will be happy to replace them with new masterpieces. Below, you’ll find some of the best tattoo cover-ups that have been shared in the Fixed Tattoos subreddit, so enjoy scrolling through and be sure to make note of any corrections you might like to put on your own canvas!

#1

How Good Will Cover Up Tattoo Like This Look After It’s Healed Up?

How Good Will Cover Up Tattoo Like This Look After It’s Healed Up?

g20richasan Report

#2

Coverup In Progress

Coverup In Progress

EpicHeather Report

#3

Large Scale Blackwork Cover Up Client Was Relieved To Have This Old Image Gone

Large Scale Blackwork Cover Up Client Was Relieved To Have This Old Image Gone

[deleted] Report

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.    

#4

My Space Sleeve Was Just Finished

My Space Sleeve Was Just Finished

pidude314 Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#5

Absolute Witchcraft By Ange Pele At Cloak And Daggers Tattoo In London

Absolute Witchcraft By Ange Pele At Cloak And Daggers Tattoo In London

sh0000k Report

#6

Process Of Covering Up A Tattoo That I Wasn't Happy With

Process Of Covering Up A Tattoo That I Wasn't Happy With

jayelkay Report

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.      

#7

Love The Beautiful Mandala Work My Artist Used To Revamp My Old Ink @jerkydoo On Ig

Love The Beautiful Mandala Work My Artist Used To Revamp My Old Ink @jerkydoo On Ig

oddjaqx Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#8

Finally Got Part Of My Coverup Done

Finally Got Part Of My Coverup Done

_TheBeardedDan_ Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#9

8 Years Later, I Finally Got My Elephant All Fixed Up

8 Years Later, I Finally Got My Elephant All Fixed Up

SoggyCity2584 Report

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.     

#10

Turned My Spermy Clouds Into Some Pretty Peonies

Turned My Spermy Clouds Into Some Pretty Peonies

unsuspectingduck Report

#11

First Session Cover Up!

First Session Cover Up!

More-Vehicle-4912 Report

#12

Off Center Cross Coverup

Off Center Cross Coverup

mattymatchu Report

ADVERTISEMENT

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.”

#13

From A Spur-Of-The-Moment Tattoo At 18 That I Had Often Forgotten About To A Beautiful Tattoo That I’m Proud Of

From A Spur-Of-The-Moment Tattoo At 18 That I Had Often Forgotten About To A Beautiful Tattoo That I’m Proud Of

Session 1 of cover-up completed by Dora Billmyer at Higher Ground Tattoo in Las Vegas, NV

salted-avocados Report

#14

Cover Up After 5yrs Of Regret

Cover Up After 5yrs Of Regret

Weirdwife22 Report

#15

Recommended From Comments On R/Tattoo. Started Cover-Up In 2018. Finished On Tuesday (The 1st.)

Recommended From Comments On R/Tattoo. Started Cover-Up In 2018. Finished On Tuesday (The 1st.)

keehawn Report

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.”

ADVERTISEMENT
#16

We Did A Little Cover Up. Done By Andrew Edlin In Spokane Washington

We Did A Little Cover Up. Done By Andrew Edlin In Spokane Washington

Andrew-edlin Report

#17

Anubis Was In Desperate Need Of A Makeover

Anubis Was In Desperate Need Of A Makeover

vialpatient Report

#18

I Finally Feel Comfortable With What Is On My Arm

I Finally Feel Comfortable With What Is On My Arm

neederbellis Report

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.

#19

Chaos Wheel Before And After (Same Artist ~20yrs Apart)

Chaos Wheel Before And After (Same Artist ~20yrs Apart)

JimmySnuff Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#20

Cover Up Is Now Completed And I Couldn't Be Happier

Cover Up Is Now Completed And I Couldn't Be Happier

PunkyandFunky Report

#21

Got This Coverup Today

Got This Coverup Today

planttattoo Report

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.  

#22

My Fixed Tattoo

My Fixed Tattoo

pumpkinscovfefe Report

#23

Black It Out But Make It Pretty

Black It Out But Make It Pretty

FtheWhat107 Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#24

Got This Covered Up

Got This Covered Up

[deleted] Report

If you’re looking to fix a bad tattoo, you should also decide whether you’d like to completely cover it, reinvent the old tattoo or just blast over it. One adorable example TattooDo provides of a creative reinvention is a low quality pikachu tattoo that’s been turned into an adorable pikachu painting a self-portrait. This idea may not fix every unfortunate tattoo, but it’s a great reminder to think outside the box when designing a tattoo to fix an old mistake.  

#25

Bye Bye Wonky Blown-Out Compass!

Bye Bye Wonky Blown-Out Compass!

Spiritualrose98 Report

#26

Before And After

Before And After

[deleted] Report

#27

Before And After

Before And After

JesseDII Report

Are you feeling inspired to give one of your old tattoos new life, pandas? Whether you got it when you were 18 or it’s just healed, it’s never a bad idea to try to fix a tattoo that you hate. Enjoy scrolling through the rest of these pics, and be sure to upvote the ones that inspire you to correct your own pieces. Then, if you’re interested in seeing even more photos from the Fixed Tattoos subreddit, you can check out Bored Panda’s last article on the same topic right here!

ADVERTISEMENT
#28

2 Months Apart. On The Left, Done For Very Cheap Price - Took 2 Sessions, 10 Hours Total

2 Months Apart. On The Left, Done For Very Cheap Price - Took 2 Sessions, 10 Hours Total

Fixed by the artist who created the design originally, who was quoting double the price. He did it in under 2 hours. Good tattoos aren't cheap and cheap tattoos aren't good

musicalsteve Report

#29

I Couldn’t Be More Stoked With The Results! Wonky Lines Cleaned Up, Added Some Dimension And A Sun To Cover The Multiple Blow Outs

I Couldn’t Be More Stoked With The Results! Wonky Lines Cleaned Up, Added Some Dimension And A Sun To Cover The Multiple Blow Outs

Corrected by Thomas Yosenick at Fine Line Tattoo (Garland, TX)

Cresgodess Report

#30

Fixed- Forearm Tattoo

Fixed- Forearm Tattoo

[deleted] Report

Note: this post originally had 55 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.