Can an old tattoo be covered with a new one?

Most old tattoos can be covered, but a cover-up will almost always be bigger and darker than whatever it hides. New ink doesn't push the old ink out of the skin; it simply adds to it. So the old design isn't painted over but hidden in the dark areas and details of the new one.

Why a cover-up is bigger and darker

Imagine drawing over a black line with a yellow highlighter. The yellow won't hide the black. Tattoos work the same way: a light colour won't hide a dark one, and the old lines will show through sooner or later.

The artist plans the new design so that the darkest parts of the old tattoo end up under dense shading or black areas. That takes room, so the new piece is usually much bigger than the old one, often several times bigger. The darker and denser the old tattoo, the more room and the darker tones it needs.

What covers well

• old tattoos that have faded over the years;
• small tattoos with thin lines;
• lettering and names, if there's room around them for a much bigger design;
• tattoos that have already been lightened with a laser.

What doesn't work, or works badly

• A small cover-up. If the new design has to be as small as the old one, the old one usually stays visible.
• Fine lines over a dense black area. Fine line, soft watercolour or delicate lettering won't hide a dark patch.
• Covering with skin-tone ink. It doesn't erase the tattoo. Over time the spot starts to look like a patch, and the old design often shows through.
• Scars and blown-out lines. They can be covered, but a scar often takes ink differently from healthy skin, and blown-out lines need a bigger and darker cover-up. The scar must be fully healed. If it's raised or still red, talk to a doctor first.

When you need a laser first

If the old tattoo is very dark or large, or you want light colours in the new design, a laser is often needed before the cover-up. The tattoo doesn't have to be removed completely. Lightening it is enough. Then the new design can be smaller, and lighter colours work in it too.

Lightening a tattoo takes fewer sessions than removing it completely. Full removal takes many sessions, and the laser never fully clears some colours. That's why covering is usually faster and cheaper than removing a tattoo completely. After the last laser session the skin needs to heal fully, usually several weeks, often longer. The laser specialist and the artist will tell you exactly how long.

Correction, cover-up or laser?

Correction. If you still like the old tattoo but it has faded or has crooked lines, it can be refreshed or fixed without changing the design.

Cover-up. If you don't like the tattoo at all any more, it gets hidden in a new, bigger design.

Laser. If you don't want any tattoo in that spot any more, or the new one has to be small and light, start with a laser.

In our booking form you can mark the type of work as „Pārklāšana (Cover Up)” or „Korekcija” (correction). At the consultation the artist will look at the old tattoo in person and tell you whether it's better to fix it, cover it, or lighten it with a laser first. If you don't know which artist to show it to, choose „Jebkurš meistars” (any artist) in the form.

How to prepare for a cover-up consultation

• Photograph the old tattoo in daylight, without filters, close up and from a distance.
• Think about how big a design you're ready to wear.
• Don't hold on too tightly to your own idea. A good cover-up is often a design you never planned at first, because it hides the old one most reliably.
• Tell the artist whether you'd be willing to have a few laser sessions first.

You can book through the booking form, adding a photo of the old tattoo. The consultation is free. The studio prices every piece individually, and a cover-up is usually bigger than the old tattoo and takes more planning than work on clean skin. We've written separately about what a tattoo's price depends on. A covered tattoo heals and needs the same care as any new one; more on that in our article on tattoo aftercare.