Cover Up Tattoo Ideas: Designs That Hide an Old Tattoo, and How It Works

Tattoo ink does not erase ink - it layers over it, and the darker pigment wins. So the new design has to place its darkest areas over the old lines and use busy texture around them so the eye never finds the original shape. Light colours, pastel watercolour and fine-line designs cannot hide much; black, deep blue, purple and red can.

Bring a clear photo of the old tattoo to a consultation. A cover-up specialist will tell you honestly whether it can be covered as is, how big the new piece must be, and whether two or three laser sessions to lighten the old one would give you more freedom of design. The designs below are examples of styles that suit cover-ups - not photographs of finished cover-ups.