Unsplash

9+ Tattoo Cover-Ups That Turned A Regrettable Design Into Art

Many people get tattoos that, at that point in time, they absolutely love. But as we get older, we change and sometimes our taste in art and life changes, too.

Many people get tattoos in life that they grow to regret and want to change. However, removing them is not always an option for everyone. So instead, they get cover-ups and new pieces done to fix up the old ones.

And the new ones are oftentimes more beautiful than anyone can ever anticipate.

These flowers got a realistic upgrade.

The first tattoo looks like it was a doodle that was done with little effort. The cover-up is so detailed and looks like the artist took their time to truly make it worth it.

Wow, what a remarkable job.

Sometimes, we get portraits or identifying tattoos that we grow to dislike and want removed. Covering up tattoos can change these designs, saving us money that would've gone towards laser removal.

What a great job!

Many people regret small tattoos and want bigger ones.

Sometimes we get things that we live to regret because we don't like the original design or we want to go bigger. This wolf piece is absolutely amazing!

From faded to flawless.

As years go by, smaller tattoos often fade and lose their vibrance. Many people go back in the chair to get things touched up and end up with a whole new piece.

Absolutely incredible.

The first piece looks like it was done by someone who was new to tattoo artistry. This second piece is just incredible and flawless. What color and precision on the linework!

Vibrant and stunning.

Originally, this person may have liked the lettering but this second piece is much more beautiful and vibrant. Not to mention the details in this piece are spectacular. Good work!

Change is good.

The original wording may have been important to them before but they are moving onto different things.

The mountains cover the entire phrase and look great. Awesome details here.

Old foxes, new tricks.

Sometimes we want something really specific tattooed on us. But the artists we choose are not as great at doing the piece we really want.

So we try again and get it right the second time.

A new, mature piece.

When we're young, we want tattoos that reflect things we loved at the time. The peace and love tattoo is a bit immature so these flowers will grow with age and give a new spin on the piece.

Phrases sometimes get stale.

Flowers are always a great design for a cover-up because they take up space and the shading can cover anything you need. The flowers in this cover-up are perfect and flawless.

The original colors were very old and faded but this new piece gives it a new life.

Like I said, flowers make the perfect coverup piece due to details and sizing.

The dolphin was a bit faded and looking old so these flowers bring a new life and a new perspective to the design.

Not all things last forever.

Getting matching tattoos with someone else is also something that many people may regret one day.

This cover-up is nicely done and saved them from an uncomfortable lifetime of remembering an old relationship.

The perfect way to cover up a dark tattoo.

Many people believe that dark, filled-in black tattoos are the most difficult to cover up.

But this cube with its vastly beautiful colors is a true testament to the fact that you can cover up any design with the help of a professional.

Always research your artists!

These first flower design didn't look like they were done very professionally and the linework looked a bit shaky.

But the end result from the cover-up design looks beautiful! Always research your artists and see their work first.

The first one looks like a doodle compared to the beautiful after.

No offense to whoever did this first tattoo design, but it looks like something my niece drew. The second one looks professional and colorful — something that will last for years to come.

I'm not quite sure what the first is supposed to be.

That first tattoo is incredibly dark and hard to make out. The after is something that is absolutely flawless.

I'd get that "after" tattoo on myself right now!

Text can fade over the years.

When we get quote tattoos done, we can change the way we feel about them over time and they can also sometimes fade easily. This cover-up design perfectly fit the area of the old quote tattoo.

Colorful backgrounds help with cover-ups.

If you have a darker tattoo, using color in the background can help cover up any line work that is still visible. This design came out awesome.

You can't even see the original tattoo anymore!

Your cover-up doesn't have to change the entire message or design.

Older, smaller tattoos fade easily but that doesn't mean you have to change the design you initially wanted. You can get it touched up and changed to look brand new again with the original idea in mind.

Sometimes we pick some things in our youth that don't withstand adulthood.

We can change the way we feel about the things we get inked so getting a cover-up to transform those old ideas is important to some people.

A design that says, "make a lemonade" is probably not something I would want when I'm 50-years-old.

Getting flower cover-ups over names seems to be the trend!

Never, ever get people's names tattooed on you unless you gave birth to them! That's the rule of thumb, everyone.

At least it's good to know that there are a lot of beautiful cover-up options if you do decide to ink someone's name.

A small pepper turned into a butterfly masterpiece.

The first tattoo is a bit faded and outdated so this artist turned it into a beautiful bouquet of butterflies. Each of the butterflies has its own detail and color. Love to see this!

Names are never a great idea.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Never get tattoos of names on your body — even for family members and loved ones.

You never know if you'll actually want it there forever. Luckily, this cover-up was an excellent fix.

Filed Under: