Guide · 6 min
Covering a tattoo: when it can be done and when laser comes first
If you are carrying something that makes you uncomfortable, what you are looking for is not a new tattoo: it is to stop hiding that area. Here is what really determines whether it can be done and in how long, said without beating around the bush.
The basic rule: ink does not erase ink
A cover-up does not remove what is underneath, it overlays it. That means the new design has to be darker and denser than the old one where they coincide.
That is where all the logic of the cover-up comes from: the drawing is not chosen and then placed, it is designed backwards, starting from where the dark patches that need absorbing are.
What makes a tattoo hard to cover
Being very black and very saturated. Being large in relation to the available space. Having very defined, straight outlines, because those are the hardest to disguise. And being in an area with little margin around it.
An old, faded, fine-line tattoo is the easy scenario. A recent blackout is the hard one.
When laser is needed first
When what is underneath is so dense that covering it would demand an enormous or fully black design. A few laser sessions to lighten the base expand the design options enormously.
We do not do laser in the studio, so when we tell you you need it there is no interest behind it: it is simply what gives the best result.
Which styles work best as a cover-up
Traditional and neo-traditional, for the thick outline and dense colour. Blackwork, for obvious reasons. And Japanese, because its background of waves and clouds is designed precisely to absorb and unify.
Realism and fine line work worst over something, because they need a clean base to be read.
When the honest answer is no
Sometimes the size or placement you want is not enough to hide what is there, and the only real ways out are going bigger or going through laser. We would rather tell you beforehand than accept the booking and hand you a permanent disappointment.
Real work
Studio work, no renders
Every photo on this website is a piece done at Arkadia.
Questions before you book
Quick questions
Can any tattoo be covered?
No, and anyone who tells you yes without seeing it is selling you something. It depends on how dark, how saturated and how large it is, and on the space available around it. Send us a well-lit, front-on photo and we tell you honestly whether it can be covered, whether laser is needed first, or whether the answer is no. The assessment costs nothing.
Is a cover-up more expensive than a normal tattoo?
Usually yes. There is more design work, more ink density and often more sessions, because the result has to work as a piece in its own right and also resolve what was underneath. The quote is still free and closed before you commit to anything, just like with any other work at the studio.
How long do I have to wait between laser and the cover-up?
That is set by the laser clinic, not us, and it depends on how many sessions you need and how your skin responds. What we can tell you upfront is roughly how many lightening sessions it would take for the design you want to be viable, so you know what timeline you are getting into before you start anything.
Free quote
Been turning that idea over for months?
Tell us about it and we will come back with a price, how many sessions it takes and how it would sit on your body. Free, no strings: if it does not add up for you, that is fine.
Free quote · Valid for 30 days · The slot is confirmed once the deposit is paid