Cover Up Tattoos
As a tattoo artist, a lot of people contact me about transforming their existing tattoos, scars or varicose veins. Many of my clients whose old tattoos or scars I cover up say to me, “You know, I had to do a bunch of digging to find a tattoo artist who would tattoo over my old tat or scars. Most artists I contacted wouldn’t even consider the idea, much less talk to me about it. I’m so glad I found you and that you weren’t afraid to help me!”
Tattooing itself is hard; designing, creating and performing cover up tattoos are even more demanding. Cover up tattoos are a very specific type of tattoo and are not like other tattoos; they are much more formulaic and are difficult to perform. Tattooing over existing tattoos, scars and varicose veins is tricky; the success of the finished piece depends on several factors. If it’s old ink, I need to know the type of tattoo it is, if it’s scarred at all and how much un-inked skin is around it. For scars, I want to know what type of scar, if it’s solid and flat or raised, bumpy or mushy. For both existing tats and scars, I need to know how old and dark it is, it’s location on the body and the type of new imagery the client wants to use. Some scars, like burn or road rash scars have healed down badly; they’re gnarly and bunchy, which makes them hard to cover successfully. Stretch marks or scars that are too squishy and too close together will make tattooing over them difficult, if not impossible. Tattooing over stretch marks, if even possible, can sometimes lead to blow out. Most stretch marks will not take ink at all-- I have to go around them. But old surgery scars, mastectomy or SI (self inflicted) scars are often flat enough to take ink if they are old enough. Those types of scars are good candidates for a decent cover up/camouflage tattoo. I’ve had a lot of success tattooing over them and over breast implant removal scars, as well. As long as the skin around them is fairly taut and undamaged, varicose veins are usually no problem to tattoo over. I need to see the old tattoo or scar(s) in person, to run my fingers over it, to see if it might work for a cover up. Sometimes I can get a good idea from photos people email me but it’s still important for me to feel the tat or scar to know if I can camouflage it or not. If the existing tattoo or scar(s) is located on an area of the body that doesn’t take ink well, (like knees, elbows, etc.) tattooing over it may be impossible. Also, when dealing with scars, we need them to be totally healed-- AT LEAST 9 MONTHS, a whole year or more, if possible.
The type of imagery used to cover over or camouflage an old tattoo or scar(s) is also important. Images that are based in nature, that are organic, that can flow over uneven surfaces and are not rigid work the best. Imagery that is detailed and uses shading and color will be most successful. (For example, flowers like peonies, dahlias and chrysanthemums work well.) I use the “cover up formula” on old tats and scars. The formula is: the new image must be larger, darker, detailed with lots of line work, and it needs gray shading and colors of dark value like purples, blues and greens. But it also needs a balance of colors, warm and cool tones; restricting the pallet to only blue, for example, will not be totally successful. (When someone says, "I don't want any green in the greenery", that makes my job much harder, if not impossible.) I use the position of the old tat or scar on the body with the virgin skin around and near it. (Yes, I have to go over the area where the old tattoo or scar is located on your body-- if it's on your chest, your throat, etc., I have to tattoo over it.) I also take into account the underlying body structure--what muscles, bones, nerves, etc. are under the old tat or scar(s). Flowers and other plant material (botanical imagery) work really well for existing tattoo and scar cover up pieces because if the tat or scar will not hold the new ink uniformly, it doesn’t matter. Our eyes are so used to looking at organic material in all of it’s variation, we just skip right over the anomaly. Scars like mastectomy scars, in particular, are usually a dull pink, red or brown color. Some of my clients with those types of scars are concerned that the scar color is too dark and are worried that they won’t be coverable, but if we put floral imagery over them, it usually works wonderfully. Even if the scar(s) won’t take much ink, because we’ve used flowers that are similar in color to the scar, they’re perfectly camouflaged or transformed. When using the un-inked skin around the tat or scar(s), I place the most important part of the new image there, so that it reads the best and is most prominent.
Imagery that does NOT work well for covering up old tats or scars are: photos or portraits with faces, tribal and henna style imagery with only positive or negative space (using only black ink), and rigid geometric shapes like squares, stars, etc. that are super recognizable and unforgiving. The new image needs to be fairly graphic. We need to use imagery that has gray shading and color in it to truly cover or camouflage the old tat or scar(s). Areas of flat colors of light value, (like yellows, pinks and reds) do NOT, I repeat do NOT, work by themselves, as they are too translucent. "Watercolor" style tattoos are a good example of this. They're the latest fad, but they generally do NOT WORK for cover up tattoos. Vague imagery, like a day or night sky or mountains with generic, flat forests do not provide enough line work to cover effectively. Also, just using black ink (what is called "gray work tattooing") is NOT effective for covering up an old tattoo--- you need the full range of colors I recommend. Even if the new image is just a flat black box or circle, you will still be able to see the old tattoo underneath it, because there is no camouflaging line work over the top. (I also think that is a failure of the imagination and together we can do better than that, lol.)
Sometimes clients ask me if I can tattoo "flesh" colored ink over a scar or stretch mark(s) to "camouflage" or make it look like “regular skin again.” That will NEVER work; a scar is never going to look like virgin, untouched, or regular skin again, no matter what you do. Sometimes lasering it can smooth out a scar but the skin will never go back to the way it was before injury. And the coloration will ALWAYS be disturbed. Our skin changes in tone over time, anyway. I can not stress this enough: it is best to do regular tattooing over scars. Some clients want to know if they should laser their old tattoos before attempting to tattoo a new image over it. Sometimes, if the old tattoo is really super dark, that might be a good idea-- laser technicians might be able to get some ink out of the skin and that can be helpful, especially if they use the newest technology. No matter what laser clinics claim, they will most likely not be able to get ALL of the old ink out of the skin. And it will never again look like virgin skin, even after many treatments. The process is super painful, expensive and takes many sessions, over a long period of time. Even after it’s been lasered for a year or more, there will usually still be spots of old ink underneath the top layer of the skin. And, a scar may not take ink well, but sometimes lasering a scar can flatten it out, which will make it easier to tattoo. Sometimes, lasering over an old tattoo can actually CREATE scars in the area, which makes it even more difficult to tattoo over. So I usually just need to see the old tat or scar in person, to be able to see what I can do. (I believe in being up front and honest with people.) Please wait until your skin is totally healed down before booking a consultation.
When you’re looking for a tattoo artist to cover your old tattoo or scar(s), ask them what kind of experience they’ve had with cover up tattoos and if you can see some examples. They should have some before and after photos to share and be comfortable talking to you about the process and the techniques they use. They should be open to all of your questions and have no problem answering them. If you’d like to work with me, contact me at victoria@floatinglotustattoo.com or 503 807-7863. I do work with people who live outside of Portland or Oregon; I’ve tattooed people from all over the States. It just takes more coordination, usually via email. And I never do any work without securing a deposit first, so contact me.
Cover up projects usually take several sessions, depending on the size of the old tattoo or scar(s). They take PATIENCE; sometimes I need to prep the area first. If the old tattoo is dark, I may need to pump some white ink into it first, to get it to go down in value-- to turn more gray, before I can put the new imagery over it. Sometimes I will recommend that you get the old tattoo or scar lasered before we can even start the process. We need to tattoo the outline first (the general shapes) then the gray shading (for dimension) and lastly the color to finish. Each session needs at least three weeks to heal down, so the whole process also demands time. (If your old tat or scar is small, I may be able to cover it in only two sessions, depending on what imagery you want to use.) Also, the existing tat or scar(s) may not take the ink well and we may have to put more ink into the new tattoo, after it’s initial healing, a technique called “polishing.” So, cover up tats sometimes take many sessions. After we decide to work together, and you give me a deposit, I will present you with full scale, full color drawings of my design (I don't know of ANY other tattoo artists who do this). If you alter my design or change the colors on the drawings I present, the resulting cover up tattoo will not be as successful, so you need to trust that I know what I'm doing. If you don't like something, you have every opportunity to be honest and tell me whether you like it or not. (If you are not honest, there is nothing I can do about that and the outcome.)
I can't believe I have to say this but my intention is always for the good and to try and help. If a client makes me alter the cover up formula--like ignoring me when I say that gray work (black ink only-- no colored ink) with no imagery will not be truly effective in camouflaging the old tattoo but they insist I do so anyway, they do not get to complain later, insult me and my work, bad mouth me to other tattooers, and leave nasty reviews on Google/Yelp, etc. I have performed many, many cover up tattoos and if you let me do my job without interference, I can give you a fantastic result. If you make me skip any of the steps, especially the color, the resulting cover up/camouflage tattoo will not be successful and may need supplemental applications of ink. I can't believe I have to emphasize this, but if you don't like any of my proposed designs, in ANY regard, you must tell me right away!
I can not give you an estimate of cost until I see or create the design you want to use and know the size of the cover up you want; that is what a consultation appointment is for, so I usually need to see you in person first. But if at your consult, you give me a ball park figure of how much you want to spend, I can base the tat on that and work within your budget.
For those of you who have scars and have never been tattooed before: being tattooed hurts. It's the nature of tattooing; we're inserting ink underneath the epidermal (top) layer of the skin with small needles. How much it hurts depends on: where on the body the tattoo is applied and you. If the area being tattooed is bony without a lot of muscle but lots of nerves (hands, feet, skull, flank, spine, etc.) it will hurt more. I have now used the new numbing creams. You are free to purchase some and use them before you come in for your inking sessions. (But make sure they have no vaso-constrictors in them, which makes the skin too unresponsive to tattoo properly.) Zensa numbing cream works well, for example-- I love it and can not recommend it enough! It is well worth the cost. Here is info on how to apply Zensa-- do this right before you come in for your inking sessions: clean the area affected and towel it dry. Apply the cream thickly to the WHOLE area to be tattooed. Use plastic wrap and plastic medical tape to seal the area tightly. I will remove it when we are ready to perform the ink. Also, bring the tube with you to your session, in case you need another application during the process. https://zensaskincare.com/tattoos#how-to-apply
Sometimes taking an Ibuprofen anti-inflammatory pain reliever like Aleve, Advil or Motrin right before being tattooed can help with pain management. But, if you have a low tolerance for pain, and you can not remain calm and still, you are probably not a good candidate to get a tattoo, especially a large one. Seriously, if you know that you won't be able to bear being uncomfortable and in some level of pain, you should not consider getting a tattoo. Also, some medications that restrict the release of endorphins make getting tattooed very painful, so think about what medications you're on, before you come in.
When the cover up piece is finally finished it can totally transform the old tat or scar(s) into something new and gorgeous. Clients are just delighted with the results. Many times people who have an existing tattoo that no longer resonates with them are embarrassed by it and have been hiding the old ink for a long time. Sometimes they are still happy with their existing tattoo but they want to update it, change it into something that reflects who they are now, transform it into something more meaningful for them. They contact me saying, “I’ve got to do something with this old tattoo. I don’t know what I was thinking when I got it. Can you help me?” Lots of people with scars feel so much better after they’ve been covered or camouflaged with ink; they no longer have to explain why they have scars (if the scars are visible) or how they got them. Women who’ve survived breast cancer contact me saying, “I look down at my chest and seeing the scars, I'm reminded that I almost died. I want to look at myself and see something beautiful there, to be reminded that I am alive, I survived. Can you help me transform my scars?” To which I answer, “Absolutely. I’d be honored. Let’s have you come in and see what we can do together.”
