Getting a tattoo is exciting but seeing your tattoo not coming out per your expectations is incredibly disappointing. You really desire to get rid of this unattractive tattoo design.
However, tattoo cover-ups happen all the time, and a professional tattoo artist can make old or bad tattoo art disappear. A cover-up tattoo is usually made to cover other old and faded tattoos in the same area.
When a cover-up tattoo is going to cover an old tattoo, it will hurt more than when you got the tattoo.
The process and cost of a cover-up tattoo are based on the design, expertise of a tattoo artist, and amount or rework required. Tattoo cover-ups can make outstanding final products.
Any tattoo can be covered up, but sometimes it may need to be faded with laser tattoo removal.
It is usually helpful when the cover-up design requires more details with fewer colors than the original tattoo.
This laser tattoo removal process can be more expensive than only a cover-up tattoo and usually needs 2-3 sessions.
But if you have a large, solid, black tattoo, an experienced tattoo artist can help get rid of it by covering it with a design you can get excited about.
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Here’s The Cost to cover up a tattoo
The price to cover up a tattoo can range from $50 to $200 depending on different factors, including the artist you choose and the difficulty of the proposed artwork. Some tattoo artists charge an hourly rate that usually ranges from $50 per hour. But the price can go higher up to $300 to $500 per hour depending on the skill level and experience of the artist. Some professional artists that work with celebrities may charge a day rate of $500 to $2,500 per day on average.
On the other hand, some tattoo artists do not choose to do cover-up tattoos as it could be a slightly tricky task to do, so they may feel uncomfortable while covering the tattoo.
4 Factors Affecting The Cost of Cover-up Tattoo
1) Size and design of tattoo
If you want to cover up a small and simple tattoo that will take minimum time, then most shops will demand a minimum rate, but some artists may charge more if the previous tattoo is complex and large.
2) Extra consultation
If your cover-up tattoo needs additional design work, it will definitely add more charges to your budget. There also will be the need for extra consolation when you choose any complex cover-up design.
3) Age of tattoo
Age of tattoos also matters the most as the faded and old tattoo is easy to cover up compared to the brand new one. So the artists can cover up an old tattoo more quickly, and they will not charge much cost for it. And old designs do not show through the cover-up designs like the new ones. In case you need only a touch-up, you can read here.
4) Location
The cover-up tattoo cost can vary in different places. As if you are living in an area where there are too many tattoo shops, you may get the cover-up tattoo at a lower cost, but if there are not many shops in your area, the price of a cover-up tattoo can go higher.
5) Tattoo artist
Not all tattoo artists demand the same price to cover up the tattoo; some tattoo artists do this task at a minimal fee, while the professional and more demanding artist will do it for a higher cost.
Some common tattoo cover-ups include;
- Tribal tattoo
- Script tattoo
- Name tattoo
- Foreign words or phrases
- Old flash
- Faded or blown out tattoo
Black is the more preferred cover-up Tattoo Color:
Hiding an old tattoo with a cover-up tattoo is not as simple as applying a new tattoo over the top of an old tattoo.
At the time of your first tattoo, inks were deposited below the epidermis (at least one millimeter of skin).
And when you get a cover-up tattoo, the ink is deposited into the same area, where the new ink gets to mix with the old ink—the mixing of different colors of ink results in a different color.
Like, when a red color ink already in your epidermis gets to mix with applied blue ink color, it will result in a purple pigment.
Darker colors can easily dominate lighter colors that’s why black is the preferred color in the cover-up work.
You might be curious to know:
Things to Remember If You Will Make a Cover-Up tattoo
1) Tattoo Size
The size of the cover-up tattoo will always be bigger than the previous tattoo. So there are possibilities that you will not get the size as per your choice. But the larger tattoo designs will allow hiding an attractive design completely.
And, if you still do not feel comfortable about inking a large area of your skin, do not hesitate to discuss it with your tattoo artist; he will definitely find the top-notch design. Some of the most expensive area of getting a cover-up tattoo is on the chest.
2) Tattoo Color
It’s better to choose bright colors to cover up a tattoo. It is hard to hide existing dark colors with shades like orange, yellow, red.
Usually, tattoo artists choose blue, brown, and black color pallets are used to cover up tattoos.
Choosing bold and dark colors to camouflage the previous tattoo can help you to get rid of this.
3) Tattoo Design
The design of your tattoo matters the most when you want a cover-up tattoo to hide your previous and old tattoo.
Not every design is easy to conceal.
For example, the large tattoo designs with minor details get challenging to hide and erase as compared to small tattoo, which is easy to conceal.
So avoid choosing a complex design when going for the tattoo for the first time. So, you can get rid of it in less time if it turns into a mistake.
4) Go to an experienced Tattoo Artist
Covering up a tattoo as per client requirements is not as easy as making a new tattoo. This process requires more effort and seems time-consuming.
So it is recommended to go to an experienced tattoo artist who poses the skills to replace your regrettable design with something exciting and appealing.
