Don't love your tattoo? 4 creative ways of covering it up and starting fresh

Call it a bad decision or simply ageing badly (both meaning or design-wise), there are some tattoos which are a reminder of impulsive decisions. Maybe it was a brash dare, a tacky design of ex's name, lyrics from the teenage song you have grown to hate in your adulthood or a trend that fizzled out. Whatever the reason, you can choose to opt out of these outdated tattoo designs.

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Usually tattoos are to honour someone or something special, or even to make a fashion statement. But certain tattoos, over time, just don't feel like you anymore, and instead stick out like a sore thumb. In that case, what should you do?

HT Lifestyle reached out to tattoo artist and visual storyteller Bhakti Thakkar, who shared that a cover-up tattoo is one of the options to fix an old tattoo that has lost its appeal.

“Cover-up tattoos are one of the most popular solutions when someone wants to fix or transform an old tattoo. Instead of removing the tattoo completely, you get to upgrade it into something new and meaningful. Think of it as giving your tattoo a stylish makeover," she explained the process of a quick upgrade. This way, you turn your old, unwanted (maybe even cringe-inducing) designs into something fresh and creative.

As the tattoo artist explained, a cover-up tattoo is a creative way to hide your old tattoo. It turns your old tattoo into beautiful designs that you will actually adore. The process of covering a tattoo goes about four ways.

Bhakti listed out these four cover-up techniques:

Now you have to introspect a bit and figure out if you want to remove the tattoo or just revamp it? When you go for a cover-up, you are getting inked all over again. You are not just hiding the old tattoo but making a new one over it. Do you want your skin to be ink-free or just dislike that one particular tattoo? This is why you need to take a moment before you take the plunge.

The tattoo artist revealed these 3 key essentials you need to know if you are opting for a cover-up:

If you have decided that you don't want the tattoo at all, you can also choose to have it removed entirely. Laser removal is one of the common options to achieve this.

“Laser removal is a popular choice for those who want a completely clean slate. The process involves using high-intensity laser beams to break down the ink particles under the skin. Over time, the body's immune system gradually cleans these particles over the following weeks. Multiple sessions might be needed, usually spaced 6-8 weeks apart," Bhakti elaborated on the process of laser removal.

Before you consider going for laser and completely removing the tattoo, weigh out the advantages and other considerations. Here's how you can decide if you need a laser or not, as shared by Bhakti:

Source: HindustanTimes
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