The new ink will undergo the same fading and microscopic migration as the old ink. What results is that most cover-ups look great on day one, but over time, the ink settles in such a way that the old tattoo will show through.
After an average 3 to 5 sessions your old art will have faded enough to get going on the new piece, depending on what your new art is going to be.
Awesome cover up... It will eventually fade like any tattoo. You could get the white ink touched up every few years to keep it clean.
Don't do a cover up if you'd 'like to be tattoo free ideally'. Cover ups tend to be at least twice the size of the original and if you don't enjoy being tattooed you will still end up dissatisfied. Do full removal and even if it takes 4-5 years, you will be happier with the end result.
Remove your bandage after 3-12 hours, and clean it with mild soap and warm water as in Method 1. After washing, gently pat it dry with a clean cloth or paper towel, then allow it to air dry for 15 minutes.
You Want to Transform the Old Tattoo: Cover-ups allow you to change the meaning, style, and appearance of the old tattoo without having to remove it completely. You're Looking for a Quick Fix: If you don't have the time or budget for multiple removal sessions, a cover-up can provide a faster solution.
Black ink tends to outlast any other color because it is super pigmented. Other darker colors like dark blue, dark green, gray, and dark purple will have a similar lifespan to black ink. Lighter inks like yellows, reds, oranges, whites, and any pastel tones tend to fade a bit more quickly than darker inks.
Laser tattoo removal works when the color in the ink absorbs the energy from the laser. Different colors of ink absorb color differently. Specifically, lighter colors like white, yellow, light blue, and pink are the most difficult to remove, as are green, red, and neon colors.
Over time, cells from your immune system – called macrophages - gradually absorb the tattoo ink and disperse it, which can lead to some tattoo fading. On top of this, factors such as sunlight, friction and improper care of your tattoos can all accelerate the process of aging your skin and/or fading your tattoos.
What results is that most cover-ups look great on day one, but over time, the ink settles in such a way that the old tattoo will show through. Traditional cover-ups must also take into account that whichever ink is darker will be the one that is visible.
Be patient while your cover-up tattoo heals, as it can take longer to heal than a regular tattoo. This is because the cover-up is done over an existing tattoo, making your healing process more difficult.
The best subject matter for cover ups tend to be things with lots of texture and heavy lighting effects to create heavy shadows, such as underwater scenes, flowers, organic images, Japanese imagery, skulls, organic style bio mech.
Keep in mind that a cover up tattoo might cost more than the same design on a fresh patch of skin. This cost is because the artist will need to strategically plan the design and the types of ink they used based on the original tattoo, which will take more labor and more time.
And the UV frequencies in sunlight are energetic enough to break down the ink molecules over time, so tattoos that are always exposed – such as on the fingers or face – fade quicker than those covered by clothing.
Generally, you have one shot at a cover-up tattoo. A third time over is generally not possible given the damage and ink already in that skin; laser tattoo removal is usually the path should you want to remove a cover-up.
It is difficult to give a one-size-fits-all answer to this often asked question, but broadly speaking, yes a tattoo can be 100% removed so long as your immune system is working effectively and you follow our sun-safe aftercare guidelines.
The types of tattoos people regret most are lettering/script (19%), symbols (16%), names (12%), animal designs (10%) and tribal tattoos (9%).
Yellows and Greens with Cadmium
Yellows and bright greens often contain cadmium, which can cause skin irritation and has been associated with other health risks. They also tend to fade or change color over time when exposed to sunlight.
Certain tattoo styles that use black and/or grey ink, such as Tribal tattoos, Greyscale tattoos, and American Traditional tattoos (as well as bold lettering or Zodiac tattoos) are known to age well. These different tattoo styles feature bold, detailed linework that is deeply injected into the skin.
Erasing tattoos requires experts hands on practice with safety measures to avoid any injury. In almost all cases, you are much better off lightening your current tattoo before covering up with new artwork (the exception being very small or very light tattoos).
Can I still see old tattoos under cover-up? As discussed before it is very important to find a tattoo artist who has good experience with cover-ups. Because in many cases the cover-ups look very nice and opaque when it's fresh. But once the tattoo is healed the previous tattoo may start showing up.