Why Laser Tattoo Removal is a Better Option for Cover-Ups
Why Laser Tattoo Removal is a Better Option for Cover-Ups
Article Courtesy of Astanza
People with tattoos change their minds about their ink more often times than not. Most people regret the tattoo they got when they were younger, others no longer identify with the tattoo they once loved, and a large handful of people simply want to make room for new artwork. Whatever their motivation, these people usually end up asking themselves, “Should I get a cover-up or should I get my tattoo removed?”
In this article, we outline some of the reasons why using laser tattoo removal for lightening a tattoo before a cover up or a full removal is the best solution.
Cover-Ups Require More Ink
In order to completely conceal an existing tattoo, cover-ups usually require the use of darker, heavily pigmented inks. This especially applies to tattoos that contain a lot of black ink, which the majority of tattoos do. No matter how talented a cover-up tattoo artist is, they still need to use twice or triple the amount of ink to ensure no traces of the original tattoo come through. This can pose as a problem for clients who are interested in replacing their old artwork with a more colorful tattoo or a piece with lighter colors.
For example, if someone wanted to get a cover-up on a heavily saturated black tribal tattoo, the tattoo artists wouldn’t have many design options other than covering it with a large solid black shape. By completely removing the ink or significantly fading it with laser tattoo removal, the client and tattoo artist will be presented with a completely clean slate, allowing for more flexibility and creativity with the new tattoo. Luckily, black ink is the easiest ink pigment for most lasers to remove.
Qcknd, a YouTube blogger, shared her positive experience with choosing laser tattoo removal over getting a cover-up. Qcknd found that with her fair skin complexion and desire for a colorful tattoo, laser tattoo removal was her best solution for removing an old black text tattoo she no longer felt attached to. After completely removing her tattoo with laser removal, Qcknd was able to get a new piece of art that fit her current aesthetic without having any remnants of her old tattoo. You can view the full video here.
Cover-Ups Limit Design and Size
Most successful cover-ups take up more space on the skin in efforts to completely hide an existing tattoo. Although successful, this may not be what the client wanted in the first place.Take this Buzzfeed article for example, all of these cover-ups were executed excellently, but majority of them ended up being far larger than the original tattoo.Laser tattoo removal can help create a blank canvas so the client can get the tattoo they want at their desired size.
People can also use laser tattoo removal to fade or lighten a tattoo instead of completely removing the entire piece. Lightening a tattoo can prepare a cleaner canvas for a tattoo artist to apply a cover-up by removing certain design aspects. Say, for example, there’s a tattoo of a rose with an ex-lover’s name in the middle. The client may love the rose, but doesn’t want her ex-boyfriend’s name permanently etched on her skin. Laser tattoo removal has the capability of fading specific parts of a tattoo, like text, allowing the artist to incorporate new elements to the existing tattoo while still preserving the original artwork. Undergoing a few laser tattoo removal treatments to lighten or remove certain sections of a tattoo will make reworking the design much easier for a tattoo artist.
When it comes to deciding between getting a cover-up or getting laser tattoo removal, it’s safe to say that laser tattoo removal will deliver the best results. Not only does laser tattoo removal make things easier on your tattoo artist, but it will open up the aesthetic possibilities for new body art.
Laser tattoo removal before a cover-up can be especially helpful when the desired cover-up contains a lot of detail. Without tattoo removal, you run the risk of getting another poorly executed tattoo, having the existing artwork still peek through, and not being able to get the look that you want to completely hide the original artwork.
Laser tattoo removal doesn’t always have to be correlated with removing a bad or unwanted tattoo. Laser tattoo removal can be used to lighten part of tattoos to add more detailed elements and color.
Don’t stick to the limitations of cover-ups. Explore the world of laser tattoo removal and see how it can lead to you achieving the look that you want for your skin.
