Should You Have Your Tattoo Removed Or Covered Up?
Posted on: 30 June 2015
Share
If you have a tattoo you're no longer fond of -- whether the name of an ex-flame or simply an immature tattoo you regret -- you may be debating having it permanently removed with laser treatment. However, depending upon the size, body location, and color of your tattoo, having it covered up with a larger, more meaningful tattoo may be a better option. Read on to learn more about which tattoos are best suited for laser removal and which can be seamlessly covered up by new ink.
What tattoos can easily be removed with a laser?
Laser tattoo removal involves using a high-powered beam of light to target the tattoo's ink in the subcutaneous layers of your skin. This beam helps diffuse the ink particles into a form that is easily absorbed by your body. Laser treatment may be somewhat uncomfortable, but is not painful -- many users describe the feeling as having a rubber band snapped against their skin. After a few laser removal treatments, you'll notice the tattoo begin to fade, and after several more it may be indistinguishable from the surrounding skin.
Although it might seem that black or dark-colored tattoos would be the hardest to completely remove, black and dark green tattoos are actually the easiest, and require the least number of laser treatments to eradicate completely as compared to other tattoos. Yellow and red tattoos are particularly challenging, and may require many treatments over the course of several months.
Which tattoos should be covered up with another tattoo?
If the main reason you'd like your tattoo removed is because it's in a spot you're tired of covering up for work, or is otherwise interfering with your ability to function in society, you probably don't want an even larger tattoo in the same place. However, if you simply don't like the tattoo's design, you may opt to have it redesigned into a different tattoo completely. By working with a talented tattoo artist, you'll be able to come up with a design that represents your current life while seamlessly erasing all traces of your previous tattoo.
Having a tattoo coverup performed is also a good idea if the underlying tattoo incorporates a lot of yellow, orange, or red ink. These inks can be especially hard to fully remove with laser treatment, but are relatively easy to cover up with similar or darker colors in a new tattoo.