30 Before-And-After Pictures Of Tattoo Cover-Ups To Remind You To Think Before You Ink (New Pics)

We’ve all been warned about how thoroughly we need to think through tattoos before getting them, but that doesn’t stop us from forging ahead with our ink. You only live once, after all! The Pew Research Center reports that a third of Americans today have at least one tattoo, and 22% have more than one piece of ink. So inevitably, with the millions of tattoos that are done every year, they can’t all be winners.

According to Gitnux, research from the UK, US, Australia and Canada found that 78% of tattooed individuals regret at least one of their pieces. So many of them turn to sources like the Fixed Tattoos subreddit to see if anything can be done about their unfortunate artwork.    

The Fixed Tattoos subreddit is a wonderful, supportive community for anyone who wants to transform their old or lifeless pieces into something they’re proud of. The group, which has been around since March 2018, has amassed over 30k members simply for sharing “pictures of bad tattoos that were fixed very well.”

The community is dedicated to sharing photos of great cover-ups, seeking and providing suggestions for how to fix unfortunate pieces, and posting “true fixes,” which are corrections of the original pieces, rather than completely new artwork intended to cover up an old piece. The group is inspiring for those of us who have a regrettable tattoo that we tend to cover with clothing and extremely helpful for anyone who would like to transform an old piece with some new details.      

When it comes to having a tattoo that you hate, there are a few courses of action you can take: live with the regrettable piece and hope it grows on you, book some laser-removal sessions, or cover it up with something you actually love. Removal has become increasingly popular over the years, as searches on Google for “tattoo removal” increased 40% between 2020 and 2021. But the process can be painful, expensive, and you might not want to completely remove the artwork from your body.     

If you’re more interested in fixing or covering a bad tattoo than completely eliminating it, you’re not alone. According to Kenneth “K-Bar” Restrepo, owner of Leathernecks Tattoo in Brooklyn, cover-ups account for at least half of his company’s business. And apparently, an old and faded tattoo is the perfect piece to transform into something new. “It’s easier to cover an older tattoo,” Restrepo told Men’s Journal. “The ink tends to settle into your skin after some time. And if you did them a while ago, the quality of ink has changed.”

It’s also wise to take your time, do some research and figure out exactly what you’d like to replace your old tattoo with before consulting an artist. They can help you craft the perfect piece, but Restrepo says the more sure you are of what you want, the better. “[Clients] often come in thinking, ‘Okay, I have a circular tattoo, maybe you can do a black sun. I have lettering, so maybe I can do bigger lettering,’” he explained. “They should come in with what they actually want. Give me a subject, and it’s my job to make sure it works.”