Cover-up Tattoo Ideas For Names To Start A New Stage Of Life

Sometimes we feel strong emotions that make us do desperate things. For example, someone loves another person so much that they tattoo their name. Unfortunately, our feelings for other people are not always mutual, which leads to relationship breaks.

Therefore, an awkward situation may arise: you got a tattoo with the person’s name who is already indifferent to you (or vice versa, you stopped feeling what you felt for that person). Accordingly, you want to get rid of such a design. One solution to the problem can be complete laser tattoo removal. However, this procedure has many contraindications, due to which some people will have to refuse from this.

If you cannot or do not want to remove a tattoo, you should pay attention to cover-up tattoo ideas for names. This option has 2 advantages over laser removal:

• – You will get a new beautiful tattoo;

• – No trace of the old design will remain on your body.

However, choosing a tattoo idea can take a long time. Therefore, in this article, we have collected 50+ cover-up ideas for names, listed their meanings, told whether it hurts to get a picture on top of an old one, and more.

How Do Tattoo Artists Do Cover-ups?

A good tattoo artist can cover up any tattoo. Depending on the situation, there may be a different approach. For example, it may be necessary to previously remove some of the pigment from an old tattoo with a laser. Another option is visiting more than one tattoo session.

If not take into account the individual approach we described earlier, the process of covering up a tattoo is as follows. The tattoo master applies the pigment to the same dermisThe dermis is the middle layer of the skin into which ink is carried when tattooing. where the old one was. Depending on the color, a new shade may turn out or completely cover up the old one.

Does A Cover-up Tattoo For A Name Hurt More?

A cover-up tattoo can cause you no more pain than a regular one. However, you need to follow one main rule. You need to wait about a month from getting the tattoo. During this period, the skin heals completely. Otherwise, the pain of a cover-up tattoo can increase up to 10 times. 

Also, a pattern that requires a lot of darkening can be painful. The tattoo artist will need to apply the pigment very tightly. Therefore, more skin cells will be exposed to external influences, which will lead to increased pain.

3 Tips on How To Cover up a Name Tattoo

Certain tips will help you choose the right cover-up tattoo and save yourself the hassle. 

1. Consider the current design. If you’ve had large additional elements in the name tattoo with different colors, you might want to consider upgrading your current tattoo. It’s less time-consuming. In this case, you will update the color and edit the flaws of the old drawing.

2. Find a qualified tattoo artist. He will cover your old tattoo with a new one and suggest how to do it correctly. In some cases, laser removal may be required, while in others, simply covering the tattoo will be sufficient.

3. Don’t be afraid of laser removal. A tattoo with rich colors is really tough to cover. The old pigment can show through the new one or mix with it. Therefore, it is worth visiting several sessions of laser tattoo removal to get rid of excess pigment.

50+ Cover-up Tattoo Ideas for Names

The length, width, and color of the name tattoo influence the choice of the cover-up design. Depending on these factors, it may be difficult for you to find a cover-up idea.

Therefore, we have selected for you not only eye-catching tattoo designs but also provided before and after examples. Let’s start choosing!

Feathers

Feather is the most popular idea for name cover-up tattoos. Below are the main reasons for this:

1. Name tattoos usually look like a long phrase, which is easiest to cover with a long object

2. The name can be placed both horizontally and vertically. Feather can also be drawn both ways

3. In ancient times, the indigenous tribes of America considered the feather a symbol of immortality, which protected them from evil spirits.

Since we have touched on the meanings of this symbol, let’s take a closer look at them:

➶ Freedom;

➶ Independence;

➶ Spirituality;

➶ Intelligence;

➶ Luck;

➶ Kindness.

Flowers

The most popular flower for cover-up tattoo ideas for the name is the rose. It is a symbol of love, sensuality, and hope. The cold colors of the rose can emphasize that your feelings are gradually fading away from the person whose name is depicted on the tattoo.

If you do not want to plunge yourself into depressive moods, you can make a bright and colorful flower cover-up tattoo for a name with sunflowers or other plants.

In a general sense, flower tattoos have the following meanings:

🌹 Joy;

🌹 Vitality;

🌹 Youth;

🌹 Freshness.

Mountains

A mountain tattoo is not just a beautiful idea for a cover-up design because it has deep meaning. This tattoo symbolizes invincibility and wisdom. Therefore, if you want to show that the break with your ex did not affect you, you can get such a picture over the name.

In a general sense, a mountain tattoo has the following meanings:

🌄 Stability;

🌄 Protection;

🌄 Steadfastness;

🌄 Power.

Skulls

Another example of a symbolic idea for a name cover-up tattoo is the skull. This element means a bitter truth that could cause a break in relations with a person you once loved.

The skull has another meaning that conveys opposite feelings – forgiveness. Therefore, you can use this design not only in a negative context. In this way, you can show that despite the separation, you forgive the person for all the sins.

The skull symbol also has other meanings:

💀 The value of being;

💀 Inevitability;

💀 Predictability of the end;

💀 Eternity.

Birds

A bird tattoo will allow you to cover up a name of any size because such drawings are often medium and large. The most popular of them are the owl and bald eagle.

Below, we list the meanings of cover-up tattoo ideas for names with owl and bald eagle:

Owl:

🦉 Intelligence;

🦉 Wisdom;

🦉 Knowledge;

🦉 Prudence;

🦉 Savvy.

Bald eagle:

🦅 Justice;

🦅 Strength;

🦅 Pride;

🦅 Power.

Butterflies

Butterfly designs for cover-up tattoos with names are most often used by girls. This fact has a logical explanation. In the East, a butterfly tattoo represents femininity, beauty, and tenderness. Also, the bright color of these insects emphasizes the grace and uniqueness of each girl.

In addition to those listed above, cover-up butterfly tattoos for names have the following meanings:

🦋 Gracefulness;

🦋 Youth;

🦋 Ease.

Unique Designs

In addition to the designs listed above, you can choose any cover-up tattoo idea for a name. For example, you can realize a long-held dream of a tattoo with the character of your favorite movie, video game, or comic book. Apart from this, you can also create an interesting composition around the name:

💡 A roller that will sketch the name;

💡 Scissors that cut out the name;

💡 The “void” seal over the name personifies the emptiness of your emotions.

One of the most interesting ideas might be to weave the name into another plot, in which it will no longer look like a separate name of a person. For example, someone had a Ralph name tattoo and asked to draw a horse with a polo player and the inscription Lauren. It formed the Polo Ralph Lauren brand logo.

Well, if you don’t like your ex at all and got a tattoo with their face and name, you can turn it into something like that. 🙂

Ideas For Different Places

On the Wrist

The wrist is the most popular place for a tattoo with the name of a loved one. Most often they are made paired or complementary (e.g., a name with a cardiogram). 

When it comes to tattoo ideas, you can choose whatever you like. One option could be a mandala. This symbol displays the unity of the universe and has the following meanings:

☀️ Harmony;

☀️ Wisdom;

☀️ The pursuit of excellence;

☀️ Inner peace.

On the Chest

According to beliefs, the chest is the gate behind which the soul and heart are hidden, which stores and produces all the person’s emotions. Therefore, many people get tattoos with names on their chests.

One of the most eye-catching and unique chest cover-up tattoo ideas is the crown. It is due to the meanings of this symbol:

👑 Hope for pure love and constancy;

👑 Luck;

👑 Nobility;

👑 Uniqueness.

On the Hand

The hand and face are the most eye-catching parts of the body. Couples in love get tattoos with names on their hands and fingers so that everyone around them can see their devotion.

If you want a cover-up name tattoo on your hand or fingers, you can choose any design. One of the most interesting may be the tribal pattern. They were used by the ancient tribes of Samoa and Polynesia for:

☼ Protection from evil spirits and enemies during the battle;

☼ Communication with the gods.

How Much Does It Cost To Cover up a Name Tattoo?

The color, size, detail, style of the new tattoo, and experience of the artist all affect the cost of a cover-up tattoo. Therefore, only the tattoo artist to whom you come to get rid of the old drawing can calculate the exact cost.

However, the price of qualified tattoo artist services ranges from $25 to $300 per hour. If the average session is 4–6 hours, the total cost will be approximately $100-$1800 for a cover-up tattoo.

Expert Tip: The Best Tattoo Style To Cover up Old Tattoos

The easiest way to cover up an old tattoo is to make a new one in blackwork style. It is distinguished from others by a dense black fill. Therefore, your old drawing will not be visible through the blackwork tattoo.

You can also choose tattoos with lots of colors, lines, and shadows. A lot of details will also easily hide your old drawing underneath. In this case, pay attention to the styles of realism and new school tattoos. However, the cost of such tattoos will be about four times higher than blackwork ones ($1,200 vs. $4,800 for a mid-sized tattoo).

Summary

Sometimes we all do things we regret. However, some of them can be easily fixed. If you’ve got a tattoo that you no longer like or need for a specific reason, you can cover it up with a new design. However, choosing a cover-up tattoo idea has many pitfalls.

Therefore, in this article, we have collected 50+ cover-up tattoo designs for names, described their meanings, indicated how much they cost and whether they hurt, and highlighted the best tattoo styles for cover-ups.

Turn your unpleasant memory of the past into a real masterpiece!

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