You have heard more than once that a tattoo is forever, so this step should be taken very responsibly. We agree with this opinion, but we do not advise you to get upset in advance if your idea does not go according to plan. You can always cover up an old tattoo if:
- You’re tired of the old tattoo design;
- Your previous tattoo was of poor quality;
- The old tattoo is faded and no longer looks as bright as before;
- You want to supplement the old design.
In this article, we will tell you whether it’s better to remove a tattoo or cover it with a new one, as well as how long it takes to cover a tattoo.
Let’s start the review now!
Tattoo Removal vs. Covering up a Tattoo
If you are tired of an old tattoo or want to get rid of a design on your body that reminds you of unpleasant events, you face a dilemma: “Is it better to remove the tattoo or cover it up with a new one?” Let’s find out what is still worth choosing and why.
If you do not want to replace an old tattoo with a new one, or your goal is to change the place of the design, we recommend that you simply remove it. The tattoo removal procedure uses a laser, the beam of which breaks the design’s pigments into smaller particles. After that, your immune system will itself remove them from your body.
On average it takes 10-12 sessions of about 15 minutes each to completely remove a tattoo. The average cost of such a procedure ranges from $400 to $4,000 and more. The price of laser tattoo removal depends on:
- Skin type;
- Tattoo placement;
- Ink colors;
- The style and shape of the tattoo;
- Tattoo size.
If you want to update an old boring tattoo design with a new and fresher one, we recommend covering it up. Also, this procedure is more suitable if you want to leave a tattoo design on the same skin area where the previous one was.
Which Tattoos Are the Hardest To Cover Up?
The most difficult thing is (unsurprisingly) to cover a large black tattoo. It cannot be covered with a color other than black. Also, you should consider that before covering up an old tattoo, you may need to remove it a bit by using a laser. It will help lighten the pigment before getting a new design on the body.
Sometimes a dark tattoo can be covered up not only with black but also with colored ink. But for this, you need to personally negotiate such conditions and opportunities with a tattoo artist. Only a highly qualified specialist will help you implement such a design.
50+ Female Dark Cover-up Tattoo Ideas
You can upgrade a previous tattoo to a new one more than once with the wide range of options available today. We know how difficult it can be to find an idea you like, so to make your research easier, we have compiled 50+ dark tattoo cover-up designs.
The most popular places for women’s cover-up tattoos are:
Shoulders
Women’s shoulders are a very delicate and graceful body part on which neat dark designs will look good. They visually make the shoulders thinner and more feminine. The most popular ideas for cover-up female tattoos on the shoulders are:
- Roses;
- Lilies;
- Butterflies;
- Laurel branch.
Rose tattoos for women mean:
🌹 Femininity
🌹 Sensuality
🌹 Passion
🌹 Love
🌹 Hope
🌹 Spiritual purity
🌹 Innocence
🌹 Youth.
The female tattoo design with lilies has the following interpretations:
🌷 Pride
🌷 Holiness
🌷 Success
🌷 Integrity
🌷 Harmony
🌷 Majesty
🌷 Femininity
🌷 Purity.
Tattoo for women with butterflies has the following meanings:
🦋 Independence
🦋 Ease
🦋 Rebirth
🦋Freedom of movement
🦋 Immortality
🦋The beauty
🦋 Uniqueness
🦋 Grace
🦋 Ideality.
Tattoo ideas with a laurel branch on a female body mean:
🌿 Triumph
🌿 Leadership
🌿 Strength of character
🌿 Unbending will
🌿 Prosperity
🌿 Respect
🌿 Victory
🌿 Wealth
🌿 Authority.
Wrist
The wrist tattoo is one of the most popular designs. In this place the tattoo is visible, but it can be closed with a long sleeve at the right time. However, if you get bored with an idea on your wrist, it will not be difficult to cover it with another design because it does not hurt to get a tattoo in this place.
For dark cover-up tattoos on women’s wrists, these designs are perfect:
- Mandala;
- Tree;
- Feather;
- Scull.
The mandala is a sacred tattoo among Hindus and Buddhists because it means the integrity of the whole world. Based on Buddhist interpretations, such a tattoo design brings happiness, health, love, and so on into the life of its owner. At the same time, Hindus believe that the mandala tattoo demonstrates the Universe, human beings, and spirit.
A female cover-up tattoo with a tree means:
🌳 Growth
🌳 Connection with nature
🌳 Development
🌳 The cycle of life
🌳 Longevity
🌳 Support of the universe.
A tattoo design with a feather on a female wrist has the following interpretations:
🏹 Rarity
🏹 Greatness
🏹 Uniqueness
🏹 Royalty
🏹 Creative person
🏹 Ease
🏹 Love of freedom.
The female skull cover-up tattoos on the wrist have the following meanings:
💀 The transience of life
💀 Danger
💀 Victim
💀 Bitter truth
💀 Forgiveness
💀 Opposition to death
💀 Soul eternity.
Ankle
Ankle tattoo is a popular design among girls. It is because this place is often open due to females’ shorter clothes such as dresses, skirts, or shorts. Also, women’s shoes perfectly emphasize such ideas as additional accessories.
Ankle designs are usually small to medium in size. They can also be placed on the side of the lower leg. Therefore, medium-sized ideas are most often chosen. Among them, the most popular are the following:
🌹 Flowers;
✨ Mandala;
🦋 Butterflies;
🐈 Cat;
🦌 Deer.
These designs look great in dark colors. It is also worth noting that the black color visually makes the ankles and lower leg slimmer. Therefore, these body parts will attract even more eyes.
Neck
Neck tattoos are most often placed on the back of the lower part or behind the ear. These designs are always in plain sight, so if you don’t like your tattoo, it’s best to cover it up. In this case, dark ideas will come to your aid and help not leave a trace of the old design.
As for a cover-up tattoo, you can choose one of the four popular designs that we have listed below, but firstly check their meanings.
Cat
🐈 Independence
🐈 Grace
🐈 Joy
🐈 Fertility
🐈 Femininity.
🐍 Rebirth
🐍 Charm
🐍 Calm
🐍 Wisdom.
Flowers
🌸 Love
🌸 Joy
🌸 Freshnes
🌸Youth
🌸 Tenderness
🌸 The beauty.
🦋 Freedom
🦋 Harmony
🦋 Ease
🦋 Unpredictability.
Hand & Fingers
Hands and fingers are the most visible places on the body. Therefore, if you want to get a tattoo there, you need to approach the choice very responsibly. It is also worth noting that finger tattoos can lose up to 30% of pigment in 3 months.
And so, if you are faced with the problem of pigment fading or you no longer like your old design, you should turn to dark tattoos. They will allow you to easily cover up the old idea without visible traces of its presence.
Below we list the most popular designs of women’s cover-up tattoos with meanings:
Airplane
✈️ Purposefulness
✈️ Reverie
✈️ Faith in a great future
✈️ Love for freedom.
Pigeon
🐦 Faith
🐦 Hope
🐦 Love
🐦 Femininity
🐦 Motherhood.
Rose
🌹 Passion
🌹 Sensuality
🌹 Hope.
Forearm
The forearm is also popular place for tattooing. It is because here you can get a full sleeve design and at the same time not experience severe pain. However, a big idea is more difficult to bring to life because it requires hard work on many details.
Therefore, you may encounter a situation where your forearm tattoo did not turn out the way you wanted. In this case, you should pay attention to dark cover-up ideas. Below we list the most popular forearm cover-up designs with meanings.
Feather
🏹 Greatness
🏹 Royalty
🏹 Uniqueness
🏹 Rarities
🏹 Ease.
Chamomile
🌼Femininity
🌼 Spiritual purity
🌼 The beauty.
Back
Pretty often, girls get a tattoo on the upper and lower parts of the back. In these places, designs can be easily covered with clothing. Since you can use laser removal along with covering up with the new tattoo, it will allow you not to worry that someone will see the faded old idea.
Among the most popular ideas for female dark cover-up tattoos on the back are mandalas. These designs look good in both small and large versions due to the presence of many different details.
How Long It Takes To Get Female Dark Cover-Up Tattoos
Large, intricate, or heavily pigmented tattoos are the hardest to cover up, so you will need to lightly remove the ink first. About 3-5 sessions of laser tattoo removal are enough so that after these procedures it can be covered up with a new one. Keep in mind that you need to wait about 6 weeks between each session to allow the skin to heal after the laser treatment.
After the last session of removing the old tattoo pigment, you need to wait another 6-12 weeks for the complete healing of the affected skin area. Only after that, you can cover up the old tattoo safely and without any harm to your health. Furthermore, the duration of its implementation depends on the design complexity and the number of tattoo sessions required.
Thus, the preparation for receiving a cover-up tattoo is approximately 24-42 weeks.
Summary
Getting a tattoo is an important event in a person’s life. First, they need to choose a design that will not get boring. Secondly, find a tattoo artist who doesn’t screw up. If at least one of the factors has not been met, you will consider options for getting rid of the old tattoo.
In this case, 50+ female dark cover-up tattoo designs will come in handy, which will allow you to leave no trace of an outdated idea. We listed them in our article, compared removing and covering up a tattoo, clarified which ideas are the most difficult to remove, and noted how long it takes.
FAQ
😨 Do Cover-up Tattoos Hurt More?
If you cover up an old tattoo after it has completely healed (about six weeks), you will not feel any more pain. Otherwise, it can be 10 times more painful.
❓ Is It Possible To Cover up a Dark Tattoo?
Yes, however, you will need to attend 3-5 sessions of laser tattoo removal beforehand to remove excess pigment.
🤔 What Is Better: To Remove or Cover up a Tattoo?
If you want to keep the tattoo in the same place or replace a small one, it’s best to just cover it up with a new one. However, if you need to completely get rid of the old design, it is better to visit 3-5 sessions of the laser removal and then get a cover-up tattoo idea.
