Do you have an old tattoo that you regret? Maybe it's the name of an ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend. Or maybe it's a design that was popular years ago but isn't contemporary today. Maybe it was a spur-of-the-moment decision that you no longer like. Either way, the good news is you have options available. One popular option is to cover up the tattoo with another tattoo. A cover-up tattoo can turn a poor design or bad tattoo into something you're proud of and that you appreciate. Below are a few tips to consider regarding your cover-up tattoo design. 

Be open to dark colors.

As you might imagine, using dark colors in your design is important. Bright colors like red, green, and yellow fade over time and can reveal the covered tattoo. Designs with black, brown, dark blues, and greys are more effective for cover-up tattoos than bright colors. That doesn't mean you can't have bright colors in your tattoo, but you should be strategic about where they are placed. You don't want shades of yellow to cover the darkest parts of the underlying tattoo, for example. An experienced cover-up tattoo artist can help you find the right color palette.

Think big.

People often make the mistake of thinking they can get a cover-up tattoo the same size as the original one. That's usually not feasible. You need to think bigger when it comes to your cover-up tattoo. There are two primary reasons for this. One is that the cover-up tattoo must be large enough to fully cover the boundaries and borders of the underlying tattoo fully. But the other reason concerns perception and where people focus their eyes. Often, cover-up tattoos not only cover a tattoo but also shift focus to a different area. For example, if you want to cover a tattoo on your shoulder, you may want to get a larger tattoo that extends down onto your back. The focus of the new tattoo should be somewhere other than your shoulder. That way, if the new tattoo fades, people are still unlikely to notice the underlying tattoo.

Laser removal helps.

People often think of cover-up tattoos as an alternative to laser removal. However, the most effective strategy combines laser removal and a cover-up tattoo. A few laser removal sessions can fade your tattoo so it's easier to cover. That can give you more flexibility and color options with your new tattoo. If the old one is already faded, you may be able to go with brighter colors instead of blacks and greys. Many cover-up tattoo artists also offer laser removal.

Contact a company like JP Alfonso Studios to learn more.