Tattoos are meant to be a permanent mark and you should think, really think, before you get one. As trends and styles change, the design should be something that you won’t outgrow. In other words, don’t go for something trendy get a tattoo that means something to you. Unfortunately, sometimes even though you put a lot of thought into a tattoo, the tattoo winds up needing a cover-up.

Tattoo cover-ups are done for several reasons. One of the more common reasons is to give the tattoo a bright, new look. Tattoos that have faded over the years can be touched up to make it look as if it is new. Freshly applied crisp lines can clean up any blurring, especially around the edges. Colors can be added in to brighten up the design.

Sometimes, the original tattoo needs freshened up due to fading, and this effect can be achieved with the addition of more color and additional design aspects. A “blackwork” tattoo can be modernized up by adding more detail, or by adding a background color. Shading can be done around an old tattoo and some colors can be applied over the black ink of an old tattoo with a nice effect as well.

Tattoo cover-ups are often done when the old tattoo is inappropriate for the customer. For example, you may have a tattoo applied sporting the name an old lover. Years down the road, the relationship doesn’t exist but the tattoo remains as a glaring reminder. Cover-ups can completely change the look of the tattoo, getting rid of the parts of it that are no longer desirable. With a good tattoo artist, a cover-up tattoo can completely erase what you wanted to hide, and freshen up the part of the tattoo that you want to keep.

With home tattooing, bad DIY tattoos and “scratchers” coming out of the woodwork, tattoo cover-ups are needed when the original tattoo is of poor quality. Prison tattoos are often a choice for a good cover-up. Tattoos that were done by amateurs, are also commonly covered up. These tattoos are often small or done with thin lines that are easily covered.

Even when there isn't a tattoo, a cover-up is sometimes still needed. These are the cases when scars are to be covered with body art. Millions of people have tattoos applied to cover scars that they no longer wish to see or feel they aren't very pleasing to look at. Unless the scars are large and have caused extensive damage to the skin, typically a cover-up can be done. Even on very large scars, many good tattoo artists can still design something to work with on your skin. Many breast cancer patients are now getting tattooed.

When a tattoo cover-up is necessary, its important to search for a greatly talented tattoo artist. A tattoo artist who can design a great picture for the original tattoo is good. A tattoo artist who can design a tattoo to cover-up an existing tattoo with a new and different design is the kind of talented artist you need for a cover-up.

The majority of tattoo artists do not have samples of cover-ups they have done on display. In order to see these you'll often have to ask for them specifically. Pay close attention to the fine details of the cover-ups. Contrast the old tattoo to the new one. A large solid tattoo should not be applied over a smaller tattoo as the old one will easily be seen through the new tattoo.

Although tattoos, like diamonds, are supposed to be forever, they can be covered-up and touched-up. Touch-ups have been reported hurt more and frequently repeat visits are needed to fully finish the design. However, option is there and if you can find an excellent artist the end result will be impressive.