Sometimes a client has a tattoo that didn’t turn out the way they wanted, or that they just don’t like anymore, and they’re ready to replace it with something new. Unlike tattooing on fresh, un-inked skin, tattooing over existing ink poses certain limitations without the right tattoo cover-up preparations first. That’s where laser tattoo removal comes in: if a client has a large or heavily pigmented tattoo, laser treatments can help by reducing and lightening the ink to make way for a new tattoo — one that your client wants.

Some tattoo artists approach cover-ups with creativity, working with the shape and pigments already there to create something new. But sometimes a client has a specific idea in mind for what they want as a cover-up tattoo, and what they want may sometimes require more than what’s possible with ink alone.

For example, a client may walk in with a scorpion tattoo, with hopes of turning it into a blue butterfly. They may even have a specific butterfly design in mind, and have their heart set on the size. With just ink and a pen, you may have to blow up the design to make it big enough to cover the old tattoo, or to keep the size, you may have to draw up a different design, contorting the butterfly in weird ways to align with the scorpion. Either way, you would be asking your client to compromise on the tattoo they want — and that’s not even to mention the additional ink or colors that may be needed to penetrate the old pigment.

As service providers, our aim is to give the client what they want to see on their body. With the proper tattoo cover-up preparations, you can do just that.

Laser tattoo removal works by breaking up the ink pigments and lightening the original tattoo. For the purpose of preparing for a cover-up, the number of laser removal treatments depends on both the existing tattoo, as well as the desired cover-up tattoo. Generally, tattoos that are newer and more heavily pigmented may require more laser treatments than tattoos that are older and faded from time. If a client wants a tattoo that’s smaller than their current one — for example, turning a twelve-inch mermaid into a ten-inch dolphin — they may opt to have enough treatments to fully remove part of the original in order to achieve the results they want.

Incorporating tattoo cover-up preparations into your offerings will equip you to better serve your clients, and empower you to give them the artwork they want. By partnering with Laserfied Tattoo Removal, you can let our trained and experienced technicians handle the laser so you can focus on the art of tattooing.

If you’re interested in partnering with Laserfied to start offering tattoo cover-up preparations in your practice, contact us today.