Everyone makes mistakes—it’s part of being human. When it comes to tattoos, though, those mistakes are a little harder to undo. Once the ink is on your skin, it’s not something you can simply wash away.
Even so, that doesn’t mean you have to live with a tattoo you regret forever. Skilled artists can take bad or unwanted designs and transform them into something completely new. With the right cover-up, most people would never even guess there was anything underneath.
Here are some of the most impressive before-and-after transformations, courtesy of r/Tattoocoverups.
#1 4am Stick And Poke Upgraded
Image source: rumour13
#2 Best Tattoo Cover-Up I’ve Ever Seen
Image source: wise_banana-_-
#3 Before And After
Image source: Difficult-Moose56
#4 20-Year Old Faerie Gets New Life
20 years ago I gave a picture to a friend so he could create a tribal faerie tattoo design. It became a blob over time. Two months ago, a new (and amazing) artist looked at the blob and said he could fix it. He turned the old one into sticks and leaves on the ground under the new one. (Side note: the new one is based off the same pic the original one was, randomly). So happy with how it turned out.
Image source: Sad-Illustrator-2700
#5 Show Me Your Tits! Bushtit, Wrentit & Titmouse Birds. Scar Cover Up From Top Surgery
Image source: inkbypush
#6 Sad Bear Coverup
Image source: Gentle_Biscuits
#7 My Artist Just Got A Lifelong Customer
Image source: sentient_potato97
#8 Cover Up Ink
Image source: alyn404
#9 Side Coverup With Flowers
Image source: yerae_tt
#10 Deathly Hallows Coverup By Silas, Esoteric Tattoo. Portland Or
Image source: 1800stabyou
#11 Ghibli Cover Up
Image source: RattyMctatti
#12 Coverup After 18 Years
Image source: Own_Competition_2182
#13 My Sh**ty Skyline Watercolor Coverup
Image source: madzquinn7
#14 I Presented My Artist With Quite The Challenge And I’m Happy With The Results
This was actually the third time getting this tattoo worked on. The first time was done on some girls kitchen and I don’t even have photo evidence of that. It was BAD (kids, please wait until you can pay for a good tattoo before getting one). The before picture I posted here was actually after another proper artist fixed it up for me. I know, it’s so awful but she did the best that she could; my foot was pretty chewed up.
So yeah, I’m not embarrassed of my tattoo anymore. It’s still healing and that process hasn’t been fun but it’s so worth it!!!
Image source: Chicky_Melly
#15 Blackwork Coverup
Image source: average_gremlin
#16 Rose Tattoo Coverup
Image source: yerae_tt
#17 Panther On A Panther LOL
Image source: antonioottat1980
#18 After A Decade Of Believing It Would Be Impossible, I Finally Got My Embarrassing Mistake Covered
Image source: BakedBen420
#19 Ex Boyfriend Initials Coverup!!
Image source: littlebabby
#20 Just Wanted To Show Off My Cover Up Tattoo
Image source: Rough-Mix-5839
#21 My Cover Up!
Image source: AgeInternational5130
#22 Coverup I Did Last Summer, Now One Of My Favorite Pieces
I regretted so much about tattooing this mantra.. it was really important to me at the time and had a big connection with to my dad, who I’ve since gone NC with after learning a lot of disturbing things about him. Now what used to be a painful and embarrassing part of me is one of my favorite pieces i have.
A few notes. The center face was empty space. This is half of the mantra, it continued on my chest (i did a separate coverup of that, which i also love).
When i approached this artist i asked how she felt about a coverup and sent her pics of the original. When she said she was open to it, i sent a few samples of her work that i liked (similar “bug babe” designs) and then told her she could design anything she wanted to cover / fill the space, that i really liked heavy black, and that i was comfortable going as big as she wanted.
Booked two days back to back, about 9hrs total.
Super happy with the results.
Image source: lucyjuggles
#23 I Should’ve Done This Sooner
Image source: jordannbennett
#24 Cover Up #2 Done
Image source: h00d_r4t
#25 Inverted Flower Ghibli Coverup
Image source: Jsweezy26
#26 Phil Hatchet Yau, San Diego
Image source: Few_Worry_5595
#27 Reassurance :(
I posted on here before because I wanted to get a cover up since my mom does not support me as a lesbian and stands up for her family who support Trump and has disowned me. The original tattoo is first. I just got it covered up, and everyone is telling me it looks so bad. I’m really sad. I really loved the idea and it was very symbolic to me and I think he did a pretty good job, but now everyone has me feeling like trash. It’s obviously swollen and fresh here but I guess don’t comment if you’re just going to make me feel worse because I can’t handle any more of it this week….
Image source: coolcatsam
#28 Name Coverup, Done By Me
Image source: Aetherwyn
#29 With No Help From This Sub Other Than “Kenough” Finally Got The Cover Up
Image source: Odd_Confection_1108
#30 Upgraded Birb
Image source: MzMeow42
#31 Covering Skin Grafts And Scars With A Phoenix Tattoo By Adam Sky, San Francisco, California
Image source: Tattoodles
#32 Ex Best Friend Drew The Og Tattoo. Finally Got It Covered With A S.A.P (Sick A** Possum)
Image source: Wild_Mention_5309
#33 Drunk Tattoo .. Coverup Is Beautiful
Image source: Waste_Ad6587
#34 Lost 70 Lbs So Far And Got A Zelda Tattoo Coverup To Celebrate ✨️
Image source: amathestria
#35 Got This 30 Year Old Flash Tattoo Finally Covered Up
Image source: HooKerzNbLo
#36 It’s Like It Never Existed
Image source: Aquilleia
#37 Cover Up By Mike Eaton, Tattoo Asylum, Durham Nc
Image source: Tattoo_Asylum
#38 Bad Trad Is Now Good Trad
Image source: emilymakesgames
#39 I Could Not Be Happier
Image source: beautiful_g1rl
#40 Finally Got The Mistake I Made At 18yo Covered Up And I Think You’re Going To Like What I Went With
Image source: ReefsnChicks
#41 Coverup By Yerae, Chronic Ink, Toronto
Image source: yerae_tt
#42 Cover Up!
Image source: seahorse921
#43 Very Pleased
Image source: Elle_Cee00
#44 Been Drying To Get This One Covered Up For Years, Couldn’t Be Happier With The Results
Image source: charliepiper
#45 Finally Blasted Over A Mistake From 10 Years Ago
Image source: PlantbasedSadness
#46 Cover Up By Daryl Watson @ Tower Of Hearts In Leeds
Image source: MissFaithless
#47 Chest Panel Cover Up!
Image source: Ok_Dragonfruit7956
#48 Don’t Get Matching ‘Best Friend’ Tattoos
Got matching ‘best friend’ tattoos with my now ex best friend. Got it covered less than a year later. I decided ’no matter what, no matter where’ didn’t include her trying to sleep with my husband.
Image source: OctopusMushroom
#49 Got My Cupid Covered By A Sap
Image source: melaine0
#50 Finally Covered This Quote I Regretted Getting
Image source: rib1356
#51 Hp Deathly Hallows Cover Up
Image source: Nukegrrl
#52 Bye Bye Bridget, Hello SAP
Image source: Phi_Schrodinger
#53 Fun Save From Yesterday
Image source: Few_Worry_5595
#54 Old Wings Covered By New, Bigger Wings!
Image source: purplotter
#55 Finally Got A Mistake Covered Today
Image source: SakasuCircus
#56 My Cover Up
Image source: crystalpetals44
#57 😅
Image source: tacarl2808
#58 A Long Journey Has Finally Come To An End!
I got a sleeve that I hated the second it was done. I was young and naive, not knowing how to stick up for myself with a difficult tattoo artist. He didn’t listen to my ideas and it made for a totally different tattoo than I had wanted. After a year of trying to love it, I took my own fate into my hands and went through with the removal process. I did 5 sessions over the course of 2 years and this week I finally got my very long awaited coverup. I’m over the moon with it. Now THIS is the sleeve of my dreams! I order it’s the original sleeve, the last stage of laser, and now the coverup! :)
Image source: callmepeaches
#59 After 3.5 Years I Can Finally Look At My Hand Without Wanting To Cut It Off. (‘Tater Update)
Image source: philanthropeas
#60 Not A Sap But Still Sick Nonetheless
Image source: birdmanjr90
#61 Misplaced Nationalism To Actual Fandom
Image source: brew_war
#62 Still My Favorite Tattoo
Image source: gundam2017
#63 SAP Coverup Of Not So SAP
Image source: ginkobot78
#64 Drunk Decision Fixed
Image source: mama_henz
#65 Had Fun Covering Up This Tattoo
Image source: antonioottat1980
#66 Finally Got My Wonky X-Men Symbol From 12 Years Ago Covered Up
Image source: hisdudeness9829
#67 Crowbro To Cover Up My Poor Teenage Choices
Image source: ProbablyAHipster_
#68 My Sister’s Tattoo Rework
An artist wasn’t able to finish the original tattoo which was supposed to be an eye. She eventually decided to make it a golum 2 years later
Image source: Hauntedairyfarm
#69 A Little Drawn On Fun
Image source: Alternative-Box-4457
#70 Finally Got This Horrible Thing Covered After Having It For 16 Years
Image source: ka_shep
#71 My Sap Coverup Over Red Ink
Image source: No-Resort-3422
#72 Do You Think This Is A Good Cover Up?
Image source: giluuuu
#73 Sap Cover Up
Image source: L_Bird47
#74 I Covered Up This Scary Face With An Ornate Vase
Image source: PeachTea444
#75 Finally Got My Panther!
Image source: PanPlane
#76 Script To Magnolia Tree
Image source: cglatt_tattoos
#77 Finally Covered Up A Massive Mistake!
Image source: SodaInABox
#78 A Mistake At 18 Covered Up At 20
Image source: scum_of_poland
#79 So Happy With My Artists Work
Image source: DamiansDog
#80 So Happy I Cried
Image source: Timely_Debt_84
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