Edmonton Cover Up Tattoos | Everything You Needed To Know About Tattoo Cover Ups
Alana: Welcome back to the SkinArtJ YouTube channel. My name is Alana, and I’m here with J from SkinArtJ Tattoos. Today we’re going to be discussing coverups versus tattoo removal. As usual, we’ll start with our quote of the day: “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life,” said Pablo Picasso.
Our statistic for the day is: the English word tattoo is derived from the Polynesian word tatau, which means “to mark.” In many Polynesian cultures, tattoos serve a variety of purposes such as signifying adulthood, community status, and protection from evil spirits.
J: I had no idea.
Alana: I am aware of that. Yeah, I love that. While more Canadians than ever are getting tattoos, tattoo removal and tattoo coverups are also increasing. There are reasons why people want to cover up or remove their tattoos: the image no longer reflects their beliefs, they are unhappy with the quality of the tattoo, the tattoo has aged, they want to make space for new artwork, and more. In fact, 71% of Canadians report wanting to cover a tattoo rather than remove it. Those who voted for tattoo removal said that they would do so in order to help them start fresh in life or for different employment opportunities.
J: I think that’s really interesting.
What Is A Cover Up Tattoo?
Alana: So, I know that you know a lot about tattoo cover-ups as well as tattoo removal, but don’t I just ask you: what is a coverup tattoo?
J: That’s where there’s existing ink already on someone and they’re looking to transform it into a completely different image. A successful one is one that completely covers it, and you can’t tell that there was existing ink before.
Alana: Excellent. And you have experience doing cover-up tattoos?
J: Yes.
Alana: Excellent. So, what are the limitations of a coverup?
J: When a person is very rigid in their willingness to listen to the artist—when we state it has to be bigger than what is existing and they are trying to keep it very minimal in how much it gets expanded—that becomes a little bit challenging when working with the piece. Some people come in with expectations that it’s going to be cheap. Typically, doing a coverup might take longer than a traditional tattoo because now you’re working with other aspects of it. Other limitations are where, if something is simply too dark and you’re wanting something bright or a completely different style that is not going to suffice for covering it successfully, then laser might be a better option.
Alana: Okay, so there are some limitations, and they should discuss that in the consultation with the artist. Is that right?
J: Yes, perfect.
Alana: And how effective are coverup tattoos?
J: I would like to think very successful for the ones that completely cover and you can’t tell what’s existing behind it. There are ones I have seen where people can be very creative: they’ve taken an old one and added something to it to make it more comical, depending on the intentions behind what they want out of this new piece.
Alana: Okay, so different ways to play. I love that. Again, that can be discussed in the consultation with the artist.
J: Yeah, perfect.
Be Flexible When Getting A Cover Up Tattoo
Alana: What does a client need to know about getting a coverup tattoo?
J: Come in with some ideas—or if you don’t have any ideas and you just want to talk to an artist, give them a direction of what you don’t like so that they can stay away from it, or better yet give them a direction of what you do like so that they can focus in and start creating something based on the information that you’ve given them. They should also come to the meeting with the artist with an open mind and willingness to give a little on their expectations.
Alana: Excellent. What tattoos are the hardest to cover up?
J: Typically ones that are super dark and in tough spaces, or ones where there’s been a lot of damage to the skin—where it’s raised and hasn’t been put into the skin properly. There are aspects that will never go away with it.
Alana: You mentioned a hard spot—what would be classified as a hard spot?
J: For example, if someone wanted a tattoo on their ankle and they want to keep it strictly to that location without moving around the leg so much, that becomes a different kind of complexity or challenge to figure out how to incorporate the tattoo so it doesn’t move as much.
Alana: Okay, excellent. And are coverups take longer to heal than regular tattoos?
Cover Ups Don’t Require Any Additional Healing Time
J: No, it should be the same with healing. It just might take an artist more sessions to make sure that color is completely saturated in the skin and everything is gone.
Alana: Excellent. And are cover-ups more expensive than traditional first tattoos?
J: Commonly, yes.
Alana: And is that because it takes a little bit more time to make sure the coverup is successful in covering the tattoo, or because it is a larger tattoo that you’re also playing with?
J: That aspect, or the fact that it is a larger tattoo you’re also playing with.
Alana: Excellent. Well, thanks so much. What is tattoo removal?
What Is Tattoo Removal?
J: Tattoo removal, from my understanding, involves new technology such as laser machines that are safe for the skin. They laser the body part that has a tattoo, breaking the pigment apart underneath your skin so that it can be broken down in the body and flushed out. You do it in multiple sessions. It’s safe but it’s essentially like being out in the sun where the sun gives a very minimal amount each dose, but it’s a very slow, gradual process of getting a tattoo removed.
Alana: Okay, excellent. I had no idea. What are the limitations of tattoo removals?
J: They still have to wait for their tattoo removal to heal. Some people are very eager: they get it one day and then come in thinking they can get tattooed immediately—that’s not the case. We need the skin to heal and make sure everything is settled and okay before we move forward. There is lenience where you don’t have to go completely erasing the tattoo but enough to fade the tattoo so the artist can work with the image. A tattoo removal process might be something so that they can have part of it removed so that the cover-up is more successful.
How Long Does A Tattoo Removal Take?
Alana: Yes, excellent. Great. How many sessions does it typically take to remove a tattoo?
J: It really depends on the piece: the complexity, kind of ink used, and size of the tattoo itself. I’m going through Tattoo Removery on Whyte Ave. I’ve gone through two sessions already, and I still have, I’m assuming, around eight more to make sure it’s all gone. These are smaller ones that aren’t as deep in the skin as others might be.
Alana: Excellent. Okay. What does a client need to know about tattoo removal before they go in?
J: Tattoo removal is an option that some might be referred to just to lighten their tattoos. Otherwise, I would say it is an alternative if a person doesn’t want to get a cover-up whatsoever. It’s still an option to remove something they don’t want anymore.
Alana: Is tattoo removal going to completely remove all traces of ink all the time, or does it work to some degree?
J: From what I’ve seen, it moves it to the point that you can’t really notice it. There might be very faint indications that something was there, but it would have to be something where someone’s really focused on it and pointing it out: “Hey, there is this.” So if someone just wants to remove a tattoo and not put anything there, tattoo removal is still an option.
Hardest to Remove Tattoos
Alana: Yes, excellent. What tattoos are the hardest to remove?
J: I would think the ones that are scarred—when too much pressure has been put into the skin and it’s scarred. Those ones still leave a raised mark: you may not have the ink, but you still have that scarification.
Alana: Is there a certain color that is removed easier or is more difficult than another?
J: Black is pretty challenging to get out of the skin. Usually the lighter colors are easier and erase quicker.
Healing From a Tattoo Removal
Alana: Okay, excellent. What is the healing process like for a tattoo removal?
J: In my experience, you have a little bit of icing on your skin to help with discomfort after—it’s a little pinchy when you get it—but otherwise it’s smooth sailing: you just moisturize and be mindful that there’s something healing.
Alana: Perfect, so very similar to getting a tattoo in the first place. Excellent. Where do you recommend people in Edmonton go for their tattoo removal?
J: Tattoo Removery on Whyte Ave. That’s the one I would suggest.
Alana: Yes, excellent. And that’s everything we have for today’s episode. Thanks so much, J, for joining us.
J: Having me.
Alana: Thanks for tuning in to our YouTube channel. Hit like and subscribe, and you’ll get notifications every time we drop a new video. Thanks, guys.