
‘New year, new me’, that’s a common sentiment everyone shares. But unlike that gym
membership you signed up for, there are some things you can’t ignore – like an unfortunate
tattoo.
It was Christmas Eve, a market softly illuminated by fairy lights dangling off the trees and
vendors’ tents. Perhaps it was the atmosphere, or the five cocktails I had, but the tattoo stall was
calling my name.
‘Promotion! 1 tattoo for $50’ was written in bright red across the table.
“Holy shit, what a bargain!” – my famous last words. Now it’s going to cost me (and maybe you)
a whole lot to fix it.
So, what can you do if you’ve made a silly (permanent) mistake?
Laser removal
The most effective way to remove any unwanted tattoo. A laser breaks down the tattoo with high
intensity light beams that heat up ink particles under the skin, breaking them into smaller
components to be removed by the body’s immune system.
The catch? It’s expensive. One session could set you back a hundred dollars, and most tattoos
will take multiple sessions to remove. The size, age of the tattoo, skin type and other factors
determine how many sessions it will take; black ink being the easiest to remove.
If you were pressed for time, laser treatments are not ideal. With a recommended 6–8 week
downtime between each session, a cover-up could be your next best bet.
Cover-up
As the name suggests, cover-up tattoos are done over your previous tattoo(s). This could be seen
as a cheaper and quicker solution to your problem, but it is still a tattoo – so make sure you won’t
regret it this time around.
Before you get too excited, some cover ups may require laser treatments beforehand, especially
for large, dark, and detailed pieces.
Cover up tattoos generally need to be larger than the previous piece to effectively cover it and
the process could be more painful as the artist is working over wounded tissue.
The “oh well” principle
We all make bad choices, and a silly tattoo is the best conversation stater (provided it isn’t an
offensive tattoo).
If neither options work for you… oh well!
Abstention
The best method for avoiding bad tattoos is to not get one in the first place! The problem with
this method is that it makes you boring. I advise you to do your research before permanently
inking your skin, or at the very least, not to get one at a street vendor after one too many
cocktails.
Happy tattooing :).