78% of people with tattoos regret at least one of them, most often because it was an impulsive decision. Of course, the most surefire way to avoid tattoo regrets is to be sure you want your tattoo and find a well-reviewed, experienced tattooist in your area. Don’t worry, though – even if you do have a badly done tattoo or one you regret for any reason, there are ways to fix it.
Use Makeup: Tattoo Concealers
Before you think about more permanent (and costly) options, there’s always the tried and true tattoo concealer. A range of makeup companies makes full-coverage, heavy-duty concealers that can be used on a day-to-day basis to cover up your regrettable tattoo. Even if you plan on a more permanent removal alternative, it’s good to have a tattoo concealer that you can use in an emergency, like a job interview or a family dinner. If you decide to use concealer, make sure it’s in a low-traffic area of your body – for example, you don’t want to use concealer where your shirt sleeves end, because it’ll rub off the tattoo and onto your shirt. For a quick fix or a day-to-day solution, tattoo concealer is a good idea – but you might want something more permanent.
Tattoo Problem, Tattoo Solution: Cover-Up Tattoos
If you don’t want your skin to be bare, or if you really like the location of your regrettable tattoo, you should consider getting a cover-up tattoo. Like the name suggests, cover-up tattoos cover and conceal old tattoos that you no longer want, whether they’re badly done or you just regret them, and it’s a growing market in the tattoo industry. As with any tattoo, you should do some research on the bests tattooists in your area, and choose one with experience doing cover-ups. If you decide to go for a cover-up, remember that your new ink has to cover and contain your old tattoo, so it’ll be bigger than your previous one. Your tattooist will work with you to make a design you both love, and sometimes bigger really does mean better. With a cover-up tattoo, you’ll virtually erase your old tattoo while still having great art on your skin. Just remember, think it over for a while before you decide on your design – you don’t want to regret this one too!
Go-To Methods: Laser Tattoo Removal
When you think about troublesome tattoos, laser removal is probably one of the first things that occur to you. That’s for good reason: laser removal is effective, permanent, and becoming more and more popular as innovations are made in the field to lessen pain and increase effectiveness. Tattoo removal lasers work by sending pulses of intense light into the ink, which absorbs the light and starts to fragment. While it isn’t possible to remove a tattoo completely, laser removal is the most effective way to break down a tattoo to near-invisibility. Laser removal must be done over several sessions, separated by about eight weeks. While it can be painful, the relief of no longer having that bothersome tattoo can definitely outweigh that.
If you have a tattoo you regret, it’s up to you how to cope with it. While most people with tattoos they regret say they don’t plan on attempting removal or cover-up, it can take a weight off your mind. What’s important is that you make an informed decision about what will make you happiest: do you want to live with your regrettable tattoo, or do you want it gone? Whatever you choose, good luck!