Interview With Expert
An annoying part of getting a tattoo is the constant cliches one, inevitably, hears from parents or relatives. Oh, what if you hate it, how will it look in thirty years, what if you won’t like that band in the future? And as annoying as it can be, they are sometimes right.
So the “Tattoo Coverups” internet group gathers the best examples of ink that needed some corrections at a later time. Get comfortable and prepare to scroll. Be sure to upvote your favorites and comment your thoughts below. We also get in touch with professional tattoo artist Mattia from Mambo Tattoo Shop to learn more about tattoo regret.
More info: Instagram
#1 Portrait Coverup On My Wife’s Back
Final score: 111points 
H G H G Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
When it comes to portraits, always always pay the extra money to go to a great tattoo artist. Research is number 1, look at their portfolio and take time to think and compare.
26 26points reply View More Replies… #2 What Do You Rate This Coverup?
Final score: 105points 
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
It went swimmingly, I see.
28 28points reply #3 Octoskull Cover/Rework
Final score: 103points sbj sbj Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Wow! What a difference
19 19points reply
We got in touch with professional tattoo artist Mattia from Mambo Tattoo Shop and they were kind enough to answer some of our questions about tattoos and tattoo regret. Firstly, we wanted to hear about their personal experiences with covering up and changing unwanted tattoos. “I have had various experiences over the past 13 years of tattooing, some more serious and some less serious. The less serious regrets may be related to details concerning the tattoo, such as perhaps having chosen to do a tattoo in color but preferring it in black & white, or vice versa to keep it in black & white but wanting it colored at a later date.”
“The more serious ones, on the other hand, could be that the client did not make the right decision, i.e. he was not sure about the subject and got tattooed without thinking too much about it. Let’s say, however, that I have never had a client regretting having chosen me as their tattoo artist,” they shared with We.
#4 I Did Another Coverup
Final score: 102points 
Natalie Bohrteller Natalie Bohrteller Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
It’s so good that I wouldn’t want to touch you 😅
29 29points reply #5 Got A Coverup!!
Final score: 97points 
Id row Id row Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
That’s kind of nice, but imagine a colorful beta fish. That would have popped.
4 4points reply #6 Finally Gone!
Final score: 94points 
ADHORTATOR ADHORTATOR Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
The first one wasn’t so bad…but the cover up is stunning
47 47points reply
“As for dealing with regret, you have to see to what extent you can change or modify the tattoo. You always have to understand well what it is that the client wants and in this sense dialogue is fundamental. On my side and the client’s side, there may not be the same experience and knowledge of what we are talking about.”
#7 Look At This Scar Cover Up….bill Bill Bill!
Final score: 86points 
still tired still tired Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Bill Nye the science guy!!
26 26points reply View More Replies… #8 Tattoo Cover Up
Final score: 86points 
Nina Nina Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Just keep swimming
14 14points reply #9 Coverup Of Tattoo My Abusive Ex Gave Me
Final score: 82points H G H G Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Good riddance, may you have a good life and loving people in your future
29 29points reply
In the end, like in so many parts of life, miscommunication is the main, underlying issue. “Maybe I take things for granted that the client does not know and he takes it for granted that I understand things that he may not have explained well. Dialogue is essential to arrive at a finished product and a tattoo that fits in with the client’s requests and expectations.”
#10 Happy With My Coverup
Final score: 81points 
Your Mom Your Mom Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
nah cuz what even was the first one
9 9points reply View More Replies… #11 Done 3 Years Ago. The Coverup Was Free & At The Same Place I Got The Fucked Up One
Final score: 81points Nina Nina Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Damn… that is art
12 12points reply #12 The Original Was Done By A Good Friend So I Didn’t Want A Full Coverup, And I Think The New Artist Did A Great Job!! Satisfying
Final score: 72points H G H G Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
They both work
9 9points reply
We also wanted to hear a tattoo artist’s perspective on what customers should research before picking who is actually going to ink them. “A person should first try to leave enough creative freedom to the tattoo artist and the proof is his portfolio of work. If out of 50 tattoos the client likes 45 of them, it means that the tattoo that will come out in the end will generally please the client.”
#13 @leoruiztattooer On Instagram
Final score: 70points H G H G Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago (edited) Report
Oh Clever!!!
19 19points reply View More Replies… #14 My First And Only Coverup, What Do You Think Of It?
Final score: 66points H G H G Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
You did good!
12 12points reply #15 Sternum Cover Up Done By Me
Final score: 66points 
ybur ybur Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
that’s looks like it would hurt like heck
16 16points reply View More Replies…
“So the advice is definitely to choose a tattoo artist on the basis of the work he does and the amount of work that meets the client’s taste. You cannot like only 1 work out of 100, the more work you like, the higher the percentage of probability that the final work will satisfy you. The second piece of advice is to assess the type of subjects that tattoo artists do.”
#16 Deathly Hallows Coverup
Final score: 65points Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Deathly Hollows are all well and good, but dogs are better!
19 19points reply #17 Friendship Tattoo Covered After She Ghosted Me During The Worst Time Of My Life
Final score: 64points 
Ruby White Ruby White Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
She Is not a good friend >:<
20 20points reply #18 I Know I’m Biased, But I Think I Have The Best Cover Up Ever
Final score: 64points 
Widdershins66 Widdershins66 Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Excellent 🤓
9 9points reply View More Replies…
“If out of 50 works a tattoo artist tattoos 30 flowers and 20 butterflies, then probably the best subject to ask for are flowers or butterflies, and so don’t go asking for skulls or daggers because maybe that is not his kind. Basically, however, dialogue is always the key thing, you must not take anything for granted. One must ask questions and not be afraid to ask for things for fear of making a bad impression or being intrusive, but at the same time, one must also trust the tattoo artist and leave room for creativity.”
#19 Star Cover Up
Final score: 63points Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Very well done.
8 8points reply #20 Posted This In R/Tattoos And Everyone Preferred The Shitty Tattoo So This Community Might Appreciate My Coverup Better
Final score: 63points 
HelluvaHedgehogAlien HelluvaHedgehogAlien Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Both cute
27 27points reply #21 Mother Cluckin’ Cover Up
Final score: 63points badger badger Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
I knew a guy who wanted a chicken tattoo on his calf so he could say he had a c**k below his knee.
14 14points reply View More Replies…
“The advice I would give to someone getting their first tattoo, but which applies in general to anyone who gets tattooed, is not to make hasty choices about the subject. If one has wanted to tattoo a rose for a long time, it means that this person imagines a rose on his or her body. If on the day of the appointment, he completely changes his mind and gets a snake tattoo, perhaps there and then out of emotion, haste, and anxiety he may say that he likes it anyway, but he hasn’t had time to realize that he has a completely different tattoo to the one he had imagined.”
#22 Before//After
Final score: 62points 
Jen&Tonic Jen&Tonic Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
That tattoo was nothing to F with!
9 9points reply #23 There Is A Life After Hate
Final score: 61points 
Surralvampi Surralvampi Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
he actually says this is the first session of a cover up he is doing for a client.
20 20points reply View More Replies… #24 Finally Got It Covered
Final score: 58points still tired still tired Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Mick, Nick, D|ck?
19 19points reply View More Replies…
“This obviously depends a lot on one’s character, but if you are not an extremely open-minded person you need the right amount of time to make decisions and so you should rather take some more time to think about the new option and possibly come back to the tattoo in a new session.”
#25 My Cover Up , I Absolutely Love It. But He Before Wasn’t A Choice So This Was Very Liberating
Final score: 55points 
Jill Rhodry Jill Rhodry Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Well then ‘Rob’ is somewhere between a cockroach and pond scum. Well rid of him and I hope you have a lovely life.
25 25points reply #26 Horseshoe Crab And Dragon Cover Up
Final score: 49points 
CrunChewy McSandybutt CrunChewy McSandybutt Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Personally, I don’t dig on the ultra-violent tattoos, but I do appreciate the stunning artistry of the coverup.
14 14points reply #27 What Do You Think? Swipe To See This Tattoo Coverup Journey, Before And After @carrottoptattoos
Final score: 42points Marion Marion Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
What was the story behind no. 1?? 😳
12 12points reply View More Replies…
“One thing I would like to add, as far as I am concerned, is to give great importance to the kindness and helpfulness of the tattoo artist and, consequently, the client on his part must also show kindness and serenity. Only in a serene and friendly atmosphere is it possible to complete a tattoo that, in addition to being aesthetically beautiful and centering on the points the client wanted, is also a beautiful memory of the session with the tattoo artist.”
#28 Shoulder Cover Up
Final score: 41points ADHORTATOR ADHORTATOR Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Tribals were the most horrible
15 15points reply View More Replies… #29 My Cover Up
Final score: 39points 
steve g steve g Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Isn’t that a different arm?
32 32points reply View More Replies… #30 Thoughts On My Coverup?
Final score: 17points Widdershins66 Widdershins66 Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 weeks ago Report
Sorry, not my taste x
39 39points reply
Note: this post originally had 66 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
“It must be a good day spent together, something that also remains on a human level,” they shared. You can find Mattia’s work and the Mambo Tattoo Shop’s other pieces on their Instagram page. And if you want some more tattoo cover-ups, check out We’s other article, featuring more tattoo regrets turned into tattoo wins.