Cover-up tattoo

Unwanted past tattoos A person may seek a cover-up tattoo if they wish to distance themselves from existing tattoos. The simplest reason is that they do not like how a tattoo appears on their body. In particular, cover-ups are associated with regret for the original tattoo. A 2013 study of tattoo removal and cover-up recipients found that regret often stems from dissatisfaction with the narrative that the tattoo represents, either due to the tattoo not being meaningful or to the symbolism being unsatisfying. Tattoo artists who do cover-ups are commonly asked to cover tattoos related to a person's past relationship. People also cover up tattoos related to non-romantic relationships, such as relatives from whom they have become estranged. After breaking up with actress Winona Ryder in 1993, actor Johnny Depp partially covered up a "Winona Forever" tattoo, to read "Wino Forever". Further notable post-breakup cover-ups include Denise Richards and Angelina Jolie. After marital separation in 2020, Nick Cannon replaced a large back tattoo of singer Mariah Carey's first name with a depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus. Comedian Pete Davidson and singer Ariana Grande got a combined 16 tattoos relating to each other before breaking off their engagement in 2018, then multiple cover-ups. People also seek to cover up tattoos they received non-consensually. In the 17th century, the use of (penal tattoos) for prisoners in Japan fell out of practice largely because released prisoners would cover them up with decorative designs. Some sex trafficking victims who are subjected to branding tattoos later cover them up with chosen tattoos. In the United States and Canada, organizations including Survivor's Ink facilitate such cover-ups. Cover-ups can also be due to a change in what a person wants to be associated with, such as tattoos that convey religious views or connections to drugs or violence. Tattoos that represent hateful views or affiliation with criminal groups are a frequent subject of cover-ups. In the 1800s, prisoners on convict ships from Great Britain to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) sometimes "over-tattooed" old tattoos with new designs that defied state efforts to track their tattoos as identifying marks. Alphonse Bertillon's Signaletic Instructions, translated into English in 1896, contains instructions on identifying former prisoners who have had their tattoos "surcharged" (covered up) or removed. Due to rising anti-gang enforcement from the 1990s onwards, it has become increasingly common for gangsters to cover up their gang tattoos despite still being members. Scars and skin conditions scars, chosen in lieu of restorative tattoos that replicate the nipple and areola or even to Galen, who executed tattoos of sorts over corneal opacities in 150 CE. In the 21st century, decorative cover-up tattoos became a more popular approach to obscuring scars, including burns, self-harm scars, surgical scars, and stretch marks. In cases of scars that are hyperpigmented, uneven in texture, or cover a large area, it is often not possible to restore the flesh's previous appearance; decorative tattoos serve to either cover or camouflage these scars instead. one of the first medical articles on the subject, noted patients taking the initiative in receiving decorative cover-ups. Some transmasculine people who receive mastectomies also opt for decorative cover-ups. A 2021 systematic review speculated that decorative scar concealment is one of the most common applications of medical tattooing in a cosmetic or reconstructive context, but noted a lack of evidence, perhaps because many such tattoos happen at the patient's initiative rather than through a medical provider. Tattoos are recommended only for people whose conditions are stable, as tattooing may itself trigger vitiligo. In 2021, a research team developed a system to print customized temporary tattoos onto the bodies of children with vitiligo. For people with self-harm scars, cover-up tattoos can be a way of moving past trauma. One motivation for tattooing an area may be to discourage oneself from self-harming in it again, although some may nonetheless cut on top of a tattoo. Some people choose to incorporate self-harm scars into tattoo designs, for instance making them look like scratch marks from a dragon. and Pete Davidson. Self-harm cover-ups raise the complication that the pain of the tattoo process may trigger memories of self-harming. ==Methods==

Technique Covering a previous tattoo is more difficult than creating a fresh tattoo, so it requires skill and experience. In cover-up tattoos, the previous tattoo has made the skin more sensitive and more passes of the needle are required, damaging the skin more than a first tattoo does. This means the artist needs to be especially careful to work at the correct depth and with the right amount of color in the needle. A colorful image with a lot of shading and shapes, such as animals or flowers, can offer more coverage than an image in black-and-gray style. Flesh tones are generally ineffective for cover-ups, as they lack the translucence of untattooed skin and are rarely able to cover up dark colors. Cover-up designs are typically bigger in size compared to the previous design, as it helps to hide the design. Individuals may choose a new design that does not completely obscure the previous tattoo, a style known as "blast-over" tattooing. == Practices ==

business card, circa 1940, advertising "old or poor tattoos repaired or covered"|alt=See caption Tattoo artists may offer discounted or complimentary sessions for cover-up tattoos. Some artists have gained note for doing so for sexual trafficking survivors. Others do so for covering self-harm scars. One tattoo shop in Kentucky, United States, which began offering free cover-ups of racist tattoos in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, received 20 requests in about a month. == References ==