In a cover-up the tattoo artist conceals an old design with a new one. Because tattoo ink in the skin cannot simply be painted over like on paper, the new design has to visually absorb the old one. This works mainly with darker, opaque colours, dense shading and a larger motif that integrates the old lines into its structure and flow. Light pastels or fine lines almost never suffice to hide dark old lines.
The process begins with a consultation assessing the old tattoo: how dark, how large, how old and faded is it? The artist often recommends one or more laser sessions beforehand to lighten the old design – this significantly widens the creative options. Then a custom design is drawn to suit the body area and the old motif. Depending on size and coverage, one or several sessions of several hours each are needed.
A cover-up suits anyone wanting to get rid of a youthful tattoo, a faded or poorly done design or a name, but who would rather wear a beautiful new tattoo than undergo full laser removal. Realistically: the new motif is usually larger and darker than desired, and very dark or large old tattoos can only be partly concealed. Honest advice and the artist's experience are decisive here.
In Switzerland it is usually billed by the hour, commonly CHF 120 to 200 per hour, smaller studios sometimes cheaper (no guarantee). Because of the extra effort a cover-up is rarely under CHF 300, and larger works quickly cost CHF 800 or more. Prior laser sessions to lighten the tattoo cost an additional CHF 80 to 200 per session.