- Tattoo artists Stu Hepcat and Barry Hua said four types of tattoos are most commonly covered up.
- These range from the names of ex-partners to tattoos done on vacation.
Tattoos are usually considered permanent, unless you decide to get a cover-up or to completely remove your ink via laser removal.
However, these options aren't always accessible. Laser tattoo removal is timely, as it can take up to 15 sessions to completely remove a tattoo, Insider previously reported. Meanwhile, cover-ups can be tricky to navigate, as they should be at least double the size of the original design, according to Stu Hepcat, tattoo artist and owner of Hepcat Tattoos in Glasgow, UK.
Hepcat and Barry Hua, an NYC-based tattoo artist who specializes in floral designs, shared with Insider the most common tattoos that they see covered up or completely removed.
Names of ex-partners
Hua said that it's common for name tattoos to be removed, while Hepcat said it is particularly common for names of ex-partners to be removed.
"That's a thing in every tattoo studio across the country, and I'm pretty sure that's the answer everyone would give you," Hepcat said.
Various celebrities have covered up names of former partners or tributes to former partners over the years. Chris Zylka covered up a Disney-themed Paris Hilton tattoo with a gorilla when they broke up in 2018, and Pete Davidson covered up several tattoos that reference his former relationship with Ariana Grande, including her famous "Dangerous Woman" bunny ears that were replaced with a heart.
Similarly, Denise Richards covered up her "Charlie" tattoo on her ankle for her ex-husband Charlie Sheen with a fairy.
Vacation tattoos
Hepcat said he has a lot of clients who get inked spontaneously while on vacation with friends and they end up requesting a cover-up upon their return home.
"They go to Spain or wherever and they get a tattoo because they think it's funny. But then they get home and realize that the tattoo is on there but isn't that funny, so they want to get it covered up," Hepcat said.
Quotes that no longer hold meaning
Hua said he often sees a lot of quote tattoos get covered up, and this especially applies to quotes that no longer hold meaning to the individual who got it inked.
This also applies to quotes that have errors. As Insider previously reported, Zoë Kravitz removed the Arabic tattoo on her shoulder, which was supposed to read "let love rule," in 2018 because it turned out to be grammatically incorrect.
Hua added that while fine-line script tattoos were booming a few years ago, the trend isn't as popular these days, and clients often want to replace it with "something else more beautiful."
Tattoos that are badly done
Hepcat said that some clients ask for a cover-up simply because they don't believe their tattoo looks good.
He said a way to avoid this from happening in the first place is to do as much research as possible on your chosen artist and tattoo style, and to be prepared to spend a decent amount of money.
"They go for money, they go for cheap, and they don't research the artist that they want. They end up with a really bad tattoo of a really good idea," Hepcat said.
"They've gone to the artist that's the cheapest. That means you'll have to go to someone better and more expensive to cover it up, when you should have just went to the more expensive one in the first place," he said.
While all tattoo artists have different rates, it can cost an average of $50-100 for a small tattoo, up to $200 for a medium tattoo, and over $250 for a large tattoo, according to Daysmart Body Art.