How dark it is
The single biggest factor. To hide what is underneath, the new design generally has to be at least as dark. A very dark piece may need lightening first.
Cover-Up
Cover-up tattoos in Aydın, Turkey
Removing a tattoo is not the only way out of one you regret. A cover-up is a new tattoo designed over the old piece, and it is done at Mia Porfiria Ink's studio in Efeler, Aydın. Every piece and every before-and-after frame below was tattooed here.
Definition
What a cover-up actually is
A cover-up is a new tattoo applied over an existing one. The old work is not removed — the lines, shading and colour of the new design are arranged so that what sits underneath stops reading as a separate image.
That makes it a different job from a fresh tattoo. The design is not drawn onto a blank surface; it is drawn around something that is already there. In practice your design freedom narrows according to how dark the old piece is, how large it is and what colours it contains.
A good cover-up works with that constraint rather than pretending it is not there. In the pieces below you can see how the shape left by the old work has been folded into the new design.
Suitability
Can every old tattoo be covered the same way?
No — and nobody can tell you otherwise without seeing a photograph. These are the four things we look at.
Size
We decide together where the new design needs to extend beyond the edges of the old one. That directly changes the scale of the piece.
Colours
The colours already in the skin can limit which colours are workable in the new design. Some pieces suit a black and grey solution, others a colour one.
Condition of the lines
Lines that have spread or faded over the years behave differently from crisp ones. This is what we look for first in a photograph.
Process
How the design gets planned
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1
Photograph
You send a clear daylight photo of the existing tattoo over WhatsApp. This step is free and commits you to nothing.
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2
Assessment
We tell you whether it is suitable for a cover-up and whether laser lightening is needed first. If it is not suitable, we say that plainly.
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3
Design
No ready-made flash. The new design is drawn for you, around the shape of the old piece, and agreed before any needle touches skin.
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4
Application and aftercare
The work is done in a sterile setting with single-use needles and equipment. Aftercare instructions are given afterwards.
Portfolio
Cover-up work from our studio
All of it tattooed at Mia Porfiria Ink. Hover a photograph to see it in colour.
Before / After
The same arm, twice
These frames are all cover-ups. None of them shows the result of laser removal — the first frame is the piece as it was before the new tattoo went on.
Cover-Up · Forearm
Cover-Up · Forearm
Cover-Up · Shoulder
Deciding
Cover-up or laser?
They look like alternatives, but more often they are two steps on the same path. A cover-up puts a new tattoo over the old one. Pico laser removal breaks the pigment down, either lightening the work or clearing it completely.
If the existing piece is already light enough, a cover-up can be done straight away. If it is dark and dense, a few laser sessions to lighten it may come first — and in that case the tattoo does not need to be removed entirely, only opened up enough for the new design to sit on it.
If what you actually want is to be rid of the tattoo rather than replace it, the laser removal page is the one you want, not this one. Which route suits you is something we can tell you once we have seen a photograph.
Pricing
What the price depends on
We do not publish a price list, and a firm figure can only be given once the design is settled. The price is shaped by the size of the design, how dense the detail is, whether colour is used, and the estimated time the work will take.
Two further things apply specifically to cover-ups: how dark the existing tattoo is, and whether laser lightening is needed beforehand. If it is, those sessions are planned and priced separately.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can any old tattoo be covered up?
Not without seeing it. What decides the answer is how dark the existing piece is, how large it is and what colours it contains. A very dark piece may need a few sessions of Pico laser lightening first. Send a photograph over WhatsApp and we will tell you honestly whether it works.
Is laser always needed before a cover-up?
No. If the existing work is light enough, we can tattoo straight over it. For a dark, dense piece, lightening comes first — and it does not have to be removed completely, only opened up enough for the new design to sit on it.
Who draws the new design?
We do, for you, after talking it through. There is no ready-made flash. Because the shape of the old tattoo directly affects what is possible, the new design is settled together before the appointment.
How long does a cover-up take?
It depends on the size of the design and how dense the detail is. An estimate of the application time can only be given once the design is settled.
How is the price worked out?
By the size of the design, the density of detail, whether colour is used and the estimated application time. For cover-ups, how dark the existing tattoo is and whether laser lightening is needed beforehand also count. A firm price can only be given once the design is settled.
Appointment
Request an appointment
Fill in the form and we will get back to you shortly. For urgent matters WhatsApp is faster.
Contact
Send a photo of the tattoo you want covered
We will look at it and tell you honestly whether a cover-up works, and what it would take.
Address
Kurtuluş Mah. 2013 Sok. No: 3/B
Efeler / Aydın, Turkey
Directions Get directions on Google Maps
Phone+90 507 006 01 69
Opening hours
Instagram @mia_porfiria_studio
WhatsApp is the fastest way to reach us, and we answer in English.
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