People Who Impulsively Got Tattoos And Had Them Reworked Into Something Way Better

By Aakash M

This article was originally published on docjournals

So many of us want to get a tattoo. But when we remember it will be on our skin our whole lives, some of us decide against it. What would you do if you stopped feeling the connection to your tattoo? When that happens, many regrets follow because there’s not much you can do about it. But, what if we told you that you could save yourself from all the regret? Like in every other aspect of life, there can be mess-ups. Fortunately, if things don’t go as planned, you don’t need to wear the disappointment on your skin for the rest of your life. You can always cover things up by getting a new design to either hide the old one or enhance it. We came across multiple legendary cover-ups, out of which most are from the subreddit r/FixedTattoos. Let’s take a look!

More meaningful now

This cover-up has been done excellently, and we can’t stress that enough. What’s so impressive is that the cover-up has so much more meaning. The eyes, the galaxy, it is so deep! We have no words.

Image Credits: Reddit/ shaldaya

Now that’s how you make a tattoo stand out. No offense to the artists, but the before version of the tattoo looks more like a drawing. And it might be – we’ve all seen parents who get their kid’s drawings inked on their bodies.

Superman to owl real quick

We had a genuine question. Are these cover-ups from tattoo artists or magicians? We can’t imagine how a Superman tattoo transformed into that of an Owl. Nonetheless, it is ten times more beautiful now. Let us marvel at it for a while.

Image Credits: Reddit/ Back2Beantown

Here is our theory on what happened. The person might have shifted his allegiance from DC to Marvel or simply stopped liking Superman. Maybe now he is a serious bird enthusiast. Whatever the backstory, Rodney Eckenberger did this cover-up. Rodney, we salute you!

Covered the regret smoothly

First of all, we can’t seem to understand the point of drawing a random bottle on your leg, out of all things. Also, what is it with the “2” on it? We are glad we found the transformation of this little tattoo.

Image Credits: Reddit/ ynsein

We can actually see how that’s a regretful tattoo. It looks like the person didn’t even give it a second thought. But, the tattoo artist gave it a lot of thought, and the addition of a very beloved cartoon character is brilliant.

Increasing the intensity

The previous version of the tattoo isn’t so bad – minimalist but definitely not terrible. However, the cover-up is beyond beautiful, and most of all, more fierce than the previous one. This is a tattoo transformation that would inspire anyone!

Image Credits: Reddit/ deleted user

This theme of a lady hunter who’s wearing a wolf’s head like a cap is not uncommon, but this one is on another level. It looks more intense now. The earlier version clearly lacked the oomph the second artist added.

Useful compass

We have seen quite a few compass tattoos, but it is understandable if someone wants one with a little more detail and uniqueness. Nobody would call the one plain after looking at what it has become. The Korean wildflowers are a lovely touch.

Image Credits: Reddit/ crabytree

Well, how about now? This tattoo is anything but typical. Earlier, it looked like a compass without a purpose. Now, it looks like it’s guiding the person to happiness and with a lot of grace! This cover-up is so simple yet so perfect.

Life-saving cover-up

By looking at the version on the left, anybody can easily say that it looks like somebody tried to make a tattoo over a tattoo. But this is simply the outline of what resulted, which is the masterpiece on the right.

Image Credits: Instagram/ bulletbg

Not only did it completely hide the thick black ink of the original, but the artist transformed it into something extraordinary that graciously covers it up. It’s really cool how the parts of the original that peek through look like intentional shadowing.

Giving it a new life

Tattooist Muha did this cover-up, and we must say that she did a splendid job. This time, none of the original ink showed through or was incorporated in the delicate design. The little box of scenery is adorable and beautiful.

Image Credits: Instagram/ tattooistmuha

It looks so amazing and also so peaceful when you look at it. We certainly don’t think the original was poorly done, but we do consider this a major upgrade. The detail on those trees is masterful and so stunning.

Floral renovation

This floral cover-up has won our hearts. It’s not like the tattoo on the left side looks that bad, but deciding to redo it was definitely a great choice. We can’t imagine the amount of creativity and effort that went into this one.

Image Credits: Instagram/ alicetattoos

It now looks like a beautiful flower, and even the insects on it look so vibrant and realistic. The tattoo choice is applaudable, and the artist took the whole thing to the next level. That is one excellent cover-up job, Alice!

Changing the animal

Nobody could have imagined that the earlier version of the tattoo would become so gorgeous. We know every cover-up has similar amounts of awesomeness, but the difference in quality here is striking. Now, that’s what you call a transformation!

Image Credits: Instagram/ mykolapfefer

The first version was fading, and it looks like it was quite a few years old. This cat-lover went to the perfect artist. Those cats look as good as if the tattooist had traced them from a photo. We wonder if the tattoo is a likeness of the customer’s pets.

A romantic and meaningful tattoo

The concept behind this tattoo is outstanding. Over here, we can see four images of how a simple heart tattoo turned into something unique and gorgeous. The process looks pretty smooth, but we can guarantee that it took a lot of hard work.

Image Credits: Instgram/ tattooist_sigak

We must take a moment out to appreciate these tattoo artists who, in a way, enhanced the life of this person by giving their tattoo a new life. In this case, the daisies and the stars complement each other so well!

A needed cover-up

Is it even a cover-up, or are they showing the life journey from a cocoon to a butterfly? However, we are glad that this person got their tat redone, although it looks more like a modification! It’s simple yet superb.

Image Credits: Instagram/qbostattoo

Seriously speaking, we can’t understand what the first tattoo even represents. It looks smudged, and we get the impression that it was old and not particularly well-done. Hats off to the artist who flawlessly covered up what was previously a charcoal smudge!

Nothing to something

Judging by the looks of it, the tattoo on the left side is the kind of tattoo you’d start regretting once you get it. And only a well-experienced tattoo artist can cover up the tattoo on the left side and end up with the beautiful tattoo on the right.

Image Credits: Instagram/ 2.can.sam

We can’t read or understand what’s written on the top of the tattoo on the left side, but the script is rather cool. We only want to admire the beauty of the tattoo on the right side. The colors, the precision – magnifique!

Pinocchio tattoo

The first tattoo seems kind of mismatched. The swirling purple sky is gorgeous, but the text seems slightly out of place. At least that’s what we think. But the second tattoo is perfect. It exactly looks like Pinocchio went to a Halloween party!

Image Credits: Instagram/ micha_h_artwork

It’s a haunting tat, but the artistry is so impressive we aren’t hung up on the horror aspect of it. We love it when familiar characters are taken to a new place in tattoo art. This reminds us of a goth Alice in Wonderland we saw.

Dark Knight returns

Not only does the tattoo on the left side looks a little out of place, but it also seems to have faded. So, even if a cover-up was going to go a whole different direction, a touch-up was definitely needed.

Image Credits: Reddit/ express_sushi49

But, we are glad that the guy modified his tattoo and brought Batman to life. Now, it indeed looks like the Dark Knight has risen. We must say that even the original tattoo wasn’t so bad. Here’s to new beginnings!

Not so meaningful

Again, here is a tattoo that wasn’t so bad in the first place. Maybe the person simply wanted something new, even if the first one was okay. It looks very meaningful. Tattoos are so personal and say so much about a person’s journey.

Image Credits: Instagram/ fireblade_tattoo

The second tattoo is just as meaningful, and it is more impressive. However, we have one question. If this tattoo is a cover-up, where on Earth did the text from the first tattoo go? It seems that only the artist can answer our question.

Foot tattoo?

Before we even begin, we need to say that we have heard foot tattoos are some of the most painful, so the fact that this woman chose to go for it twice is impressive. And the quality of each one, well, talk about totally different levels!

Image Credits: Reddit/ stlkersally

Now, the second tattoo looks good, and from a cover-up POV, it is extremely well-done. Again, we wonder if she got a likeness of her beloved fur baby. The same tattoo placed on her shoulder might have looked even more impressive, but this is where she needed the cover-up.

Pikachu drawing Pikachu

This is one of the best cover-ups that we have seen all this while. Or at least, it is one of our favorites because of how cute and clever it is. The first looks like a pen drawing, and the inclusion of a perfectly drawn Pikachu makes our inner child smile.

Image Credits: Reddit/ DarkStarFTW

Although the first Pikachu isn’t ugly, it certainly lacks something. But, the tattoo artist didn’t cover that up. Instead, they came up with something totally unique! Not only that, but the whole idea of a Pikachu and the self-portrait is fantastic.

Breathtaking

Doesn’t the first tattoo look like two sharks trapped in something? Unless the tattoo artist meant precisely that, it isn’t such a beautiful tattoo. We don’t know why, but it also seems incomplete. You can see the outlines for the final product too.

Image Credits: Reddit/ shaldaya

It seems as if the tattoo-making process was abruptly stopped. However, the tattoo on the right side is the real deal. Everything is perfect in this tattoo. The Great White, the corals, and the other sharks above it all look realistic.

Salvaged a portrait

We aren’t sure of the idea behind this tattoo, but it is pretty meaningful from the looks of it. Maybe somebody got the face of their daughter tattooed, which is quite wholesome! Although the portrait isn’t so bad, getting it fixed a little seems like the right decision.

Image Credits: Instagram/ petertattoer

We are amazed by the fact that this tattoo artist was able to perfect the portrait instead of covering it up. There were no major changes. Rather, the portrait was improved in spades. At this point, we are convinced that these tattoo artists can do anything.

Post-spring tattoo

The flower tattoo on the left side is cute. But we can understand the person’s demand to get a cover-up after looking at the tattoo on the right side. Maybe she thought the original was plain, and she wanted something more vibrant.

Image Credits: Instagram/ maryeink

She got exactly that after the cover-up. We have the perfect caption for this tattoo transformation, and it goes like this: The tattoo on the left was before the flowers bloomed, and the tattoo on the right was in the middle of spring!

Increased beauty

Out of the many cover-ups that we have seen, this one stands out. It is because the ones that we saw earlier needed a cover-up since they weren’t so good. If not, they needed to be changed since the person had lost their connection with the first version.

Image Credits: Instagram/ samilocke

But, although the cover-up of this tattoo (more like a modification or touch-up) looks excellent, this is one tattoo that looked gorgeous before it was changed. So the guy could have left it as is, and it would still have impressed people. But now? Next level awesome!

A good-looking rabbit

This tattoo isn’t a cover-up. It is a rework that artist Ali Burke did at Highwater Gallery in Swansea, UK. It seems like the earlier version hadn’t been touched for a long time. So, the upgrade was needed, with some artsy additions, of course.

Image Credits: Reddit/ whitestainedwood

Also, the rabbit on the left side looks a little lost or sad, unlike the rabbit on the right side, which looks more graceful and focused. We mentioned Alice in Wonderland before, and this is our favorite version of a White Rabbit tattoo so far.

Fixing the cross

Well, we wouldn’t want to comment a lot on it, but we can indeed say that this person got his crucifix fixed or cruci-fixed! (Is that a good pun? We think it’s a good pun.) Honestly, the cross looks too plain.

Image Credits: Reddit/ retardvark

But, the second one looks great, making it look like a tree coming from the cross, or vice-versa. The end-product is simply outstanding. This tree tattoo is drop-dead gorgeous, and it suits amazingly. We must say that is one fine tree.

Mary to Marge real quick

Do we have any The Simpsons fans in the house? Look who just changed their allegiance from Mary to Marge Simpson. It looks like this person got the name of his girlfriend or wife tattooed, but unfortunately, things didn’t last.

Image Credits: Reddit/ noijonas

Luckily, he was a fan of The Simpsons, so he had Mary changed to Marge and added a cute drawing. Looking at both the tattoos, it almost feels like Mary was written in such a way that it could be later changed to Marge. Maybe he had a feeling!

Covered a disaster

The tattoo on the left side is scary, and even if we know some people like the spooky and creepy things, it wasn’t particularly well-done. Here’s a fact. The person had to live with this tattoo for ten years, searching for a tattoo artist who’d cover it up.

Image Credits: Reddit/ MrsMeowsifer

After looking at the tattoo on the right side, we can call it a happy ending. We hope you know the lesson here. For those who don’t, the moral of the story is never to lose hope, no matter what!

Covered it up pretty well

We can’t understand whether the photo is blurred or the tattoo is that way. It must be the tattoo because the rest of the picture is pretty clear. So yes, it is challenging to read what’s written on the person’s hand. Looks like they went through a round or two of laser removal.

Image Credits: Reddit/ Bored_Cucumber123

Therefore, changing the tattoo and getting a cover-up was indeed a great decision. We salute the tattoo artist for making something so beautiful out of something so plain. Even her hand looks more alive than it was earlier (okay, that might be the lighting).

High chances of regret

Either that tattoo on the extreme left has a very profound meaning in that person’s life, or a child drew it. Or it was a whim. It does look pretty different, but all we can say is that it probably received a lot of mixed opinions.

Image Credits: Reddit/ The_Cpt_Hazza

However, the evolution of the “Party Dog” tattoo has been quite incredible. From the outlining to the final touches, it looks beautiful. Based on our research, the first was the result of a dare (go figure), and the cover-up is the person’s dog.

A whole new concept

Before we begin, let us say that the previous tattoo doesn’t look so bad. We do wonder why the person decided to stop commemorating those dates. But, it’s alright. Sometimes, change is good and necessary. Let’s look at the cover-up.

Image Credits: Reddit/ Captain-Howdy94

The bird tattoo is brilliant. We are pretty sure it’s a crow, which is super cool. We can’t seem to understand the relevance of the pretty recent dates as compared to the arrows that look prehistoric, but we’ll focus on the bird.

*jaw drop*

This cover-up is one of the most beautiful ones, and we love how the snake and the chrysanthemum complement each other. What’s impressive is how a relatively simple tattoo went on to become something so beautiful. The tattoo artist did a superb job.

Image Credits: Instagram/ macytattoos

This cover-up job was done by Macy, who is an expert tattoo artist with a massive fanbase on Instagram. Nobody could’ve imagined what the tattoo looked like before the cover-up. We are in complete awe of this level of talent.

More like a glow-up

For starters, the color on the tattoo on the right side looks fabulous! It takes a very creative tattoo artist to see that tattoo of a falling man and be like, “You know what? That could be a good flower!”

Image Credits: Reddit/ c0quine

Cover-ups like these actually put the creative mind of a tattoo artist to work. Then, their results make us sit and stare at the cover-ups for a long time. The lady who got this cover-up must have felt so lucky!

Hid it successfully

The bear isn’t terrible, but we see why someone changed their mind about having it on their neck. It would’ve indeed been regretful, and the person who posted this image agrees to that. Sadly, this regret was there on the back of the person’s neck for a year.

Image Credits: Reddit/ Ceerner

But, patience is always the key. Although the wait was long, it was worth it. The tattoo on the right is precisely the kind of cover-up you’d want to show you’ve matured. Tattoo artists are god-sent angels in such cases.

Covered the regrets of the past

How many of you know the YouTuber Onision? Here’s what happened. This girl got his real name tattooed on the back of her neck while they were in a relationship. She later had it covered up with the tattoo in the bottom photo.

Image Credits: Reddit/ hamsters-

Phew, that was a close call. We are glad that she got the tattoo covered up, and so beautifully too. The jaguar, or the black panther, looks classic and elegant with the roses! Now that’s called beginning a new chapter of life!

Is it even a cover-up?

If you would’ve seen the tattoo on the right side before seeing the one on the left, would you have thought that it was a cover-up? It would have never crossed our minds if we hadn’t seen the tattoo on the left.

Image Credits: Reddit/ dwdwaterdrop

The tattoo on the left is indeed regretful, and it looks like it was scribbled artistically, if that’s even a thing. The tattoo on the right is the one everybody would want to have. Let us put it out that we can’t stop admiring the colors on that thing.

A tribute to Batman and The Simpsons

There are so many tattoo options in the world. If you can afford it, you can get anything you want! Even if you are short on the budget, you can still get beautiful tattoos because the price is often based on the size (as well as detail).

Image Credits: Reddit/ RandyTheDwarf

When you have that option, why would you think of getting the Apple logo tattooed on your leg? We applaud that this person changed his mind by getting a tattoo that looks like a mix of Batman and The Simpsons. It is flawless!

A retouch like a cover-up

The tattoo on the left is also the first one that this person got. We don’t want to judge, and no offense intended, but the fading doesn’t didn’t come as a huge surprise. It looks like it wasn’t the best quality, to begin with.

Image Credits: Reddit

According to their post, the person was going for “muted watercolors” with the original, but it faded significantly after only a year. Although the space and the shape are identical, the tattoo on the right is on a whole new level of beauty.

Both tattoos are great

The first tattoo does look pretty amazing. It has this calming and soothing effect. We understand why the guy went for a cover-up since it did fade a lot. He ended up with something that is the opposite of all things soothing. Take a look.

Image Credits: Reddit/ CrowKingZero

This tattoo is bold, fearless, outspoken, and even aggressive in an artistic way. The roaring animal is pretty beautiful, despite it being all those other things. It looks like this person simply wanted a tattoo change – however, excellent choices on both tattoos.

An unbelievable cover-up

We are processing what happened here in this tattoo transformation. It looks like this man got his ex’s name and face tattooed on his arm! Regardless of the reason for the cover-up, we have noticed portraits are really tough to pull off.

Image Credits: Reddit/ hitman56490

It looks like a before and after photo of how he viewed his ex. The first one was when he was dating her, and the second one was how he looked at her after the break-up. Jokes apart, that’s a pretty fierce yet stunningly gorgeous tattoo.

Hulk Smash!

The tattoo on the left side looks incomplete, and we are glad that this Hulk fan got the whole tattoo instead of only getting an impression of the face. The artist did a pretty great job, and we like that he put the Hulk in a box, so to speak.

Image Credits: Reddit/ twistedup75

We have been observing this tattoo trend that looks like a window or a huge band-aid applied to the skin. We appreciate that spin. The artist could have made the entire Hulk, but this is perfect just as it is.

Feelin’ good once again

Many of us should take a lesson from this tattoo. Never get your girlfriend’s or boyfriend’s name tattooed on your hand until you fully believe that you both will make it to the end. Because if plans backfire, you might end up like this person.

Image Credits: Reddit/ lexann-brapp

Wait a minute – that might not be so bad! But what would be better would be to get the second version from the start. This woman had her ex’s name on her skin since she was 17. We wonder for how long she dealt with the tattoo. We are so happy for her!

A happy cover-up

Looking at this tattoo, we must say that the space of the tattoo from the left side was used in a great way to create the cover-up on the right side. We can understand why a person would think of changing his smiley tattoo.

Image Credits: Reddit/ Cursed_Idol

Although the smiley face is wholesome, the “happy raccoon sitting on a branch” tattoo on the right side is almost wholesome, and of course, really cute! We have indeed come a long way looking at all these beautiful cover-up tattoos.