Do I need laser before a cover-up?
Sometimes, and we will tell you honestly which applies to yours. A few laser sessions can turn a cover-up you would settle for into one you actually want. Plenty of pieces need none at all.
What lightening changes
A cover-up has to be darker and busier than what is underneath. The darker the old piece, the fewer designs can go over it, and you end up choosing from what will work rather than what you want.
Two or three laser sessions do not remove the old tattoo. They fade it enough to widen the list, which is usually the difference between a compromise and a piece you are glad you waited for.
When it is worth it
Four situations where we would raise it before you commit to a design.
Solid black or very dark work, where almost nothing will sit over it cleanly.
You want something lighter, finer or more colourful than the original.
The old piece is large and the alternative is going much larger still.
You have covered it once already and it is showing through.
When it is not
Faded line work, old grey-blue tattoos and anything already soft usually needs nothing. A bold design will cover it and you can book straight in.
We do not do laser, and that is why we will say it
There is nothing in it for us to send you elsewhere for a few months first. That is exactly why the recommendation is worth something when we make it.
Send a photograph of the existing piece and we will tell you which of these you are in before you have spent anything.
Related frequently asked questions
Usually yes, though what is possible depends on how dark, how large and how old the existing piece is. Send us a photograph and we will tell you honestly what can be done with it before you book anything.
Read the full answer › Can you tattoo over scars?
Usually, once the scar is fully mature, which normally means at least a year and sometimes two. Scar tissue takes ink differently from the skin around it, so the design has to be planned for that rather than dropped on top of it.
Read the full answer › What does a tattoo cost?
We do not quote before we have seen the idea · size, placement and detail move the figure too much to guess at. The consultation is free, the deposit amounts are published, and the final price is agreed with your artist in person before any work starts.
Still want to ask somebody? That is what the first conversation is for.
- Written and checked by
THRONE , a tattoo studio in Northampton.
Last checked 28 August 2026 .