An unwanted wrist tattoo can be difficult to hide, so it’s no surprise that tattoos to cover up wrist tattoos are rare, most of our clients choose to have their wrist tattoos completely removed. People often try to hide a tattoo at work because their employer prohibits visible tattoos or because the subject matter is inappropriate for the workplace. Many still like the idea of getting a wrist tattoo, but want something new that fits who they are today and creates the right image.
Fortunately, it is possible to fade the old tattoo to cover it up. we mean a new piece of permanent body art, not a temporary concealer or bandage, which people often use to hide a tattoo for a job interview or even for their day job. We have many satisfied customers who finally got the wrist tattoo they always wanted after the old one faded!
If you’re tired of putting on concealer day after day or having a bunch of heavy bracelets jingling around your wrist, laser tattoo removal or fading might be the right option for you. It will allow you to feel comfortable in your own skin instead of having to take extra steps just to feel like you fit in your own workplace.
Are you looking for modern tattoo cover up ideas for the old ink on your wrist? We’ll be sharing some before and afters of some of our favorite wrist tattoo cover-ups that are sure to inspire you!
what are the best designs to cover wrist tattoos?
There is no best tattoo to cover up your old wrist tattoo. the best design for you depends on a combination of several factors:
- the original artwork
- how much fade you choose
- what size and style do you prefer
If you have a thin armband style tattoo, it could be more easily incorporated into a new design with minimal fading. a skilled artist can work with you to create a new design that blends perfectly. if you have a thick tribal tattoo, you’ll probably need a more extensive fade (although, thankfully, black ink actually fades easily with laser removal!).
tattoo ideas to cover the upper wrist
removery interviewed some of our clients and tattoo artists to share their best ideas for wrist coverage. Read on to see some of our favorite wrist tattoo cover up designs, along with before and after photos!
floral tattoo on the wrist to cover up
This client came to her artist nicole suwalski’s removal in buffalo, ny. Nicole had recommended fading the saturated black heart and numbers on his wrist before covering. Nicole works at the crucible art collective and specializes in blackwork and illustrative tattoo cover-up. tattoos of the same style often require more laser sessions because they require more negative space to create depth. the use of color allows artists to not only blend various hues, but also fully saturate the area even when original design is present.
expert note: peonies are great flower tattoo concepts to cover up tattoos because the petals have wide angles that distract from the original design. Flowers with large, wide petals are more difficult to cover in tattoo designs, as open fields of flat color can allow the original tattoo to show through.
cover up pink and purple lotus flower wrist tattoo
This client came to Removery from a tattoo artist recommendation in Houston, TX. Initially, the tattoo artist recommended completely removing the original white daisy tattoo as the new concept incorporated a smaller flower pattern across the wrist like a band. Eventually, the client and artist decided that the original concept would not age well.
after 2 sessions *as seen in the first photo, the client found a new design that seemed more timeless to her. the purple, pink and yellow lotus flower represents a multitude of things that lend to its popularity, in hindu culture the lotus represents beauty, purity and spiritual awakening for this client, she says it was “just a new and beautiful update on an old design.”
expert note: By incorporating purple over the darker parts of the original tattoo and blending pink into the petals, the artist was able to add depth to a small area. The lotus flower also lends itself to covering tattoos well, as the petals have multiple right angles.
cover wrist tattoo with infinity symbol in black and gray
This client from Dallas, TX came to us with a black and gray line tattoo that was intended as a reminder to always be “light as a feather.” the infinity pen “looked great when I first bought it, eventually the ink started to separate and the pen didn’t look as sharp.” This client wanted to eventually continue with the black and gray floral sleeve, which led to the decision to get a black and gray flower tattoo to cover her infinity symbol after only 3 laser sessions.
Expert Note: When wrist tattoos cover most of the wrist, it is very difficult to incorporate negative space into a new tattoo design. The result is often flat looking tattoos, this artist did a good job of adding dimension by incorporating negative space into the flower petals.
talk to a cover-up expert
removal fades and removes tattoos for new cover designs! Talk to one of our experienced tattoo removal technicians about your tattoo coverage during a free consultation
