So, you’ve got that red tattoo that you feel is no longer giving you those vibes and you want to replace it with a better one.
But then you think about masking it with black… And you know you can’t just pick any random color, right?
You don’t want to mess everything up. So, is black actually a good choice?
In this article, you’ll find out whether you can cover red tattoo ink with a black one.
Can you cover red tattoo ink with black?
Yes, you can actually cover a tattoo made with red ink by applying black ink over it. This process is called a tattoo cover-up.
How it basically works is that the tattoo artist carefully adds layers of black ink on the skin area where your tattoo is so as to hide the red ink underneath.
But most of the time, that ink just doesn’t disappear in one go — you may need to apply several layers of the black ink to fully hide the red one.
That’s why I personally recommend buying the mast tattoo ink-triple black
And even at that, completely hiding the red ink isn’t always guaranteed, especially if the red ink you used is very bright or if your skin tone is dark.
In many cases we’ve seen, you have to remove the red ink first using techniques like laser removal before you can cover it with the black ink.
Aside from that, whether or not your tattoo can be successfully covered with black also depends on things like the quality of the ink used and the expertise of your tattoo artist.
Meanwhile, before you take the step of covering your tattoo, you should talk to a very good tattoo artist and they might be able to tell you whether your new color choice is great for the cover-up.
Can white ink cover up a red tattoo?
Well, you can use white ink on red, but we definitely don’t recommend doing it.
Tattoo ink is translucent, which means darker colors can show through lighter ones.
And tattoos are not even applied in distinct layers; all the inks they use for you actually blend into your skin.
So, when you try to combine these two inks, what you’ll get is usually a pinkish hue rather than actual white. That’s definitely not what we want, right?
Instead of doing that, you recommend that you go with the laser tattoo removal method so that you can get rid of the red ink before adding another ink.
Laser treatments break down the ink particles so that your body can gradually remove them.
And when everything is set, you can get a new color tattoo if you want.
So, you don’t have to start trying to cover up with white ink since it doesn’t always hide the original red tattoo to give us exactly what we want.
One other thing you can do is choose inks with colors like dark blue, black, or any other dark color.
These ones can mask the red ink completely and still manage to give you the new color you want.
They don’t mask it very quickly, but they work if you apply them well enough.
Are red tattoos easy to remove?
Red tattoos, especially those made with red ink, are harder to remove compared to other colors.
This is because red ink contains mercury sulfide, which absorbs light at a specific wavelength.
As a result, traditional tattoo removal methods, like laser removal, may not be very effective on red ink tattoos.
Infact, removing this kind of tattoo generally takes more time and effort, unlike other popular tattoo colors.
Most of the time, you’ll need additional tattoo removal sessions before you can get something satisfying.
Otherwise, you can just go with other removal techniques.
How many sessions does it take to remove a red tattoo?
Well, the number of sessions will depend on the tattoo’s size, depth, and ink quality.
It also has a lot to do with how experienced your tattoo artist is. You may need to undergo 6 to 12 sessions before you can have a good result.
You just have to know that red tattoos require more sessions compared to other colors due to the unique properties of red ink.
Its resistance to certain removal wavelengths means it often takes more treatments.
However, the exact number of sessions you need can only be determined by your tattoo artist, based on the tools he has and his experience, too.
Conclusion
Black tattoo inks mostly get the job done by hiding other inks (this includes the red ink).
But the thing is, you’re actually going to be mixing red color with black on your skin and this will not totally give you the “black feeling,” at least for the first few attempts.
And that’s why we recommend that you use this particular black ink
I’m Tommy Hanks, a professional tattoo artist with over a decade of experience under my belt.
I’ve always had a passion for art, and tattooing has become my favorite medium for expressing creativity.
I own and operate a successful tattoo studio, where I get to create intricate designs and connect with a diverse range of clients.
In addition to my work in the studio, I run a blog called taggrs.com.
Through my blog, I share my experiences, insights into the latest tattoo trends, and tips for both aspiring tattoo artists and enthusiasts.
Tattooing is more than just a job for me; it’s a lifelong journey, and I love being able to share that journey with others.