Cover-Up Tattoos by Body Part
Where an old tattoo sits decides how big the cover-up needs to be and which shapes will hide it. Pick your placement for practical tips and a gallery of AI cover-up designs that fit it.
Sleeve
A full or half sleeve gives the most room to work, which makes it ideal for covering several old tattoos at once.
Forearm
Forearm tattoos are on show every day, so it's one of the most common places people want a cover-up.
Chest
The chest is a broad, flat canvas, so symmetric pieces — wings, birds, mandalas, florals across the pecs — make natural cover-ups.
Hand
Hand cover-ups are tricky: the skin is thin, moves constantly and fades faster than anywhere else.
Wrist
Wrist tattoos are small and visible, so a cover-up usually needs to grow a little larger than the original.
Stomach
The stomach is a large area that stretches and changes, so flowing designs work best.
Triceps
The back of the upper arm is smooth, slightly curved and heals quickly, which makes it an easy cover-up spot.
Back
The back is the biggest canvas on the body, so it can hide almost any old tattoo — old tribal and lower-back pieces included — inside a large composition like wings, a full Japanese back piece or a big floral.
Shoulder
Shoulder cover-ups can wrap over the cap and onto the chest or back, giving you room to grow past the old tattoo.
Spine
Spine tattoos are long and narrow, so cover-ups usually become vertical designs — florals, dragons, script or ornamental lines — that run down the back and absorb the old piece along the way.
Sleeve cover-ups
A full or half sleeve gives the most room to work, which makes it ideal for covering several old tattoos at once. Artists design the sleeve as one flowing composition, so the old pieces disappear inside it instead of being patched one by one.
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Sleeve cover-upsGenerate similar →
Sleeve cover-upsGenerate similar →
Sleeve cover-upsGenerate similar →
JapaneseGenerate similar →Forearm cover-ups
Forearm tattoos are on show every day, so it's one of the most common places people want a cover-up. The long, gently curved surface suits vertical designs that run with the arm and swallow an old piece in the middle.
Forearm cover-upsGenerate similar →
Forearm cover-upsGenerate similar →
Black roseGenerate similar →
Black & greyGenerate similar →
Black & greyGenerate similar →
Forearm cover-upsGenerate similar →Chest cover-ups
The chest is a broad, flat canvas, so symmetric pieces — wings, birds, mandalas, florals across the pecs — make natural cover-ups. There's also room to extend onto the shoulder if the old tattoo sits off-centre.
Chest cover-upsGenerate similar →
Chest cover-upsGenerate similar →
Chest cover-upsGenerate similar →
Chest cover-upsGenerate similar →
GeometricGenerate similar →
Chest cover-upsGenerate similar →Hand cover-ups
Hand cover-ups are tricky: the skin is thin, moves constantly and fades faster than anywhere else. Dark, bold designs that use the hand's natural shape — roses, skulls, mandalas — work best and stay readable.
Hand cover-upsGenerate similar →
Hand cover-upsGenerate similar →
Hand cover-upsGenerate similar →
Hand cover-upsGenerate similar →
Hand cover-upsGenerate similar →
Hand cover-upsGenerate similar →Wrist cover-ups
Wrist tattoos are small and visible, so a cover-up usually needs to grow a little larger than the original. Bracelet-style bands, florals and small mandalas wrap the wrist and hide the old edges.
Wrist cover-upsGenerate similar →
Wrist cover-upsGenerate similar →
Wrist cover-upsGenerate similar →
Wrist cover-upsGenerate similar →
Wrist cover-upsGenerate similar →
Wrist cover-upsGenerate similar →Stomach cover-ups
The stomach is a large area that stretches and changes, so flowing designs work best. Florals, vines and ornamental pieces cover old tattoos and scars alike — including C-section and tummy-tuck lines.
Stomach cover-upsGenerate similar →
Stomach cover-upsGenerate similar →
Stomach cover-upsGenerate similar →
GeometricGenerate similar →
Stomach cover-upsGenerate similar →
Stomach cover-upsGenerate similar →Triceps cover-ups
The back of the upper arm is smooth, slightly curved and heals quickly, which makes it an easy cover-up spot. Medium animals, florals and Japanese pieces fit here and can grow into a half sleeve later.
Triceps cover-upsGenerate similar →
GeometricGenerate similar →
Triceps cover-upsGenerate similar →
Triceps cover-upsGenerate similar →
Triceps cover-upsGenerate similar →
Triceps cover-upsGenerate similar →Back cover-ups
The back is the biggest canvas on the body, so it can hide almost any old tattoo — old tribal and lower-back pieces included — inside a large composition like wings, a full Japanese back piece or a big floral.
GeometricGenerate similar →
Back cover-upsGenerate similar →
Back cover-upsGenerate similar →
Back cover-upsGenerate similar →
Back cover-upsGenerate similar →
Back cover-upsGenerate similar →Shoulder cover-ups
Shoulder cover-ups can wrap over the cap and onto the chest or back, giving you room to grow past the old tattoo. Roses, mandalas and animals fit the rounded shape especially well.
Black roseGenerate similar →
Shoulder cover-upsGenerate similar →
Shoulder cover-upsGenerate similar →
JapaneseGenerate similar →
Black & greyGenerate similar →
Shoulder cover-upsGenerate similar →Spine cover-ups
Spine tattoos are long and narrow, so cover-ups usually become vertical designs — florals, dragons, script or ornamental lines — that run down the back and absorb the old piece along the way.
Spine cover-upsGenerate similar →
Spine cover-upsGenerate similar →
Spine cover-upsGenerate similar →
BlackworkGenerate similar →
Spine cover-upsGenerate similar →
Spine cover-upsGenerate similar →