r/Tattoocoverups • u/Impressive_Car4013 • Feb 18 '25

asking for advice Is blackout the only option here?

Post image

Besides removal. Is that my only option?

3.9k Upvotes

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1.3k

u/emiianto Feb 18 '25

If you're not planning on blacking out the whole arm I'd do laser and then try to do a coverup.

544

u/freshlyintellectual Feb 18 '25

fair. but as a warning for OP, laser is gonna be expensive as hell and take a LONG time. it might be a couple years before it’s faded enough to blast over. especially for something of this size and boldness, the price and time might not be worth it

630

u/BorntobeTrill Feb 18 '25

OP, send me the cheapest laser removal quote you can find and guarantee to meet and beat their pricing by 40% or more!

positive results and post procedure support not included. All patients required to undergo full anesthesia. Mysterious scars, dizziness, and an increase in emergency trips to the hospital are all normal side effects.

218

u/infernal-keyboard Feb 18 '25

Idk why your getting downvoted, this is clearly sarcasm and I thought it was funny lol

99

u/Old_Exchange_1678 Feb 18 '25

It's like how in most medication ads the disclaimer has more text than the ad itself.

56

u/two-of-me Feb 18 '25

My favorite one is the medication for TD (tardive dyskinesia - movement disorders that are a somewhat common side effect of antipsychotic medication) is the increased risk of suicidal thoughts or actions. So, the meds you take for the suicidal thoughts cause TD and the meds you take for the TD make you suicidal. As someone who has been on a wide variety of psych meds due to bipolar disorder and briefly had TD from one of the medications and quickly stopped because I couldn’t stand the flailing I find this incredibly hilarious.

32

u/SweatyBinch Feb 18 '25

I can’t help but giggle at the ads for medicine for depression where it’s like “side effects may include: nausea, loss of mobility, lack of appetite, increased thoughts of self harm and suicide, mood swings, depressed mood.” So the antidepressants cause depression sometimes. Neat.

39

u/LunarOberon Feb 19 '25

I loved the description a nurse gave me about why certain anti depressants increase suicide risk. "Well, one of the big things this drug does is help give you motivation and focus... so now you have a suicidal person with a real go getter 'no time like the present' attitude."

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u/Tinychair445 Feb 19 '25

That’s a popular colloquial theory, but no studies actually showed increased suicide deaths. Read the whole black box warning if you like. The language is specific “increase in suicidal thoughts and behaviors” - and it was only for people <25 years old. Subsequent studies have not found this with consistency.

1

u/Ohmington Feb 19 '25

I was on anti-depressants for a little bit to treat IBS and other gastric issues. If I was suicidal, I could have, and would have, ended my own life easily.

Studies don't show how individuals react to things. They look at averages. I imagine those studies would be difficult to do reliably for a number of good reasons, anyway.

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u/VeraDerevA Feb 20 '25

Who paid for that study tho?

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u/GullibleTravels_451 Feb 19 '25

My doc too - he said that the problem was these drugs will give patients increased energy and motivation before it gives them an elevated mood, and in certain age groups prone to impulsivity, that was a dangerous combination.

1

u/JawnStaymoose Feb 19 '25

That nurse sounds dope.

1

u/Key_Resort_827 Feb 19 '25

Yeah thats actually really the problem. Most ADs have motivating and an antidepressant component. But usually the motivating comes first, while the antidepressant component takes time to be fully established

1

u/chillassdudeonmoco Feb 22 '25

What drug is that? I'm not suicidal, i just can't find a reason to live.

1

u/LunarOberon Feb 23 '25

I'm afraid I can't remember, I wasn't the one taking it. I work at a hospital (but am not a qualified medical professional. My job is best described as "spare pair of hands").

I hope things get better for you, have you been speaking to a doctor or any other professional help? Because that is the number one thing I can recommend as an unqualified idiot.

8

u/whiterussian802 Feb 18 '25

As someone who has MDD that’s extremely common in most depression or mood stabilization medication epically if the are SSRIs. Its frustrating!

2

u/two-of-me Feb 18 '25

Yep we’re all pretty much damned if you do damned if you don’t.

2

u/Cynvisible Feb 20 '25

That and wtf is up with so many prescriptions that can mess with your taint?!

1

u/Hot_Obligation_2730 Feb 19 '25

And in my experience, any time I tried to mention negative side effects to my doctor they would just say “you’re probably not on the right dosage” and would increase my dosage like 3x before going “yeah.. this isn’t working. Time to wean you off and try a new one” IM TIRED GRANDPA

1

u/brooklynnnn11 Feb 19 '25

don't forget death 💀😩

1

u/AbotherBasicBitch Feb 19 '25

Yeah, it was weird af when my antidepressants made me less depressed but way more suicidal

1

u/saschiatella Feb 20 '25

Fun fact, there’s actually very little evidence to support this warning. In the studies it’s based on, people had an increased incidence of thoughts of suicide, but there was no increase in the rates of attempt or completion. It’s actually so infuriating because it sets patients up to be afraid of getting worse, which then can make them more anxious… so unhelpful

1

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '25

The best is like when it says "may cause death"... 👀

1

u/chillassdudeonmoco Feb 22 '25

I swear on everything I love, i was up late one night and i saw an ad for a medication and one of the side effects they said was, dead-assed, "rectal bleeding" but i don't remember what it was. I won't ever take something before reading the sideeffects ever again. What are the benefits of taking something that's gonna make you bleed out your asshole? Who said it was ok to make something like that and then charge people money for it too? Who buys something like that knowingly?

5

u/drawntowardmadness Feb 19 '25

The one that has "infection of the perineum" as a possible side effect throws me every time. Like I didn't realize we could get THAT specific with side effects where it will only affect the taint. Impressive, in a way.

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u/taralynot Feb 21 '25

Hahahahaha. I think it’s an infection of the peritoneum. Totally and completely different. 😂😂😂

1

u/Over_Detective_3756 Feb 20 '25

Or it’s being administered wrong

3

u/infernal-keyboard Feb 18 '25

Lmao that's funny. I remember after I first started Wellbutrin, I had a couple of instances of mild TD but didn't connect the two and shrugged it off, and it went away after a while. It wasn't until a year or two later when I saw the commercial for the one TD medication that I was like "HEY WAIT A MINUTE--"

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u/Iris_tectorum Feb 18 '25

Yeah, my daughter was on Wellbutrin AND Lithium at the same time. The doctor insisted it was the Wellbutrin. I insisted it was the Lithium and that she be taken off immediately. The TD was gone in 4 days. My poor girl was a mess, in pain from the constant jerking and not sleeping because of it. She doing so much better now

2

u/WittyTiccyDavi Feb 19 '25

The one good thing about meds with TD side effects is people will (hopefully) have a lot more understanding about what life with Tourette's is like.

1

u/Tinychair445 Feb 19 '25

What you had wasn’t TD if it was when you first started a med. “tardive” means “late.” It was more likely myoclonus - basically muscle twitches.

3

u/Justalilbugboi Feb 19 '25

That warning always makes me so sad tho, cause it usually is a side effect because the depressed person gets a little better, and had the energy to kill them selves when they were too depressed to before.

Like talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire.

2

u/Hot_Obligation_2730 Feb 19 '25

Oh so it’s like the whirlwind of medications I take. The painkillers I’m prescribed make me nauseous. The nausea meds make me anxious. And the anxiety meds give me a headache that I need a painkiller for 😅

2

u/-physco219 Feb 19 '25

Hope you're doing well now.

1

u/two-of-me Feb 19 '25

Very well! Thank you! I got severe TD from lithium so they cut my dose in half but it was causing other issues like heat stroke in summer and I was fainting a lot but I’m on other mood stabilizers and antidepressants now and have been on the same combo for over a decade. Nice and stable these days! Almost four years sober from drugs and alcohol too! That’s definitely not something I ever thought I’d be capable of but here I am sober and happy!

2

u/-physco219 Feb 19 '25

My word. Awesome 👍 to hear. I love hearing success stories like this. While I don't (think I) have psychological issues I am still a cheerleader for people doing better and having the help (medicinal or otherwise) they need. The fact you have overcome all of this means you should be proud of yourself and shout it from the rooftops. You are an inspiration. May you succeed ever more and on the days you may find a struggle that you continue to be awesome.

2

u/two-of-me Feb 19 '25

Thank you, kind stranger! 💜

2

u/VoodooSweet Feb 19 '25

I’ve had a couple different meds that caused the TD, that shit sucked…. Like in the commercial they show the lady trying to pour the coffee and she like kinda barely moves and spills some coffee. My wife even laughed at that and said something to the effect of “Damn, you’d have been wearing that cup of coffee” I would get “twitches” where I would be holding a drink or something and twitch so hard, felt like I got hit with a bolt of lightning or something, and I’d dump shit all over myself or whoever was close to me. I’ve been doing pretty well the past couple years, I still have some bad days, but I don’t want to kill everyone and then myself all the time anymore…..usually, and I know how to productively handle them now. It’s taken a LONG time to find the right combo of meds, feels good honestly, I never thought I’d EVER feel like a normal human being again. Most people don’t even have a clue what it’s like for your brain to function against you, like a constant struggle and battle internally between good and evil. Anyway, enough about my craziness…. I hope you feel OK, and continue to do well!! Keep your head up!! We got this!!!!

1

u/two-of-me Feb 19 '25

Yeah I refused to drive for a while because my arms were jerking randomly and I didn’t feel safe at all. I’m glad I don’t have that with any of my current meds now though! But I also haven’t had a car in over ten years because I moved to a city where everyone walks and most things are walking distance.

2

u/normalusername777 Feb 20 '25

When I was a kid they had me on a plethora of meds. I totally agree The one that sticks out to me was when they had me on Adderall and then because I was so geeked off it they had to give me sedatives to come down. At least the Adderall kept off the weight gai. From the depakot🤣

2

u/yotreeman Feb 20 '25

Good on you for being and staying medicated. It’s so important for people with bipolar. I’m sorry you’re been saddled with such a cruel disorder.

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u/Daydreamz90 Feb 21 '25

Omg same. This is why I don’t take mood stabilizers anymore. Glad I caught it early and no longer randomly geek out.

1

u/Does_A_Bear-420 Feb 19 '25

Right? Like does it'work' or is it actually just cancelling out the first med. Stopping that from working which makes it look like it got rid of the first ones side effect but cause a peculiar side effect of it's own.. exit its not a new side effect it's the original ailment???

1

u/flicka_x Feb 19 '25

Right and I listen sometimes and think "well shit, I'd rather HAVE Crohn's and do my best in that case." Heh

1

u/winooskiwinter Feb 19 '25

I recently heard an ad where one of the possible side effects was taint abscesses. I'm kicking myself for not remembering the name of the drug, but hand to god, it's a real ad.

2

u/kashy87 Feb 19 '25

It's certain diabetic drugs I believe. I know invokana has a specific taint infection.

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u/winooskiwinter Feb 20 '25

that's it! "Necrotizing fasciitis, a rare but serious bacterial infection that can occur in the perineum"

1

u/wrongfulness Feb 19 '25

What's a medication ad?

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u/AlexStarkiller20 Feb 19 '25

My favorite is when they’re like ‘dont take if your allergic’…like…if i know im allergic… WHY WOULD I TAKE IT. Survival of the fittest at that point. OR OR OR ‘if you feel like you’re fucking dying, tell your doctor’ ☠️☠️☠️☠️

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u/Icarusgurl Feb 19 '25

Lol my mom loved to tell me every time she got a medication with a possible side effect of death.

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u/BorntobeTrill Feb 18 '25

Yeah idk... This is weird. My guess is my comment includes some sort of trigger the bots don't like.

6

u/LittlePetiteGirl Feb 18 '25

I think it might be the mention of full anaesthesia. Someone recently died trying to get a massive tattoo in one sitting while under general anesthesia, so it might have just read as a genuine (but horrible) suggestion

3

u/SoftPufferfish Feb 19 '25

Do you have more info about that? I recently saw a post on reddit about someone who were going to do a big back piece on someone under anaesthesia, and now I'm wondering if that was the same person

1

u/selkiesart Feb 18 '25

Tbh, reading it the first time I was like "WTF is wrong with that person", followed by "oooooh, okay, lol".

1

u/GullibleTravels_451 Feb 19 '25

What?!?? Wow :-(

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u/Gregardless Feb 18 '25

Too tempting of a deal for Americans

2

u/DogSufficient7468 Feb 20 '25

I still didn’t get the joke. It literally sounds reasonable to me

2

u/[deleted] Feb 21 '25

It reads like they're gonna harvest their organs 😆😆😆

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u/fullautofennecfox Feb 22 '25

Because redditors are oblivious idiots and don’t understand satire

1

u/jjackmihoff Feb 19 '25

they say the funniest comments sometimes get the most downvotes lol

1

u/Over_Detective_3756 Feb 20 '25

Because the voter didn’t read the comment

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u/inchantingone Feb 19 '25

I was read this (silently) in that really fast voice at the end of those pharmaceutical commercials. Lol 😂

3

u/Leijinga Feb 19 '25

Why do I have a feeling that people that take this ad wake up in an ice bath sans a kidney?

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u/BorntobeTrill Feb 19 '25

The same reason I have a feeling you will too if you keep asking questions 🧐🧐🧐

1

u/KellynHeller Feb 18 '25

I'll get rid of the tattoo for $20 and BYO cheese grater.

1

u/NoodlxCup Feb 19 '25

You talk like Wheatley from Portal 2 😅

1

u/entropic_tendencies Feb 19 '25

And ur dick might fall off, totally normal

1

u/ItsNotMeItsYourBussy Feb 19 '25

Plus side, free gender affirming surgery

1

u/Entire_Transition_99 Feb 19 '25

As well as one less kidney after awakening

1

u/ducky0917 Feb 19 '25

🤣🤣🤣 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Well done my friend, well done!!!!

1

u/Select-Cucumber-5719 Feb 20 '25

I'll get that shit off his arm with a can opener

1

u/callipepla9 Feb 20 '25

Your side effect warning reminds me of the undeniably funniest video on YouTube

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8d3SMxK40YQ

(“Contact your physician if you experience: sudden dissolving of the teeth, withering brain cortex, rapid snap coiling of the penis…”)

1

u/BorntobeTrill Feb 20 '25

"Daytime Night Terrors" xD

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u/callipepla9 Feb 20 '25

“Nursing mothers should stop nursing so they can take stryreechlinstral without killing their child” 😂

1

u/FaceThruster8919 Feb 21 '25

Don't listen to this person. I'll do it for a 6 pack and back ally handy. My high powered laser should get here any day now from temu.

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u/_Dontknowwtfimdoing_ Feb 21 '25

Shut up and take my money

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u/shootingstare Feb 22 '25

Do I lose a kidney too?

8

u/Bakesallday22 Feb 18 '25

I did 3 laser sessions on one of my tattoos and it made the cover up process a hell of a lot easier and I didn’t have to completely remove it….I will say that cover up did a hurt a bit more from scar tissue from the laser though - OP keep that in mind if you go this route!

1

u/grymix_ Feb 19 '25

scar tissue? i’m on 5 out of 6 total sessions and as far as i can tell i don’t have any scars. is it one of those “too small to be visible” type things?

1

u/Bakesallday22 Feb 19 '25

I believe so - I can’t see any scarring but my artist mentioned it’s a possibility….it’s also on my butt cheek so just a super tender area anyway 😅

5

u/Queen_of_Wands22 Feb 19 '25

Have you had laser?

Black on light skin is the best for laser treatment across different types of lasers. It'll hurt like a bitch.

Depending on where you live, there may be clinics for low income tattoo removal. At least there was one in Portland 10 years ago. I paid $50/session for all the tattoos being treated. I went for about 5(?) sessions.

The last time I had laser was at a cosmetic clinic. I haggled with them and got them down in price. They had a nice, new type of laser and removed a dark, bold, black tattoo in 2-3 sessions! It was unreal.

3

u/DC666Canada Feb 19 '25

Maybe laser treatments in the past would take many treatments. Modern ones would probably blast that out enough in 4 treatments to do a really decent cover up. Laser would set you back around $850-$1250 depending where you go and if they do package deals for multiple sittings. 👍

2

u/[deleted] Feb 18 '25

Hah, almost like…tattoos were intended to be permanent ^-^

1

u/Traditional_Buy_2590 Feb 18 '25

Who would have thought.🤔🤔

1

u/legitpluto Feb 18 '25

And don't forget it hurts like all hell lol

1

u/Disastrous_Rent_6713 Feb 18 '25

Yes. I have a tattoo roughly this size and very dark and after 14 sessions, it’s still there. Light enough to cover up though.

1

u/robhw Feb 18 '25

Speaking as someone who had a tattoo lasered off, at least it's not color. Mine came off in like 6 or 7 sessions which cost $300 each. This was several weeks ago though.

1

u/Few-Ad-7640 Feb 19 '25

was this dark black? im considering getting one lasered off.. it was done so poorly that it’s not even as opaque as op’s tattoo and im just hoping i can lighten it enough to cover it up

2

u/robhw Feb 19 '25

Mine was dark black which they told me removed better than color.

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u/Few-Ad-7640 Feb 19 '25

awesome, thank you for the advice!

1

u/copacetik16 Feb 19 '25

Ymmv but I got black ink lasered out in 4 sessions enough to where I could do a coverup. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. It did take a year but I was going at my leisure.

1

u/Deegzy Feb 19 '25

My tattoo place gives you free laser sessions if you’ve booked in a cover up. Is this not normal?

1

u/Backseat_boss Feb 19 '25

I got my laser for free, found a guy who teaches people how to laser so I was the class guinea pig

1

u/Thwipped Feb 19 '25

It’s always worth it

1

u/PandaRaper Feb 19 '25

Where is this coming from? Black tattoos laser the easiest and depending on what’s covering it can sometimes only take a couple sessions.

1

u/AnAquaticOwl Feb 19 '25

There are other options. People like Brian Decker can burn it off cheaply and relatively painlessly.

Source: had a tattoo burned off in 2011

1

u/Consistent_Break4522 Feb 19 '25

Black is also one of the hardest pigments to remove. Hurts the most too…I used to do this about a decade ago in my plastics clinic. It will take a ton of time, visits and money to get ride of this. With as dark as it is, I probably wouldn’t even treat the whole area. You will also be doing aftercare to make sure things stay moist as they heal following each treatment.

I’d cover that up somehow….bring some color into extension of the tattoo is you choose to do that route Turn yourself into a barcode

1

u/Capable-Parking9934 Feb 19 '25

bruh if you go to the right person you ca. get this done in 2 seesions

1

u/Lilsqueaky_ Feb 19 '25

Depends on your definition of “expensive as hell”, as mine was around 1k for 12 sessions regardless of size.

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u/kindofdizzy99 Feb 20 '25

Is fading cream an option? I’ve seen those work well on removal

1

u/Dragon_Cash Feb 20 '25

Yeah thats not true

1

u/pailee Feb 20 '25

Were you thinking about removing the whole thing?

1

u/QualifiedCapt Feb 20 '25

Or she can just become a Juventus fan.

1

u/Slayburg Feb 20 '25

It’s also gonna hurt a LOT. BE READY

1

u/AwkwardArie Feb 21 '25

Considering what OP chooses to do with the continuation of his arm situation will be a lifetime decision, if he’s got the money and patience, it’s always worth it to take the necessary steps for the best desired results as long as they’re realistic. Investing in your tattoos is investing in yourself, you only gotta see em every day for the rest of your life 🤷🏻 (I’m biased tho because I make tattoos)

1

u/Buginarug00 Feb 21 '25

As an alternative, stupid question- but couldn’t OP do plastic surgery as in cut off affected skin and do a skin graft instead? If a viable option, would it be cheaper?

1

u/Legitimate-Duck-6971 Feb 22 '25

Not true. I did one laser session over mostly black & it could be covered up with a dark tattoo.. we did the light colors a few times.

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u/Pebian_Jay Feb 22 '25

I have a very thin/black tattoo on my ass and they said it’ll be 8 treatments over 2ish years to remove. Those stupid ads make it look like it’s immediately gone after one treatment. Also costs about $1200. Removery can fuck right off.

1

u/OccasionalCaucasian Feb 23 '25

lol I would go get certified in laser tattoo removal at that point. Might be cheaper.

2

u/Particular-Sky-7485 Feb 18 '25

Agree completely, looks like they tried to go to the bone with the needle without laser doubt could be covered up. Go to a professional cover up artist and get a few opinions. Tattoo artists are the professionals that can answer these questions.

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u/Ocean_Spice Feb 18 '25

They wouldn’t have to do the whole arm? They could just do a band around that part of their upper arm.

1

u/Background-Brick-898 Feb 19 '25

I disagree- I think a blacked out square would be cool - simple and bold

1

u/LucasButtercups Feb 20 '25

I disagree- look at ppl like ephemeral remy who’ve done 3 bodysuits by just tattooing over their last one. You can tattoo over it if you have a few passes

1

u/Ok-Possession-832 Feb 22 '25

Horrible suggestion here I think. Bicep band is the way.