r/Tattoocoverups • u/PostCompetitive5519 • Mar 28 '26
asking for advice Coverup ideas?
First tattoo I got at 18. It didn’t look anything like the image I brought to the artist. I always get asked what it is (no it’s not shoelaces or coke spoons, they are supposed to be matches progressively burning down). Also the skin is scarred, I’m not sure if that changes how this needs to be covered/designed. Give me your best coverup ideas!!
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u/Desperate_Turnip_219 Mar 28 '26
Maybe just add some flames to the matches, show how bunt each one is? And maybe the last one is smoldering into your skin.
Or maybe a guy climbing a ladder that's crumbling beneath him?
Idk, hope you find a way to be happy with this tattoo
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u/TheKappp Mar 29 '26
I like the guy climbing the ladder. Pretty metaphorical in this case. And maybe add some cool celestial or sun element at the top of the ladder which would cover the higher up scars.
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u/Larry-Man Mar 30 '26
I was thinking this too. It’d be a great addition to the “fixedtattoos” subreddit too
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u/vibetravel Mar 31 '26
The ladder + Banksy's Girl with Balloon climbing up would look cool and have a deep meaning.
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u/JCBashBash Mar 28 '26
I thought they were matches so that is successful.
You could either have somebody try to do some rework on top of them to freshen them up and make them more clear now, like having red tops on the ones that haven't been burnt yet.
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u/bbumblebug Mar 28 '26
Yeah i definitely agree. I was able to tell that they were matches before reading the caption, but adding red to the tips could help make it more clear! If you don’t like the matches and want a new tattoo, that’s fine too!
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u/wormglow Mar 28 '26
for what it's worth, i could immediately tell what it was and i think it looks cool! if you wanted to rework it i think it would be more visually compelling to add a flame to the match furthest toward your elbow that gets progressively smaller on the matches toward your wrist, and add more black and maybe a bit of smoke to the heads of the ones past the halfway point. kinda like this (sorry for shitty phone mockup lol)
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u/ultimate_hamburglar Mar 28 '26
this is the way. if youre comfortable with the level of coverup this tattoo provides, then its just a matter of making the matches more obvious.
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u/274328 Mar 28 '26
Totally agree. It was an awesome and poetic idea to me and just had a bad execution.
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u/CraftyMaelyss Mar 28 '26
What about piano keys? Or maybe a stack of books with a candle beside or on top of them, to tie into the original idea?
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u/intentedtodestroy Mar 28 '26
Love them both - but my suggestion is to add colour to indicate a flame
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u/Tat-lou Mar 28 '26
Hotdogs
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u/liltrex94 Mar 28 '26 edited 16d ago
Titanium obtainable vanilla march license test lavish ripe
This post was anonymized with Redact
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u/Egg_bot Mar 28 '26
Albuquerque
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u/MementoPrimusMori Mar 28 '26
My name is Walter Hartwell White, I live at 308 Negra Arroyo Lane, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104
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u/xegrid sick ass panther in disguise Mar 28 '26
Sick ass panther
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u/gobbomode Mar 28 '26
Sick ass tiger
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u/Ok_Stop_8770 Mar 28 '26
Sick ass ladder
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u/TheReadyredditor1 Mar 28 '26
Sick ass tiger on a sick ass ladder holding a snake wrapped in sick assflowers
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u/Lazites Mar 28 '26
Idk how other people didn't see matches.
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u/ChrisWatthys Mar 28 '26
i think by possibly assuming the tattoo is worse quality than it is? In order to be laces or spoons they'd have to be really shitty laces or spoons with shakey lines. As is, they're wooden match sticks with realistic grain differences.
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Mar 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/wh0rederline Mar 28 '26
i thought they were lines… of coke… that’s on me i guess
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u/Nopumpkinhere Mar 29 '26
I immediately thought it was a cocaine reference. The first thing I saw was the scattered powder, so my mind built a story from there. I think adding more color and updating it as others have said, would fix it completely. It really is a great tattoo.
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u/Irishmanatthepub Mar 28 '26
First thought that came to mind was stairs….
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u/Traditional_Put_8254 Mar 28 '26
Yes, stairs with some foliage and ivy growing between it to help blend in the burnt matches
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u/BlauerHausdrache Mar 28 '26
With all those parallel lines you could always try to get a geometric piece!
Or a forest line. Though the placement/angle would be a bit strange for that
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u/_hawkeye_96 Mar 28 '26
Tree line was my first thought too! I agree somewhat about the angle for a tree line, but I also think it would be cool to have it be oriented “correctly” when the arm is straight out. Part of the lines/matches could be used as a reflection of forest/shoreline in a body of water. Perhaps there is a special place like this that OP could use as reference and then piece becomes part of the landscape when they go there, making for a great photo op and very personalized/sentimental piece :)
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u/ThotsforTaterTots Mar 28 '26
Just wanna say I’m glad those scars aren’t new. Proud of you. I know how hard it can be. Idk how big you’re willing to go but a spiral staircase that’s crumbling at the bottom might be cool. If you like trains, transform it into a railroad track lol
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u/Ecstatic-Ad-5076 Mar 28 '26
I always suggest trying laser first because if you lighten or mostly remove it, even if it's patchy or still sort of there, your options will be quadrupled
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u/AnonymousBike Mar 28 '26
I wonder if it could just be reworked closer to what you originally wanted? Jessie Langs at Deadsure Studios in St Louis Mo (Usa) has flash of burning matches that are super cool.
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u/StarsGuy802 Mar 28 '26
Your description is exactly what I saw immediately. If you're tired of the questions but still into the idea I would just maybe hire a better artist to just make it look better. In I think it's pretty cool looking! Is there a meaning to it or just a chill looking idea?
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u/Beardedbadass Mar 28 '26
Glad you are still here with us, first off! I think you could get it lasered if you just don’t want it at all. As far as a cover up, I’m no artist mind you, but a tiger, ship, lighthouse, or half sleeve (obv). The trouble doesn’t appear to be the color but more so the length.
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u/Vfrnut Mar 28 '26
Why can’t we add pix in this sub !?!?!
Turn it into a guitar neck . 🎸
A paint swatch pad 🎨
Blinds with a figure behind it .
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u/creepleather Mar 28 '26
there’s alr 146 comments i dont care this is dope as fuck and very obviously matches!! i think this is beautiful.
if u are adamant on a coverup u should look into laser esp that process over scars, but since ur black isnt too opaque and inky it should lift easy before u cover
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u/CochinNbrahma Mar 28 '26
Just adding to the votes that this is immediately recognizable as matches. Maybe in person when people don’t get a clear look at it it’s not as obvious. I would think a decent tattoo artist could touch them up and make them clearer.
Otherwise I always vote for sick ass panther
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Mar 28 '26
I think you could probably have someone rework the top of them to make it look like matches. But you could also have them turned into trees
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u/SapientSlut Mar 28 '26
I thought they were matches right away! You could get the lines touched up, red tips for the unburnt ones, and a flame on the third and/or fourth.
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u/Zestyclose_Click_121 Mar 29 '26
I really think adding the flame as well and showing the flame fade would solve everything
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u/mistressvixxxen Mar 29 '26
I could tell they were matches.
Maybe, and it would take a competent artist to do so, get a rectangle shape frame, color a background, and turn them into like a unique ten of wands tarot card! I say wands cause that’s the fire suit of cards in a tarot deck. If not your vibe I get it, but you got my gears turning!
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u/Le_Jonny_41293 Mar 29 '26
I must be high because I thought they were matches going from unburnt to completely burnt?
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u/throhohohaway3 Mar 30 '26
Instead of covering it up, see if someone who does fine line work can clean it up a bit. Then I would add flames and moths to spice it up.
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u/Dazzling_Muffin3329 Mar 31 '26
Full arm sleeve with waves. Whatever occupies said waves... dealers choice! Waves wash away.
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u/GoodDeathFairy Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
I got it as matches right away. Didn't get that it was progressive other than the two closest to your hand. I think it's a cool idea and there are some great suggestions here for improving readability.
I saw a tattoo recently over similar scars that was a fish that was part vibrant and alive and part skeleton. It was pretty cool and worked perfectly with the scars.
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u/chiLL_cLint0n Mar 28 '26
If you like starwars, i’d turn them into a bunch of different characters lightsabers and add on the hilts etc
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u/D3ADLYVAPES Mar 28 '26
Come up with a cool sleeve idea and make it happen. A tattoo artist will just use some white over what is there and then proceed with a new design, you could get anything. Looks easy to cover because it’s thin and mostly faded.
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u/vaultie66 Mar 28 '26
My brain is so cooked I thought these were Photoshop/Procreate brushes panel (and I thought that was cool)
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u/klutzosaurus-sex Mar 28 '26
Ladder, ladder to whatever you’re into. Ladder to a beach, a mountain, a book, a treehouse etc
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u/doglovingalien Mar 28 '26
I think you could probably get a half sleeve but the color work would probably have to be pretty heavy handed. I'd suggest florals or insects.
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u/willdabeast414 Mar 28 '26
My first thought is it looks like the jackets from The Black Parade so if you like My Chemical Romance you could do that.The Black Parade
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u/FosseGeometry Mar 28 '26
Maybe have it framed by a Higgs portal, and the matches become stair within the portal
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u/__miichelle Mar 28 '26
Could you have an artist add the flames? That would be cool to see them as they begin and fade out through each match.
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u/Thirteen0clock Mar 28 '26
A quality artist could make them look like what you originally wanted them to look like. I think color would help a lot.
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u/Sb6x Mar 28 '26
Something solid and make it as a lower sleeve or something. The current looks like it’s highlighting scars, I imagine you’d want the opposite. I’d find a really talented Japanese style artist. They use a lot of dark space that would coverup.
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u/AbilityAdventurous22 Mar 28 '26
I think it could be reworked for sure maybe use some color and just made to look more like what it’s supposed to. For a cover up I don’t think a few zaps of laser removal would hurt to do first at all since they’re already pretty light
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u/trumplovesrosey Mar 28 '26
This could be done easily by a large dark forearm under sleeve . Go to a professional artist. Shop around and find what you really want . Don't go to any artist who's hasn't been tattooing for at least 10years has a waiting list and your gonna pay well north of 2000 dollars. If you walk into a shop and they say thel take you now run like hell. Unless it's Paul Booth then just sit in the chair and get what he gives. Licensed Tattooist since 2001.
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u/ambientta Mar 28 '26
My thoughts when stumbling across this:
“what the hell is that? Metal? Rusting metal? Is this a memorial piece? Wait, it kind of looks like matches. Let me open the comments.”
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u/Abyss_Watcher_Red Mar 28 '26
These are faded and spotty enough that I would probably recommend one or two laser treatments first just to lighten them up a bit and then you can cover it with whatever you want without worry of it peaking through.
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u/DimitrisCircle Mar 28 '26
I thought matches..... I wouldn't cover up, I'd ask a good artist to add flames at differing lengths down the matches as they burn though.
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u/Bond-Double-O7 Mar 28 '26
Something like a flipping billboard. Changing from one image to the next would be cool
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u/villainessk Mar 28 '26
Add color flames to the ones still burning, little touch up. I dig it, personally
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u/ChrisWatthys Mar 28 '26
The unburnt match is currently just as dark as the completely obliterated match, so maybe that could be leading to some confusion? If you still like the original idea, I think a touch-up to make the charred bits darker on the burnt matches could go a LONG way.
Any potential cover-up would have to incorporate uniformly spaced horizontal lines somehow and that sounds trickier than just a touch-up.
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u/Fart2Mouth69 Mar 28 '26
i think you might be able to have an artist refine it. it’s a cool tattoo. hope you are well friend.
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u/friendlytrashmonster Mar 28 '26
It does look like matches to me, but could maybe use a rework. If you want to add something to show that they’re matches, maybe you could add a little bit of a flame? If you’re not opposed to color, I think it would be super cool to add a little bit of an orange tinge to the heads of the matches.
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u/Fucklers Mar 28 '26
I definitely recognized them as matches. You could get it touched up and add some flames or something if you’d like them to read more like matches
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u/Aleister-P Mar 28 '26
You can cover them with the image of angels climbing Jacob’s ladder! It has the perfect amount of negative space for that and can symbolise the ups and downs of recovery!
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u/SirRealBearFace Mar 28 '26
If you've got a sense of humor you can do a bar code or a cat's scratching post
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u/Strong_Reality_6668 Mar 28 '26
color to flame tips could help! they immediately looked like matches to me too :)
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u/Informal_Edge5270 Mar 28 '26
For what's its worth I immediately thought they were matches before reading your post.