The Future of Tattooing: Why Cover-Ups Are About to Explode

Over the past few weeks, I’ve put a lot more time into TikTok. One thing surprised me: the sheer number of messages asking if I do cover-ups.

This question comes up so often now that it felt worth addressing in a bigger way. If you’ve been following my work for a while, you may already know that I used to do a lot of cover-ups. I was successful at them. I took on complex projects. I solved difficult problems. But over time, the expectations that came with cover-up work started to outweigh what I felt was sustainable or fair — for both me and the client.

Cover-ups carry a unique emotional and technical weight. Clients are often frustrated, embarrassed, or desperate to “fix” something quickly. Many expect a perfect erasure when what’s actually possible depends on ink density, placement, skin condition, and time.

Eventually, I made the decision to step back from cover-ups, and I wrote about that choice openly. What’s changed since then isn’t my skill level — it’s the tattoo landscape itself.

We’re Entering a New Phase of Tattoo Culture

A few things are happening at the same time, and together they’re reshaping the industry in a big way.

First: tattooing is more accessible than it has ever been. Apprenticeships, licensing, and shop openings are happening at a pace we haven’t seen before. I know this firsthand — I served as a tattoo advisor for the state of Vermont for two years, and I’ve already written about how easy it is to obtain a tattoo license here. Lower barriers to entry do change the overall quality curve — especially when they’re paired with trends that prioritize speed, minimalism, and social media appeal over longevity. Which brings me to fine line tattooing.

Fine Line Tattoos and the Longevity Problem

This really hit home for me while working the Green State Tattoo Convention this past summer. I was blown away by how popular fine line tattooing had become — not just in artist booths, but in what people were actively getting at the convention. These tattoos share the same characteristics:

-extremely thin line weights

-little to no contrast

-designs not built to move with the body

-application that wasn’t designed to age

Many of these tattoos look okay the day they’re done. But tattooing isn’t about day one — it’s about year five, year ten, year twenty. Ink spreads. Skin changes. Lines soften. Without contrast, structure, and intention, tattoos lose their clarity fast. What starts as a delicate design can turn into something blurry, uneven, or unreadable surprisingly quickly. And that’s where the cover-up surge begins.

Regret Is Showing Up Faster Than Ever

Here’s something I’m seeing more and more: people regretting tattoos within six months to a year. Not because tattoos are bad — but because many of these designs were never built to last. They weren’t designed with aging in mind. They weren’t placed with the body’s movement in mind. They were treated more like disposable visuals than permanent art. On top of that, we’re now in 2026. Tattoos people got “not that long ago” are suddenly ten years old — and time is revealing which work holds up and which doesn’t. Aging tattoos, trend-driven designs, and fast application methods are colliding — and the result is a massive increase in people wanting to rework, fix, or completely rethink their tattoos.

Why Laser Is Becoming Part of the Conversation

I’ve said more than once that I wish I could invest in a laser machine — not because I want to erase tattoos, but because lightening gives artists and clients better options. Even a few laser sessions can: reduce ink density ,open up design possibilities, and allow for cleaner, more intentional cover-ups. As more people face the reality of aging or poorly executed tattoos, laser plus thoughtful re-design is going to become a major part of the tattoo process — whether artists want to acknowledge it or not.

I genuinely believe cover-ups are about to become a major pillar of tattoo culture and business moving forward.