Not every tattoo ages well, and sometimes the art you thought you’d love forever ends up being your biggest regret.
Liv, an artist from Bristol, UK, is giving people a chance to fix that. Her flawless cover-ups have gone viral on TikTok, with viewers stunned at how she makes old tattoos vanish under fresh, beautiful designs.
Take a look below to see why her work has everyone talking.
Some tattoos don’t hold up the way their owners imagined
Image credits: livslines
Luckily, Liv is an artist whose viral cover-ups are helping people leave those regrets behind
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livs.lines
Image credits: livs.lines
Image credits: livs.lines
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livs.lines
Image credits: livs.lines
1 in 4 people regret their tattoos
Tattoos capture stories, beliefs, jokes, or moments of impulse. Some hold deep meaning, while others are just for fun—and that’s perfectly fine as long as the person wearing them loves what they see.
But forever doesn’t always feel as permanent as it sounds. A survey by Advanced Dermatology found that one in four people in the US regret at least one of their tattoos.
While laser removal is an option, it often comes with a hefty price tag, multiple sessions, and more pain than most would like to sign up for.
That’s where artists like Liv come in, using their skills to give old tattoos a second chance with the magic of a cover-up.
Cover-ups can give an old tattoo a fresh start, whether by adding new details, layering fresh elements, or transforming it into something entirely different.
But here’s the thing: cover-ups are often trickier than tattooing on fresh skin. Older ink can leave the skin more sensitive, and getting the colors and lines right usually takes extra passes with the needle.
It takes careful planning, a steady hand, and a clear vision to turn what’s already there into something fresh and worth showing off.
That’s why Liv has shared on TikTok that she charges more for cover-ups than regular tattoos, as they demand more time and thoughtful design to get right.
Cover-ups can do more than hide regrets
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
Most of the time, cover-ups are seen as a fix for tattoos that didn’t age well, designs that no longer feel right, or ink tied to memories best left behind, like matching tattoos after a breakup.
But cover-ups can do much more than that. They help people reclaim control over their bodies and stories.
In 17th-century Japan, prisoners were marked with irezumi kei (penal tattoos) as punishment. Over time, the practice of penal tattooing fell out of use, partly because released prisoners would cover these marks with decorative designs, using art to move on with their lives.
Today, some survivors of human trafficking use cover-ups to replace branding tattoos forced on them. Organizations like Soul Survivor’s Ink and Unbound in the US and Canada help make these transformations possible, offering survivors a chance to move forward on their own terms.
Cover-ups are also used to conceal scars and skin conditions, helping people feel more confident in their own skin. This practice has a long history: in 1835, German doctor Pauli tattooed over skin lesions, and even earlier, in 150 CE, the physician Galen used tattooing techniques on corneal opacities.
At its core, a cover-up is a tattoo like any other, adding ink to skin. But it can carry deep meaning, offer a chance to start again, or help heal from old wounds—and that’s what makes them so special.
Liv’s work leaves viewers so impressed, they find it hard to believe anything was ever hidden beneath
Liv also uses her skills to cover scars, helping clients feel more comfortable in their skin
Image credits: livs.lines
Image credits: livs.lines
Image credits: livs.lines
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Image credits: livs.lines
Image credits: livs.lines
Image credits: livs.lines
Image credits: livs.lines
Image credits: livs.lines
And when she’s not doing cover-ups, she’s busy creating thoughtful new designs
Image credits: livs.lines
Image credits: livs.lines
Image credits: livs.lines
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livslines
Image credits: livslines