Tribal Cover Up Tattoos: How to Hide Outdated Ink in Dublin

Tribal ink: from badass to "what was I thinking?"

Let’s be honest — if you got inked anytime between the mid-90s and early 2000s, there’s a high chance you’ve got some tribal work somewhere on your body. At the time, it felt powerful, mysterious, even exotic. Fast forward to today, and suddenly, that bold black swirl on your shoulder feels less "warrior spirit" and more "misunderstood teenager at a beach rave."

In Dublin, tribal cover-ups have become one of the most common requests in tattoo studios. It’s not about being ashamed of your past — it’s about making your ink fit the person you are today. Whether you’ve outgrown the style, the placement doesn’t work with your new tattoos, or you just want a clean slate, covering a tribal tattoo is absolutely doable — but you need the right artist, the right plan, and realistic expectations.

Why tribal tattoos are a nightmare to cover

Most tribal tattoos don’t go quietly. Covering up a delicate flower or a faded infinity symbol? Easy enough. But tribal ink? That’s a whole different beast. Here’s why:

• Heavy black ink: Tribal designs are pure black saturation. That means whatever goes over it needs to be just as dark — if not darker.
• Bold lines: The thick, solid lines are practically bulletproof under soft shading or light colours.
• Sheer size: Most tribal tattoos are big, sprawling designs, covering shoulders, backs, calves, or arms. That’s a lot of ground to reinvent.
• High contrast: Tribal work was meant to stand out — which means blending it into something soft or delicate is damn near impossible.

But impossible doesn’t mean hopeless. It just means your artist has to think smarter — and you need to be up for the ride.

What’s Now : Reality check (aka your consultation)

Before you even start dreaming about your new tattoo, you need a pro to assess what’s there right now. This isn’t just about "what do you want instead" — it’s about what’s actually possible with your skin and your ink.

At our Dublin studio, the first thing we do is check:

• How old is your tribal tattoo? Older ink tends to fade, which helps. Fresh, solid black? Trickier.
• Where is it? Wrists and calves give you less cover-up freedom than, say, a shoulder or back.
• How deep is the ink? Some old tattoos were hammered in like your skin was a notebook. That ink doesn’t fade easily.
• How big are we talking? Cover-ups almost always have to be bigger than the original.

This is the moment where your artist will be brutally honest — because cover-ups aren’t magic tricks, they’re surgery with style. The goal isn’t to erase your tribal tattoo; it’s to transform it into something better.

Next Step : Choosing a style that can actually do the job

Not every tattoo style can handle a cover-up, especially when you’re dealing with thick tribal ink. Here’s what actually works:

Dark realism

Hyper-detailed black and grey realism can swallow up tribal lines under layers of texture, shading, and deep contrast. Think skulls, roses, animals, or urban landscapes — anything that naturally has dark sections works like camouflage.

Japanese irezumi

Big, flowing Japanese sleeves are a cover-up artist’s best friend. Dragons, koi fish, waves — they wrap around old lines and absorb them into the design like they were always part of the plan. Plus, irezumi already plays with bold contrasts, so it fits perfectly over tribal ink.

Neo traditional

If you want colour, this is the style for you. Neo trad uses bold outlines and heavy shading, so it can overpower old tribal work. The trick is choosing a design big enough to cover the area — think large floral work, animals, or mythical creatures.

Blackout (the nuclear option)

If you’re absolutely done with your tribal tattoo and want a blank slate, blackout is the fastest route. It’s bold, dramatic, and turns your old ink into a clean, solid block of black. It’s not for everyone — but for some, it’s freedom.

Should you laser first?

Sometimes, a quick round of laser fading makes all the difference. The goal isn’t full removal — it’s just softening up the darkest bits so your artist gets more creative freedom.

In Dublin, a lot of tattoo studios work directly with laser clinics for exactly this reason. A faded tribal is a much easier canvas than one that’s still pitch-black and fresh. It’s an extra step, but for some cover-ups, it’s the difference between "that’ll work" and "this looks incredible."

Cover-up inspiration: What Dubliners are choosing

Need ideas for your tribal transformation? Here’s what we’ve covered old tribals with at our Dublin studio:

• Wild nature scenes: forests, waves, even Celtic-inspired landscapes.
• Big floral sleeves: roses, lilies, peonies — nature does wonders for cover-ups.
• Irish mythology: modern takes on Celtic gods, warriors, and knotwork.
• Dark art: skulls, snakes, ravens — if you lean gothic, this is your lane.
• Geometric abstraction: turning old swirls into sharp, structured designs.

Every cover-up we do is custom, because your tattoo and your story deserve more than a one-size-fits-all solution.

What NOT to do when covering a tribal tattoo

Quick checklist of what to avoid:

❌ Choosing a delicate design — fine line work can’t hide tribal.

❌ Expecting the new tattoo to be smaller — cover-ups grow, always.

❌ Thinking it’s a one-session job — cover-ups take time.

❌ Trusting just anyone — cover-ups are a specialty, and they require serious experience.

Reworking Tribal Tattoos: Sometimes You Don’t Need to Hide It — Just Upgrade It

Not every tribal tattoo needs to disappear. Some people still love the bones of their original piece — maybe it marks a moment in their life, or it reminds them of who they were back then. But styles evolve, and so does tattoo technique. What looked cool in 2002 can feel pretty outdated today. That’s where reworking comes in.

What’s a rework?

A rework means your artist takes your existing tribal tattoo and builds on it, updating the design while keeping its core identity intact. Instead of hiding the old lines, they use them as a foundation to create something more detailed, more dynamic, more YOU — with sharper linework, better flow, maybe even some shading or added elements to give the piece depth and movement.

Ways to rework a tribal tattoo

• Adding shading & texture: Turning flat black into dimensional artwork with gradients, textures, and depth.
• Incorporating new elements: Adding floral patterns, animals, or Celtic designs that interact with the existing tribal lines.
• Extending the design: Turning a simple tribal band into a full sleeve, with modern motifs blending into the old work.
• Refining the linework: Cleaning up old, uneven lines with precise, sharp outlines — basically giving your old tribal a facelift.

From flashback to future-proof

Reworking is perfect for people who don’t regret their tattoo, but want it to match their current style. It’s not about erasing the past — it’s about evolving it, making sure your tattoo still fits your skin AND your personality. In Dublin, where tribal tattoos were once a rite of passage, reworking is becoming a creative way to honour the old while embracing the new.

We love rework projects because they’re all about transformation without denial. If your tribal ink still means something to you, but it could use a serious glow-up, let’s talk about reworking. Sometimes the best cover-up isn’t a cover at all — it’s a rebirth.

The emotional side of cover-ups: It’s not just skin deep

Here’s the thing about cover-ups — they’re never just about the ink. Covering a tribal tattoo isn’t just hiding bad art. It’s about reclaiming your skin, rewriting your story, and owning who you are now, not who you were at 19.

At our Dublin studio, we see it all the time: people walking in embarrassed about their old ink, walking out proud of what’s replaced it. That’s the magic of a good cover-up — it doesn’t erase your past, it evolves it into something you can wear with pride.

Final word: Ready to rewrite your ink?

If your tribal tattoo doesn’t match who you are anymore, you’ve got options — and they don’t all involve laser. With the right design, the right artist, and a little creative thinking, your old ink can become your new favourite piece.

At Black Hat Tattoo, some artists we have specialise in creative, custom cover-ups — especially the tough ones. Whether it’s a complete redesign, a bold transformation, or a subtle rescue mission, we’ve got you covered (literally).

Ready to start? Book your cover-up consultation today and let’s turn the past into something you’ll actually love.