You don’t love your tattoo anymore — but you love the idea of a new one. Good news: you don’t have to live with the old ink or remove it completely. Laser fading for a cover-up is one of the most popular reasons Toronto clients come to us.
What Is Cover-Up Fading?
Instead of removing a tattoo entirely, we use the PicoWay laser to lighten it just enough that a tattoo artist can design fresh ink over it. The old tattoo becomes a ghost of itself — faded enough that it doesn’t fight the new design.
This takes fewer sessions than full removal. Most cover-up fades need about 3 to 5 sessions, depending on how dark and dense the original ink is.
Why Fading Beats Covering Dark Ink Directly
Tattoo artists can sometimes cover an old tattoo without any laser work — but only with a bigger, darker design. The old ink shows through lighter colours, limits the artist’s options, and often leaves a muddy result.
A faded tattoo gives your artist a clean canvas. They can use finer lines, lighter colours, and the design you actually want — not just the design that’s dark enough to hide the old one. Most Toronto cover-up artists will tell you the same thing: come back after a few laser sessions and the result will be dramatically better.
How PicoWay Fading Works
Same technology as full removal — PicoWay’s picosecond pulses shatter the ink into tiny particles your body flushes away between sessions. The difference is we stop when the tattoo is light enough for your cover-up, not when it’s gone.
Sessions are spaced 6 to 8 weeks apart. Each session takes minutes. There’s no downtime, so it won’t disrupt your life while you wait for your new ink.
How Light Does It Need to Be?
That depends on your cover-up design. A good rule of thumb: if you can barely see the old tattoo in normal room light, your artist has plenty to work with. We coordinate with your timeline — tell us when your cover-up appointment is booked and we’ll plan your fading sessions backward from that date.
If you don’t have an artist yet, we can talk through what kind of fading gives you the most options.
What It Costs
Fewer sessions than full removal means lower total cost — that’s the simple math. But the exact number depends on your tattoo’s size, ink colours, and age. Black ink fades fastest. Dense professional work takes more sessions than light amateur ink.
We don’t do phone quotes because they’d be guesses. Your free consultation includes an in-person assessment and your exact quote for the fade.
Why Toronto Clients Choose Us for Fading
We’re a laser clinic, not a tattoo shop — fading is all we do here, and we do it with PicoWay, the same picosecond technology the world’s biggest tattoo removal specialists use. Real before-and-after results, all skin tones, no downtime.
Cover-Up Fading vs Full Removal: Which Do You Need?
Not sure which path is yours? Here’s the quick test:
Choose fading if: you want new ink, your artist is waiting, and you like the idea of fewer sessions and lower cost. Most cover-up fades take about 3 to 5 sessions.
Choose full removal if: you want the skin clear — no tattoo at all. Maybe it’s a name, a job concern, or you just want it gone. Full removal takes more sessions, but PicoWay gets you there with fewer than older lasers would.
Still deciding? Start with fading sessions. Every session lightens the tattoo, and you can decide along the way whether to continue to full removal. You’re never locked in — the ink only goes one direction: lighter.
One tip from our Toronto clients: book your cover-up artist after your second or third fading session, not before. That way your artist sees the actual faded result when designing your new piece.
Quick Answers
How faded does it need to be for a cover-up? Light enough that the old design doesn’t show through the new one. Your artist makes the final call — we fade to their specification.
Can I get my cover-up at your clinic? We’re a laser clinic, not a tattoo shop — but Toronto has excellent cover-up artists and we’re happy to recommend ones our clients love.
Will fading hurt more than the original tattoo? Most clients say the laser sessions are quicker and easier than sitting for the tattoo itself.
Book Your Free Cover-Up Fading Consultation
Ready for fresh ink? Start with a fade. Book your free consultation at New Skin Laser Clinic, 1834 Queen St E, Toronto, and get your exact session plan and quote. Call (416) 317-6696.