Forget your ex, modify tattoo

Seen as a way to increase your 'cool' quotient, tattoos are also a way to give meaning and depth to your relationship. But if you are no longer with the person for whom you got the tattoo, they can also serve as ugly reminders of the past.

Not really. Covering up that tattoo or getting a completely new one is probably going to help you move on.

Chirag, a tattoo artiste from 'Skindeep', says, "People fall in love for various reasons and at that time, getting a tattoo of their significant other's name or a matching design seems like a great idea. But then they break up and having the design on your body is the most haunting thing ever."

He says that he gets at least one or two clients every day who come in to cover up their tattoos, post break up.

"The main reason for this is not just about moving on but also to make sure that their next partner doesn't feel uncomfortable. At the end of the day, everyone is just trying to find love but sometimes you will be misled," says Chirag.

Getting the other person's name tattooed is most common. Tattoo artiste Subhojit Chakraborty says, "I started my career engraving names on people's bodies; this was back in 2011. A few years later, the same people come back to me and ask for a cover-up as their relationship did not work out. That's why I suggest that even if people want to get one's name tattooed, it should have an artwork so that it doesn't become a problem later."

Typography on the skin is a direct communication and many don't realise that it is not a good idea. "There are still people who prefer to do this, but let's be realistic here. You have to look at the same name, design and font for years. You are bound to get bored in a few years."

Karthik Bengre, an artiste from 'Sculp Tattoo Studio', recalls a nasty tattoo story. "A client once got a tattoo of his girlfriend's name on his biceps. After they broke up, he wanted to get a tattoo of his dog in that place. He even wrote a post on my Facebook page, saying, 'I replaced a b**** with another b****.'"

Some of the other popular break-up tattoo designs include quotes about moving on, the phoenix rising from the ashes or a knife tagging outline.

"A client once came into the studio with a girl. He had his mother's name already tattooed but he wanted that replaced with his girlfriend's name. I didn't know that it was the girlfriend who had come with him, so I started advising him that it is not a good idea and that the girl should not be asking you to do something like this. Well, long story short, they left the studio and I really hope he didn't get her name tattooed," he laughs.

Karthik says that because he has more female clients, they are usually the ones to come in for a cover-up. "There are few who get a tattoo on their private parts when they are in a relationship. They want it to be intimate but post break up, they would get it covered with a larger design."

Be wise
Consult with the tattoo artiste as to which design will look good and if it will be a practical option in the long run. Typography is not recommended, especially if it is of your wife/husband or girlfriend/boyfriend.

Go to a good artiste
Subhojit says, "If an artiste hasn't damaged your skin by going in too deep with the needle, it will be fine when you are getting a cover-up. But if he or she did, then you will have a bulge which will remain forever when you feel the skin. It will be covered visually, but you will still feel the bump."

Some ink here
Needle Street Tattoo Studio, 9036983101
Brahma Tattoo Studio, 22354167
InkPrik Tattoo Studio, 9731756903
Skindeep, 98863 21804
Sculp Tattoo Studio, 8197318518

Celebrity trends
Many celebrities tend to get a tattoo of the person they are married to or dating. They too are getting them removed, covering it up with another tattoo or getting brand new tattoos as a sign of moving on. Some of the celebrities who have done so are Zayn Malik, Kaley Cuoco, Angelina Jolie, Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne Khan.