Tattoo artist and former LA Ink star Kat Von D has dramatically altered her look by covering roughly 80% of her body with solid black ink. Her usual colourful tattoos have been replaced, giving her arms and large areas of skin a uniform blackout finish. The change started last autumn when she admitted she was tired of how her earlier tattoos made her feel. The vibrant designs she once loved no longer reflected where she is now in life.
The Process: Pain, Patience, and Purpose
Working alongside a specialist known for blackout ink, Kat Von D underwent 17 sessions, which collectively spanned nearly 40 hours of work. She also arranged to have some of her older pieces removed via laser—one being a rose tattoo on her neck. In interviews, she described the experience as agonising but necessary: each session brought her closer to what she describes as a cleaner, more authentic body canvas. She also shared that the decision to blackout more than she initially intended came gradually. What first was meant to be just one arm wound up growing into nearly full coverage. The emotional burden of seeing tattoos tied to past behaviour, regrets, or painful chapters became too heavy, prompting her to embrace change.
Expression, Identity, and Moving Forward
The shift isn’t just about ink; it’s deeply personal. Kat Von D has spoken openly about how many older tattoos acted like “landmarks” of dark moments—reminders of regrets, times when she drank heavily, or actions she later wished she hadn’t taken. She expressed relief at waking up and facing skin that no longer held visual echoes of those chapters. Her new look, she says, better reflects who she is now: someone unburdened by past reminders, someone interested in creating a fresh identity. The “nice and clean” appearance she aimed for is less about erasing history than about reclaiming it—reworking it into something that feels right in the present.
The Courts: Copyright Case Victory
Around a year ago, Kat Von D was involved in a significant legal battle. A photographer claimed she had copied one of his photos for a tattoo featuring jazz legend Miles Davis. The allegation included intellectual property violation, focusing on an image in which Miles Davis holds fingers to his lips. The photograph in question dated back decades. In March 2024, a court unanimously ruled in her favour. A jury found that she did not infringe the photographer’s rights. The case brought up important conversations about artistic inspiration versus copying, and shed light on how tattoo artists navigate using real-life photos or famous figures as design references. For Kat Von D, the win reinforced her ability to transform images into personal art without legal liability.
Why This Change Matters
What Kat Von D has done isn’t just about physical looks—it’s about emotional ownership. Many people change their outward appearance when their inner life shifts, and blackout tattooing offers a radical way of drawing new lines on one’s own skin narrative. It’s also a statement about art, identity, and moving forward. Her journey speaks to anyone who’s ever felt tied to past choices—those times when what’s visible becomes a part of what we want to leave behind. She’s chosen to cover those reminders, redefine her body as her own, and show what transformation really can look like.
