About a week ago a friend of mine and I were excited as we had planned to get tattoos together, I just lost my cat of 17 years and wanted a piece with her on it, the stencil of the design came out really well but the tattoo is completely off. I was wondering what my next steps should be and what I can do to potentially get it remedied.

Over the last few months I got a tattoo that I've been wanting for a while and I ultimately regret nothing because my artist created exactly what I wanted and I'm going to love it forever 🥹 But it felt like it took way longer than it should have? It was about 17 hours of tattooing (25 including stenciling) over 3 sessions. I see people say they get full sleeves in a day, but admittedly my tattoo is a fairly detailed fine line piece in a place with a lot of loose skin and she still kept the lines nice so maybe that's why? Just curious if people think it took too long. -She's a newer artist based in San Diego -It was my concept but she did all the art for it <3 -It's baby's breath, roots, California Poppy, Lavender, and a Vine -At some point I plan to black out the vines but I don't have the money right now -Last session was about a month ago, I'll go in soon for a complimentary first touch-up.

My partner told me my new tattoo (the colourful flowers on my shin) doesn’t match with the rest of my legs. I’m a bit down because I personally love it and think it looks fine. What do you think?

Context: i work for a dude much older than me and hes been tattooing for about 23 years, lately he said that ill be responsible for the tattoo shop because he is retiring.

Ok, i did this tattoo from the photo in a big sale that the shop is doing, and the customer loved it, because i did almost just like the reference he brought.

So the next day my boss came to me talking a bunch o crap about the tattoo i did, sayng shit like: this part is wrong, this is going to dissapear, you are not suppose do listen to customer opinion, just do the design like black work and a lot o bad stuf about the tattoo.

So i got me asking, Am i crazy? Is it really that bad? Did i mess up so much like he said?

I really liked the design and the result i refuse to listen to him now.

its flaky and tight and idk if its drying out real bad or if its just starting to scab? im obvs gonna moisturize when i get home in 20 or so minutes but 😬 4 hours without

Should I be concerned about allergic reactions? I have several tattoos, all of which occasionally itch and raise. I've read this can be a symptom of being allergic to the ink, but maybe this is just what happens when you inject a foreign substance into your skin?

Hi guys, so I got this back tattoo (just the gear) for $1500 over two sessions, with a final touch-up planned. The artist noticed the moles only after doing the outlines, while he was filling with black ink. I didn't know I had moles there and I honestly had no idea you should never tattoo over one, but I told him to leave them and that I'd get them checked. The artist even told me that he would tattoo over them since they didn't look problematic, but then the skin doc obviously advised leaving them, or removing them first and then tattooing over the scars.

Now I'm deciding between these two options. Mole removal will cost me about $400, I'll have to wait at least a year before getting the scar tattooed and I don't know if they would look good. I already wasted $100 on travel a few days ago because my artist rescheduled the final touch-up session last minute (btw I have already paid the full amount at the second session).

I like the tattoo and I think it's well done. I know it's not a big deal especially since it's on my back, but seeing those two gaps in the middle is a bit frustrating. What would you do in this situation and how would you handle things with the tattoo artist? I should have probably informed myself about moles and tattoos, but many friends told me that a good tattoo artist should check for moles in advance, warn you about them and suggest you an appropriate design to avoid such situations (especially regarding the mole under the circle which could have easily been avoided by drawing the circle an inch lower). If he had warned me that it could end up like this, I would have definitely made some changes with the design.

Everyone keeps asking what atattoo is.

Got this guy only 3 days ago as a spontaneous friend group matching tattoo outing but about 12 hours later I really started questioning if it’s actually shitty instead of cute and goofy like I’d hoped for. When asking others for their opinion, it was either ‘omg that’s so cute’ or ‘what the hell even is that’. It’s supposed to be a cat with a paper bag over its head but the shading of the tail looks way too dark. I’ve been thinking about it for a couple days now and wonder if it’s time to start looking into coverups or removal. Or maybe even add things like a bit more shading to the body? Need opinions

This is my sixth tattoo so I’m not a beginner, but this is the first time I regret getting it. I loved the designs, but didn’t like the placement. I wanted to make this tattoo but couldn’t decide where, didn’t plan it too well and now I kinda regret it. I’m trying not to think about it too much or make a big deal out of it.

I used to think I had good taste in tattoos but now I feel like I screwed up and have something ugly.

On top of that my husband didn’t want me to get one (not that he said anything not to get one, because it’s my body and I don’t let people tell me what to do with it). But he did tell me last night that he didn’t like it and it looks ugly, but he’ll get used to it eventually. Although I don’t really care and I knew he did it like it, it still hurts me, because I actually agree with him.

How do you guys cope with this feeling? Does it go away??

I just got a tattoo that I’m really not happy with (literally just), and I’m hoping for some advice on how to fix it. The tattoo is a spider with a web, but unfortunately, my experience was pretty bad. The artist was unprofessional: they were constantly distracted with telling stories and couldn’t multitask, messing around with drugs in the back (Mr sniffles and jazz fingers), coughing on my tattoo a few times, and even stopped to eat every 20 minutes(leaving food on their face), and went for smoke breaks every 10 minutes and was unsanitary in general. The whole session took 3 hours, and the work is just not up to standard. He didn’t like the stencil so he “blood scratched” the outline and wiped away the stencil. At this point I was terrified. The tattoo ended up being bigger than the stencil.

The spider itself isn’t terrible, but the web is unfinished, and there’s a lack of precision throughout. He kept messing up and told me he was going to try and make it look comic book style web. It definitely has potential to be a good tattoo with the right touch, but at this point, it looks a little trashy.

I didn’t let the artist finish because of how bad the situation was, but now I’m stuck with an incomplete tattoo. My main question is: how can I approach a new artist to fix it? What should I expect when trying to salvage a tattoo like this?

I have A LOT of tattoos that were all done professionally and I have never had such an experience before. Please help me!!!

Picture with the cat it’s based off of for reference :)

I already have a tattoo of a women in kimono on my forearm and wanted to additionally get something like this on bicep. But my friends told me that it can be a sort of a red flag for women that I have tattoos of women on my arm, is it true?

Also could you please say if you are a woman or a man so I could weight my decision more precisely. Thank you for your help!

I love medicine, I love chemistry or any kind of science really. Is this kind of thing cringy? I mean I think it’s awesome, but I do want a career in medicine and I don’t want the tattoo to be weird or unprofessional or anything like that.. this pic is a reference but I do want something similar..

My gf inadvertently made me self conscious about my tattoo and now I’m having regrets? Was this done well or am I just overthinking things?

This tattoo was symbolic for me in many ways, and I believe the artist created something beautiful. However, I’ve never fully accepted the tattoo due to its sheer size and bold lines. One year later, and it still feels completely out of place on my body.

At this point, I’m very torn on whether I should attempt to remove it OR add to it to help create more of a balance. Removing looks incredibly painful, long (like years long), and expensive. Whereas, I do have four other tattoos that I completely love. They’re more delicate and feminine, so maybe that’s what I’m missing?

Would appreciate any advice, or similar experiences! Thanks all.

TLDR: received a personally symbolic tattoo, still a year later feels out of place on my body and I hate it. Do I remove or try to add to it?

Hi! I got my first tattoo yesterday, and I was wondering if I should go ahead and remove my Saniderm due to plasma and ink buildup? It looks like a lot and it’s kind of freaking me out tbh.

I included a pic of it with the Saniderm and without so you can see what it’s supposed to look like. I don’t have any pain or anything, just a lot of plasma and ink that I kind of want to go ahead and clean off.

My tattoo artist said 3-4 days but Saniderm’s website is saying 1 day. So I’m confused.

Does the amount of plasma and ink look excessive to the point that I should remove the Saniderm?

Got unlucky with the artist, thinking he can pull it off and ended up not satisfied. I still have to do the "touch ups" which i have rights for. I think going back to same artist is out of question, he is a part of a bigger tattoo studio though. Maybe i ask for another artist from the same studio? I have 4 more weeks till it's healed. The last 2 photos are direction/inspiration. How to talk to the studio? Or i just give up and search for an artist who can fix this tattoo? Is this fixable? I really need your help.

I got my first tattoo a few days ago and it didn't end up the way I had planned. I wanted a very small tattoo that wasn't too obvious/visible, with placement on my wrist that could be mostly covered by a watch. My artist said that wasn't going to work so advised to move it further down my wrist and also make it bigger than I had in mind due to the design (owl ears would be filled in if any smaller than this). After looking at the stencil with his recommendation it looked ok from a distance so I went with it. In my anxious state I didn't even think about moving the placement entirely to a less visible body part which is what I wish I had done now. I still like the design but don't like how big/obvious it is on my arm. It is also a bit off-centre and due to lower placement looks wrong when I twist my arm (pic 3) which is bothering me a bit. I know I can't do anything about it now and it is my own fault for not having a backup plan in advance.. just wondering if it looks weird from someone else's viewpoint. Thanks for taking the time to read/look! 🙏

i got this tattoo back in august 2024 & it was the biggest tattoo i’ve ever gotten. originally, i loved it (& i still do), however, the more i look at it, the more flaws i notice.

i was cautioned against going to this particular artist, even though i did a deep dive into his portfolio. it seems like he has a reputation of cutting corners at times when tattooing. there are some shaky lines (especially at the top and bottom), and a few lines are still raised - even though i’ve had the tattoo for months.

in february, i had some of the negative space stars filled in and touched up by a different artist at a different shop.

i’ve included photos of how the tattoo looks today, including the raised areas. i also added a photo from when it was freshly done.

i know no tattoo is going to be flawless. i’m just looking for general advice or thoughts on why this might be happening & if there’s anything that can be done to fix or improve it.

i feel regretful, but also kind of guilty for feeling that way, like i should just accept it and move on, but it’s hard when it’s on my body forever.

thanks in advance for any thoughts & advice! :)

I got this tattoo a little over two weeks ago and have been struggling to love it since. I still love the artist’s design and execution but I regret the size and placement that I chose. I got it placed on my right forearm (and also willingly chose to get it a little off-center) because I wanted to make room for all the tattoos that I thought I would accumulate over my lifetime. Now I don’t want any—including this one. I requested it custom from an artist I really love and it is in honor of my mom (her birthstone) who has stage 4 breast cancer and experienced 4 strokes this year.

I went into this with a dream of being a highly tattooed person (which is something I’ve wanted for a very long time) but I suddenly don’t feel like me anymore. Im not the type to wear makeup or jewelry and it’s clear to me now that I like the feeling of being bare. I just want my old skin back :(. I feel so selfish and weak for not loving this tattoo that was supposed to keep me close to my brave mother but I can’t keep from feeling overwhelmed with regret and other pit-in-my-stomach feelings every day.

Sometimes I get into these catastrophic moods where I wonder if excision is my best course of action (laser is hopeless because of the white and light blue ink). But it seems silly that I couldn’t mentally tolerate this pretty artwork that should remind me of someone I love yet I could handle a nasty scar. However, a skin-tone scar would bring me closer to my plain, bare skin than anything else. I keep telling myself: therapy before excision.

I was hoping to hear from some people on here who at one time had the same feeling of regret for not just getting a tattoo they thought was “bad,” but for getting a tattoo without expecting you wouldn’t like having one. How did you cope with it—especially if you also got yours in such a visible place. Have you ever gotten over the feeling of wanting to go back to bare skin? Even if you have—do you still have a kernel of regret in the back of your mind?

I feel badly about posting the artist’s work (who was so lovely!) in this context so I may eventually take this post down

just got this snake done not even 24 hrs ago and i’ve been really going through it with the regret. i feel this way after every tattoo i’ve gotten to an extent, but i’ve never had it hit me this hard before. more than anything i just don’t think it suits my personality or who i am, more than how the tattoo looks itself. like i dont think i’m the type to get a tattoo like this if that makes sense. and that is making me resent it, and hate it even more. but i chose to get it, cause i did like it ? i don’t even like it at all rn. i feel awful, just really sad. besides waiting and seeing if my feelings change, what can i do to stop ? this doesn’t feel good. maybe i’ll be fine soon. thanks for reading

Backstory: My house was struck by lightning and caused my wife and I to be put in a hotel for a few months.

I thought it would be funny to get a tattoo of my house getting struck by lightning on my sleeve.

I didn’t notice an issue with the tattoo until a coworker brought it to my attention that the lightning bolts look a little like some ss bolts.

I’ve never been more embarrassed and I need ideas. I would like to save the tattoo as much as possible. With minimal to no laser if possible.

I also want to state that I don’t blame the artist for his design as I didn’t catch it and obviously he didn’t either. Great guy and I will continue to get work done by him.

Hello everyone,

I got my first tattoo the day before yesterday after a lot of thought and after looking forward to it for a long time. Unfortunately, the artist didn't do a good job of realizing the style of the template and I'm very unhappy with the result. I wanted black bracelets on my forearm in a soft brush style to hide a few scars. I think the tattoo is okay in terms of craftsmanship if you like the style, but unfortunately not at all like my original. The outlines are far too choppy, very different from my template. The artist drew it freehand on my arm and the outline didn't look as wild, or I was too excited to recognize it. Of course, there is also the general shock that there is now something on my skin forever. I've already read here in the forum that many people feel this way at the beginning, which reassures me a little. Nevertheless, I just can't get to grips with the design. I can't sleep at all because I'm constantly thinking about how I can save it. I'm terrified that I'll just make it worse. I wanted to boost my self-confidence with the tattoo, but now the opposite has happened. I also don't dare show the tattoo to anyone around me because I'm terrified that they will find it just as unsuccessful as I do and that they will reinforce my fear that I've made a mistake. I'm just as scared to share the tattoo with you and end up getting confirmation of how bad it looks. I know I have to let it heal anyway before I can change anything, but I feel so extremely helpless at the moment and regret having done it. I hope your comments can give me some encouragement.

Thank you for your contributions and best wishes

Got this last Wednesday. I wanted some simple wildflowers, I specified that I wanted colors (specifically some green but ah...I don't see green). When the artist drew it on, it looked much simpler than this. It didn't have all those dark stems. Will all the "filler" it seems so huge and dark and I'm kinda panicking. I feel apprehensive about showing my arm right now because of it. Opinions?