Deciding to get a tattoo is a lifelong choice. Sure, there are options to cover up poor ink choices but sometimes it can end up looking worse than the original. You’ll see some examples of that in this slideshow.
On the other hand, tattoos can be removed but there are several things to consider. For instance, the process is painful, expensive, requires several sessions, and not entirely guaranteed. Still, it just might be worth the effort.
When it comes to tattoos, it’s imperative to do your research and spend the money on a quality piece of art. After all, you really do get what you pay for.
What was this supposed to say? It looks like they fell victim to not proofreading before tattooing. But then again, is it code?
Yikes! It looks like someone decided to skip their portrait-drawing lessons. The only thing that seems to have been done with some precision is the veil. Somewhere along the way, things took a sharp turn… downward.
3. This guy will either never be late or never show up
Some people really, really love the finer things in life. Apparently, not everyone takes the time (no pun intended) to pick the best option. This is one of those times…
Wow… we hate to say it but this looks terrible. Not to mention, dreadfully painful. It was meant to be a galaxy. Unfortunately, it looks nothing of the sort.
5. Permanent bandit costume
So this guy loves wearing shades so much that he had a pair tattooed on his face. That way, he’ll never leave them behind. Better yet, he’s costume-ready for Halloween. Was there not another way? We guess not.
This is certainly creepy! Is this what people mean when they say that they’ve got eyes on the back of their head? Because these look so detailed, it’s even more freaky! Just imagine sitting behind this guy…
Uh… Sorry man, not even close. What a bummer because it’s probably impossible to cover this up. He can try removing it but it will certainly take a long time … That deep black ink is sure to be stubborn.
We really don’t want to know. We just had to add this gem to the list. Was it supposed to turn out like this? People really do wear their ink with pride regardless of how it turns out…
9. A football-playing pirate
Maybe it’s a fake? Then again, what if it isn’t? This one might be a little salvageable. If anything, they could try and cover it up.
10. This one’s on you… literally
Again, spell check is your friend when it comes to getting something permanently tattooed on you! Don’t rely on the artist to catch spelling errors. It’s ultimately the responsibility of the client to make sure their ink is correct!
This poor baby. Is there a reason this child has a koala on their head? Maybe the family has a pet koala. Or not… We may never know.
Good grief! This was a lifelong decision that probably needed a bit more thinking through. It just looks… odd. But if this guy is happy with it, that’s all that matters!
13. What have you done to Mickey?!
*Heavy sigh* This is truly unacceptable! Poor Mickey. The artist not only did an unprofessional job with the ink, the design could use a ton of work.
Whoa! It looks like someone is extremely dedicated to wrestling… Truly, this is some pretty serious dedication… This massively, detailed piece looks like it’s going to be there for… well, ever.
15. Taking pride in ones work
So… why is this dog biting a woman’s calf in this tattoo? Inquiring minds want to know. Anybody else find it a little weird that the dog seems to enjoy the tattoo? It looks like it’s smiling… Creepy.
16. Look, mom! A human centipede.
If you haven’t seen the movie, we’ll spare you the details. Just know that being considered a human centipede is less than ideal… What was this guy thinking? Maybe he’ll grow a thick beard and can keep the thing covered up.
We’re baffled. It’s like the artist didn’t even take the time to attempt a good tattoo. Hopefully the client was able to get this fixed. That is, if it can be done.
Well, at least the eye color is appealing. Other than that, the artist didn’t seem to take the time to shade properly or even make the face symmetrical. Perhaps they had trouble with tattooing where the arm curves. Still, there’s no excuse!
19. Who’s going to tell him…
It might have been much better to try and have the original removed completely. The after photo looks just as bad as the original. This is clearly why it’s important to go to someone who knows what they’re doing.
We can see why this tiger is sad. We hope that this is just some pens. If not, maybe seriously consider getting this covered up. Great tattoos aren’t cheap, people!
Is this Sid from
Toy Story? What an interesting take. Too bad this client got the tattoo on one of the most visible parts of their body. Fortunately, the ink looks salvageable. It also looks light enough to remove.
22. Look at the tail on that thing!
Who agreed to this?! Unfortunately for this woman, the only way this tattoo works is if she keeps her hair like this. Maybe she should consider growing her hair out… Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.
23. We’ll take the lizard
There’s nothing worse than getting a cover up with something worse. Was the latter actually done by a tattoo artist? It looks so unprofessional. Sometimes sticking with the original is best.
It looks like the inspiration for this piece was from the movie
Spirit… If so, maybe their kid drew the sketch. If not, yikes.
To make matters worse, if you look closely, it looks like there is another horse to the left of this yellow one.
It keeps getting better (or worse?). The artist here doesn’t seem to have a steady hand, especially in the photo on the right. On the left… well, memes are a powerful thing. Either way, questionable tattoo choices.
Is this Beetlejuice? What a transformation… Not only did the artist not do a very good job with the details but it looks blotchy. Maybe someone can touch this one up.
We all love Spongebob and Patrick but is there a reason they’re so jacked? Also, why aren’t the tattoos facing each other? Let’s just hope this relationship doesn’t sour. Otherwise, things could get more awkward than they already are.
28. Spellcheck. Spellcheck. Spellcheck!
There are spelling errors all over this thing. One is bad enough but two? We wonder if these errors can be fixed…
This, er, creative tattoo is a little odd. People sure come up with interesting concepts… Anyone notice how the record player’s arm is crooked and the design is uneven?
What’s up with the hand and wrist? It’s as if the tattoo artist was finishing up and said “Screw it.” The other arm looks just as odd from this angle.
31. Are we looking at the same tattoo?
Wait, what’s going to be epic? The body of that fish doesn’t appear to be on the track to epic-ness. But because it is so unfinished, there’s still time to save it. Hopefully, they do so with another artist.
Invest in a professional artist! It’s simple enough. This wolf looks as if a child drew it. Artists who are not able to give their client a professional tattoo should refuse to do it.
Let us guess, Tiger Lily? Unfortunately, the lily looks more like a wrapper. There is hope for this client to get a cover up. A touch up wouldn’t suffice.
Yikes. Even the tattoo has poor tattoos. Then again, it might not have helped it much. This one’s a goner.
Wow… it might be Marvel but it sure isn’t marvelous. Maybe it was done on a dare. If so, it would have been better to take the loss a different way.
This person showed the tattoo artist the photo on the left as a reference. Here is their rendition. Did they not see the artist’s portfolio before agreeing to get tattooed by them?
We’re genuinely confused by this one. This looks like it was just slapped on the client. It will certainly need future work. But it might be able to be removed.
We’ve all heard this story before. For some reason, a good amount of people like to have other languages (that they aren’t familiar with) tattooed on their bodies. Sometimes, this is the result.
39. So close! Yet, so far
This one was close but no dice. Maybe they can get it adjusted. Just imagine the face of the client and the artist when they realized the tiny mistake.
Another set of creepy eyes! These, however, are not proportional at all. While not normally a good thing, this looks like it will fade away.
Anybody remember that song “Butterfly” by Crazy Town?
41. Available all the time…
Wowzers! And not in a good way. No wonder the tattoos are only $30. This is a prime example of getting what you pay for. There is a reason that they’re “available all the time.”
Please say, “Sike!” We hope that this is just a pen drawing. What’s more, there is a faded tattoo under this new one. Whatever it was, we’re sure it was better than this…
Was the nipple/pimple part of the plan here?
We really, really, really don’t want to know. But here we are. This tattoo just feels unsettling. The client, for whatever reason, looks happy. Isn’t that all that matters?
Again, symmetry is off. The details are poor. The shading is nonexistent. Being a tattoo artist comes with a ton of responsibility. But then again, so does being a client.
That lion is peering at us! Here, the water colors look fun but the details just aren’t great. Fortunately, it looks like it cold be fixed up.
Okay, so hear us out. The face of this octopus looks like the face of Thomas the Tank. Now we can’t unsee it!
47. Scared tiger or scary tiger?
Okay… Just breath. This is something the client probably had to say after seeing this. The face of the drawing is massively larger than the body… Because this tattoo is so big, their options are a little more limited when it comes to fixing it.
What was the point of writing it out like this? Are they a fan of Scrabble? Over time, they might grow a bit frustrated when people try and figure this out.
49. The misinformed compass
Well, it’s “news” spelled backward. Maybe that’s what she wanted but we doubt that. Fixing the “W” and the “E” is going to be a nightmare. It’s important to get it right the first time!
50. “I meant to do that!”
This client is saying that the mistakes in their tattoo were done on purpose. Unfortunately, there were a couple of misspellings in their explanation. At least they tried.
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Deciding to get a tattoo is a lifelong choice. Sure, there are options to cover up poor ink choices but sometimes it can end up looking worse than the original. You’ll see some examples of that in this slideshow.
On the other hand, tattoos can be removed but there are several things to consider. For instance, the process is painful, expensive, requires several sessions, and not entirely guaranteed. Still, it just might be worth the effort.
When it comes to tattoos, it’s imperative to do your research and spend the money on a quality piece of art. After all, you really do get what you pay for.
