SHOCKING: Bad tattoo designs - What They Never Told You

So, I'm not tattoo-shaming, but I'm tattoo-sorry you gotta deal with...that is a free-to-join public group that’s all about bad tattoo art. How bad? You can be the judge of that, but let’s just say they range from "OK, I kinda get it (but that's about it)" to "this is just flat out criminal".

As of this listicle, the group is home to nearly 149,000 members. The whole idea behind the group is to just have fun, and it is by no means a tattoo validation group. If someone does end up getting into a roasty toasty mood and going to town on a design, it’s not really frowned upon. Within reason, of course.

So, what is a “bad tattoo”? For some, it might be a mere issue of taste, but it’s things like skill and artistic aptitude that have a direct impact on how well a tattoo will turn out. And that correlates with money.

Tattoo artist Pat Fish, who brings the art of Celtic culture and symbolism to life on skin, elaborated on this:

“Unfortunately, if price is the first consideration, the result may be sub-par,” elaborates Pat. “The resulting tattoo may have shaky lines, the tattooist may get lost in the pattern and put lines where they ought not to be, or the novice apprentice may give it their best which is not yet adequate.”

If you want to get yourself a tattoo and not end up on the aforementioned Facebook page as a textbook example of a crime against the arts, there are several things to consider.

At the very least, do your homework, i.e. research designs, shops, artists, all that jazz, and make a firm decision. Brace yourself as this is quite literally a 'you get what you pay for' deal.

Also, make sure you’re comfortable with this, understand that it’s a personal choice, and take your time. It’s a serious decision. Even something as simple as starting small can go a long way.

“When a trend comes along, like outlining in color, or doing an entire tattoo in color without any black defining lines, the result is guaranteed to age poorly,” explained Pat.

“Tattoo artists know this, but when a potential client insists many will go ahead and bow to the economics of money in hand and go ahead and do a tattoo that will look lovely the day it is done, but will blur over time. People see something they want to copy on the internet and they do not want to listen to their local tattooist who understands the technical limitations of the medium.”

“This applies equally to questions of scale. If they see a photo of a backpiece TikTokTat and ask to copy it on their wrist the artist should be honest and say that level of detail cannot be done in a reduced size. But again, many will say they can do it with a poor result.”

Fun fact, the way tattooing works is a very stabby needle enters the second layer of the skin, called the dermis, and then it leaves some ink there. This triggers the immune system—this is normal, after all, ink is a foreign object in the eyes of the body—and then essentially makes sure that the ink doesn’t spread.

Under normal circumstances, the immune system would attack viruses and bacteria by quite literally engulfing them. But with ink, since it can’t effectively dispose of it—it’s not an organic creature—it instead contains it so it doesn’t spill out further while trying its best to dissolve it.

The white cell in charge of this process ultimately dies and another comes in to replace it, slowly breaking the ink down. But that happens extremely slowly, hence the tattooed image sticks around on your body for quite a while and is by all means permanent. Unless you’re an eternal, like a vampire. Then everything is temporary.

Now, when we say tattoos are permanent, that’s not entirely true. Besides letting it fade out (again, if you’re an immortal), lasers (the bzz bzz ones, not the pew pew ones) have been proven to be one of the safest and most effective ways of removing tattoos. Not without its flaws, though.

“ALL the methods of removal leave a scar, and in most cases you can even tell what the old tattoo was,” explains Pat. “The ink is deep enough that for full removal the only sure way to get rid of it is to cut away all the skin. MUCH preferred is to go to a competent artist who can design and implement a cover-up tattoo, so the skin remains healthy and the new design completely obliterates the one that did not meet expectations.”

Depending on the complexity, size and a number of other artistic and physical factors, getting a tattoo can take anywhere between a few hours to several months to complete. But that's just one part of the challenge. Besides you, there's also the tattoo artist who takes on a great deal of work. Remember when we said you gotta do your research? Yeah, synergy and vibe also matter.

“Being an artist, the ego gets involved, so it is important to keep in mind that the client is trusting you to do your best and create for them something they will be proud of for the rest of their life. That should be humbling, and an exciting challenge,” added Pat.

Pat concluded: “The most important thing I’ll say is that walking into a studio with a photo on your phone and demanding a low bid to replicate it will start off the encounter poorly. Far better to look online for portfolios of tattooists whose work you like, then bring them several ideas and photos of tattoos you like and ask them to create something ORIGINAL for you. If you want an artist’s best work, give them room to be creative. You’ll get a result you can be proud to wear.”

If you’re not yet tired of scrolling, please continue as there is more fun to be had. But if you’re like me and want to plan ahead, be sure to check out more from Pat on their website, as well as their Pinterest, Instagram and RedBubble.

You can also take a peek our previous list of very oof tattoos. And if that isn’t enough, why not check out the Facebook group?

But before you do that, be sure to share your take on tattoos, stories of tattoos gone wrong (or gone right!), and take part in the discussion in the comment section below!