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A good tattoo usually takes a lot of time and effort. And not only the tattooing itself; coming up with the best idea and finding the right artist can be time-consuming as well. For a reason—the last thing you want is something this permanent to be disappointing if not horrifying.

Some people don’t seem to properly think things through. Others might have a very odd sense of beauty, while a few are plain unlucky with how their tattoos turn out. All of these and many more instances can be found on this Facebook group, with a name that says it all—”I'm not tattoo-shaming, but I'm tattoo-sorry you gotta deal with...that”. With roughly 6.4 thousand members, the group is a never-ending source of terrible tattoos, and we have found some of the best (or should I say worst?) examples to prove it. Scroll down to view the disasters.

You don’t have to be a tattoo artist to see how bad some of these tattoos are. Whether it’s the design or the execution to blame, the end results range from surprising to hilarious and horrifying. In some cases, all of the above.

They show that it doesn’t necessarily have to be misspelled to be regertful. History Of Tattoos has revealed that as much as 17% of people regret the ornamentation on their body. The most common reason for feeling this way—it’s a tattoo of someone’s name.

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    #2

    Tattoo of a poorly drawn rat eating cheese, text reads "EAT CHEESE AND SIN"; an example of permanent mistakes.

    Regan Amato Report

    #3

    Tattoo of kittens inside a belly design, illustrating a permanent mistake theme.

    Ooooohhh......oh baby what you doin??

    Tegan Turcotte Report

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    According to Ipsos, back in 2019, 30% of people in the US had at least one tattoo. (The percentage increased from 21% in 2012.) The number of inked people is ever changing and so are tattoo trends. Some of the most popular designs that were cool and original back in the day would likely be considered outdated at best at the current time. 

    Glamour suggests that, when it comes to trends for 2023, minimalist lines and nature motifs are going to be the popular option. It emphasizes the importance of artistic expression through tattoos, and suggests that original pieces, as well as so-called sticker sleeves, and nature-inspired designs will take over the industry.

    #4

    Man poses with sleeping woman and tattoo resembling her, illustrating a real-life tattoo mistake.

    Kim Miller Report

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    #5

    Tattoo on a woman's back with extensive text, possibly a permanent mistake.

    anon Report

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    However, some designs are believed to be able to stand the test of time. According to Tattoo For A Week, parlors often help clients figure out what they might want to get, as they have books brimming with ideas. Some of the all-time most popular images there include dolphins, stars, wings, hearts, and butterflies.

    #6

    Tattoo of a dog with a human face on a leg, illustrating a notable permanent mistake.

    Karen Fanny Memlawd Report

    #7

    Unique tattoo design on forearm with text "Courage is the Key," representing a real-life tattoo mistake.

    It's so bad. Looks like they did it left handed

    anon Report

    #8

    Woman with back tattoos resembling wings and a baby's face at beach, illustrating a permanent tattoo mistake.

    Małgorzata Domin Report

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    According to Ibis, there are roughly 33,500 tattoo parlors in the US alone that employ just over 44,000 artists. The data also reveals that the industry has been steadily growing in the last five years, which implies that the number of atrocious tattoos might be increasing with time as well. But luckily, nowadays, there are ways to remove them.

    #9

    Distorted jester tattoo on arm, an example of a real-life tattoo mistake.

    Probably one of the worst tattoos I’ve ever seen.

    Kaylee Honeycutt Report

    #10

    Chest tattoo reading "Only God Can Me" in black ink, representing a potential permanent mistake.

    Misanthropic Bratty Witch Report

    #11

    Tattoo of a grinning face surrounded by green leaf designs, illustrating a permanent mistake.

    Georgia Rose Report

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    Healthline points out three main ways for removing a tattoo: laser removal, surgical excision, and dermabrasion. The first option includes working with a Q-switched laser, which fades out the tattoo—it sends a pulse of energy, which dissolves the ink by heating it. Laser removal usually requires multiple sessions, but it’s one of the most common and successful ways of getting rid of the design you no longer want on your body.

    As the name suggests, surgical removal is a more invasive procedure, during which the tattooed part of the skin is cut out using a scalpel. Dermabrasion also requires removing the skin, but instead of a section, it is removed in layers, allowing the ink to ooze out.

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    #12

    Tattoo of blue butterflies and a looping line, representing a permanent mistake on skin.

    anon Report

    #13

    Tattoo of a woman in a pink bikini, seen as a potential permanent mistake on skin.

    Chelsie AnnMarie Report

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    #14

    Tattoo of a face with vibrant colors and text "FRIENDS DON'T LIE," an example of permanent mistakes.

    anon Report

    There can be hundreds of reasons for removing a tattoo, and work might be one of them. Depending on the job, some workplaces still have a negative outlook toward them. Statistics show that nearly 76% of Americans believe that they (together with piercings) make it more difficult to get a job. (The majority (61%) of HR specialists agree with being less motivated to hire a person with a visible tattoo when it’s on his face.) However, roughly 40% of employed people (aged 18 to 34) have tattoos nevertheless.

    #15

    Tattoo resembling a coffin with a cross on a person's wrist, illustrating a potential permanent mistake.

    Here's a tattoo I gave myself with a cheap tattoo machine from Amazon

    Alex Sorgenfrei Report

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    #16

    Abstract chair and table tattoo on forearm, possibly a permanent mistake.

    Jessica Skeith Report

    #17

    Arm tattoo with words "IF NOT, THEN" appearing as a permanent mistake, inside a tattoo studio.

    Karen Fanny Memlawd Report

    #18

    Poorly drawn Pikachu tattoo on a person's leg, representing a permanent mistake.

    Emma Stannard Report

    #19

    Tattoo portrait resembling a celebrity, potentially one of many permanent mistakes in real-life ink choices.

    Fred Ouellette Report

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    #20

    Ear tattoo featuring octopus-like tentacles, illustrating a permanent mistake in design choice.

    Melissa Long Report

    #21

    Neck tattoo of dice and flames, illustrating permanent mistakes in real-life tattoos.

    Hilariously horrible tattoo on my father.

    Shiann Blevins Report

    #22

    Bart Simpson tattoo on shaved head, depicting "Laugh Now, Cry Later," as a possible permanent mistake.

    Group participant Report

    #23

    A faded tattoo of a fairy on skin, might be considered a permanent mistake.

    Roasting myself for this trailer park tattoo I got when I was 13

    anon Report

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    #24

    Tattoo of two people on an arm, possibly a permanent mistake.

    The resemblance is uncanny…..

    anon Report

    #25

    Face tattoo with "Abbey" in thick black ink, illustrating a permanent tattoo mistake.

    Joey Greenamyre Report

    #26

    Hand tattoo outlines resembling a slice of pizza, an example of a permanent mistake.

    Tattoo shaming myself

    Abby Greil Report

    #27

    Real-life tattoos of a butterfly design on wrists, showing potential permanent mistakes.

    A friend from highschool's "matching" tattoo with her sister

    anon Report

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    #28

    Unique tattoo resembling a tower with an eye on a person's thigh, potentially a permanent mistake.

    Lord of the something

    anon Report

    #29

    A solid black line tattoo on a finger, potentially a permanent mistake.

    Crochet hook tattoo

    Rachel Balsdon Report

    #30

    Stick figure and snowman tattoo labeled "Jeff," showcasing permanent mistakes.

    anon Report

    #31

    Neck tattoo of a poorly drawn green frog, possibly considered a permanent mistake.

    Christine Honney Report

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    #32

    Tattoo of blue and black stars behind ear, possibly a permanent mistake.

    Elizabeth Wright Report

    #33

    Colorful jigsaw puzzle tattoo with text, representing a permanent mistake.

    Lux Vitae Report

    #34

    Tattoo reading "Lost Soul" on knuckles, representing permanent mistakes.

    anon Report

    #35

    Man showing a "Layla" chest tattoo, potentially a permanent mistake, outdoors in a colorful setting.

    anon Report

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    #36

    Tattoo of a child's face with an ice cream cone and stars, a possible permanent mistake.

    anon Report

    #37

    Tattoo featuring lyrics from a My Chemical Romance song with bold black and red ink on someone's back.

    Georgia Rose Report

    #38

    Tattoo of dates on skin with text "Handmade for grandma," resembling a potential permanent mistake.

    Ava Myers Report

    #39

    Stretched earlobe with a spider web tattoo, possibly a permanent mistake, and hand with finger tattoos.

    She tattooed her own ear and fingers and failed miserably

    anon Report

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    #40

    Orange fox tattoo on thigh, possibly a permanent mistake.

    Tattoo someone I know got in a legit tattoo shop

    anon Report

    #41

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    A tiktok 'artist' unlicensed studio. This is also stolen fan art.

    Chloe Hynes Report

    #42

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    Emily Mullen Report

    #43

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    anon Report

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    #44

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    had a sound over it going ‘ooh i like that’ .. i really hoped it was gonna be a sick coverup at the end but no, just this

    Abigail Sharkey Report

    #45

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    anon Report

    #46

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    anon Report

    #47

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    anon Report

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    #48

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    anon Report

    #49

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    At least she's super happy about it.

    anon Report

    #50

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    Malena Ortiz Report

    #51

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    Kris Henry Report

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    #52

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    a tea bag?

    anon Report

    #53

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    anon Report

    #54

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    Jenni Foster Report

    #55

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    Connlaith Casey Report

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    #56

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    Jasmin Nichole Daniels Report

    #57

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    Aspen Scruggs Report

    #58

    Bad-Tattoo-Shaming-Pics

    Riley Intell Report