40 Real-Life Tattoos That Could Be Called Permanent Mistakes

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.

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 Some of the most popular designs that were cool and original back in the day would likely be considered outdated at best at the current time.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.

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.

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.

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.

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.