Tattoo Artists Share The Times They Had To Tell People “Hell No”, And Here Are The 35 Worst
It seems that these days, anyone can get a tattoo almost anywhere. But it's actually not as easy as it might seem, as tattoo artists have some rules about who they are willing to tattoo. The Global Tattoo Artist Association cites three rules all customers should go by: be at least 18, have a parent's written consent if they are not, and not show up intoxicated.
But some tattoo artists have additional conditions. In a recent thread, tattoo artists and their acquaintances shared instances in which they had to refuse to tattoo someone because it just didn't align with their morals. Curious to find out what might get you booted out of a tattoo shop? Scroll down and see the most interesting answers!
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Mum brought her 15 year old son in because he had a bunch of hand-poked scribbles on his forearm. She was asking about getting a cover-up and he had selected a traditional "3 legged panther". After having a smoke and thinking about this, I asked her, "if he didn't have all this garbage on his arm, would you be bringing hom in for a tattoo?" After she said no, I asked, "then why reward his bad behavior with what he wants? Here's the name of a laser clinic you could take him to. The cost is about the same and you can make him work off the debt." I'll never forget the death stare this kid gave me after I ruined his whole scheme. I've also refused to tattoo symbols of hate for obvious reasons, but that one with this kid stands out the most.
Friend did illegal tattoos on his farm. One day a group of bikers show up, and a woman and her 15-16yo daughter enter. Mom tells him to tattoo "Wild Thing" on her daughter's chest. He declines. She says, you want me to bring the boys inside? He tattooed the minor.
I wish the tattoo artist that gave me my first tattoo would have said no to my parents. I was only 14 and was at a motorcycle swap meet.
A friend who is a tattooer once had a kid, maybe 18 or 19, who wanted the numbers his H*******t survivor grandparent had been given. My friend asked him some questions and realized quickly that the kid had no sense of respect for the meaning of the tattoos and just wanted to be edgy.
He says he didn't give a s**t about the kid but would not disrespect a h*******t survivor that way.
You know what's disrespectful? BP censoring H.O.L.O.C.A.U.S.T. Those survivors experienced the worst of humanity. The least we can do is say it LOUD to help prevent it happening again.
You know who censors mentions of the hólocaust? Názis. Panda, wake up.
I don’t think that Boredpanda is the one censoring. I think it is FB!
Load More Replies...Way to he racist and disrespectful, BP. I am ashamed of how this site has gone from idiotic censorship to full blown antisemitism. The Holo-caust must NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". Churchill was paraphrasing others, but I bet he would be appalled to know that history is being erased not (only) by fáscists, but also by pure greed of advertisers. Somehow, "fúck you, BP" fails to convey my disappointment with this imbeçility.
Fae Gott: open your mind. The H*******t happened. Denying a fact won't make it go away.
Sadly Fae Gott has a closed mind, well unless it's about the flat earth, the lizard over lords, the deep state and fake news.
Load More Replies...How do I report this entry for being offensive? BP, you should be ashamed of yourself. I am realy effing ashamed of you. While your censorship in the past has seemed silly and unnecessary, that’s all it was. CENSORING THE WORD “HOLŌCAUST” IS F**KĪNG ABHORANT AND UNACCEPTABLE. Wtf is wrong with you guys?!? Honestly, if you don’t correct that really damń soon, I will probably stop visiting your site.
BP needs to reprogram it's AI because the word holoc@ust is an ancient Greek word, holokauston, "a thing wholly burnt. And to censor an historical event beyond our modern imaginations that has been a societal focus for 80+ years is an insult to all of us. This censoring bullsh!t has gone too far!
Had a repeat client ask me to schedule her for like 6 different large tattoos. And I mean like full coverage of areas like shins, arms, etc. she was like 19 and had only gotten smaller pieces. She told me she also scheduled similarly with another artist. I asked if she was doing alright and she admitted her bf cheated on her and she got diagnosed with BP. Apparently was in a current manic episode. I returned her deposit and told her in a years time if she still wanted the tattoos I would discount them for her. She does not still want them lol.
That's actually a pretty good way to handle it, the discount giving them something to focus on while waiting long enough to be certain they were not making a mistake. Sometimes all it takes is a little something to pause.
That's a good person right there. It reminds me of the rule I used to have when I thought about getting a tattoo - 3 years. If I still wanted the tattoo after 3 years, I would get it, because I figured at that point that I would be as sure as I could be that I actually wanted it. I have never gotten a tattoo.
Oh wow! I guess I might be a decent mom because that was EXACTLY what I advised of my son when he wanted one. Some of my family and friends have regrets. Just shared their experiences with my son. Others, however, are delighted and I am for them.
Load More Replies...thank goodness you picked up on her undercurrent of emotions. Good call, good person
I really wish this website would stop with acronyms and initials for naming stuff. I had no clue what "bp" was - my first thought was blood pressure. Please people - spell sh*t out
I had to google and then I thought, "shouldn't it be BD instead?"
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No tattoos, but I did witness a rather wholesome version of this while waiting for my best friend to get his latest ink. A teenager came into the local tattoo shop to ask for a tattoo of a girl's name with all sorts of romantic junk around it. The tattoo artist probably wasn't sure about the kid's age, but asked him a few questions - and it turned out the girl wasn't the boy's girlfriend. She was his crush, and he planned to permanently ink himself as a way to show how much he cared about her when he admitted his crush. The tattoo artist turned him down flat and gave him a little man-to-man advice.
My ex had HIS ex's name tattooed on his arm AFTER he got out of jail for stalking & harassing her. Yeah, I didn't find out that last part until after we were married. (I made him get the ribbon filled in before I would marry him).
Rule of thumb: Unless they are a member of your family, never ever get someone's name inked.
Yeah bc what happens when they break up with you or something... But I guess you could always get something clever beside it..
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Husband is a tattooer. He refused a 16 year old who wanted 666 tattooed on his neck. The kids mom was ready to sign for him and everything. He now will not tattoo minors under any circumstances.
In the UK it’s illegal for anyone under 18 to have a tattoo, regardless of whether parents consent.
When I think of what I wanted as tattoos when I was under 25 I am really glad I waited until I was older.
I love looking at good ink and going to a tat convention is something everyone should do once in their life. The artwork is amazing. But tattoos above the collar should only be done in a very few circumstances. Sorry. I also don't want to see any piercings above the collar except in the ears of women and absolutely no plugs. I especially hate it when my server had facial and tongue piercings.
If they're of the legal age, is it ethical to tattoo a minor to cover up a burn, scar from surgery or self harm, etc?
This one isn't that bad. It's just a number, only religious fanatics would find it upsetting. I actually know a lot of goths and punks who have 666 tattoos, it's just part of the culture.
And then they grow up. 666 isn't going to be a big hit at your old age home.
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Hands, neck and face tattoos on younger people that have zero or very few tattoos. If you’re 19 years old and want the Louis Viton symbol on your face and you’re a line cook, imma say no. That was an actual request.
They’re called job stoppers for a reason, and I was told I was “gatekeeping bodies”.
While I think the entire life and all life choices shouldn't revolve around employment, getting a brand logo tattooed on one's face is magnificently stupid.
When I got a big tattoo on my hand, the artist told me he would never get tattoos on his hands or face. He explained it like, he loves tattooing right now, but he's still young and might get interested in something completely different later in life: he doesn't want to do something that might prevent him from getting the job he wants if he suddenly discovers himself a passion for banking or a similar field where visible tattoos aren't accepted.
Lots of tattooists have to give up that career in later life because they end up with back and neck issues due to all the bending over. They often develop arthritis in their hands, too.
Load More Replies...Louis Viton? I’d want a tattoo artist that could spell, client dodged a bullet.
Face tattoos only make sense for cultural reasons. If you’re not part of a culture that has face tattoos don’t get one
My kid, 17 years old, has been planning her tattoo since she was 15. My artist has her booked already for her first tattoo - in 11 months time. Artist had an hour long chat with her about what she wanted, how it should look, colour etc etc. So, my kid and I are booked to have my 20-odd tattoo and her first on the same day! Gatekeeping? Nah, it's called being responsible.
You have my applause for doing this. Young people have a thousand reasons for wanting a tattoo and most of them are not for the art or for an honorable reason; likely just rebellion. Better to encourage them to wait until they have enough sense to realize that some tattoos will exclude them from jobs, places, and people.
I have a lot of these folks working for me and I don't see it as a detriment, considering they will never be front office material.
I was once at a shop while a friend got a new tattoo. There was a guy sitting at the counter looking bored as hell and reading a newspaper. A couple of teenagers walked in holding hands, and nobody looked up or acknowledged them until they stood at the counter for a minute and said, “ummm…” Without moving a muscle, the counter guy said, “… help you?”
“Yes,” the girl replied, “I want ‘PROPERTY OF BUCKLEY’ in big capital letters across my lower back.” Cue 20 seconds of silence. The employee loudly folded his newspaper and stared at her for a bit. Then he slowly looked across at the guy. “And this winner here, this is Buckley?” She flinched and replied, “uh, yes?”
Counter guy picked his newspaper back up and opened it and went back to reading it. “Nah,” he said, in a voice that made it clear the conversation was over, “we’re not doing that.” The kids looked at each other, looked back at him, then sheepishly walked out the door.
I sometimes wonder how things ended up for them, if she went on to get the tattoo somewhere else, or if that employee saved her from some regret down the line.
I couldn't help but read that in Luanne's voice. Wonder if Buckley still works at the Megalow Mart or is jumping on the trampoline in the Hill's backyard every night.
These are "King of the Hill" references, for those who were understandably wondering.
Load More Replies...I mean, have y'all ever heard of collaring? It's... not quite so permanent, in case one of y'all does a runner...
Wonder if she read that in a book - I know I did but it didn't make me want to go out and get one myself.
I knew someone who had 'Property of Blah Blah' tattooed on her. He was married. He dumped he soon after and she had to have it blacked out.
Buckley is a Potential Dangerous Åsshøle, and his “property” should be living in a supervised setting.
I had an artist that would flat out refuse *any* name tattoos unless they were your kids, a member of your family, or dead. Didn’t want people stuck with an ex’s name.
I had some friends in the military who got their dog tags tattooed in case the real ones went missing and they needed to be identified. Young, don’t know if this was truly the reason or if they just wanted to be “cool”. I’m not the artist.
Members of the U,S, military may have their vital information tattooed on themselves, usually on the ribcage below the armpit. These are sometimes called “meat tags”.
Load More Replies...I have my husband's name tattooed on me, in hieroglyphics. No one knows what it means, not even me - it could say 'price 20 camels' for all I know.
Good one! My artist would do a name, but ONLY of it was in Celtic or something.
My dear nephew (RIP) got his grandmother's names tattooed - one on each upper arm. I thought that was just the sweetest thing! How many young men do something like that? <3
Not really into tattoos but a nice idea if you have a new name, would be like a t-shirt tag on the back of your neck with new name crayoned on it like mum used to do.
Last month, I had a couple come in. The wife was doing most of the talking. He trailed and mumbled behind. After I finished answering her questions about a piercing, he finally said something about how much it would be to add to his tattoo. I ask to see it, and he pulls up a shirt with two confederate flags and a noose on the middle. I, baffled, said, "You want to cover this up?" He goes, "no, I want to add some dates to it. "
Kicked him out. He complained about his tattoo not being racist. Yeah, no.
I worked at a startup that was purchased by a much larger company. One of the IT staff at our startup was this roided out bodybuilder with two huge Confederate flags clearly visible when she wore anything with a low neckline. Something she did a lot. The new company told her to keep them covered, and she refused. They fired her, and I cannot say I was sad to see her go. She was a racist psycho.
Anyone who would have that tattoo probably is a racist psycho. On the good side, at least other people can identify where they are at in a glance.
Load More Replies...People who request confederate, NatC, or other tattoos of that ilk need to be placed on a watchlist. Potential dangerous åsshøles.
I sincerely doubt he would have gone to a black tattooist.
Load More Replies...Why would you want a permanent reminder of the failed Confederate states? A flag that was only relevant for four pathetic years.
Im not a "tattooer" but I got denied a tattoo that was a gang symbol.. at the time I was in a dark place but know now this man saved my life, forever marked with that would've ruined my life more than I had already done.
Good on him to deny you and good on you for hearing him, loud and clear, and not going to another TA to be inked. You are obviously mature beyond your years!!
Not a tattooer, but a goldsmith. had someone try and commission a pendant that had the SS symbol, and "88" not at all subtly included in the design.
was extra ironic that they thought I would be a good choice for that... since i'm jewish, and make no secret of that fact...
one of my professors had a similar story, of someone asking him to make a swastika necklace... he's a 90 year old man... from poland... yeah, he had some choice words for that "person".
So someone thought a Jewish person would be okay with creating a SS pendant? Dang!
"thought" seems a strong word to describe an action by a person like that.. but are we surprised that they made a stupid choice? Seems like their life trajectory.
Load More Replies...Probably thought he was putting one over on you. Those types are not exactly known for accurately estimating the intelligence of anyone around them, especially themselves...
I met an older gent with them on the side of his neck below his ears. He said that as he grew older, he realized that color was an unimportant characteristic, and it was more about how you treat others. He said those who hate others for biology are sad, misinformed, and ashamed of themselves. He said that he will never tattoo anyone with them and discourages people who do want them.
I was born in the year 1988 and I’ve used “88” in variations of passwords before I learnt the ulterior meaning behind those numbers… even though I was young and ignorant of it, simply using my birth year, I still feel ashamed.
I'm Polish, and I thought I'd remind you, that as nation, we lost over 6 million people to H*******t, german occupation and generally WWII. It's been almost a century, but wounds go deep. We've been decimated, but still hang on. And doing pretty well, considering. We lost a generation of bright, young people, who would have been the salvation of an impoverished country. Still catching up, but not doing too bad, considering. Anybody trying to glorify the absolute bastards, who let those atrocities happen should be kicked out, shunned, maybe even prosecuted, depending on the country and it's laws.
My late father in law was Polish, arrested by the NKVD, missed Katyn by a whisker, fought at Monte Cassino and Bologna with 2nd Korpus. Came to Britain in 1947 and we, the British, didn't even invite the Poles - from the country we went to war for - to the Victory Parade. I'm Sorry.
Load More Replies...I worked with a guy whose number plate had the letters SS - his parents (Jewish) complained that he shouldn't have that as his number plate. His reply, "they are the initials you gave me"! Something they didn't think of when they named him at birth.
I would gladly tattoo this. Let's people know who they are dealing with, right away.
You can't change a bigot (I'm sure it's a genetic defect) but, you don't have to help him advertise it
Wanted a tattoo of grave that said "dead girls can't say no.".
I''m thinking this is meant to be a threat to girls who would say no. Not some necro joke.
Necrophilia is disgusting. I know it's a kink, but that's one I would judge in an instant.
It's not a kink - there's no possibility of consent
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Wasn’t ever denied a tattoo, but my tattoo artist doesn’t let other people in the room when working on the design, especially spouses or significant others. His philosophy is this is your tattoo that you have to live, not theirs. That way they are not influencing a design that you might not want, just because of their relationship with you.
I got my first tattoo in September of last year, it’s a crow skull, and my mom got the same one, but in April of this year she unfortunately died, so my tattoo is a way to keep her memory alive
My previous artist kicked my then gf out case she kept talking to me and making me move. A line he did went skew by 1mm and that was it, tossed her out - as i should have right there and then!
Went to a tat convention. Awesome artwork but the one thing that got me was the incredibly small spaces the artists were given to work in and almost no space and zero barrier between the hundreds of people waling by and the artist and canvas. Want to watch? I'm okay with that but I do expect a little distance, especially from someone I don't even know.
I was allowed to sit in with one of my exe's tattoo appointments. It was a bit awkward and I think it made the artist nervous. He ended up overshadowing and went in to deep or went over a patch too many times. It ended up scabbing there. But I was just observing as I hadn't seen a tattoo being done before at the time.
My cousin owns his own shop. He won’t do anything racist and no tattoos on or around genitals.
Combine the two rules. I will only tattoo something racist if it's on or around your genitals. Let's go ahead and put that N word on your p***s to remind you just how small you are each time your pants come off.
No, it's definitely the grabbing d***s that turns them off.
Load More Replies...Why no tattoos around the genitals? I don’t understand what’s wrong with that if the customer wants it.
Maybe some people just don't want to handle another person's genitals and wiping blood off it and so forth. Just a guess.
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My dad refused a client who wanted a tattoo of dead babies hanging off meat hooks.
Wait WHAT THE ACTUAL F*****K 😱😡I hope he also called cops on said evil inhuman that’s disgusting totally asylum lost another lunatic ?
Wasn't that an album cover back in the 70s? That they quickly replaced with something more genteel?
Not a tattoo artist, but I used to run the front desk of a tattoo shop and I spoke with the clients/scheduled the appointments. I had one youngish kid come in looking to get his first tattoo. After some talking with him, he mentioned that he was Jewish and the tattoo was supposed to be signify his Jewish heritage and the evils his family endured during WWII. It was at that time that I had to educate him on the fact that Jewish people actually believe that tattoo's are considered verboten in their faith and that was part of why them being tattooed in the camps was especially horrible because it was another way to spit on their beliefs. It just felt really wrong, as a person who is not only not Jewish in any way, but as someone who follows no religion to any such a degree, that I would have to explain the basic components of this kids own religion to him because he'd never truly been taught about it.
I had to educate him on the fact that *Orthodox Jewish people actually believe that tattoo's are considered verboten in their faith... FTFY
Or maybe he was ethnically Jewish but not religious
Load More Replies...It's his body and his choice. Just like a lot of Jewish people will eat foods that aren't kosher. You don't get to tell him how to observe his religion. Tattoos are also against the teachings of the bible, are you going to turn down every Christian who comes in?
Tattoos aren't against the bible, in fact Jesus himself has a tattoo. Scripture doesn't forbid tattoos, but forbids so many modifications you're unrecognisable as we are all made in God's image.
Load More Replies...I think the motivation of the artist is here that he was meant to let him make an educated choice by knowing the background.
I cannot understand for the life of me how anyone who claims to follow a religion can go against the rules laid down by their 'god'. Surely either you believe in a supreme and almighty god, and therefore to break their laws is the most flagrant disrespect or you don't believe so you aren't really part of that religion. My autistic brain can't wrap itself around this.
Eh, it's forbidden not just for Jews but also Christians and Muslims as well - all monotheistic religions really, if you observe the religious texts. So do they also lecture every customer who wants to get a cross, Mary, praying hands, a saint, a sacred heart or just this Jewish kid?
I don't think this person had any business giving the boy a speech about what *religious* Jews consider wrong. Then why not also lecture them about not observing the Sabbath?
While it was once a sensitive subject, _many_ Israelis and Jews have many tattoos now.
When I was 25 in Vancouver I tried to get a tattoo that said "Reserved" on my right pinkie, because I was going to get an iron ring. I went to several tattoo shops and none of them would do it. They told me that fingers weren't great for tattoos and that the lettering would bleed out. I asked about a ring tattoo instead and they all said they wouldn't give me a hand tattoo as my first tattoo.
28 years later and it's still one of only two tattoos that I wish I had gotten, but major props to them all for pumping the breaks because of their professionalism and experience.
Someone fill me in on what kind of iron ring requires reserving a pinky like a table at a French restaurant?
Since OP is Canadian, this is likely the iron ring bestowed upon engineers. It's worn on the pinky finger of the hand they use for writing as a reminder of the importance of checking their work and getting it right. The first iron rings were made from the iron of a bridge that collapsed.
Load More Replies...there's no reason they can't get it now, they obviously still want it
My grandma told me to never trust a man with a pinky ring
Your Grandma was another one who dated KIng Charles then?
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I had a client who I’d tattooed like a decade prior - he was weird then but not weird enough for me to never tattoo him again. He sent me a strangely worded email with a PDF with like 50 different tattoo ideas and told me he wanted me to pick one for him. I replied with a few that I thought would suit my style best, but told him that at the end of the day I can’t choose for him.
I guess this set him off because he started telling me that he just wanted to get tattooed as a socially acceptable form of self harm, and then sent another email right after that one, going on some crazy rant about how he wanted one last tattoo before he kills himself. He also reminded me that he lives like an 8 hour drive away, so I assume for some reason he sought me out. F*****g weirdo.
Anyways, I very kindly declined and sent him a bunch of local mental health resources. I don’t get paid enough lol.
I had a guy that wanted to get a portrait of him and his ex-girlfriend inside of a heart shaped umbilical cord because she had aborted their baby. Yuck.
Doesn't really matter. Was he going to go through the pregnancy on her behalf? Or deliver the baby? Or raise it? Probably not.
Load More Replies...She needs to get away from that guy ASAP, without leaving a forwarding address. He sounds like a misogynistic conservative control freak, and he could be dangerous.
I'm an artist myself. Most of what I've had to refuse have been things I'm not technically able to execute to a level I'm happy with. Mostly very large, dark cover ups, which I refer to friends who are more specialized. I also don't tattoo faces as a matter of personal liability.
I had one gentleman reach out with a half sleeve he wanted covered. It was very large and dark and geometric, and I told him that I wasn't confident in my ability to pack in opaque greys over black like that and referred him to my former mentor. He immediately became pissy and replied along the lines of "oh you cant do it then?" At which point I stopped responding because he sounded stupid.
Anyway a couple of weeks later I get a request for a quote on a kicka*s dinosaur sleeve. We agree on a price and the day comes. It was the guy I had already said no to... with a half done cover up of the dinosaur sleeve already started and still fairly fresh.
He seemed baffled that I still didn't want to do the coverup when someone had already lined it for me, which he thought apparently was the hard part.
I asked why the person who had taken the coverup wasn't finishing it, and was told that I was cheaper. Needless to say I did not finish the coverup. I referred him back to the guy who started the thing. I don't have a dog in the fight at this point but I almost hope I see him again so I can see the outcome of this dinosaur coverup.
Cheap is expensive. You pay for everything, one way or another.
"Hey, I insist that the person who can't do my tattoo properly does it, because it's cheaper". Yup, and having it repaired by the person you should have gone to in the first place will just add to the cost.
Well, I appreciate the artist being honest about their ability. It's sad it wasn't taken well, but good for them.
About a decade ago some scab walked into a local shop, got a Freemasons tattoo and walked out without paying.
This blew up on local social media, and made the Lodge look bad, so a few of the *larger* brothers took the matter up.
They walked into the shop at closing time and cut a deal; they’d pay for the tattoo on 3 conditions. 1) Take down all social media posts and stop mentioning Freemasons. 2) no more Masonic tattoos at that shop. 3) They paid for the tattoo, so that tattoo is now theirs; meaning if they find the tattoo and bring it back to the shop, that tattoo gets covered with whatever the artist decides, free of charge.
The deal was made, and the shop doesn’t exist anymore, but I remember walking in and seeing “no Masonic symbols” on the list of “we will not tattoo the following” years later.
They never found the scab.
I mean I've only got four (and only three were done in a shop) but I never sat in that chair without paying in advance so I'm a touch confused...
Yeah that didn't ring true to me either. Both my daughters and myself have several tattoos and we have never got one without paying in advance.
Load More Replies...I don't understand why you would pay in advance for a tattoo - there is a high chance that it might go wrong (for various reasons, not all the fault of the artist). For small pieces done in a single session, I would expect to pay at the end. For larger pieces, I'd expect to pay at the end of each successful session. That way the artist gets income, but is incentivised to keep their standards high.
The tattooist I go to makes people pay in advance now because they'd had too many clients do this.
"Scab" refers to someone who accepts work from a company where a strike has been called by the employees and/or a union of those employees, and what has this got to do with Freemasonry? In my experience, Freemasons have been political conservatives and tended to be anti-union.
I have five tattoos, and never once paid in advance. The most recent one was inked on July 2.
What? Why? What's wrong with Freemasonry, am I missing something? I know many people have shitloads of conspiracy theories about that but this seems idiotic..
Let’s just say the Masons are still very secretive about their organization…
Load More Replies...No Lodge is gonna go this nuts if someone who isn't a Mason gets a Masonic tattoo. Just another person doing something odd.
Tbh I have only seen Masonic symbols on old men who got them when they were younger.
My partner is a tattoo artist and the one that comes to mind is a woman who wanted "property of bf's name" in her pubic area right above her v****a. Apparently this girl was caught cheating and this was her show of loyalty to him. Suffice to say she did not get what she wanted that day.
The vágina is an internal part of the anatomy. This person is confusing púbic mound with the internal part. 🙄
If she cheats in the future, I doubt the tattoo will deter may guys.
She needs to get far away from that guy. Another crazy conservative control freak. If she cheated, why not just break up with her? The fact that he wants to keep her AND punish her is scary.
3 things. 1, no where does it say he wants to keep her. 2, he doesn’t want to punish her (as far as we can tell) and she most likely made this decision for herself, many cheaters go to extreme measures to try and “redeem” themselves. 3, WHY ARE WE TURNING THE BLAME ON THE GUY WHEN SHE IS THE CHEATER?! As a woman, I get that women are often suffering at the hands of men but shifting the blame like this with little to no detail is disgusting.
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Do you guys take tattoo removal stories?
A friend of mine works with a non-profit that will do free tattoo removal for ex-gang members.
He once had someone come in asking to remove a hate symbol. However this hate symbol was from a fictional work (think Galactic Roundel from Star Wars).
My friend directed him to someone who does tattoo coverups instead of wasting the non-profits resources. .
To be fair tho, I'd be very, VERY cautious about people sporting the Galactic Empire insignia as a tattoo. You never know if they just like Darth Vader and cool ships, or genuinely think that oppressive fasc!st regimes (both real and fictional) are very cool
It’s beginning to feel like ANY symbol can be co-opted by fas ists…..😢
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My step daughter wanted a little wire hanger on her finger after Roe was overturned.
The tattoo artist that our whole family has gone to, many times, not only refused but then blocked her *and the rest of us*.
Personally I’m glad she didn’t end up getting that tattoo, but it was also real clear how the artist felt about it, that he blocked our whole family.
Dude would have totally done the couple-in-the-umbilical-cord portrait. sheesh.
I have a delicate and quite tasteful rose gold necklace with a hanger for a pendant. I don’t understand people like Lola because apparently they believe women should die rather than a clump of cells being eradicated.
Load More Replies...Roe v Wade was the law that legalized abortion in the USA, and it was overturned in 2022. Wire hangers are a symbol of abortion.
Load More Replies...That artist needs to be on a watchlist. A person you can never trust with your opinions or your private information. Especially if you’re a woman.
Wow. A watchlist for having differing opinions. Thats some disturbing jackboot mentality youve got there...
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One time when I was getting tattooed a woman came in and wanted a tattoo to cover up the scars, from her m**h sores, where she picked her skin. Only problem was that they weren't scars yet, just open sores.
It took me time, focus, and effort to determine that m**h was meant to be méth. - Thanks for making me focus intently on such a disgusting and evil word, Panda. - You accomplished the exact OPPOSITE of what you stupidly intended.
At least you didn't think it was the word math for a moment. Which I did and was confused. I am not terribly sharp at this hour.
Load More Replies...Math sores are so bad. It's been years since I did maths but the sores are definitely still there. Calcis scarred me forever.
Sounds like Calculus has definitely done a number on you.
Load More Replies...Math sores? I don’t like math either, but come on, it’s not THAT bad. 😏
My friend’s dad runs a tattoo shop and said he’s only had to refuse two requests.
One was a guy who wanted a back piece of an old war memorial but the guy on a horse would wear a Native American headpiece while waving a confederate flag. I think he told the guy to go home with the idea and think it over. The guy came back and said that’s what he wanted and the owner just flat out said “no. Find someone else”
The other fella didn’t want a tattoo, he wanted to commission some artwork. Basically he had pictures of random girls on his phone and wanted to make them look like pinup models or something. The owner said no multiple times and kicked him out. He wasn’t sure how this guy got those pictures and if the girls were even of legal age.
History nerd here: more Native Americans fought for the Confederacy than the Union. They had already been lied to repeatedly by the US government and hoped the Confederacy would keep their word about new treaties negotiated with the South. Stand Watie (Cherokee) was the highest ranking Native, becoming a Brigadeer General, and led the last Confederate land force to surrender.
That should have been a call to the cops tbh that’s how p e r ve r t s are sometimes caught. Something like this
That's skeevy as heck, but not illegal. Calling the cops would be a waste of everyone's time as there's nothing they can do
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I had someone ask me to tattoo a slur across their arm. i told them i don’t feel comfortable as it’s not a slur i can reclaim or feel comfortable saying in general— and they gave me permission to do it because “its a word i identify with and call myself.”
still said no because i felt really weird about it & once it leaves the shop, my name is attached to that….
Not a tattoo artist but I was in a shop getting (pre-planned) work done. This girl came in looking absolutely insane and panicky and said she needed “John Smith (I forget the actual dudes name), I really truly do love you. Forgive me” tattooed *across her a*s*. Like over both cheeks.
Obviously, not a single artist in the shop wanted to touch this with a 10 foot pole. But after she left, it became a big betting pool of wondering wtf she did to necessitate that level of apology 😂.
"John Smith" is either a*****e, or is still going to break up with her. Either way, this is going to be a tattoo she regrets.
How many of these sadistic control freak boyfriends ARE there?? Being single is looking better and better!
I got a tattoo of a potato and had to convince the artist that I wasn't a N**i. Apparently, all of the potato tattoos the artist has been asked to do in the past were for N**is. I had to explain that no, I was instead inspired by Sideways Stories From Wayside School by Louis Sacher.
Fasc ist... potatoes? Okay, once again, I gotta ask because WHAT.
It's because Ireland didn't fight in the war and because Eamonn de Valera offered condolences for Hitler's death to the German embassy.
Load More Replies...Oh, I've got this one. - Potato is needed for FRIES. - Which is similar to the place called FRIESLAND in the Netherlands. - Which is not far from GERMANY , which was famous for Názis in WW2. -- Is that right?
Is EVERYTHING a fáscíst symbol now? They’ve already taken over the “OK” hand gesture 👌…the American flag….now the potato?? What’s next—chocolate chip cookies? The sun?
As a German who lives in Hamburg I have to say that’s not true
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My husband wanted initials on the INSIDE of his fingers. Myself and his brother (who is covered in tattoos) both tried to talk him out of it, as did the first tattoo artist he attempted to see - who also refused to do it. The second guy said yes tho. The tats lasted like mayyybe 2 weeks? Before being rubbed off completely. But to this day when it comes up my husband will say the artist did a s****y job 🫠.
2 weeks isn't even long enough for them to have healed properly, the tattoo artist didn't go deep enough and the body pushed the ink out, so the husband was right, the tattooist did a sh**ty job, my sisters an artist and has numerous finger tattoos, my daughter has finger tattoos, and they've certainly lasted longer than any 2 weeks!!
Only tat I've seen disappear was one my son got in UV ink. That was nearly 20 years ago and it's still partially there but of course without a blacklight, it's invisible anyway. But enough has disappeared that a blacklight just shows a few blotches, no discernable image.
Load More Replies...I have a tattoo on the inside of my pointer finger done 4 months ago and it is still showing as clear as on the first day. Maybe the tattoo artist did not pierce deep enough, which is very cautious, because it is a very delicate part with not much "flesh" and can be very painful. Just ask if he could do it again and pierce a bit deeper, which on the other hand rises the risk of the tattoo bleeding out. So it will be your choice/risk and totally ok if the artist refuses to do it.
Here's an upvote for going through that much pain.
Load More Replies...Did the artist do a skitty job? How will we ever know? There's no evidence.
Not me but husband who has several tattoo’s. He told me this story of when he got his biggest tattoo in college he went into the parlor and waited for the guy he normally got tattoos with to come get him (he was cleaning up his station from a previous client) As he was waiting a young couple came in wanting a couples tattoo. The female receptionist who also does tattoos looked at them and asked how long they were togeather. “3 days.” The girl said smiling. The lady looked like she hated her life and said to come back to her in 20 years when they were married. Guy and girl were taken a back and left quickly after that. When husband asked the guy if they denied all couples tattoo he explained his shop had a rule that the couple had to be married for at least 20 years or if their partner had passed or was terminally ill to have a couples tattoo as the town was known to have alot of college age couples try to get couples tattoos. He said his shop ever denied 3 things repeatedly: couples tattoos younger than 20 years togeather, any form of hate (neo-n**i and other political stances) and anything around genitalia areas due to safety concerns.
He also mentioned that some previous tattooers also hated doing pet memorials because some of the clients got very sedimental of their pets passing and would have a hard time finishing the portrait (full blown crying, melt down etc.) but most still went on to complete the request but for some it was a nightmare to do because clients got picky or got worked up if it was just “off”.
'Clients got very sedimental of their pets'. Let's really hope they weren't suddenly made of river slick or smt
🎵🎶 Gonna take a sedimental journey / Shovelin' through the mud and loam / Gotta take a sedimental journey / Sedimental journey home. 🎶🎵
Load More Replies...Sounds like a sane tattoo shop to me. No politics; nothing with a high potential for infection; no couples tattoos without a long-term serious commitment. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Believe it or not, it was actually Nixon himself. It's a self portrait. He was an accomplished artist in his time.
Load More Replies...I'm starting to wonder who Oliver Stone managed to convince to do his infamous dragon tattoo...
19 year old young man who I had done a half sleeve on previously hit me up for a full sleeve on the other arm for his second tattoo: shoulder to wrist, all ‘pro-life’ imagery. I didn’t dismiss it outright, but told him I’d need a couple days to think about it. After talking with some other tattooers with more experience than me at the time, I decided to turn it down. Coworker immediately offered to do it, which taught me an interesting lesson about integrity because my coworker didn’t share this kid’s views, either, but in his mind, the appropriate response was to essentially do the job, take the money, and move on. Dude never did get the tattoo-at least not from us-and is now taking a run at city council in my hometown, having made a name for himself as a conservative mouthpiece. And yes, he’s now got several children.
No. If I were the artist, I would refuse this job. Anti-choice imagery is opposed to my beliefs. If Christian bakers don’t have to make cakes for gay weddings, then sane, decent people who believe in a woman’s bodily autonomy have a right to refuse to work for pro-liars.
Not all Christians are homophobic. How about: “If homophobic bakers, who claim to observe a religion that teaches us to love ALL PEOPLE without judgement, don’t have to make cakes…” I know it’s a bit awkward and wordy, but it’s also more accurate.
Load More Replies... Oooh just thought of another one! I got the opportunity to work at my dream shop only four years in, and I learned a lot of valuable lessons there. One of them-though I’m still not sure what the ‘correct’ thing to do was-happened when a youngish (early 20s) girl came in with no visible tattoos and requested a butterfly choker that would start at the throat and go all the way around. After being told that we wouldn’t put a tattoo in that spot on someone who wasn’t already fairly tattooed, she left and came back with dad. Dad explained that she has some sort of profound mental defect that means that she would never hold down a job or leave the house or be independent in any meaningful sense, and that she’s wanted this tattoo for some time. After considering those new elements, we each still declined to do the tattoo and they left. I suppose the question it brings up is once again a question of integrity: should we have done the tattoo for her, knowing we’d have done it well and not harmed her ability to work and exist within mainstream society? Or should we have washed our hands of it, knowing that she’d potentially find someone who would do it, possibly not very well?
Mind you, this was back in a magical time when face, throat/neck, and hand tattoos were not trendy or cool; they really carried some weight and made a statement then. Now, I see kids in LA who only have their faces, hands, and necks tattooed.
Even if he was I wouldn't have taken his word for her situation, or that it was justification for the tat.
Load More Replies...I'd have wanted proof - bring in his ID & her birth certificate...
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I'm not a tattoo artist but the artist I used to go to told me about a situation that he refused to do the tattoo. He said this guy came in with a drawing of a symbol that was supposed to be a Native American symbol but it was something he had made up. It actually had no meaning or connection to Native American culture or history. The artist refused to do it because he felt it was disrespectful to the Native American culture.
So, how is it disrespectful to Native cultures if the image has no meaning or connection to Native culture? It is okay to take inspiration, like art styles, from other cultures and make them your own. Feels like I would need to know more about this situation. In the Reddit thread, people have mentioned dreamcatchers for tattoos being cringy. But the OP said it was something the guy "made up", so I'm thinking it's not a dreamcatcher, or any other well-known Native symbol.
The fact that it has no meaning or connection is what makes it disrespectful. That's not taking inspiration, it's just a false claim. If you don't understand why that's offensive then I genuinely don't know how to explain it to you in simpler terms.
Load More Replies...Did the guy make up a symbol and claimed it was native american? Was the artist worried that he would do it and the guy would go on saying it was natie american? I guess I could see as an artist not wanting to be part of the guy's charade.
this reminds me of the tattoo i currently have on my upper right arm - its a bear that i drew that is done in the style of totem animals from the PNW native tribes...now, i did this and got it tattooed about 20 years ago. I am NOT native at all.....is this a problematic piece, yeah i think so. but i cant afford to get it covered up or removed.
Exactly how is it offensive if it was made up? Some of these reactions are weird
I have a few friends that have several tattoos, and I more or less asked them the same question once.
They told me the artist they go to wouldn't put a string of numbers on someone. The reason being he once took a deposit from someone and it turns out they wanted their grandfathers serial number tattoo from Auschwitz.
Some young people have started doing this as a way to make sure the survivors are remembered.
Load More Replies...I wanted to get a spider web tattoo on my elbow on the style of Spider-Man but my artist refused and told me how it was a prison tattoo so I got a captain America shield instead.
I had a client ask me for a big XO on his chest, he sent me an example but it wasn't a clear picture. I reverse image searched it where I found out it was logo/symbol of 'the weekend'. When he came in I remarked on it, saying I wouldn't have guessed him to be a big "the weekend" fan.
"Oh haha I'm not I just like the symbol"
"...nah man we gotta figure out something else."
Too many times I've been burned, being a huge fan of a band just to find out one of themselves a p**o or just a general piece of s**t. I'm not saying "the weekend" is gonna go that way ....but what if he does. Now you've got his symbol on your chest *and you were never even a fan*
He got a flaming heart instead ❤️🔥.
"p**o". I give up, Panda. - What have you censored: Pavo? Peso? Polo? Pomo? -- But I must admit, I do REALLY hate a dirty, stinking pomo (whatever that is).
Fun fact that Harry Potter tattoos now have bigger regret rate than gender reassignment surgery and a lot of tattoo artist already have a portfolio of possible cover-ups for the "Deathly Hallows" triangle
Almost got a Lostprohets tattoo then I was younger. Man, am I glad I didn't!
I made a similar "discovery" just last month. Looked up the singer of a band I was a fan of back in the 90's and 00's. Also considered him a casual friend and would have dinner when gf and I went up to NYC. Super nice (and very talented) fellow. Lost touch after he moved to L.A. Discovered that he had blown up on TikTok for inappropriate conversations with young girls online 😪 Thankfully, no mention of him actually molesting anyone.
I would absolutely do racist and tattoos like that for people, but only if it was in a visible location, so that couldn't hide it easily.
Best let the whole world know right away what kind of scum they are. I saw a guy with a bunch of very visible tattoos of that sort once, and I spent the entire time glaring at him with mvrder in my eyes.
Sadly, such tattoos are less likely to be shamed in the US and more likely to get you nominated for Congress.
A lot of artists turned down my back tattoo idea (making it look like I got Blood Eagle’d), saying it wasn’t possible. Not that they couldn’t do it, but that nobody could. I did eventually find an artist who could do it (came up with the idea when I was 15, I started trying to feel artists out in advance for when I turned 18, finally found an artist when I was 24. I don’t doubt that at least some of them were trying to prevent regret or discourage someone who was too young to get it, but several denied me after I turned 18.) It’s my favorite tattoo, and if I die before my artist, I told him I’d have it in my will to get it cut out and sent to him to hang up on the wall.
I don't know if I want to look up what Blood Eagle'd means
A Viking tortvre method, though some speculate it wasn't a real practics and was just Christian propaganda. But yeah, it's quite brutal
Load More Replies...I've seen some pretty cool 3d work like open skin with mechanics inside. My entire back is covered with what was supposed to be a skin rip sort of thing with a band of skeletons bursting through onstage. Same 3d concept but it just didnt turn out, never really got it finished. You might see it on silly tattoo fails one day.
I can't imagine that looking good at all! And if it really was based on the Blood Eagle, wouldn't you have the lungs tattooed on your chest, too? Bad idea!
I am vegan and someone ask me for a tattoo about fishing :p hell no.
All the others in this list made sense. This makes no sense at all. How is the customer supposed to know OP’s vegan? And even if they know, so what?
Ikr ,so she don’t like eating animals etc , but that would be a them problem not an us one right , stupid reason to say no !!
Load More Replies...What a f*****g stupid ideology. So if you have children and they want you to draw farm animals with them, you refuse? I have nothing against vegans but this is absolutey idiotic 🙄
You can disagree without being hateful ya know
Load More Replies...The person who sees the most tattoos is not the artist, but the undertaker.
All of them bar one are d a m good reasons to refuse then ,, being a stuck up vegan refusing to do one of fishing IS NOT ONE OF THEM !!
they dodged a bullet. You ever smell a vegan's breath? Stuck in a chair with that for hours. Not slamming vegans but all the ones I know like spicy garlicky food
Load More Replies...I understand wanting to honour your ancestors (because I do that as part of my Norse pagan faith) but really? Your grandparents' serial numbers from ww2? REALLY!?!?! If I were to honour an ancestor I wouldn't do it by having a permanent drawing on me representing their time in absolute Heĺl. I'd rather have something that represented them as a family member. Perhaps they were famous in the family for how much ice cream they could eat. Or how much they loved their car. Or their fav animal. Something normal. It's weird to "show off" that your ancestors suffered and fought for their life.
Raheem Sterling has a machine gun tattooed on his leg to represent his father who got shot. If you want to pay tribute to your father, have his name or initials or something, not the manner in how he was killed tattooed.
Load More Replies...No matter what it is, the tattoo artist has a right to refuse. Their name is forever tied to that art work.
Many people don't understand one basic rule of any business. "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone." The only time this has been violated was when a bakery refused to make 2 gays a cake. The judge that ruled against the bakery should've been disbarred.
The person who sees the most tattoos is not the artist, but the undertaker.
All of them bar one are d a m good reasons to refuse then ,, being a stuck up vegan refusing to do one of fishing IS NOT ONE OF THEM !!
they dodged a bullet. You ever smell a vegan's breath? Stuck in a chair with that for hours. Not slamming vegans but all the ones I know like spicy garlicky food
Load More Replies...I understand wanting to honour your ancestors (because I do that as part of my Norse pagan faith) but really? Your grandparents' serial numbers from ww2? REALLY!?!?! If I were to honour an ancestor I wouldn't do it by having a permanent drawing on me representing their time in absolute Heĺl. I'd rather have something that represented them as a family member. Perhaps they were famous in the family for how much ice cream they could eat. Or how much they loved their car. Or their fav animal. Something normal. It's weird to "show off" that your ancestors suffered and fought for their life.
Raheem Sterling has a machine gun tattooed on his leg to represent his father who got shot. If you want to pay tribute to your father, have his name or initials or something, not the manner in how he was killed tattooed.
Load More Replies...No matter what it is, the tattoo artist has a right to refuse. Their name is forever tied to that art work.
Many people don't understand one basic rule of any business. "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone." The only time this has been violated was when a bakery refused to make 2 gays a cake. The judge that ruled against the bakery should've been disbarred.
