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We all experience regret at some point in our life. Experts categorize it into two types: inaction — things we didn't do, like asking our crush on a date — or action — things we wish we wouldn't have done, such as drunk driving. This time, let's talk about the latter.

The Facebook group with the glorious name 'What in the $20 wish tattoo machine is this?' collects the absolute worst designs people carry on their skin, and they serve as the perfect proof that not every (drunk) idea is worth executing.

Since this online community is celebrating its birthday (it was created on November 9, 2020), we thought why not commemorate it, and introduce you, dear readers, to its content? Continue scrolling and check out some of the group's most popular posts.

More info: Facebook

We managed to get in touch with the group's administrator and moderator team, and a few of them were kind enough to tell us more about 'What in the $20 wish tattoo machine is this?'

"We do have certain criteria tattoos have to meet in order to go through the group," El Arp told Bored Panda. "There's a lot of boundaries the admins and mods have set in order to make sure our site isn't flooded with random stuff, like offensive tats, anything overly gory, etc."

#5

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MK86
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Barbara Manatee! Manatee! You're the one for me, sent from up above. You're the one I love." -- Larry the Cucumber

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Jaaawn
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I actually really like this tattoo and I have no idea why.

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Charlotte Stackhouse
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It comes from when people saw manatees in the water and at first thought that they were ladies with fish tails, that how mermaids were started

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Annette Easton
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This isn't terrible, this is awesome. For those that don't know for some reason manatees were sometimes confused with mermaids by sailors.

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Rabbit Of ill Portent
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't *hate* it, per se. Like Emmy said, I wouldn't want it on ME but...

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Layna Andersen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Supposedly, sailors who had been at sea a bit too long saw manatees and thought they were mermaids.

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Silre
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's actually really nice. One of the eyes my be a little wonky, but other than that it's pretty cool

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Christos Arvanitis
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm assuming that this is a play on the legend that sailors first saw manatees' tails and thought they were mermaids, ergo a shell bikini on a manatee

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M
Community Member
1 year ago

This comment has been deleted.

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Jill Hojnacki
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This just needs to be finished by an artist who knows how to use black properly to define and shade. The concept is good and they didn’t f up the face or expression. It just lacks confidence in itself and needs to be finished properly. Probably a mark of someone who will eventually be a decent tattoo artist. While they lacked the skill or confidence to finish it properly, they knew their limitations and didn’t screw it up beyond fixing.

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El Arp said that, "a lot of our problems lie in the kind of content our members send in. We get about 30+ posts submitted a day, and only about 10-15 of them are usually accepted."

"A lot of people will submit the same thing, their captions won’t be to the standard of the rules (especially the cursing rule) or they just aren’t bad tattoos (normally those are just what people don’t have a preference for or they think are strange)," El Arp explained, highlighting that the admins and mods want the group to be about terribly executed ink.

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El Arp's colleague Erica describes the group's members as "a bit feral [but] in a good way." Erica said they're fun and sassy, and that their energy is really contagious.

"It's nice to have a group where everyone is on the same page as far as content and interactions go," Whitney, who also helps run 'What in the $20 wish tattoo machine is this?', added.

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"The definition of a 'bad tattoo' is definitely different for the individual. What one might consider 'bad' is what another laughs at. On average, the posts that tend to get the most traction would be ones that look like they’ve been absolutely butchered compared to what they’re supposed to be," El Arp said.

However, if they were to pick something, Erica believes the most popular are "scratcher tattoos, wonky or blown out lines, and my favorite: lettering fails."

"I love the things members think that those types of tattoos say. Always a good time."

#19

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waddles
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

well i guess you’ll always know the time and twice a day you’ll actually be right (i can’t do fecking math)

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Erica says 'What in the $20 wish tattoo machine is this?' is perfect for everyone who loves tattoos and chaotic humor. "I'm honored to be on the team that does their best to keep things up and running, and our members who find the wackiest posts."

El Arp also wanted to mention that, "the admin and mod team are fantastic and I consider them some very good friends of mine. They truly make this group a wonderful experience for everyone involved, and I’m very lucky to be a part of that team. We have fun, joke around, and shame terrible ink, which is exactly what this is all about."

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Seymoura Butts
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So many of these tattoos are concerning. It looks like severe mental illness in several cases like this one.

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It's not uncommon to have regret immediately after getting a tattoo, especially since you're used to seeing your body a certain way and then, all of a sudden, it appears different.

To help you come to terms with any immediate anxiety or regret you may experience, experts at Healthline suggest you permit yourself to wait it out.

It may take a while for you to grow into or get used to the ink but remind yourself that if the anxiety or regret doesn't pass, you still have options to either cover it up or start a removal process.

While the exact time frame can vary, Dr. Richard Torbeck, a board-certified dermatologist with Advanced Dermatology, P.C., recommends taking at least six to eight weeks after getting the tattoo before going for removal.

He said this allows for delayed tattoo reactions that can occur with some pigments to be resolved.

Additionally, it gives you the opportunity to think through the process and decide if this is really what you want.

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#33

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ItsJess
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm thinking this is exactly how this Potterhead wanted it to look, so I guess it's not "bad" necessarily.

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ItsJess
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This looks like some sort of ink or makeup (I hope); the way it looks a bit smudged somehow

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Sean Simpson
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Holy c**p what did the artist use to put that on her leg, a jigsaw? Maybe a hatchet, cause those likes are choppy as hell.

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Note: this post originally had 137 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.