30 Failed Tattoos That People Didn’t Even Realize Were That Bad

This is the best PSA againsttattoos. Parents think they need to tell their kids about possible diseases and infections to ward them off wanting to get a tattoo. But seeing the face of Marilyn Monroe as if she’s had a stroke on someone’s arm can be way scarier. I definitely wouldn’t want to walk around with such a design for the rest of my life, would you?

Bored Pandaspoke to Alice Snape, editor & founder of Things & Ink magazine. She told us more about what she would consider a bad tattoo and how people can avoid getting it.

More info:Alice Snape|Things & Ink

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Failed tattoo on foot resembling grave marker with dates.

Getting a tattoo can be a very personal thing. Of course, just like babies, they’re not always planned. They can be the result of a drunken night, a dare, or a bet between friends. But the fact that they’re permanent still remains. None of us want our friends to shame us for a bad tattoo job. Worse yet – we definitely wouldn’t want strangers to scoff at an ‘Everthing is fine’ on our skin.How can we avoid such mistakes? Is there even such a thing as an ugly tattoo? We spoke about all this and more with the editor and founder of Things & Ink, an independent tattoo magazine that discusses the rich history of tattoo culture and its newest trends. Alice Snape is the creative mind behind it and has lots of experience with tattoos as a tattoo collector.

How can we avoid such mistakes? Is there even such a thing as an ugly tattoo? We spoke about all this and more with the editor and founder of Things & Ink, an independent tattoo magazine that discusses the rich history of tattoo culture and its newest trends. Alice Snape is the creative mind behind it and has lots of experience with tattoos as a tattoo collector.

Failed tattoo of realistic cockroaches above jeans waistband.

Failed tattoo of scissors and dotted line on a foot with red toenail polish.

Alice Snape, the author ofTattoo Street Style, says there’s only one type of tattoo we should consider a failure. It’s spelling mistakes. “[That] would be my worst nightmare,” she says. “Surely, a tattoo can only really be a fail if the person who has the tattoo on their skin hates it.” Other than that – it’s mostly a matter of personal preference.

Failed tattoo of a dog compared to the original photo, highlighting tattoo mistakes.

Failed tattoo with a hybrid face design on a person’s shoulder being uncovered.

Failed tattoo with mismatched elements: a crescent moon, abstract fox, and an unidentifiable pattern below.

Because personal preferences definitely play a part here, Snape says she finds tattoo-shaming distasteful. “If I personally don’t like someone’s tattoo because I don’t think it’s very well done or I don’t like the subject matter or it doesn’t like it’s supposed to, it doesn’t mean it’s ‘failed.'”

Lion tattoo with a crown and rose design, showcasing a failed tattoo attempt.

Failed tattoo of a person wearing a Bulls 23 jersey with unusual facial features and design elements.

Failed tattoo with text “TRIBAL TATTOO” on skin, showing unclear artistic intent.

Alice says that for her, the ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ rule definitely applies here. “Isn’t everything subjective? It’s art, after all. I hate to be a judgey type of person. Like when someone whips out their tattoo to show because they know I have loads and write about them, I’d probably just be polite and say I liked it,” Snape adds with a laugh. “Same as I might not like the painting they have hanging in their living room.”

Neck tattoo with misspelled phrase, “Devil dosen’t sleep,” illustrating a failed tattoo.

Failed tattoo of a sandwich logo above a knee with the word “Bologna” below.

Failed tattoo on forearm with text “Be Smile” in decorative script.

Say you’re looking to get your first tattoo. But you’re terrified the artist might do a bad job or that the tattoo is going to age terribly. What do you do? “If you’re worried about getting your first tattoo, the best thing you can do is research, research, research,” Alice says.

Failed tattoo of a face holding a phone on a man’s arm, wearing a peach shirt.

Failed tattoo attempt on man’s arm, compared to original image of a famous character holding guns.

Failed tattoo attempt of a pirate character on arm, with comparison to the original image.

“Look at tattooists’ portfolios and always ask to see healed work alongside fresh tattoos,” Alice Snape advises. “Once they settle into your skin, they’ll look a little bit different – the lines might soften, and the color will be less bright. Also, chat to the potential tattooist. Make sure you like them if you’re going to be spending a big chunk of time with them.”

Failed tattoo of a pocket watch poorly drawn on an arm, featuring uneven lines and distorted clock face.

Failed tattoo of a mermaid on an arm, with text above and faded colors.

Failed tattoo of a lion with a green crown, showing exaggerated features and tears.

More than anything, this process is about learning to relinquish at least a little bit of control. “I always like the experience of getting tattooed to be a magical one,” Alice shares with Bored Panda. “I stress I’ve learned this from making mistakes, though – so don’t be too harsh on yourself. Nothing’s perfect.”

Failed tattoo with misspelled text “May body, May rules” amidst floral design on thigh.

Failed tattoo with misspelled word “Khaleesi” and a dragon outline on a person’s neck.

Failed tattoo depicting an anthropomorphic baguette holding guns.

Failed tattoo featuring a distorted clock and abstract shapes on an arm.

Failed tattoo with abstract wolf on shoulder blade, showcasing mismatched colors and design elements.

Failed tattoo of a dinosaur with a crown on a person’s side, poorly matched to a digital illustration of a real dinosaur.

Alice shares her personal story with covering up a tattoo. “It was a little Alice in Wonderland on my back, in the prime ‘tramp stamp’ position,” Alice adds. How fitting! “I later decided I wanted a back piece – it’s prime canvas – so the Alice is now hidden underneath it.”

Failed tattoo of a blonde character with pigtails and “Puddin” choker on skin.

Failed tattoo of a child wearing a swimsuit on a person’s arm, illustrating humorous tattoo mistakes.

Failed tattoo on a person’s back resembling an animal face, surrounded by a red circle.

“The thing is, tattoos don’t have to be permanent,” Alice disproves my previous statement. “They can be covered over with another design, lasered off so they disappear almost completely, or blacked out with solid black ink. Also, as your collection grows, you might like to see the journey rather than just get stuff covered.”

Failed tattoo depicting a vase with abstract drawings, including a bull and stars, on a person’s arm.

Tiger tattoo fail on chest; similar design humorously edited onto a real tiger’s face.

A poorly drawn dragon tattoo with uneven lines and proportions on skin; an example of failed tattoos.

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So as long as there’s no terrible spelling mistake, there should be a big fat question mark in front of the statement ‘tattoo fails.’ “The choice is yours. It’s your body. And your tattoos are only as permanent as you want them to be,” the editor of Things & Ink concludes. And we agree! Check out our selection of masterfultattoo cover-upsif you’re not convinced.

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