50 People Who Wanted A Cool Tattoo But Ended Up With A Permanent Mistake

Getting atattoocan be exciting, especially if it’s your first one. Yet for some people, it can also be a source of regret. In fact, 24% of Americanssaythey have a tattoo that they now regret getting. Sometimes, those regrettable tattoos can be tragic. Other times, they’re plain hilarious.This Instagrampageshares the latter, bringing you the best of theworst tattoos. The self-proclaimed “original failed tattoo page” is all about the times people regretted getting inked or got a badly done tattoo and didn’t even know it until others pointed it out.To know more about bad tattoos and how one can get rid of them,Bored Pandareached out to Lacey Cormier, a medical laser technician and tattoo artist. She kindly agreed to tell us more about the most common reasons why people get their tattoos removed and what the removal process is like. Read our conversation with Lacey below!More info:Lacey Cormier|Lacey Tattoos|Ethereal TattoosThis post may includeaffiliate links.

This Instagrampageshares the latter, bringing you the best of theworst tattoos. The self-proclaimed “original failed tattoo page” is all about the times people regretted getting inked or got a badly done tattoo and didn’t even know it until others pointed it out.

To know more about bad tattoos and how one can get rid of them,Bored Pandareached out to Lacey Cormier, a medical laser technician and tattoo artist. She kindly agreed to tell us more about the most common reasons why people get their tattoos removed and what the removal process is like. Read our conversation with Lacey below!

More info:Lacey Cormier|Lacey Tattoos|Ethereal Tattoos

This post may includeaffiliate links.

Poorly drawn tattoo of a woman in a bikini with snakes on an arm, illustrating a tattoo mistake.

Poorly executed lion tattoo on a person’s back, showcasing a permanent mistake.

Person with unusual tattoo on face, reflecting a permanent mistake in body art decision.

There are a lot of things to consider when getting a tattoo. The design, the placement, the style, the artist – it’s not an easy decision for most people. But some tattoos can be, likeBob Rosswould say, happy little accidents: you get them at 2 a.m. during a trip with your friends and later have to live with the consequences.According to one survey, people most oftengettribal tattoos, hearts, roses, stars, crosses, and skulls. The size matters too: 63% of the tattooed people the pollers surveyed said they regret getting a tattoo smaller than the palm of their hand.

According to one survey, people most oftengettribal tattoos, hearts, roses, stars, crosses, and skulls. The size matters too: 63% of the tattooed people the pollers surveyed said they regret getting a tattoo smaller than the palm of their hand.

Misspelled tattoo reading “NOLEGE IS POWER” in bold letters, featuring a permanent mistake.

Person with unique tattoo design across their forehead, representing a permanent mistake.

Wolf tattoo design as a permanent mistake on skin.

The medical laser technician and tattoo artist with whom we got in touch, Lacey Cormier, has been tattooing people for many years, and recently also got intotattoo removal. You might think that removing tattoos is unethical for a tattoo artist, but, on the contrary – she’s familiar with the ins and outs of tattoos better than other removal technicians.Lacey says that most of the ink she removes are impulsetattoos. “Tattoos when away on vacation and if someone passes away,” she adds. “I have removed quite a few memorial tattoos. These tattoos are often not well planned out and impede on potentially larger tattoos in the future on that body part.”

Lacey says that most of the ink she removes are impulsetattoos. “Tattoos when away on vacation and if someone passes away,” she adds. “I have removed quite a few memorial tattoos. These tattoos are often not well planned out and impede on potentially larger tattoos in the future on that body part.”

Tattoo mistake of a bikini bottom on lower back, resulting in an unintended humorous look.

Poorly executed tattoo design of a religious figure on a person’s arm.

Back of a person’s head with an intricate tattoo of a Viking face, symbolizing a cool tattoo that turned into a mistake.

Not all tattoos are made equal: some can be far harder to remove than others. “There are lots of factors that play into a successful removal,” Lacey admits. The most obvious criterion is the color, of course. Black and grey tattoos will probably be easier to remove than colorful ones.

Cool tattoo mistake with Nike swoosh eyebrows.

Tattoo mistake reading “My mom is my angle” in cursive script.

Man with a large, poorly executed crab tattoo covering his back, representing a tattoo mistake.

But what some people might not know is that the location of the tattoo also plays a big part in whether it’ll be hard to remove. And it’s not about how even the surface of the body part is. “Tattoos closer to your heart will remove faster because of the blood circulation,” Lacey explains.

Tattoo of a poorly drawn cheetah with “COVID-19 made me do this” inked on its body, representing a tattoo mistake.

Bad tattoo of cartoon characters and text on skin, showcasing a permanent mistake.

Unusual tattoo of a baby’s face with mismatched features on an arm, illustrating a permanent mistake in tattoo design.

She goes into more detail about the technical side of the removal process. “The laser breaks the ink into microscopic granules and your white blood cells then carry the ink away. So, where there’s more blood circulation, the quicker the white blood cells will take the particles away compared to an arm or leg tattoo,” the tattoo removal technician explains.

Unusual tattoo on a torso, featuring a design of circles and text.

An arm with a tattoo of a woman holding a lipstick, surrounded by red roses, illustrating a permanent mistake.

Poorly executed tattoo with a face on skin, representing a permanent mistake.

When people decide they no longer want their tattoos, removal is not the only way to go. Many talented artists can cover up an old, unwanted tattoo and create something stunning. Lacey says it depends on the person and what result they’re looking for. Those who want a blank slate usually go for removal, and tattoo lovers might choose to cover them up.

Man with tattoos covering his face and body, featuring various words and phrases.

Failed tattoo design featuring an iconic comic kiss scene on a person’s forearm.

Bad tattoo resembling cartoon character next to original image on skin.

“I do recommend people invest in [themselves], whether that is complete removal of their tattoo or to have a few sessions to lighten the tattoo to make it easier to cover with another,” Lacey says. “Tattoos and tattoo removal are expensive but I wouldn’t cheap out on it. This is your body and we only get one, so invest in what makes sense for you.”

Lion tattoo with vivid colors turned into a permanent mistake.

Neck tattoo of distorted Franklin portrait, an example of a permanent mistake.

Poorly drawn mermaid tattoo with distorted features, showcasing a permanent mistake.

Lacey also emphasizes that tattoo removal requires patience. “The removal of a tattoo take can take months or even years to achieve the desired result,” she says. “You need to allow the skin to fully heal in between laser sessions and or getting tattooed over the old tattoo. Unfortunately, there is no fast track or shortcuts when it comes to removing your unwanted tattoos.”

A person’s back with a poorly drawn tattoo of an animal, representing a tattoo mistake.

Baby with flower headband next to a badly done tattoo with the same design, highlighting a tattoo mistake.

Woman with a tattoo on her face that didn’t turn out as expected, illustrating a tattoo mistake.

In the end, who’s to decide whether a tattoo is a fail or not? If the owner likes it, then that’s that! In aprevious interviewfor Bored Panda, the editor of Things & Ink magazineAlice Snapesaid that the only kind of failed tattoos should be spelling mistakes. “Surely, a tattoo can only really be a fail if the person who has the tattoo on their skin hates it,” she told us. But other than that, it’s really a matter of preference.

Chest tattoo with misspelled words, showcasing a permanent mistake.

Unique tattoo showing a half-cat, half-human face, illustrating a creative mistake.

Woman with a colorful but poorly executed tattoo on her arm, illustrating a permanent tattoo mistake.

Poorly executed tattoo of a football player in a blue uniform.

Poorly executed tattoo of a roaring animal with mismatched colors on an arm.

Back tattoo depicting a distorted face, illustrating a permanent mistake.

Unusual lion tattoo on a person’s knuckle, showcasing a cool tattoo mistake.

Failed tattoo with a tiger face surrounded by purple petals.

A tattoo mistake with a portrait and “RIP” sign.

Poorly executed tiger tattoo on a person’s back, highlighting a tattoo mistake.

Unusual tattoo of a grinning face with green hair, surrounded by four green leaves, representing a tattoo mistake.

Arm tattoo with incorrect spelling, intended for motivational message, representing permanent mistake.

Wolf tattoo mistake on skin with uneven shading and lines, resembling a permanent tattoo error.

Cool tattoo of Pringles logo on a leg turned into a permanent mistake.

Botched tattoo depicting a baby’s face next to the original design it was based on.

Misspelled tattoo on shoulder, reads “No Regrets” instead of “No Regrets,” exemplifying a tattoo mistake.

Man with a tattoo of the name “Melissa” and a face on his back, highlighting a permanent tattoo mistake.

Woman with poorly done blue eyebrow tattoos, illustrating a tattoo mistake.

A tattoo mistake depicting a stylized woman with exaggerated features on an arm.

Man shows mismatched tattoo attempt compared to original art, highlighting a tattoo mistake on his arm.

A tattoo mistake depicting a distorted portrait with uneven lines and shading.

Tattoo of baby footprints with names Riley & Isaac, featuring an awkward design and text error, highlighting a permanent mistake.

Tattoo on arm with typo: “Never don’t give up,” showcasing a permanent mistake.

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