Most people make bad decisions when they're young. Toxic relationships, quitting school, and splurging on non-essentials are all up there. The same can be said about tattoos; how many of us have gotten inked at a mere 18 or 19 years old and now regret it with a passion after many years?
For many people, it's lyrics by a band they liked as kids or an ex's name. But terrible tattoos come in many shapes and sizes. This list from the "Nope Inked" page on Instagram will prove that to you. Was it a terrible tattoo idea from the start or just a bad job by an unskilled artist? We'll let you decide for each of the tattoos below!
More info: Instagram
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The reputation of tattoos has changed significantly in the last few years. Not even 10 years ago, everyone and their mother seemed to be getting tattoos. But today, people seem to be more careful about getting tattoos, and many inked people are having them removed.
We only need to look at celebrities to see that there is a trend of going back to virgin, untouched skin. Pete Davidson, for example, recently decided to remove his impressive collection of tattoos all over his body. Some of them were truly "dumb," according to him, but others are getting burned off simply because he is tired of spending hours in movie set makeup chairs.
"You have to get there three hours earlier to cover all your tattoos because, for some reason, people in movies don't have them that much," he explained as his reasoning on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
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Many non-famous people are considering getting their tattoos removed as well. In Australia, for example, 14% of tattooed individuals say they're looking into the process of tattoo removal. Still, that doesn't mean that tattoos are going out of style. According to a 2023 Pew survey, 32% of American adults have a tattoo, and 22% have more than one.
Millennials and Gen Z are leading the way when it comes to getting tattoos, but there has also been a rise in sentiments against tats. Tattoo artist Shari Wei from the Girlxfriend in LA studio believes that, for women, it aligns with an overall trend of conservative aesthetics. It's no surprise that in a world where young women are doing "trad wife curls", "soft life" makeup, and putting extreme thinness at the forefront, tattoos are out, too.
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Another reason, according to Melbourne-based journalist Jason Murphy, tattoos just aren't that cool anymore. Back in the day, tattoos symbolized rebelliousness and deviance. Sailors, prisoners, and punks were people with tattoos. Now, as Murphy writes, our favorite pop stars are inked from head to toe. "Tattoos have invaded the conservative world of K-pop," he adds.
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"A tattoo doesn't stop you getting a job any more," Murphy explains of why their popularity is going down. "They're kind of expensive and middle class and, unless you cover your neck or face, have ceased to effectively convey rebellion. Indeed, if you're 20 and can afford a tattoo in this economy, you're probably still living at home with your parents."
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Getting a tattoo undoubtedly can symbolize one's social situation. Even a simple, non-intricate tattoo by a junior artist will most likely cost you between $50 and $150. Of course, one has to take into account the placement on the body, the design, and the location of the artist. Yet, it still might be out of bounds for many working-class people. Dazed estimates that only a portion of tattoo owners would have the finances for removal.
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So, both getting and removing a tattoo can be a sign of wealth. Senior lecturer in art history and theory at the University of Essex, Matt Lodder, told Dazed that the tattoo industry exists in part because rich people wanted to get tattoos. "These rich people would go to Japan and get Japanese tattoos to show off to their friends in London," he explained. "The real connection that tattooing is a lower-class thing to be doing didn't really happen until the 1950s."
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People who are most likely to regret their tattoos are those who gave in to trends. When Vice asked several tattoo artists which trends they think clients will regret the most in the future, these were the most common answers:
- Small tattoos with really small, thin lines;
- Blackwork (tattoos of solid black blocks);
- Face tattoos;
- Copying tattoos from celebrities;
- 1990s and Y2K aesthetic: tribal patterns, barbed wire, butterflies, etc.
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Surprisingly, one type of tattoo that was considered tacky in the past might be making a comeback. Tattoo artists in the U.S. and the U.K. alike are noticing that more and more women want lower back tattoos. Some might have been influenced by Charli XCX lyrics, but the so-called "tramp-stamps" are now more mellow, smaller, and intricate.
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As Ashley Fike writes for Vice, young women aged 19–27 are reclaiming the lower back tattoo "in the name of feminine power." Back in the 2000s, it was a misogynistic punchline. But today, "the lower back tattoo is less about seduction and more about self-expression," according to Fike. "It's cute, nostalgic, and a little tongue-in-cheek—which is kind of the whole point."
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What do you think about this list of bad tattoos, Pandas? Are they really that bad? And where is the line between an awful, tasteless tattoo and self-expression? Let us know your opinions below! And if you're looking for more pics of terrible tattoos, look no further and check out our previous lists here and here!
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