Tattoos are a great form of expression. Feeling happy? Get a tattoo to match. Have a special someone you want to ink onto your body? Well, maybe think long and hard about that one. No matter your reason, getting inked is just something else. For some, getting a new design tattooed onto the body is simply a matter of personal style. Others may initially enjoy the sensation of the needle. However, some people may later regret their choice of body art, regardless of the reason they got it. Let’s examine the tattoos that are most frequently regretted.
1. Lower Back Tattoos
These are as tattoo regret as they come. The lower back has been a popular tattoo location for individuals who enjoy wearing lower-rise pants. In the early 2000s, lower back tattoos were in high demand globally. However, today they have lost popularity, and some individuals may regret them due to negative opinions from their social circle.
While it was a major trend, today, some with these back tattoos wish they’d never got them in the first place. They really did look cool if you wore any of the 2000s outfits, including bootleg jeans or cargo shorts, muscle shirts, and white and brown vests, coupled with the ICONIC buckled oversized belt. While these tattoos were popular for years, they suddenly just stopped. Lower back tattoos became outdated in the 2010s. And this led to many choosing to cover them or have them removed.
2. Tribal designs
Even when tribal design tattoos were popular, people were questioning certain designs. It’s not that all of them are bad, but it’s that people sometimes don’t understand their meaning. A great example to use here is the Māori tattoos. They are not for aesthetics but rather serve the purpose of communication and power of a sacred Polynesian society. So, you see how this can get misconstrued when someone does not understand its origins and history behind them? Cultural appropriation is often the main reason for regret. Māori tattoos aren’t the only tribal designs people regret.
In the 90s, people were mad about those tribal designs, and almost every tattoo lover had a piece of their own. But soon, people started to learn the meanings behind the different tribal designs when it truly became a faux pas. Since people all over the globe were highlighting various forms of cultural appropriation and even culture vultures, tribal tattoos took center stage but not in a good way. This has led to widespread regret, and according to multiple surveys, it’s the most regretted tattoo style ever.
3. Names of people
Look, we understand that you can love someone so much that you always want to carry a piece of them with you. But something as permanent as a tattoo, coupled with a breakup, can only spell regret and a lot of disasters. Love is amazing, and many people who were in love while having their partner’s name tattooed on their bodies did not realize just how permanent tattoos are. Sometimes even before breakups, many people realize that the love tattoo wasn’t a great idea, leading to instant regret. This usually leads to cover-up body art.
Studies and surveys have shown that name tattoos often lead to instant regret. If it’s not your parent, sibling, or grandparent, then rather don’t get the tattoo of your lover’s name. Instead, and if you want to, why not get a couple’s tattoo to represent your love? It would be much easier to explain anyway.
4. Lower Arm Tattoos
There is a reason why these tattoos are on this regret list. People have found that tattoos in places that are hard to cover almost always lead to regret – which is exactly where lower arm body art comes in. Many people have cited their regret because they find it simply difficult to cover their body art. Especially if it’s on their wrist or even fingers. While winter months make it easy to cover the pieces, it’s definitely not going to happen during summer. Even with our advanced makeup these days, you end up rubbing it onto your clothes or other parts of your body.
5. Tattoos from a friend
All tattoo artists had to start somewhere and learn to use the tools of their trade. However, some people think of this art form as an easy way to make money without really having to do any work. Are they so wrong? Cue the neighborhood hustler who has moved from MLM schemes to tattoos. You look at the one or two pieces he has done, and they seem okay. So you give him a chance with something simple, and it goes wrong.
These are right up there with the worst of them. People almost always regret any form of tattoo from a friend who simply doesn’t take the industry or the craft seriously. However, there are trends for 2023 worth noting that aren’t faux pas, so choose from this list.
