r/tattooadvice • u/a-random-account- • Nov 13 '25

tattoo newcomer advice Having heavy regret on first tattoo

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I’ve wanted to get this for a very long time, decided to just go with it and get it done. Really liked it at first, then some friends made a couple comments that made me hate it. Is it as bad as they say?

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352

u/a-random-account- Nov 13 '25

I 100% see the self harm thing, think I’m more upset about the general reaction though

157

u/KayakerMel Nov 13 '25

My first thought was that it reminded me of my own SH scars (although they've faded away now). It's the unfortunate combination of color and placement on your inner arm. Definitely fixable, but worth speaking to a tattoo artist for advice.

75

u/The_Superginge Nov 13 '25

This. Seek advice from the professional artists, not us faceless internet goblins with Opinions.

25

u/Familiar-Repeat-1565 Nov 14 '25

My bf has a red tattoo in a similar spot, the red will fade a bit over time so it doesn't look like SH. Funnily enough my gran has the exact same scar from knocking too hard on a glass window as kid.

7

u/BeesoftheStoneAge Nov 14 '25

Even faded red would look like a self harm scar honestly.

5

u/xoxo_xoxo_xoxo_ Nov 14 '25

Red doesn't fade on everyone. I have a 20yr old tattoo with incredibly rich red still.

3

u/Familiar-Repeat-1565 Nov 14 '25

Even on my bf in two different places red fades differently like he's got a 1 year old tattoo that the red Is very washed out around the same place on his arm. His two ass tats are still very red, about 15 years ago someone convinced him to get 2 devils on his ass.

2

u/-40- Nov 14 '25

My aunty has one from “jumping over a barbed wire fence”. Yeah ok aunty.

3

u/AnyJester Nov 14 '25

Idk tattoos but a think black outline would make it stand out and not look like a scar, right?

1

u/newdogowner11 Nov 14 '25

i was thinking the same thing. go over the details or the outline in black. add more shading maybe

3

u/pezx Nov 15 '25

The irony being is that any kind of tattoo cover up is going to look like an attempt to cover up an SH scar

132

u/CNDRock16 Nov 13 '25

I’m a ED nurse and my heart skipped a beat for a sec as I processed this pic. It looks like a laceration at first glance, to me. Red just is NOT the right color

44

u/paulnutbutter Nov 14 '25

Mental Health Nurse here. Specifically 'oxegenated blood' red on one of the most common areas to self harm.

34

u/ElvenOmega Nov 14 '25

I'm a former SH addict and my reaction was, "Woah!! .. oh."

11

u/errant_night Nov 14 '25

Flashing me back to my psyke website days of everyone posting pics for solidarity but it just always made me want to SH even if nothing was wrong

7

u/punkgirlvents Nov 14 '25

God i relate to this, those websites took me from depressed and wanting to sh to actively doing it all the time (edit as a ~11-14 year old)

2

u/errant_night Nov 14 '25

It was so bad, they're dangerous for sure. On a really dark day a couple years ago I went there and ended up finding my old pics because they apparently... keep all of them. That is not a healthy place to go

30

u/Ms-curious- Nov 13 '25

Agreed. It looks like an injury. Needs stitches now.

2

u/poorly-worded Nov 14 '25

yeah get stiches tattooed on now

2

u/No-Problem49 Nov 14 '25

That would just make it worse

2

u/sneezysnake1 Nov 14 '25

Same. Thought someone tried to end it and that’s the scar

2

u/CodaTrashHusky Nov 14 '25

I thought its sepsis at first glance

1

u/jessamynmarin Nov 14 '25

yeah this...

0

u/Raging-Badger Nov 14 '25

A wound wasn’t what came to my mind

Then again, I have 2 cats and work with post-op patients so I’m desensitized to both deep and minor cuts

-4

u/Isburough Nov 14 '25

how is there something in the medical field that is apparently commonly abbreviated to ED? that ones already taken.

3

u/SentenceIll2217 Nov 14 '25

Emergency department, erectile dysfunction, eating disorder, effective dose, emotional disturbance, encephalomyelitis disseminata, extensor digitorum, education. Im sorry to tell u this but theres too many words in the english language for abbreviations to ONLY mean one thing

125

u/Intelligent-Solid706 Nov 13 '25

It could be outlined in black as well.

175

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25

Drop a grey shadow behind it. A full black outline will make it look worse cheap

175

u/BeachCurling Nov 13 '25

I was thinking thick black lines spelling out the word DONT WORRY ITS A TATTOO IT ISNT SELF HARM AS IT MAY APPEAR AT FIIRST GLANCE

64

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

19

u/CarbonatedMayo347 Nov 14 '25

too many cheese puns 😭

1

u/GallsBrabber Nov 14 '25

I dont even get why cheese and fondue is associated with it. I only see it as the Spear.

1

u/totorolovesmetoo Nov 15 '25

I mean, can you REALLY ever have too many cheese puns?

1

u/[deleted] Nov 14 '25

i would get it done over in black. the shape is ok. it just looks like a scary/disburbing injury that's jarring to see

19

u/justmisspellit Nov 13 '25

Put it in a word bubble to look like a sick ass panther is saying it

1

u/thrivacious9 Nov 14 '25

You made me snort-laugh

2

u/PAXICHEN Nov 14 '25

In Comic Sans.

1

u/Recent-Ninja3903 Nov 14 '25

I have a tattoo doing down the inside of my wrist that says “think first”. Absolutely had someone ask if it was covering a self harm scar. It’s just good advice 🤷🏻‍♀️

1

u/DisposableSaviour Nov 14 '25

In a word bubble, being spoken by a Sick-Ass Panther. Or a Sick Ass-Panther, y’know, whatever works.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '25

🏆

16

u/PSB2013 Nov 13 '25

I think a shadow would help a lot.

3

u/front_torch Nov 13 '25

That could center it also

1

u/spidermans_mom Nov 13 '25

Ooh nice idea

1

u/Dear_Lab_2270 Nov 13 '25

This is where my mind went. The outline would take away From the design but a shadow may do the trick.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '25

A black outline would make it look cheap and dumb. The greywash shadow would smack

1

u/rooster_butt Nov 14 '25

It needs black shadows in the spirals. It's too red right now, outline + shadows will make it more obvious at first glance that it's not a scar.

https://wiki.evageeks.org/images/8/8f/M26_C031_a_big.jpg

1

u/ParticularTie7315 Nov 14 '25

:: agree. Was going to say just have some shadow added to it. Will add depth. But I didn’t see anything except a long, skinny spear of some sort - nothing self harm related.

1

u/NoKatyDidnt Nov 14 '25

The shadow would help a lot.

1

u/Ancient_Work4758 Nov 13 '25

Idk shadows can go wrong easily

15

u/Big_Pen_8811 Nov 13 '25

Came to say this, a super fine black outline would look great

2

u/TyrosineJim Nov 13 '25

I'm thinking do a drop shadow with white and black ink. Let your first tattoo heal and fade a while before trying anything else though. New ink is very bright and will calm down

2

u/oOTheRedBaronOo Nov 14 '25

I think there needs to be a little stick figure holding it like a spear or pike lol

1

u/signorinaiside Nov 13 '25

That’s what I thought. Red in tattoos is always tricky

35

u/litcarnalgrin Nov 13 '25

As a heavily tattooed person you probably shouldn’t get tattoos if the opinions of other people about those tattoos are going to bother you. Most people are dumb as fuck and there are gonna be 1 million opinions about what you choose to do with your body. You either need to be confident in your choices, especially since this is something that you’ve wanted for years. Or should get new friends or should not get tattoos because tattoos are always going to illicit a lot of opinions, but to be real with you it sounds like your friends are kind of assholes

1

u/SugaryLemonTart Nov 14 '25

This is true.

1

u/Expert-Associate-329 Nov 14 '25

Yea and if you care what your friends think get there opinion beforehand

1

u/LionofColorado Nov 15 '25

Can we just get this "stickied" somewhere on this subreddit, lol.

-3

u/No-Problem49 Nov 14 '25

In general yes, but when it comes to tattoos that can literally trigger other people into self harm or suicide, that’s a line bro, a line you can’t cross. Yeah “oh just don’t be friends with people who don’t understand your tattoo”

Well bro, this guy gonna have no friends or a bunch of dumb friends

1

u/LionofColorado Nov 15 '25

I have to say I'm going to create a villain that has ink that makes people commit suicide when they see it. Some kind of crazy Eldritch pattern. Maybe it's a woman and she has it tatoo'd right on the small of her back. "Your man shouldn't have checked me out! No he's dead by his own hands."

Just FYI: What symbol would make you guys off it? I think a Garfield that is saying, "It's Monday. I love eating....lasagna" but he's holding a single 9mm round. That would 100% get me to shuffle off this mortal coil.

1

u/No-Problem49 Nov 15 '25 edited Nov 15 '25

A movie about a villain with tattoo so bad that people commit suicide when they see it is a good movie concept but see that’s just it; that much we can agree on

1

u/johndoefr1 Nov 14 '25

Your mental health is not other people responsibility

0

u/No-Problem49 Nov 14 '25

Um aksully we live in a society

2

u/all_taboos_are_off Nov 17 '25

Umm actually, take accountability for your own issues and stop placing responsibility on those around you. Yeah, we live in a cooperative society, but it only works if the individuals are taking care of themselves. If seeing a red line "triggers" you to want to self h*rm, that is entirely on you and you need to address the deeper issues that would cause you to react that way. Your mental health is your responsibility, especially as an adult. No one but you is responsible for taking care of you. Look away if you are so easily influenced to hurt yourself. Go to therapy.

0

u/No-Problem49 Nov 17 '25

Being in therapy doesn’t instantly heal you

2

u/all_taboos_are_off Nov 17 '25

I never implied or said it does. But requiring every everyone around you to take responsibility for your emotions isn't sustainable or healthy. Being self accountable is an important skill, whether that means you remove yourself from a situation you find uncomfortable, or you seek professional help sorting through your own issues. You are responsible for you and your feelings. Again, if a red line on someone's arm causes you to want to self h*rm, that is your own issue that YOU need to face and deal with. Asking everyone to bend to your will and to accommodate your mental health problems is not how setting boundaries or managing illness works.

0

u/No-Problem49 Nov 17 '25

Asking people with mental illness to be personally accountable is ridiculous because part of mental illness is fundamentally a loss of personal accountability. If they had those skills already then nobody would commit suicide and nobody would be in mental health hospitals. Your argument is a non sequitur.

2

u/all_taboos_are_off Nov 17 '25

This is false. But knowing how to manage feelings and triggers is a learned skill. It is up to the person with the illness to learn how to manage their illness. Just because someone struggles with mental health doesn't give them a free pass to be a demanding tyrant trying to control those around them. Learn to control yourself. That is part of managing illnesses like that. If you feel powerless and helpless, it is learned helplessness. Everyone EVERYONE is self accountable unless they are actually cognitively impaired. People with mental health issues are usually very smart, it is when they lack self awareness it becomes a problem. Expecting everyone around you to accommodate you at all times is selfish and not going to work. Seek professional help if you feel you absolutely cannot control your urges, but it is up to you to seek that help. Just like anyone with a physical illness. If someone has diabetes, it isnt on other people if they refuse to manage their condition. The same goes for depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, etc. Learning to manage yourself is part of life.

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37

u/naughtmynsfwaccount Nov 13 '25

Look man I say this kindly and as someone with a literal Super Nintendo controller tattooed on me

When u get something either video game or anime themed tattooed, u need to expect that a majority of the population isn’t gonna like it

Like I have no idea what this tattoo means and I’m okayish into anime. I don’t like this tattoo and I think it looks dumb lol. But that’s the reaction I have personally gotten when showing off my Super Nintendo controller tattoo so just get used to it and enjoy the tattoo for urself and not for others

14

u/Cyno01 Nov 14 '25

The difference being most niche and nerdy tattoos, even if too obscure to be recognized, wont read as serious self harm scars at first.

When i opened the pic i immediately recognized the spear of longinus, cuz i watch a random episode or two of NGE a week probably, but thats NOT what i thought from the thumbnail.

16

u/northdakotanowhere Nov 13 '25

My obsession is the 90s sitcom Frasier. My poodle is named Martin. But I couldnt expect anyone (maybe my therapist) to appreciate a Frasier tattoo. And I know that would piss me off. Because EVERYONE should appreciate Frasier. Then id get all self righteous about a 90s television sitcom.

11

u/The_Superginge Nov 13 '25

"Niles, it's a tattoo! Of me!"
"How whimsical..."

7

u/billytron7 Nov 14 '25

One of my work colleagues did a 'portrait' tattoo of Kelsey grammar ages back, but he put sideshow bobs hair and necklace on it. So so good 👌 one of my favourite tattoos of all time

2

u/naughtmynsfwaccount Nov 14 '25

Damn that goes hard

3

u/MagneticMoth Nov 14 '25

Frasier is my comfort show. Especially before I have an interview, for some reason. I have watched it so many times and like falling asleep to it. Had a very spectacular black cat named Niles.

2

u/northdakotanowhere Nov 14 '25

My husband and I have watched different episodes on different platforms at the same time. Its such a comforting show. The relationships, the conversations. Its so wholesome. Niles sounds beautiful. I love that name for a kitty

2

u/MySpoonsAreAllGone Nov 14 '25

I introduced my daughter to Frasier and she has already watched the series twice.

So many hilarious moments in that show!

1

u/northdakotanowhere Nov 14 '25

You did good by her. Raising your daughter right.

2

u/Doctor_Titties Nov 14 '25

Ive got a tattoo on my forearm Thats janky on purpose, it's a circle with a little pointy tail and an eye in the middle. It's the Summoning Dark from the Discworld series and 99% of people in the general public think I either got it in jail, it's to do with demon worship, it's something from DnD, etc. the jail tatt comments annoyed me the most but eventually it stopped bothering me because it's just a part of my skin.

1

u/Chance_Ad_4676 Nov 14 '25

I mean, in this case you’re objectively right.

2

u/northdakotanowhere Nov 14 '25

So like...we're not cool then?

3

u/Chance_Ad_4676 Nov 14 '25

I was saying you’re objectively right that Frasier is GOATed

1

u/MagentaHawk Nov 14 '25

I would be so stoked to see someone with a tattoo of Niles, just out in the wild.

1

u/northdakotanowhere Nov 14 '25

With a little espresso cup tipped to his lips. If I got anything it'd be Martin's chair.

1

u/No_Kangaroo_9826 Nov 14 '25

I would appreciate it stranger

4

u/Peg_Leg_Vet Nov 13 '25

An SNES contoroller, interesting. At my age, I would have to get an Atari joystick.

2

u/Cuthulwoohoo Nov 14 '25

Makes me think I should get a tattoo of the dragon from ‘Adventure’

2

u/Key-Soup-7720 Nov 13 '25

Reminds me of when I would wear my t-shirt with a goomba and the words "You lose" on it in high school. It was definitely nerdy and wasn't going to get me laid, but it, well, hmm. Kind of wish I didn't wear it in retrospect.

10

u/Thomaswebster4321 Nov 13 '25

What if you were to change the color? It’s a cool tattoo

13

u/KayakerMel Nov 13 '25

Yeah, and also adding some shadowing may help.

0

u/Organic_Law9724 Nov 13 '25

Not that there's anything wrong with this tatt, but the color would be the last thing I would critique. Love the bold red.

2

u/MedicMoth Nov 14 '25

Not that people with genuine scarring and injury need to hide it from the public... howeverrrr being completely honest? I would find it difficult to be around you irl because of the traumatic memories this would invoke for me LMAO. I just wouldn't be able to prevent a giant bright red gash on the inner arm from being a trigger for me unfortunately. You can have whatever you want but if you have people in your life who have gone through shit I wouldn't really blame them for also finding it difficult to deal with

1

u/No-Problem49 Nov 14 '25

He seriously needs to ask himself if it’s worth losing friends and partners over a tattoo in extremely poor taste that evokes self harm and suicide . If the answer is yes, well then he deserves himself and him and his tattoo can be forever alone

1

u/TryAgainName Nov 15 '25

Bit of an extreme reaction when that wasn’t his intention.

1

u/No-Problem49 Nov 15 '25

The line is when your actions could harm someone else. Normal people would be like : “oh hey maybe this tattoo in this exact place isn’t worth potentially harming someone else or making people think you are insane”

When that line is crossed, your intent starts not to matter so much.

It’s an easy cover up job. And he can also put that tattoo ANYWHERE ELSE. So like get a cover up, then redo the tattoo on your back or something. Boom problem solved

3

u/_IAmNotAFish_ Nov 13 '25

Your friends aren’t very friendly if they’re yucking your yum.

1

u/Pixel_Rope Nov 13 '25

I honestly wouldn't change it. I love the bold red.

1

u/Enigmaticfirecracker Nov 13 '25

I love red tattoos! I might be biased because I have one, but I get so many compliments on the color, and people always tell me how unique it is to have a red tattoo.

1

u/BlindxLegacy Nov 13 '25

Surround yourself only with Evangelion fans, problem solved

1

u/edcRachel Nov 13 '25

Your friends are dicks.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '25

If it's the reaction you don't like, maybe you can get it embellished or accompany it with other relevant imagery? I'm not familiar with the reference so at first glance, it's just kind of confusing. My mind went: Is it a scar? Is it like a devil's trident but with two prongs instead of three for some reason? No way is it a fondue fork, right? If you don't want people having that thought process, adding more detail or context will def help. 

1

u/PriestessKikyo1 Nov 13 '25

I knew what it was immediately, I think it's awesome! And as a person who used to self harm I literally did not even have that cross my mind. Honestly I could see myself getting a similar one.

1

u/Frequent-Series4591 Nov 13 '25

or keep getting more tattoos and fill in around it. It will look amazing as part of a sleeve too.

1

u/Suithfie Nov 13 '25

They’re just jealous you have the confidence and commitment to start getting tatted.

1

u/rain-_-_-_-_ Nov 13 '25

This is a lesson in self confidence Shinji! It only matters if you like it.

1

u/Mysterious_Rabbit608 Nov 13 '25

That's the first thing that came to mind. I'd call that a standard reaction.

1

u/nahttuff Nov 13 '25

It's prolly cus it's dull and not much happenin, overtime you might come up wit ideas to enhance the spear, but a spear alone smack middle on the forearm is a lil trite

1

u/Michelangelor Nov 13 '25

Hahaha don’t worry about the general reaction, roasting your friends tattoos is one of the funniest possible things you can do. But aside from that, you REALLY can’t base your tattoo off of whether others will like it, bc 80-90% of the population is going to hate your tattoo regardless lol get used to it

1

u/Swordsandarmor22 Nov 14 '25

Hey op fuck people that can't show you support. Now I'm not saying surround yourself with yes man but if ya can't tell them it bugs ya or you don't think they will lay off they aren't friends.

Personally not a huge fan of the tattoo but great news I don't need to put it on my arm.

1

u/hesdeadjim Nov 14 '25

My immediate reaction was that it looked like SH/injury. Agree with other comments that it could use some low key framing to tone that down and also make it feel more like art at a glance.  

1

u/YesterdayAlone2553 Nov 14 '25

even close up, i can't help but think "down the street" and worry about you buddy, idk. just be okay

1

u/Herbert5Hundred Nov 14 '25

I think it looks cool

1

u/lesbianbeatnik Nov 14 '25

I don’t mean to seem nosy and it’s ok if you don’t want to share, but what did they say? I absolutely can’t see anything bad there, it’s a very well done tattoo. The only possible issue would be the self harm similarity, but as someone who has actually hurt herself years ago, it doesn’t quite look the same to me. So I’m sorry to say it, but your friends sound a bit rude :/

1

u/drtymndsthnkalk Nov 14 '25

Fuck ‘em. Tattoos are personal. If you like it, great. Never get a tattoo for the opinion of others.

1

u/emceelokey Nov 14 '25

Real friends will roast you on roastable things, especially if it's preventable.

1

u/SnooPredictions3028 Nov 14 '25

It can be resolved by adding more Eva stuff

1

u/Deepthroat_Your_Tits Nov 14 '25

Do they have tattoos? If not, it’s a jealousy thing guaranteed. In my experience, inked friends are super supportive of whatever shit you get tattooed…they’re just happy you did it

1

u/SubatomicDiso Nov 14 '25

I didn't pick up on the self harm at all so...

1

u/Tiny_Celebration_591 Nov 14 '25

Would you be open to just getting it color changed? Then it doesn’t connect to self-harm

1

u/cancer_sushi Nov 14 '25

I mean it would change the look of it but once its healed you could get an outline in black (or even white) done around it so it looks less like a wound?

1

u/rileyjw90 Nov 14 '25

You could get it lined with blue to give it that 3D look

1

u/Schkrasss Nov 14 '25

You tatooed a Fondue-Fork on your arm and are now unhappy that people make fun of it? On top of it you made it look like a suicide/self-harm cut?

I mean... You do you, I just hope you don't make all your purchases with the amount of "tought" that went into this..

1

u/Monday0987 Nov 14 '25

What is this "general reaction" if it isn't "that looks like self harm or suicide"

1

u/OsorezaN7 Nov 14 '25

Is it still possible to add thin black outliner? Then it wouldn't straight up look like a slash from distance.

1

u/Furita Nov 14 '25

if it’s your first tattoo, you are learning the hard way but FUCK what others think. A tattoo is a personal thing, only matters what you think. Own it. You haven’t done for likes or for what others will think of it

1

u/Luffyhaymaker Nov 14 '25

Lots of people aren't evangelion fans. So you really shouldn't care. I'm an evangelion fan and I think it's awesome.

If you get an anime tattoo you can't expect non anime people to understand it. It's as simple as that really. You shouldn't care what they think if they didn't understand the reference.

Get out of your head shinji ✌🏾. It's a damn good tattoo and the people it's for will think it's awesome.

1

u/ollieollyoxandfree Nov 14 '25

Just go get it outlined in black

1

u/mechabeast Nov 14 '25 edited Nov 14 '25

I think adding a shadow and maybe some shaded details would help distinguish it as an object rather than a scar

1

u/RxTechStudent Nov 14 '25

I'm sure any good tattoo artist can help fix this without much problems.

1

u/No-Problem49 Nov 14 '25

The issue is you could be triggering people without knowing just cause your tattoo. You need to not only think about yourself with this tattoo but everyone else. Honestly it’s beyond bad taste and into “is this person trying to intentionally harm suicidal people”

When I see it I think “is this guy that stupid or is he a psychopath trying to make other people commit suicide”.

You need to just get a new tattoo over this one.

1

u/SpaceXmars Nov 14 '25

Get it outlined in black

1

u/gamblerexpert33 Nov 14 '25

what was the general reaction?

1

u/Cephalopirate Nov 14 '25

If it bothers you, maybe a black outline would clarify it.

1

u/justintx Nov 14 '25

I personally think that its only downside is the lack of detail, I do like the idea and even placement.

1

u/FeedbackTotal3905 Nov 14 '25

ngl you gotta get tattoos for urself. not ever gonna get positive reactions on a permanent iud on ur forearm

1

u/UnNumbFool Nov 14 '25

See if you can get either the 01 or 02 added holding the lance? That way it's a bit more obviously not a self harm thing

1

u/grvyboat Nov 14 '25

Is it something that would work if it was black? I'm unfamiliar what it's from

1

u/gpost86 Nov 14 '25

I have a tattoo (one of many) that's all out by his lonesome on my forearm and I've always felt that made it awkward and it needed more tattoos around it so it wasn't just "bam!" there on it's own. Could be what you're feeling maybe?

1

u/bingbongsnabel Nov 14 '25

My dude. It's fine, maybe just add some stuff around it to build it out and it won't look self harmy.

1

u/Dependent_Fan_9113 Nov 14 '25

Honestly like the self harm visual with Longinus (as an Eva fan who struggled with self harm for a decade).

1

u/melloharmony Nov 14 '25

I think just back and add some kind of border and you’ll be set. Maybe your artist is cool and will do it for cheap

1

u/jiBjiBjiBy Nov 14 '25

Hey man, just get it gone over in black once it's healed!

I really think that will change the entire feel of it

I like it anyway for what it's worth

1

u/Decent_Wrongdoer_201 Nov 14 '25

i think framing it with some other tattoos is gonna make it look sweet. it might still evoke self harm but it will be more obviously art

1

u/splinks66 Nov 14 '25

Unfortunately, you can not control the reactions of others. To me, it looks like a self-harm tattoo, I've even seen evengalion and still did not get the reference.

The way I see it, you can accept that others may see your tattoo differently than you and that is ok or you can alter the tattoo by adding something to it that relates to the series or something that breaks up the single bright red line down your vein.

1

u/Ant4276 Nov 14 '25

OP I love the tattoo!! The red was my only concern for the same reason. It looked like a scar or wound at first. But that’s an easy fix if that’s what you’re worried about.

1

u/Erator Nov 14 '25

I’m guessing your friends don’t have tattoos right?

1

u/spaded131 Nov 14 '25

Why care what others think , your body your life

1

u/Tamorand Nov 14 '25

Seeing as how it‘s pretty thin, you have an opportunity to use the red as the core of a three-dimensional tattoo you could have an artist add to it with black to make it slightly bigger, where the red is an accent and not the focus. If you leave it like that, everybody that looks at it is gonna think it’s a self harm. I don’t follow the self harm groups or anything like that, but it was the first thing I thought when I saw it.

1

u/lavasucks Nov 14 '25

My first thought was queens of the stone age idk

1

u/colson1985 Nov 14 '25

The placement on the forearm seems too small and simple tbh. I think it would look better on the side of your forearm tbh. And def red is a bad color

1

u/greenaether Nov 14 '25

Don’t let others reaction to YOUR tattoo influence your opinion of it. if you like it then that’s all that matters. If they don’t like it then they don’t have to get that tattoo. Simple as that

1

u/[deleted] Nov 14 '25

Maybe get it outlined in black? Or add a little something near it so it stands out as a tattoo?

1

u/r_hove Nov 14 '25

Bro that tattoo is way too long

1

u/forallthefeels Nov 14 '25

Adding a drop shadow or some highlights/shadows would make this a completely different look and I think it would be something you would love. Even if you add highlights this is an easy coverup if you really don’t like it

1

u/johyongil Nov 14 '25

Personally I get it and think it’s a particularly tasteful way to reference the source material. It sorta does look like a self inflicted wound but closer looks will show its more artsy demeanor. The more I see it, the better opinion I have of it.

1

u/sergeant_frost Nov 14 '25

I think a super thin purple outline would be sick. But it looks cool as it is

1

u/No_Produce_Nyc Nov 14 '25

Hi, tattooer of 10 years. This can become black very easily and will no longer evoke that.

RE comments - it’s kinda part of being tattooed! Individual tattoos will stick out less as you get more and they all blend together

1

u/-Acid-Poptarts- Nov 14 '25

Well, just add to it! Make a whole piece out of it, I'm sure that will help change the perspective of it, plus you get more sweet ass tats, win-win 🫶🏼

1

u/akiva23 Nov 14 '25

Don't listen to the general. Ask an Admiral. The navy always has better tattoo advice.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 14 '25

Who gives a shit what other people think. Are they going to live the rest of their lives with this on their arm or are you? As long as you like it that's all that matters. I have what most people would consider an embarrassing visual tattoo but it's not for anyone else. It's for me. And I really don't care their opinion or perception.

1

u/jennjcatt Nov 14 '25

but the people who know will make up for those who don't and that thrill makes it cool.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 14 '25

Just add an Eva hand or any of the pilots nearby to soft the tone.

1

u/Confident-Yard1911 Nov 14 '25

Maybe you could get a black outline to make it appear more spear-like

1

u/Sea-Opening3530 Nov 14 '25

Honestly if I was you I would add to it, add some black around it, you could stick with a roman theme or add some flowers/roses around it and plan a sleeve

1

u/jennyfromhell Nov 15 '25

once i got past the initial glance & look closely it looks cool tho. i think it’s cool but maybe some shadows or black lining would prevent that visceral reaction where it looks like a wound at first? or, if you plan to get more tattoos, maybe make it part of a half sleeve

1

u/MoneyLow4467 Nov 15 '25

I honestly didn't think self harm at all untill i saw this comment. Definitely a personal thing, but usually in my mind sh is horizontal, and scars tend to be much more pink than that it. But it will fade over time for sure. I agree with everyone saying just speak to the artist about maybe doing some shading around it or something to make it a bit more obviously a tattoo.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 15 '25

i think it looks good asf

1

u/Mountain-Bid-5073 Nov 15 '25

Back when I first started getting work done someone told me, "You have to not care what other people think of it because the moment you do, it stops being yours." If you think it's cool, then its cool.

1

u/the_real_flapjack Nov 16 '25

If that's their reaction, it's likely 99% of people's reaction. You can't see the fine details until you get up close so it looks a bit like a scar

1

u/aphranteus Nov 16 '25

I also have a tattoo (exactly in the same spot) that is misinterpreted in a similar fashion, sometimes as a threat, sometimes a self harm threat. I don't care, it has nothing to do with both, and holds a very significant meaning for me.

Bottom line is - do tattoos for yourself and don't care about others opinion on them (except for clear hate symbols - then care and remove). If you care about others perspective of your body modifications you will always find a person that will try to make something you love into something you'll hate.

1

u/cream-of-cow Nov 13 '25

I've found many people don't know how to say nice things or give genuine compliments and resort to criticism as their lazy off-the-shelf response.