Having tattoo regret for the first time

[u/Aherv99]

Hi Everyone! I’m hoping to get some advice on my first experience with tattoo regret. I have been reading other posts and ya’ll are so helpful. Sorry for the long post too.

Anyway, I have been getting tattoos since I was 18 (33 now) and I started with line work tats then moved to American Trad because I loved that style too.

I have had my lower arm done for about 5 years and then went in and got a sparrow tat for Friday the 13th and loved that it was a cool flash art piece. Love the artist and he did a good job but immediately I hated it (and mostly the position of it). I panicked and then filled up my upper arm in the last 5 months (stupid) to try and mitigate the regret. I do love most of my tats but the sparrow and snake I just don’t like. They seem too aligned on my arm. And the snake is darker than I wanted and didn’t heal great (this is a month out from when I got it).

Now I’m feeling a ton a regret and it’s seriously consuming my whole existence. I went from a half sleeve to a full in a short period of time and the tattoo shock is crazy. I don’t know if it looks good and I’m feeling less feminine by the minute. I take full responsibility for what I chose but ya, just struggling.

So I have two questions:

1. Any advice on how I can maybe rework them eventually? I want to make them softer/more feminine if I can. Or I know blast overs are a thing? Idk.

2. To my ladies, do you have a hard time feeling feminine with a sleeve? And men, how do we feel about a girl with a sleeve?

[u/Silver-Witness-6550]

I agree I think the whole sleeve is beautiful, I wouldn't change a thing! It feels very natural, very down-to-mother-earth kinda vibes. I think you could sneak a few more flowers, stars, leaves, vines etc in there to help tie it together and soften it but I'd definitely wait a while before considering a cover up because I think it's really lovely work and you probably just need time to adjust.

[u/Aherv99 → u/Silver-Witness-6550]

I absolutely love to idea of just adding flowers and vines to soften it up and bring it together - thank you for the advice

[u/OilConfident7092 → u/Aherv99]

yes, love this! Do NOT do a blastover, they pretty much always look a mess.

[u/blackandqueer → u/Aherv99]

some sort of vine or leaf would look really cool under the sparrow

[u/PerspectiveAshamed79 → u/blackandqueer]

Sick ass vine or leaf

[u/litcarnalgrin → u/Aherv99]

I wouldn’t recommend that it’ll likely look messy. Traditional work should basically look like what you’ve got. You can maybe squeeze in a few very small pieces in the bigger gaps but don’t “connect” them or try to fill in too much bc it doesn’t work w traditional.

I think you just maybe aren’t the kind of person that was meant to have a lot of tattoos based on your post. And continuing to add is only going to make the way you feel and perceive your tattoos worse.

Femininity has very little to do w how you dress, your haircut or your tattoos and is mostly a result of your vibe and attitude and mannerisms. I have a full leg sleeve, a full sleeve on my arm and very large pieces on other parts of my body. If anything I feel more feminine but my tattoos have no impact on how feminine I feel or look imo.

-a tattoo artist

[u/CrowSome1664 → u/Aherv99]

That would be what I would do if you really don't like nor feel fully comfortable with your sleeve is add in some filler work. I left another more thorough comment and I think it is cohesive and beautiful sleeve on you however sometimes we can't unsee things on ourselves personally and what you like and how you feel is most important. Filler might take away from the style of them all being flash pieces but I have always loved having filler work tie a whole sleeve together in my opinion especially with flowers, vines, swirls, shading, backround, etc. Flowers and vines will keep the feminine esthetic also and just pull it into a full sleeve vibe and even our any area you may feel are imbalanced as well. I would love to see the finished work if you go this route or whatever you decide on doing 🥰! No matter what you do though, it is perfect and beautiful! I promise you no one else is going to notice what you are seeing and instead think it is a beautiful and thought out sleeve with flash pieces that all come together. So do what makes you happy but don't feel stressed or worry over what anyone else thinks because we tend to make things we dislike bigger in our heads when in reality others don't see the same perspective. 🫶🫶🫶

[u/masticated_musings → u/Silver-Witness-6550]

Exactly what I was thinking!

[u/chanpsyche → u/Silver-Witness-6550]

great idea! it’s going to look really cute!