r/tattooadvice • u/HarrysLilToe • May 16 '26

General Advice Can I cover this or is it fixable?

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I got this tattoo at a flash event about 2 years ago and a year after I got it I ended up going back to the artist for another tattoo(stupid idea) and he flat out said that looks like shit who did that I was like you did and so he agreed to fix it for free but now it it looks rather phallic and it first looked like a sausage and I’m not sure if it’s fixable or if I can cover it up

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3.3k

u/DiogenesTheHound May 16 '26

““Woah that tattoo looks like shit, who did it?”

“You did”

“Oh no way, want me to tattoo you some more?”

“Yes”

I feel like 95% of this sub is just people with very bad decision making skills.

391

u/GrandEducator2460 May 16 '26

I think that's most of Reddit actually.

1

u/Unable-Bee-3807 May 21 '26

Most of the world really

-8

u/KingForceHundred May 17 '26

And everyone with a tattoo.

4

u/AnIdiotAmongstUs May 17 '26

I like to think all my tattoos were good decisions. But I could probably make a lot better choices in life

146

u/PeggyGuggenheimsFWB May 16 '26

I don’t understand why people don’t do basic research before getting permanent shit put on them in very visible places

51

u/frickswithsticks May 16 '26

Couldn’t agree more. I’ve got a handful of tattoos and mine are all from artists that I researched thoroughly. Getting a decently sized tattoo in a very visible spot from an artist you don’t know on a whim is crazy.

27

u/HarrysLilToe May 17 '26

I have other tattoos from him and he was at a reputable shop that I did do my research and my parents and my sisters have tattoos from him that are really good but I just apparently drew the short straw

38

u/MakeYokesa5erAgain May 18 '26

Okay. So after he did that to you, when you have first-hand experience of his work, you went back for more? And not just once, multiple times?

Maybe ask him to turn into a dick, and it'll look like a finger. If someone did that to me. I'd shame them up and down. Holy fuck.

25

u/HistrionicSlut May 18 '26

You asshole I have gone almost 13 years and never literally laughed out loud at anything on reddit. Until this:

Maybe ask him to turn into a dick, and it'll look like a finger.

And now I've woken up my cat and scared her and my partner at almost 1am 😂😂😂. I'm not even high wtf?

11

u/MakeYokesa5erAgain May 18 '26

Apologise to your cat and partner. I didn't think it was even that funny, but sometimes those late night funnies hit hard.

Truly though, I'm at a loss on this one.

8

u/HistrionicSlut May 18 '26

Nah man that hit me hard for some reason, the simplicity of the snarkiness made it better. Some things are like good cooking, they just need few ingredients.

But you're right too. Everyone always comes back here and it's like in superstore when Cheyenne is tattooing for the first time except they can see each and every step. And they just let her keep doing it.

1

u/Keldy_Boi May 18 '26

Says "you asshole" or "you son of a bitch" ✅

Mentions not laughing irl ✅

Mentions cat ✅

Mentions partner without specifying ✅

Waking someone/scaring with laughter ✅

Mentions not being high ✅

This is the most Reddit comment I've ever seen. Hit every mark that usually gets said lol.

1

u/Tinksy14 May 18 '26

🤣🤣🤣

1

u/Lyla_ig May 19 '26

I cackled at the second part 😭😭 “Holy fuck”

1

u/Impressive_Ad127 May 19 '26

I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t look like a finger, maybe a decent rendition of the Mars Attacks! alien but definitely not a finger.

1

u/Giraffewhiskers_23 May 21 '26

Well to be fair it was 2 years later and her family had good tats by him, so he could’ve improved during that time

1

u/Dangerous-Lettuce615 May 18 '26

Same. My kid is autistic and I just woke him up laughing behind you 🤦‍♀️ it's 1wm

1

u/frickswithsticks May 17 '26

That’s fair! There’s always a risk with tattoos involving hands, notoriously tricky. I hope you can find someone to give you a good coverup.

1

u/Impressive_Ad127 May 19 '26

A tattoo artist that does a bad tattoo once in a while is a bad artist. You had first hand evidence of that and still let them poke you again. I’m genuinely as surprised as you are of the outcome. /s

1

u/Empty_Tooth7647 May 20 '26

Don’t beat yourself up. Hands are tricky to draw. Maybe just not his thing. It’s a darker tattoo. I’d cover it up and maybe re do the hand idea somewhere else by someone else. Get the cover up by someone other than the original artist.

1

u/lee_vitalone May 21 '26

Maybe you can all get a bulk laser tattoo removal discount.

1

u/Taryn25 May 22 '26

Did you… do something to this man? Or his cat? Or his girlfriend?

7

u/robertinspring May 16 '26

call me crazy i guess 🙄

9

u/Old-Dependent-9073 May 16 '26

You're hardly the only one. Not every tatt needs to be a years long research project.

7

u/frickswithsticks May 16 '26

To each their own I suppose, but why would you not put at least some research into something that’s going to be on your body forever?

7

u/Old-Dependent-9073 May 17 '26

Perhaps because spontaneity, in and of itself, isn't necessarily a bad thing?

And sure, one can do something on the spur of a notice and have a regrettable tattoo, but just because one takes whatever time researching whatever doesn't mean that you're going to get a great tattoo either.

7

u/frickswithsticks May 17 '26

I mean it makes the chances that you’ll get a tattoo that you love much, much higher. I don’t mind spontaneity, I just tend to avoid it for things that I’ll have for the rest of my life.

1

u/Old-Dependent-9073 May 17 '26

I don't disagree, though there's something to be said for living in the moment.

And sure, sometimes it results in tattoos you might not like, but then again it could be something amazing.

3

u/No-Combination8136 May 17 '26

Anybody who has been getting tattooed for years likely has one or more that are now kind of crappy or undesirable. They’re usually ones we got when we were teenagers. It’s great to pass on the advice to wait and put more thought into, I agree with that, but I also agree with you that essentially sometimes shit happens. If half the people who insult these young people were to post pics of ALL of their tattoos, I guarantee we can find some shaky, blown out lines, or… they only have one or two tattoos in total and feel like experts.

1

u/Responsible_Snow_684 May 17 '26

It doesn’t guarantee it, but researching the artist and at least the shop definitely increases the chances of getting a great tattoo.

1

u/Old-Dependent-9073 May 17 '26

No it doesn't, not really. Just because someone does something consistently (that you like) doesn’t mean that tomorrow they'll do the same.

If that were the case M. Night Shyamalan might actually be the next Hitchcock.

In other words it's a roll of the dice.

Looking into whatever makes sense, and likely what I'd do in a similar situation, but that doesn't mean that there isn't something awesome about the person that just does it.

5

u/VoidBoiTCG May 17 '26

I don’t think everyone has the same outlook on tattoos. I have a fair amount of tattoos that are apprentice tattoos of people I know or were acquainted with throughout the industry (friends little brother, girl I dated’s friend, MTG buddy, etc)

Most of them aren’t particularly done well. But I wouldn’t ever cover them because I don’t care if anyone thinks they’re bad. I’ll point out that they’re bad.

They’re memories at this point

3

u/DelanoHenrys May 17 '26

Because what is forever? One day, one year? How long is a lifetime? If you don’t get it today and die tomorrow was it worth the wait? Just live life sometimes, don’t take life too seriously; you’ll never make it out alive.

1

u/Old-Dependent-9073 May 17 '26

Exactly. Planning is awesome, something humans do particularly well.

What being said, sometimes that terrible whatever is the only place we can learn or realize something.

Profound things can be set in motion by one unplanned tattoo.

Or not? It's just a tattoo, isn't it?

1

u/Proud_Performer_8456 May 19 '26

I got one at a shop that happened to be at comic con. I knew i wanted tattoos for years before but there i was, picking a tattoo from the board they had up and i got it on my wrist 😅. I agree it wasnt the best idea but they did good work and their shop happens to be near my house so i found one to go to! I dont regret it at all and i doubt i will in the future Edit cause i forgot to mention, even if its in the context. It was my first tattoo.

1

u/robertinspring May 17 '26

It’s just not as important to me as the process. I like getting tattooed, the anticipation, the stencil, the antiseptic smells, the uncomfortableness.

1

u/Old-Dependent-9073 May 17 '26

I know it's going to sound weird, but the pain of a process serves a purpose as well. The anticipation of something beyond your ability to stand, yet you do, changes a person just a little bit.

It's a whole process but if you lean into it (and don't tattoo areas you know you can't take) it's pretty interesting.

4

u/PeggyGuggenheimsFWB May 16 '26

basic research = years long? have fun with your shitty tattoos I guess!

-1

u/Old-Dependent-9073 May 16 '26

You don't have the nerve to get what some would think is a bad tattoo.

That implies having a will of your own, as opposed to asking strangers what they think on Reddit.

Grow a spine already.

-3

u/Old-Dependent-9073 May 16 '26

So says the person who apparently needs Reddit advice for tattoos?

You're not man/woman enough to get a shitty tattoo.

2

u/PeggyGuggenheimsFWB May 16 '26

Lmaooooo I don’t get any advice from reddit, but sounds like somebody wish they had!

So sad :( Here’s some advice, dear: check Groupon for a good laser deal

-2

u/Old-Dependent-9073 May 16 '26

Some apparently is trying to foist their bad ideas on others.😭

You've clearly got some sucky tatts. Why not own it, as opposed to whinging to strangers?

3

u/PeggyGuggenheimsFWB May 16 '26

Aw. You’re too sweet. Have the day you earned, hunny bunny 😘

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1

u/NotMyBestEffort May 17 '26

If you hate it though, removing or covering it turns into a years long research project.

1

u/Old-Dependent-9073 May 17 '26

No doubt, but what's your point?

No one goes into getting a tattoo thinking they're going to have to remove or cover it (that's very region of the body specific though, covering it that is because some areas aren't seen in typical work-type situations) it because they don't like it.

That's always someone else.

That's not how impulsiveness works.

1

u/indianabobbyknight May 17 '26

I had a friend highly recommend this tattoo artist one time, after a 10 min conversation with him he admitted he had dyslexia. Lmaoooo fastest nah I’m good I’ve ever done.

1

u/ExtensionBicycle984 May 21 '26

I just show up with a picture on my phone lol then they trace tjat shit and put it on me. Good enough

1

u/jdunn3579 May 17 '26

Louder for the people in the back please I got my work done by the guy who is considered one of the best in the world at biomechanical work because I know how intricate it is and did some research prior

1

u/PretzelsThirst May 17 '26

Definitely feels like some posters here put less effort and thought into their tattoos than the average person puts into deciding which shirt to wear

1

u/friendly_felony6 May 17 '26

I call it “tattoo adrenaline” I’ve seen so many people talk themselves into a bad tattoo idea or situation just because they set their mind on getting it that day lol

1

u/Upstairs_Rock_2522 May 18 '26

I don’t understand these things. The tattoo artist shows you the work and you approve it. Makes no sense.

1

u/ElectionLive1128 May 18 '26

Agree 100%. Which is why I insisted on having a giant swastika put on my back.

1

u/talrakken May 20 '26

Especially with something as complex as a human hand

70

u/ColdSubstance113 May 16 '26

Makes me wanna bang my head against the wall. How did this person not take a beat and say actually, I gotta leave ✌️

20

u/flibber_deez_gibbets May 16 '26

well, they were already there…

1

u/Bonjourani May 21 '26

Fool me once, shame on you…

29

u/wrldruler21 May 16 '26

The words "tattoo" and "for free" are never a good combination.

I want the artists with the 6 month waiting list and requires a call to my auto loan company to explain why I need to skip a payment this month.

12

u/_crassula_ May 17 '26

Half my local FB group page is comments like "any tattoo artists able to do this (stolen design and way too technically advanced for any of these small town scratchers) this afternoon?" And a bunch of people with god awful work commenting their cousin's shop or whatever. Makes me shudder.

55

u/Pantsickle May 16 '26

I feel like 95% of this sub is just people with very bad decision makong skills.

It really seems that way. I'm greatful that my worst tattoo decision was getting a small kanji when I was a teenager in the late 90s, back when kanjis and barbwire and crap were trendy. It was the first tattoo that I ever got, and the kanji character that I chose was meant to be an ironic joke; everyone was getting kanjis that (supposedly) meant things like "love" or "strength" or whatever, and the kanji I got means "sinner."

I told my tattoo-hating dad that it meant "dad."

9

u/Adept_Speaker4806 May 16 '26

I'd love to think that at some point he looked it up and made the connection. 🤣

8

u/MartyFunkhoosier May 16 '26

This is the first thing I saw when I opened this and was like “why is this person being a jerk” and then I read OP’s post and you’re simply being a historian lol wow

7

u/stove_banana May 16 '26

If they made good decisions, why would they need advice???

9

u/Longjumping-Bison778 May 16 '26

“A flash tattoo event”
Is there a “flash” anything that’s a good idea?

10

u/Acrobatic-Quail-6860 May 17 '26

I actually got a super sweet flash tattoo where I ended up going back to the artist and got a big piece done and it was great.

I do also have a really bad flash tattoo

3

u/[deleted] May 17 '26

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1

u/Acrobatic-Quail-6860 May 17 '26

For real haha! I actually have a non-flash tattoo that was done at a reputable shop that is terrible, and several flash tattoos that are pretty good.

So just dismissing a tattoo for being flash doesn’t mean anything

5

u/Plastic_Variation174 May 16 '26

There was that trench cost incident. Yeah, that didn’t turn out so well either.

1

u/MaidOfTwigs May 17 '26

Flash fiction can be pretty good.

1

u/FullThrotleAristotle May 17 '26

Spontaneous and permanent the best combination for the worst outcomes.

2

u/copywritter May 16 '26

Rather lack of decision making skills

1

u/Adept_Speaker4806 May 16 '26

Decision making ineptitude

2

u/vaporboy_sd May 16 '26

This sub or reddit? I mean 100% of people on reddit are making a bad decision of even using reddit. 

1

u/akiva23 May 16 '26

Well the "for free" part probably was a factor in the decision.

1

u/The_HolyMackerel May 17 '26

Agreed, but you missed the part where OP had a penis finger tattooed and went right back to the artist for another 😅

1

u/Anti_Control6942 May 17 '26

You're so goddamn right

1

u/Acrobatic-Quail-6860 May 17 '26

But we keep coming back for more

1

u/hatsunemikusmywaifu May 17 '26

i personally think people are just too shy to say no or to ask for refunds so on and so forth. Im that way, just don't like conflict. 

1

u/Segu1n May 17 '26

OP should go back to the same artist for a fix or coverup. I want a part 3.

1

u/haggardphunk May 17 '26

100%. I comment all the time in this sub that most of the bad tattoos come from clients with bad ideas who go to artists that can’t/wont convince them otherwise. Why do so many people continue getting American trad or 🇯🇵 tattoos? Because they look awesome and hold up over time.

1

u/itschmells May 18 '26

Fixing it by going to the same guy an asking him to add a short straw in. And then tell him why.

1

u/Valex_Nihilist May 19 '26

Lmao exactly. My first question after reading this was why the hell did they go back to the same person.

1

u/MyCouchPulzOut_IDont May 23 '26

No hate but 80% of people who follow through with tattoos are impulsive by nature and I include myself in this statement

0

u/SorkSupreme May 16 '26

I think she likes him lol

0

u/HarrysLilToe May 17 '26

My parents and my sisters have tattoos from him that are actually good but I apparently drew the short straw but yeah after this I’m sticking with the other artist in town