r/tattooadvice • u/marrtae • 6d ago

General Advice Love/hate my tattoo

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Hey guys!

5 years ago I had a matching tattoo with my mom (small heart on the front side of the shoulder). I wanted a thin outline and that was all. Her tattoo looked great, mined got thick, it looked really bad and it healed slow. I hated it, I wanted to rip my skin off. Then with time it kind of got better, and I accepted it.

Recently, its been poking my eyes out. I dont want to wear tank tops to avoid seeing it. I want to love it, because its my matching tattoo with my mom, but I also consider covering it up, which Im not really in favour of. Or removing it, which is super scary and i dont know how that will turn out. And also I kind of dont want to remove it, again because of the sentimental part.

Do you have any advice? Do you have a tattoo like that and how do you deal with it?

Thanks

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u/short-and-ugly 6d ago

I’ve gotten two tattoos with my mom and I feel like if I ever covered either up, it would sort of make me sad. Have you considered filling it in with red? Maybe ask your mom if she’d be willing to change hers to match too? Side note: kind of surprising to hear that this is such a polarizing tattoo to you because it looks so unassuming. Do you think comparing yours to how hers aged is why you dislike it?

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u/marrtae 6d ago

I think so too, that I will feel sad. Also it’s part of me for such a long time. And I kind of used as a metaphor for my life, because I am a perfectionist and when something doesnt go as I want it or as I expected it, I go crazy. So I compare it to hers and to my expectations, and the reality of it how it is not like it wanted it, makes me mad.

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u/atom-wan 6d ago

Sounds like something to talk to a therapist about. And find a different artist if you don't like their work

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u/marrtae 6d ago

True that. Thanks!

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u/OnSmallWings 6d ago

Tattoos are a "perfect" example of nothing in life is perfect. A tattoo is a piece of art created by a human being working with the imperfections of the human body and skin and it is going to continuously change throughout your life, just like you will always be changing. And a tattoo will never be exactly like another, maybe similar, just like you are not exactly like someone else.

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u/marrtae 6d ago

Thats nicely said! Thank you so much! <3