There's no doubt that tattooing is quickly becoming a more widely recognized and accepted form of art in recent decades, but that doesn't mean that there isn't an abundance of bad tattoos out there. Just as not every painter is a Michelangelo, not every tattoo artist can be at the top of his or her field. Additionally, even the best artists can find themselves struggling to make some of the more bizarre or outlandish customer requests feasible.
Here are a few extreme examples of some of the worst tattoo decisions some have made. Hopefully, you can consider these before heading to the tattoo parlor and save yourself a case of tattoo regret.
Questionable origins
Because of the intensely personal and unique nature of tattoo designs, many of those who go under the needle have some sort of deep or emotional connection to their ink. Whether it be to commemorate an important life event, memorialize a deceased family member or celebrate a specific accomplishment, tattooing has rapidly become a popular way to express a personal connection on one's own skin. Of course, not everybody who receives a tattoo is motivated by as noble or grand a thought process.
Just ask Andreas Mueller, a man who was willing to go to any length to win a car. The 39-year-old man won a Mini Cooper through a radio contest without having to pay a dime in cash. The price Mueller had to pay instead – getting the word "MINI" tattooed on a very private place, on live air – may arguably be much higher, however.
Similarly, boxer Billy Gibby has for years now been funding his fight career through fairly unconventional means. Gibby is currently on track to snag the Guinness World Record for most tattoos of corporate logos. The fighter has 27 such emblems emblazoned on his body, covering everything from his torso to his face, as a means of raising money for his boxing career. Of course, as Oddee noted, Gibby is fighting to raise awareness and money for the greater cause of organ donation, which may make it a bit easier to look the other way.
Covering up may be complicated
One method inksters have experimented with to deal with unwanted tattoos is to simply cover the offending ink with newer designs. While sounding ostensibly simple, the process is still far from common, even among those who are no stranger to tattooing. In fact, as Statistic Brain reported, of the nearly 40 percent of U.S. adults who have at least one tattoo, only 5 percent have gone through the process of covering an old tattoo with a newer one.
There are many reasons this may be the case, including the complexity and difficulty of the procedure itself. As Megan Massacre, tattoo artist and TLC ink aficionado told the New York Post, tattoo coverups can be influenced by a variety of factors. Everything from the size of the original tattoo to its age to how dark it is must be taken into account when determining how and even if to attempt the cover-up process. Even then, there's no guarantee the outcome will be desirable or even what was planned, as bodies react to different pigments in inks differently. In addition, poor aftercare can result in fading and blurring that ends up looking just as bad or worse as the original design.
Of course, tastes are wildly variable. There's no guarantee that a coverup tattoo will be a permanent fix, as it's possible for the same sort of tattoo regret that drove a person to pursue the procedure in the first place won't take hold again 10 or 20 years down the road.
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