It’s no secret that tattoos are permanent. You can’t just wash them off or magically erase them once the ink is in your skin. That’s why many people think long and hard before making that commitment.
But not everyone gets the memo. One tattoo shop manager recently took to Reddit to share one of the wildest customer experiences they’ve ever had. A woman came in, made a very specific tattoo choice, and insisted on getting it done her way. Two days later, she burst back in demanding that it be fixed.
What followed was a meltdown so baffling it left the entire shop speechless. Read the full story below.
A woman made a very peculiar tattoo choice and insisted on getting it done her way
Image credits: AI25.Studio Studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
But two days later, she burst back into the shop demanding a fix, and the reason why left everyone speechless
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Image credits: İbrahim Halil Ölmez / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Timur Weber / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: SquirrellyWildcard
Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
A good chunk of people with tattoos end up regretting at least one somewhere down the line
Well, probably the only thing the shop can do in this situation is feel sincere lee sorry for how the tattoo turned out. Don’t mind the terrible pun. After all, the woman herself chose the design, approved the stencil, corrected it to her liking, and then watched the artist ink it without saying a word.
She left seemingly fine with it. It wasn’t until two days later that she returned claiming she wasn’t happy. As we all know though, there’s not much that can be done about a tattoo after the fact.
If there’s any consolation, changing your mind after getting inked is more common than you might think. According to Pew Research Center, about a quarter of Americans say they regret getting one or more of their tattoos. One survey of 600 respondents found that number to be even higher, with 78 percent admitting they regret at least one.
The reasons behind tattoo regret vary quite a bit. A survey by Harris Poll of 2,225 U.S. adults looked into the top reasons people regret their tattoos. Some said they were too young when they got it. Others felt their personality had changed or that the tattoo no longer fit their lifestyle.
Getting the name of someone they’re no longer with was another common answer. Some felt the tattoo was poorly done or looked unprofessional, while others simply felt it lacked meaning.
Image credits: Gu Ko / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Luckily, there are some simple steps you can take to lower the chances of it happening to you
But that doesn’t mean you should avoid getting tattoos altogether just because there’s a chance they might regret them down the line. With a little research and some patience, you can actually reduce those chances quite a bit.
Max Brown of Brown Brothers Tattoos in Chicago told Healthline that one important thing to consider is placement. “Certain areas just don’t heal as well as others,” he said. Finger tattoos are a good example. The skin on the sides and undersides of hands and feet takes a beating from daily use, which means tattoos in those spots often don’t hold up well over time.
The style of your tattoo matters too. “Tattoos without black ink tend to fade unevenly, and without the black lines to anchor, can become soft and fuzzy and difficult to read once healed and aged, especially in high-exposure areas of the body, such as the arms, hands, and necks,” Brown explained.
Tattoo artist Jeremy Furniss also recommends paying attention to whether you want something just because it’s trendy at the moment. Trends fade. Think tribal tattoos or southern cross designs. Choosing something timeless will serve you much better in the long run than chasing whatever is popular right now.
Cost is another factor worth considering. Tattoos are probably one of those things where hunting for the cheapest deal isn’t the best idea. “The cost of your tattoo directly correlates to the experience and skill of your tattoo artist. The time spent on your tattoo will also directly correlate to the level of depth and detail in the finished product,” Furniss writes on his website.
At the end of the day, while tattoos are permanent, there are ways to deal with regret. You can get a cover-up or laser it off, just like the tattoo shop manager suggested to the woman in this story.
What do you think about how she handled it, and what would you do with a “Lee Sincere” tattoo? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Readers were equally flabbergasted by the customer’s logic
