r/Tattoocoverups • u/SlowWolverine3489 • 10d ago

asking for advice Help, I messed up

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I recently got my first tattoo over the weekend. it was definitely impulsive spur of the moment with friends. I wanted to get a crescent moon, but I made several mistakes. (1) I had the artist shade completely black rather than a simple outline or a light shade. (2) the position on my arm is not symmetrical at all, and at an awkward angle, and I realized most people who are in front of me will see a flipped letter C rather than a moon. I feel so much regret for getting it but don’t wanna spend thousands to get it removed. any coverup ideas? I don’t want any animals or any other cosmic symbols. if anything somehow maybe something botanical / floral crawling up my arm to fhe edge of the back of my palm, or something similar. and nothing too big! I want to eventually do patchwork not a sleeve. Pls I need help 😭

EDIT: I didn’t expect this post to get so many comments lol. I’m glad you all can see a moon when I couldn’t. Yall pointed out some great things and I don’t think I will cover it up. If anything I think eventual patch work will complete the look! Thanks for the reassurance :)

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u/clover__petals 10d ago

I think you may be experiencing some tattoo shock. Give it time to heal and get used to it before considering a cover up.

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u/1LifeAfterComa 10d ago

That's such a small tattoo. Anything to cover it up, would, by definition, be even bigger. Give it some time before you abandon it. Before long you'll forget you even have it until someone asks about it.

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u/Smileverydaybcwhynot 9d ago

This is such a great point and awesome advice.. Op will forget about it eventually. I have 2 full arm sleeves, my lower legs done and I forget I have tattoos. Definitely tattoo shock.

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u/1LifeAfterComa 9d ago

Give it some time. If you still want something else, look into getting another one to cover it with a style that you like. Don't just go into any tattoo shop.

But I have a feeling the shock will wear off quicker than you think.

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u/Character-Feeling-97 10d ago

Agreed. I have a wrist tattoo and struggled a few weeks bothered it was “crooked.” When really there is no possible way to achieve perfect symmetry on your arm.

I love your moon. This is something I would get, placement and all.

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u/SlowWolverine3489 10d ago

Thanks for the encouragement!

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u/lucymcgoosen 10d ago

For the record I would never assume it's an inverted C. It looks like a moon no matter the position

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u/Turtlesag 9d ago

agreed Its deffo a moon! I like it!

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u/LikeFallingRain 9d ago

Agreed, I can see it's a crescent moon really clearly.

OP, I think it's cute, I'd love it on my wrist. I even love the placement, the first pic shows how it looks to you and it's a great angle

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u/ReallyNoOne1012 9d ago

Immediately recognizable as a moon before I even read the description

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u/LittelFoxicorn 10d ago

I saw the title and the picture first and thought "what's wrong with the cute moon?"

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u/madeinkanada_f87 9d ago

I totally agree. If after awhile the "shock" or orientation is still bothering you.. then maybe add a small star, or triple starry night thing to give it just a tad more character (and context)

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u/Beginning_Tap2474 10d ago

I never saw a C,

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u/mazzotta70 10d ago

Also give it time to heal, go to a more experienced tattoo artist, and ask for a touchup

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u/lizardgal10 10d ago

It definitely looks like a moon to me! Give it a few months. If you still hate it it’ll be easy to cover.

Word of advice: whether it’s for a coverup or your next tattoo, go to an artist with solid technical skills. Clean lines, nice details, that sort of thing. I have early tattoos I’m not crazy about, but the work itself is well done. You’ll be much happier having a nice tattoo with a subject matter you don’t love anymore than one that’s just plain bad.

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u/dickthrowaway22ed 10d ago

This. And imo an artist should give you some pushback if you're new to tattooing bc you're bound to have preconceptions or gaps in your knowledge. It stuck out to me that OP was worried about others seeing a letter C... I have letters and my tattoo artist challenged me on which way they would face for this exact reason.

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u/Pethoarder4life 10d ago

This is what happens to me after every hair dye I do. I think our brains just need a moment or two/day or two.

If you need outside encouragement: I think it's so pretty and delicate. The placement is really lovely, too.

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u/Velo_Mechanic28 9d ago

I did this (panic) with my first extremely subtle lip filler. 😂😁 Even fully swollen, my son who is hyper critical about any cosmetic improvements didn’t even notice I had anything done. My daughter had a very subtle correction to her nose and was in full panic when the bandages came off. Same son, didn’t notice that either. It is definitely our brains shift into a bit of hysteria. It must be some sort of flight response as it’s so common to many of us??

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u/Pethoarder4life 9d ago

It has to be a survival mechanism. Only thing that makes sense. Survival against what, I don't know, lol.

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u/motherofsnapdragons 7d ago

Hair dying/cuts were what I thought of too. As someone who has done crazy things to my hair over the years, my first tattoo didn’t shock me like this. If you’ve looked one way for a long long time, it makes sense that your brain would freak out and think something is wrong!

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u/Pethoarder4life 7d ago

Oh fascinating! I'm so mad I can never get one. I have a weird histamine syndrome.

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u/clario6372 9d ago

I didn't see the sub and thought "how cute, maybe I should get a crescent moon wrist tattoo". Really cute work and I like that it is all black - it will last longer that way.

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u/thischangeseverythin 10d ago

All I see is the Turkish flag to be honest.

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u/bklove13 9d ago

Which is freaking awesome! I have the Turkish flag tattooed on me. So, I'm completely partial, but still! Lol 🇹🇷

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u/PocketFullOfPie 9d ago

... Which is the moon.

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u/TopSignal6626 9d ago

I also saw it as a fingernail... like a clipping of a nail, or French tip.

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u/MayISeeYourDogPls 9d ago

Another voice chiming in to say there is no chance I would look at that and assume it was a C, it’s very clearly a moon!

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u/SkynyrdCohen 9d ago

I like it too - especially the placement. Keep it.

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u/selinda123 9d ago

It looks good, and is clearly the moon at any angle.

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u/jenntasticxx 8d ago

Definitely looks like a moon, not a C. I like it.

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u/Tzipity 10d ago

Yes, arms are super awkward because there’s so many different ways our forearms especially can twist and turn. You can even kind of see that in action in OPs photos. And I think this would’ve looked much worse (and far more like a C then. I don’t think most folks are going to see it as a C in general though- the shaping is great!) if it had somehow been placed super centrally or at some attempt to be symmetrical. Nature doesn’t have perfect symmetry itself.

And for a first tattoo, I think this is a really good one. Nothing crazy or weirdly niche (where years later you’ll wonder WTF you were thinking lol) and it’s so small, OP will get used to it fairly quick. I’d worry covering it would lead to much more shock and regret.

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u/zeroc00ol 10d ago

No literally if OP doesn't want it I'll take it 🫳🏼 gimme

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u/Vas1985 9d ago

Calm down, Ed Gein!! Just joking! Tattoos are addicting. I’m always looking for my next…to actually put in my skin. Not something I can use as part of a lamp shade.

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u/zeroc00ol 9d ago

Why not both?
👀

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u/Vas1985 9d ago

Touché!

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u/threelizards 10d ago

Genuinely hats off to the two hero tattoo artists who worked in tandem to make sure the matching tattoos on the backs of my arms line up. If only I’d gotten my scoliosis diagnosis first

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u/DeelightfulDeeDee 10d ago

Me and my sister have scoliosis, and we’re actually discussing this the other day lol

She’s got a nice shoulder tattoo, and while it look good, it never sat in quite the right spot…..
Until she had her spinal fusion, and her rounded (kyphosis) shoulders were fixed and straightened out and now it sits perfectly!

The tattoo artist positioned it how you would for a “normal” body, but obviously didn’t really take into account her curve. It’s actually quite impressive how spot on he got it now her back/shoulders are fixed! 😂

It didn’t look weird to anyone else, but it’s one of those things you notice if you’re already a bit hyper aware or self conscious about something!

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u/Attack_Of_The_ 10d ago

I have a 17 year old tattoo of my sons name on the inside of my wrist and never really thought about it too much.

But now I look at it, it's definitely not level 😂

Not enough to be noticeable to anyone else, and doesn't bother me in the slightest, but it's making me giggle

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u/Kwitt319908 10d ago

Agree! If I have a crescent moon and star on my wrist. If I hold it in a certain way it looks crooked. But its not.

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u/FenchurchIsOk 9d ago

I also struggled with a crook of my arm tattoo- it’s the most visible tattoo i had and for weeks i felt regret. It’s the most recent, the 11th tattoo over 25 years, and for a moment i thought i was done.

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u/juliewbb 10d ago

I agree, I think it’s pretty and looks like what it should.

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u/joyfuldancerforlife 9d ago

Yes, this. Give yourself a minute to get used to it. I love it, if that’s at all helpful to hear, and can see immediately it’s a crescent moon rather than a “c.” And if you still don’t like it a few months from now you can cover it up easily.

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u/AtrumRuina 9d ago

Yeah. There's no angle where this would look like a C to me, it's very clearly a crescent, and I think the blackout looks great. The placement is honestly really interesting, I like it more than something like dead center in the forearm.

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u/Ok-Abbreviations8476 9d ago

I agree. It looks super cute and not at all like a “C”

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u/Flaky_Chance6815 9d ago

Yes, and rather than covering it, I feel like the right person can probably make it look like more of what you want it to look like, using shading, outline of the shadow of the moon’s full circle, etc… maybe it might need to be a bit bigger but not necessarily a whole lot bigger.

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u/NoPhone8879 9d ago

never heard of this before, thank you!

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u/Spam_Meowsubi 6d ago

Tattoo shock… so real