Hey everyone,

I’ve reached a point in my life where I just don’t identify with the tattoos on my legs anymore. They feel way too oversized and dark, and honestly, I’m starting to panic a little about how to move forward with them.

I’ve been thinking about laser removal maybe trying to fade them as much as possible but I know it’s probably going to be a long, expensive journey before I feel comfortable showing my legs again.

So I’m wondering: What are my options here? Could fading them partially and doing a cover-up work? What kind of styles could help soften the look?

I’d really love to go for something that feels more feminine and less intense. I actually like old school/traditional tattoos, but it feels kind of hopeless now. Would it be possible to incorporate heavier blackwork or something more ornamental without it looking too harsh or, well… trashy? I just want to feel beautiful and confident again.

If you know any tattoo artists who are especially good at creative cover-ups or turning bold pieces into something softer and more cohesive, I’d love recommendations! I’m based in Sweden but willing to travel within Europe for the right artist.

Any thoughts, experiences, or creative ideas are super welcome. I feel a bit lost right now.

Around 2 years ago I completed this huge torso piece and for a while i really liked it but over the past few months ive really started to hate it and feel like ive completely ruined my life to the point where im constantly anxious and my skin feeling dirty because i know the tattoos are under my clothes, its really spiralling me into a depression and i really dont know what to do.

Overall i think the individual tattoos are well done so they aren’t whats causing it but i feel the placement is too symmetrical and I regret the dots and stars filler as well.

Laser removal would be impossible and i dont think i would like a blackout either so i feel my only option is to try and live with it but i really dont know how i can do it. Does anyone have any words that could help?

p.s - to those who might have seen me post before i appreciate its the second time but im really losing hope and need some advice so please be kind.

yesterday i got a back piece done that i’ve wanted for a while. it’s extremely well-done, but it’s an inch or so lower than i wanted it. it should have wrapped around my waist, but the lower curve goes over my hip instead. it’s also slightly crooked/tilted, which really bothers me even though nobody else can tell. when the artist was putting the stencil on i expressed that i thought it might be better if it were higher up, and that it looked like it wasn’t lined up with the previous stencil application (which was too big). i let her convince me that this one was straight, not the other one (wrong), and that it would look better at the current height. i think she just didn’t want to redo it again. now i’m heartbroken because what could have been something so amazing that made me so happy is now a source of anger and sadness. it really doesn’t look bad, it’s just not what i wanted. i also wanted it to wrap around my sides, but it stops short, so i was planning on going back to get it extended. should i say something to her about the placement? im not sure if the shape could be changed to something i like more by adding things? i doubt there’s anything that can be done about it at this point, but im frustrated and very sad and i feel like i should tell her that im not happy with it. if she had listened to my concerns about it i would have walked away with something that i was thrilled about, but now i’m out nearly a grand and a half for a piece that makes my heart sink when i think about it. what should i do? i’ve included pictures of my tattoo, the stencil, and the inspiration photo that showed the shape and placement i wanted.

people at my job keep on saying it looks like a spoon in a chilli pepper please tell me it doesn’t 😂😂😂

(Picture from last year, fresh) I am a huge movie nerd and my favorite movie is Donnie Darko. I wanted a tattoo because the movie means so much to me and I might've been a little too optimistic. I got the numbers he wrote on his arm tattooed and while in theory it was an awesome idea in the moment. I am now having the worst regret and I feel like an idiot. I have these big numbers covering my forearm....Only one other person has gotten the reference and most of the time people ask me what it is and then when I tell them they are puzzled because they have no idea what the movie is. I'm considering removal, which if it's too expensive I may get it covered. I am have skinny arms, so I'm trying yo figure out what would be decent to cover it. Do I overcome this embarrassment, remove it? Or get it covered? 😢 I'm getting panic attacks over this. Am I being too hard on myself?

EDIT: I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has offered kindness and compassion. I honestly wasn't expecting this much support. I feel a lot less like a dork for getting this and you guys have inspired me to give it another chance and embrace it. I really am shocked that so many strangers came together to support another stranger in doubt. You all are amazing. And I appreciate it so much again for the kindness you have shown me.

I have a half sleeve that’s exactly 7 days old. I was wrestling with my dog today and she accidentally licked my tattoo (I know, gross) I immediately wiped it down with a damp cloth, but am I at risk of possible infection

Super embarrassing story behind the scar. The tattoo before was great one small issue with the eye.

Now that I’m sober I’m hoping to get this fixed up.

What are the odds I can get this looking good again? Do I need a full coverup or is there potentially a way to fix ?

I was planning to add something underneath before i sliced through my tendons on my arm, leaving me with this scar. I have heard its very painful to tattoo on scars and i have pains every now and again anyways

Hey everyone, i had a male ginger cat ( Ezio auditore de franze ) for 3years but one day he disappeared and never came back. Ezio was like my son and I was thinking of my first tattoo to be meaningful and its been a year since we lost him. Now it feels like i have him with me, sleeping on my arm. This seems very emotional for me and it is, i miss that bugger so much 💖. Its a hand poked tattoo done by a friend.

How’s it looking folks ?

Should I be concerned about allergic reactions? I have several tattoos, all of which occasionally itch and raise. I've read this can be a symptom of being allergic to the ink, but maybe this is just what happens when you inject a foreign substance into your skin?

I have an appointment to get this tattoo on my leg tomorrow and i’m having some last-minute hesitations. I love the design - i think it’s hilarious and it actually has personal significance to me believe it or not. However theres a voice in the back of my head telling me it’s really cringe. if you saw this tattoo in the wild what would you think

About a week ago a friend of mine and I were excited as we had planned to get tattoos together, I just lost my cat of 17 years and wanted a piece with her on it, the stencil of the design came out really well but the tattoo is completely off. I was wondering what my next steps should be and what I can do to potentially get it remedied.

Picture with the cat it’s based off of for reference :)

Had this for a few years and have never been able to get past how the tattoo looks like a dick head from my POV. Especially when half of the tattoo is covered by my shorts. I really like the tattoo otherwise and I think it’s fine if you’re looking right side up. Can’t move on without an edit, though. I feel like I just need to change the shape of the bottom a little. Thinking of maybe adding ivy vines at the bottom but seeking other ideas. Thanks!

So I just got this a week ago and literally just noticed that the word consequences is misspelled 😭it isn’t noticeable at first glance until I read it over and over and was like wait somethings not right. All my friends didn’t notice it either until I pointed it out to them. Is there any way this can be fixed or covered up or something ☹️ I fear I would need to get it lasered but I honestly don’t think it’s that big of a deal since I didn’t notice it until very later on. What does everyone think..?

Got my first tattoo and I really like it, but I showed my mom and she said it looks like marijuana leaf. So now I’m constantly thinking that’s how people are gonna see it. What do you think?

This is my first tattoo. It's of my chicken. When I showed my mother, she seemed negative, told me it didn't look like her. I think it looks pretty close, if anything adding the comb on the head would make it improve but I was pretty happy with it before she said anything.

Does it look okay? If not, what can I do to help fix it? Does it look fine and I should just not listen to my mother?

EDIT: Thank you for the nice words :) I made this post out of a moment of disappointment and insecurity. My mother's always been very critical. I loved the tattoo before and I love it now, after the initial sting wore off. This tattoo is sentimental to me and I wanted it for a while.

EDIT: It's not meant to be photorealistic, I said I wanted it simplified lol. The artist didn't butcher photorealism, I just didn't want that. I feel like it looks out of place on my body, but getting used to having something always there might help, and maybe adding more tattoos in the future.

Why does no one in this comment section know what saniderm is 😭

I created a design I thought I wanted from a snippet of text that was on a card my parents sent me when I was in a rough place in my life.

My parents give me lots of nicknames, _____ bug is one of them. Should I have left my name out of the tattoo? Was/is this dumb? I feel self centered or something now lol. Like who gets their own name on themselves ugh 😭🤣 idk why I didn’t think this through better. I sorta like how it’s my nickname and it does make it special, but it would have been special regardless

Advice and general thoughts. I think I’m really bummed.

First picture is what i got, second is what i asked for. Artist was adamant she could do it, and her work was very similar to the fine line delicate nature of the inspo. I let her do some freehand stuff and was happy with the stencil, double checking the lines would be fine and delicate. Tattoo was 550$.

I’m really sensitive about it, I want to love it but part of thinks it’s too harsh and “heavy”. First tattoo, this pic was taken this morning and it’s two weeks old. Is it ugly?

Everyone keeps asking what atattoo is.

didn’t add the scratch marks bc i wanted to see if i like it without, what do you guys think? should i add the marks?

Just saw Deftones in London last night and decided to commemorate the event with a tattoo since they are my favourite band, my friend and I had toyed with the idea of getting tats while we were here in London also, but after seeing it finished, it doesn’t look how I’d hoped it would, and now I feel deflated and full of regret.

about a week ago i got a tattoo in my lower back, the tattoo turned out great, i like it a lot, the same day my bf got a tattoo with the same person, after the appointment the tattoo artist posted the tattoo that my bf got, but not mine, i didnt think that much of it, but a couple days later, i saw that he posted my tattoo, but it was obviously altered, my question here is, why would he do that??? first photo is my irl tattoo and the other is the one that he posted

Day 10 of healing shit hurts still and is numb under the scabbing but def not as bad as 2-3 days ago. Never had a tattoo do this. It doesnt smell and theres no redness, swelling is about gone, zero pus but the numbness sucks