Most people make bad decisions when they are young. Toxic relationships, dropping out of school, and doing things that don’t matter are all there. The same goes for tattoos; how many of us have just gotten inked at the age of 18 or 19 and now deeply regret it all these years later?

For many people, it’s lyrics from a band they loved as a kid or the name of an ex. But scary tattoos come in all shapes and sizes. This list of “Nope Inked” pages on Instagram will prove it to you. Was it a bad tattoo idea from the start or just a bad job by an unskilled artist? We’ll let you decide on each tattoo below!

Further information: Instagram

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The reputation of tattoos has changed significantly in recent years. Even 10 years ago, everyone and their mother seemed to be getting tattoos. But nowadays, people seem to be more careful about getting tattoos, and many people who have tattoos are removing them.

We only need to look at celebrities to see that there is a trend to return to virgin, untouched skin. Pete Davidson, for example, recently decided to remove the impressive collection of tattoos all over his body. Some of them were downright “stupid”, according to him, but others were combustible simply because he got tired of spending hours in the make-up chair on set.

“You have to get there three hours early to cover up all your tattoos because, for some reason, people in movies don’t have that many,” he explained on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

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Many non-famous people consider removing their tattoos too. In Australia, for example, 14% of people with tattoos said they were considering tattoo removal. However, that doesn’t mean tattoos are becoming outdated. According to a 2023 Pew survey, 32% of American adults have tattoos, and 22% have more than one tattoo.

Millennials and Gen Z are the leading generations when it comes to getting tattoos, but there is also an increase in sentiment towards tattoos. Tattoo artist Shari Wei of LA studio Girlxfriend believes that, for women, this is in line with overall conservative aesthetic trends. It’s no surprise that in a world where young women sport the traditional wifey curls, subtle makeup and promote extreme thinness, tattoos are also on the way out.

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Another reason, according to Melbourne-based journalist Jason Murphy, is that tattoos are no longer cool. In the past, tattoos symbolized rebellion and deviance. Sailors, prisoners and punks are people who have tattoos. Now, as Murphy writes, our favorite pop stars are inked from head to toe. “Tattoos have invaded the conservative world of K-pop,” he added.

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“Tattoos no longer stop you getting a job,” Murphy explains as to why their popularity is declining. “Tattoos are expensive and middle class, and unless you cover your neck or face, they no longer convey rebellion. It’s true, if you’re 20 and can afford to get a tattoo in this economy, you’re probably still living at home with your parents.”

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Getting a tattoo can certainly symbolize a person’s social situation. Even a simple, uncomplicated tattoo created by a junior artist will likely cost you between $50 and $150. Of course, the placement on the body, design and location of the artist must be considered. However, this may still be out of bounds for most working class people. Dazed estimates that only some tattoo owners have the funds to remove them.

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So, getting and removing tattoos could be a sign of wealth. Senior lecturer in art history and theory at the University of Essex, Matt Lodder, told Dazed that the tattoo industry exists because rich people want to have tattoos. “These rich people would go to Japan and get Japanese tattoos to show off to their friends in London,” he explains. “The real connection that tattooing was a lower class act didn’t really come into play until the 1950s.”

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The people most likely to regret their tattoos are those who gave in to the trend. When Vice asked several tattoo artists which trends they thought their clients would regret most in the future, here were the most common answers:

Small tattoos with very small and thin lines;
Blackwork (dark black block tattoo);
Face tattoos;
Copy tattoos from celebrities;
1990s and Y2K aesthetic: tribal patterns, barbed wire, butterflies, etc.

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Surprisingly, a type of tattoo that was once considered tacky may be making a comeback. Tattoo artists in America and England realized that more and more women wanted tattoos on the lower back. Some may be influenced by Charli

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As Ashley Fike wrote for Vice, young women aged 19-27 are re-appropriating lower back tattoos “in the name of feminine power.” In the 2000s, it was a misogynistic punchline. But today, “lower back tattoos are less about seduction and more about self-expression,” according to Fike. “It’s funny, nostalgic, and a little tongue-in-cheek—that’s what it’s all about.”

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What do you think about this list of bad tattoos, Pandas? Are they that bad? And where is the line between an ugly, tasteless tattoo and self-expression? Let us know what you think below! And if you’re looking for more bad tattoo photos, look no further and check out our previous lists here and here!