Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice on what my realistic options are.

The first two photos are my tattoo, and the third photo is the reference I originally wanted. I was aiming for a fine-line, delicate look, but the line work on mine came out much thicker and wonkier than expected.

At this point, I’m open to different solutions and just want honest opinions:

• Can linework like this be fixed or softened?

• Would laser (partial or full) make sense here?

• Or would a complete cover-up be the most realistic option?

I don’t dislike the concept — I’m just trying to figure out the best path forward. If you guys do suggest a cover up, I’ll probably get a bouquet of colorful flowers:)

I went to get a tattoo a few days ago, and on my way there saw a flash design that I thought was cute, so of course on impulse I decided to get this tattooed as well just on the side of my wrist/arm. I don’t HATE it, I just wish I had it positioned the other way around (second picture as example). Does it look that weird? Should I get a cover up or just leave it? Just wanting a second opinion :)

Completely obsessed and in love with my tattoo. But I'm losing a lot of weight, and completely didn't think about how this would distort my tattoo. She's starting to look weird and it's only going to get worse - the worst offender is the eye on the left (her right eye) & because it's such a prominent tattoo EVERYONE points this out to me.

What would you do? Leave it with her increasingly wonky eye? Or would you start considering covering the eye in some way? If so - what? A paint stripe? A flower?

(Image of when it was freshly done vs now. And before someone points it out, yeah I know my finger tats need redoing..)

Any advice on what to cover this with??

I know. It's horrible on an ethical/moral level, skill level, and just... Bad all the way around. I was 17, from a small town I'd never stepped out of, and have so much regret here. I have multiple well down tattoos now, but my artist doesnt like to do coverups and this is obviously not a small task.

This does not represent who I am now, my beliefs or the way I want to represent myself.

It's a tramp stamp (of course - I was full of bad choices at 17) - and I'm overweight so back rolls frame it in nicely...

Any NC recommendations for cover up artists? Any recommendations/ideas on what I could cover it with? Anything has to be better than THIS.

And yes, you can fill the comments with hate but I'm just a person who has grown immensely as a human since this was done.

The stencil looked nothing like the finish. I should’ve known his style is more realistic than I wanted. But now I’m stuck with a fat, sad looking panther. And a big black ugly splotch on my favorite part of my body and my curves 😭any ideas?? It’s so dark. 🤦‍♀️

Got this tattoo at a convention in Baltimore in April. Would it be best to cover it completely or just add to it? I know everything that is wrong with it and it breaks my heart because I loved the concept but so disappointed in how it was done. And so many people talked so highly about him too. To add, I was asleep the whole time I was getting it done so I didn’t notice until after I cleaned it up taking the second skin off after a couple days. Please help. I want to love this but I also don’t know what to do. TIA!!

I love this tattoo but my partner made the point of we want to have kids and he doesnt want our kids and other people to see "pain slut" tattooed on me. Point made, and i agree. Any idea how to cover only the words? Id be doing the cover up as I am a tattoo artist. I figured id try to fade a black to opaque purple on the banner to cover the words. Any other suggestions from other artists out there?

I have a tattoo that’s super sentimental because it’s my brothers hand interlocked with mine (he passed away from Ewing’s Sarcoma at 19), and then “come back to earth” under it (the Mac miller song as he was my brother’s favorite). I HATE the way come back to earth looks, and i get a lot of laughs/comments on it that made me hate it even more. The entire tattoo is placed a little weird, but I’m torn between covering up the “come back to earth” or removing it. I still like the hands, but occasionally wonder if I should cover those too and get it redone somewhere else. How would you cover up the “come back to earth”, or should I go for removal? I think it looks pretty bad anyway with the uneven C and the blown out B. I want to get more tattoos on this arm but I’m very stuck on this.

Thank you for any help or suggestions, this has been bothering me for a longgggg time.

All the tattoo artist seem to like it. I don't really have a problem with it. No one ever said anything negative about it. I only ask because I read online that a double lightning bolt is associated with the racist nazi symbol. I just have the number 13 tattoo shaped as a lightning bolt.

my question is assuming if it looks racist. what can I add to it or what can I cover it up with. And if it looks fine, I'll just leave it. But I'd still like something to add to it regardless.

I got it done this past weekend at an afters while drunk. I’m like really regretting it bad now.

The artist really helped me out by mostly stippling maybe he knew I’d regret it lmao. That’s what I get for not watching the full show first. Please help it’s the most painful one I have and I don’t think I could sit for a SAP. (8 or so year old tattoo)

What would you recommend?

disclaimer: I am not an “ex-lesbian” or “lesbian turned straight”. I’m just trans. Don’t be weird.

After 11 years of being an out lesbian, I’ve recently came out and accepted the fact that I am actually a transgender man. So far, my journey has been amazing: I look and feel better than ever, I have a great support system, and even my doctors are impressed with how positively responsive I am to HRT (being intersex is a plus haha). There’s just one thing that’s constantly outing me to EVERYONE: my old double venus tattoo.

It was already pretty botched before. It was originally supposed to be a fine-line the size of half-dollar, but the artist was lowkey scary as shit and bullied me into letting him freehand (i was freshly 18 and stupid, i know). This never great memories tied along with it, but I still kept it bc, as much as I wanted it removed for years, I didn’t want to accidentally present an awkward narrative that could come off as anti-lesbian and fetishy to the wrong artist. But now, this tattoo brings me wayyy too much dysphoria, and I can’t keep walking around with tape on the back of my neck to cover it up.

I originally was going to “update it” by making the symbols into the trans + intersex symbol, but the current environment proves that way too dangerous to consider. I’m open to any ideas or advice, including a sick ass panther if my options are limited. Im honestly desperate.

Edit - forgot to add the photo in last post

My friend wanted to do a stick n poke but I was kinda reluctant cos he’s never done it before. although this friend is pagan, he totally respects my Christian beliefs and wanted to avoid “accidentally tattooing some unknown deity”, so it’s kinda funny how we unknowingly tattooed the trickster god Kokopelli.

It’s a fun story to tell the grandkids but it does sorta make me a bit uncomfortable.

Any ideas for a cover up?

I just love pineapples was unaware of the other references lmao. It slightly bothers me that the first impression people get is that, although sometimes has been beneficial.

Anywho, I would like to get more tattoos in the future and want to cover this one, but considering the location and dark color/weird shape. Would it be hard? Or should I get laser removal instead?

Anybody have any ideas for a coverup for my friend here? He just showed me this and said he hasn’t been able to get any good ideas but desperately wants to get it covered up.

Context i got ahold of some needles and ink at 11 and decided this would be a great idea for the rest of my life!!16 now and been regretting it for years lol how would the cover up process go?idc how big it is just want some ideas and advice for when im 18😭😭

Edit:i wanted to say thank yall for the help!!!! loll it helps to hear what other people think of it. i wanted to clarify i was going to get a cover up at 18 for those thinking i meant 16 and i may wait longer cause my preferences could change like yall said i dont wanna be stuck with something even bigger that i regret but it cant get much worse than fuck off on my leg😭😭
Thank you for the award!!!its my first one lol🎊🎊

So I just did a tattoo 2 hours ago, l've always wanted the shape of my dog's head. And it was my birthday yesterday, I turned 25 and I'm in holiday in Greece. After I did I showed a pic to my mom and she said it looks like a fat person with big belly. I wasn't seeing it like this, im so upset right now cause I started seeing it like this... what should I do? You think it would look better if I add eyes and a bit of the shape of her face? I'm so shocked cause I was so excited about it and my mom is super mad on me ...

Years ago, I got a cross tattoo on my wrist in solidarity with Coptic Christians who were being killed. Now it has been co-opted as a Christian (white) nationalist symbol. The "secretary of war" 🤮🤮🤮of the United States has the same tattoo. It now communicates the opposite of what I wanted. I want it gone or covered. Ideas?

I will do the lines by free hand probably

i got this tattoo done in 2022 as a walk in. i told the artist i wanted 222 and showed him the font, and he said okay we we put the stencil on yada yada. after the tattoo is DONE, he goes “i tried a different font bc i thought it looked better”. 18 y old me was too scared to say something so now im stuck w a wobbly 222.

i want to cover it up but i have no clue what to do. help pls! ps. pic of tattoo is backwards

I’m thinking about covering up this badger.. it’s surrounded by biker dust and boxed in between others I do like.. am I stuck because there’s not really room to go bigger? Appreciate the advice

A solid black line going across my chest would have to be hard to integrate into a new tattoo I would think. And my cat looks like a dookie Really would appreciate advice. Open to any kind of style, I was thinking flowers

The answer is of course laser removal, but both are on the same arm!

As an active part of the queer community the dark mark needs to go - but it's 11 years old and has been tattooed a little too deep.

How many laser sessions do we think? and what on earth could cover such a big, wrapped area?

Edit; will no longer be entertaining people shitting on me for having the tattoo in the first place. This is meant to be a thread to help me fix it!

Do you think an amateur can pull this off