Living With Tattoo Regret

Mick Rose
Mick Rose
Jul 20, 2017 · 3 min read

As a visibly tattooed person, the general public seems to love telling me about their hidden or ‘secret’ tattoos. I have noticed some trends in people who talk to me about tattoos they regret. Through other people’s bad choices, I wanted to share with you some tips for getting a tattoo you will not regret.


Be original. The worst thing someone in the tattoo community can do is steal another person’s tattoo. If you admire that piece of artwork so much, feel free to draw inspiration from it, but do not just take it as your own.

I have also never been one for matching tattoos; being a tattooed person, the idea of someone else having the exact same tattoo as me makes my skin crawl. I would not suggest a matching tattoo with anyone from you best friend to significant other as a good place to start on your tattoo journey.

Be creative. That being said, the experience of getting a tattoo is supposed to be fun! Be as creative as you can and you will get the best possible result. I personally love making a Pinterest board for inspiration for my tattoos; it’s a very handy tool. When designing my own custom piece, I will even make a specific board for the piece I’m working on that contains all of the elements of the tattoo that I am looking for.

Think about it. Being creative takes a lot of thought. Specifically for your first few tattoos, you should really think about what you are planning on getting it before you just go and do it. A lot of people will tell you it has to mean something or you’ll regret it and that a load of crap. If you love your design that is enough.

Another thing to think about is where you want to end up at the end of your tattoo journey. It’s most likely you will know very early on whether you want to be heavily tattooed or not. You should take your final goal into consideration when trying to pick a style, size, etc. for your latest ink.

Research. I could make in entire post about horror stories I have heard from people who didn’t research their shop before getting their tattoo and of course this always happens to the newbies. No matter what stage you are in in your tattoo journey, researching your tattoo artist is possibly the most important part. A great tattoo artist will produce a piece of artwork you will love forever. A bad tattoo artist will botch your skin and make you regret your decision.

Figure out the perfect placement. A thing a lot of people either don’t think about at all or think about too much is the placement of their first few tattoos. I have people who know exactly what they want and no idea where to put it, or people know the perfect spot for a tattoo and haven’t even decided what they want! Like I said before, your overall tattoo goals will help you determine where you want your first couple of tattoos. After that point, it comes pretty naturally.

If you’re not sure what your tattoo goals are, like I was when I first started getting tattooed at seventeen, I would suggest starting on your legs and back. I made a rule for myself when I was younger and didn’t know what sort of future I wanted. I would only get my tattoos in places I could hide with a t-shirt and jeans.

If you’re a cliche, own it. If you’re eccentric, show it.

Be yourself. If you’re a cliche, own it. If you’re an eccentric, show it. The last and most important thing to do is to be yourself! Make your outside reflect your inside and decorate your skin with that inner passion! A thing I avoid, even after 20 tattoos, is to not confine yourself to one style. If you like a lot of different styles, find a way to make them mesh beautifully on your skin (and this is where a great tattoo artist is key). I’ve seen so many people covered in beautiful artwork that is all the same, or all totally different! Just go with what you feel is right for you.

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Mick Rose

Written by

A talented illustrator and occasional writer. A music and film enthusiast who loves animals and alternative lifestyles.

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