I have 2 ugly tattoos that I got done on the same day, by the owner of the shop nonetheless. One of them looks like a drawing made by a 6 year old. The meaning behind the tattoos are basically gone, yes, but I don’t regret that at all…. just the poor quality. Even if I got tattooed an alien sharting itself in graphic detail, I’d have zero regrets if it was done well.

I blame myself to be honest, I wasn’t ready for tattoos and had the wrong mindset about it all. But the experience taught me valuable lessons:

Don’t lower your standards. Don’t feel like your appointment seals your fate — if they aren’t getting the design right, cancel and find a better suited artist. It’s permanent and it’s your body. Also, there’s no “saving money” with a tattoo you’ll end up paying to get removed later. A professionally-done tattoo is well worth the money and travel. Find well-known artists in your community, and talk with them before you even consider letting them tattoo you. Online reviews of shops aren’t good for vetting individual artists.