O.M.G!!🤯 As the parent of a teenage daughter, I would be SOOOOO PISSED OFF, & I’m usually pretty passive- passive aggressive by nature!! It’s not because I don’t want her having tattoos, but rather b/c I don’t trust her to make a PERMANENT DECISION at age 14!! Questions… How long ago was that & do you regret it????
I actually don’t regret it, it’s a small tattoo on my back, I’m 32 now. My dad was PISSED though. He saw it months after I got it and he came after me with a Brillo pad trying to scrub it off 😂
That’s exactly what my mom would’ve done, lol!! My husband doesn’t like tattoos very much & when I came home with a butterfly on my neck, all he said was “You’ve got a BUG on your neck! (We’ve been married 25yrs, so he’s stuck with me!!!;P)🤣🤣🤣
I was 15 when I bullshitted to the tattoo shop about my age. It was common to do back In the day and loads of my mates also had tattoos... Many of them got the ol' tramp stamp or some shit on their arms that looked awful. I was at least clever and got something on the back of my neck so I could hide it for as long as possible.... Aaaaah the 90s! They were great lol
And I'm over here in Louisiana just trying to figure out where I can take my kid to get her ears pierced and all the tattoo places being like, "we don't accept anyone under 14 even with parental approval" *eyeroll*
when i was 14 a classmate of mine was doing stick-and-pokes on himself. iirc one of them was a tiny bee on the side of his knee…. the bee’s knees, if you will.
Once your tattoo is completely healed lotion is fine. It doesn’t clog your pores and you will find the better moisturized your skin is the tattoo will age better and it always makes the colors pop a bit more as well 👍
I usually aquaphor until the major flaking is done then switch to unscented lotion while it’s in that wicked itchy phase. As long as it’s moisturized and kept clean I suppose you’re golden.
Many artists don't recommend aquaphor due to it smothering tattoos during healing. That said, I've used it and it was fine...these days I just use unscented lotion right off the bat with good results..
So our biggest living organ is actually our skin. Hydrating and moisturising a healed tattoo can prolong its life and require less touch ups 🤪 I moisturise my leg tattoos daily and they’re all bold as. Also sunblock helps for obvious reasons 😝🤙
Someone I know got a Chinese symbol at 13 years old. He just picked the one he thought looked the coolest. He later found out it was a Chinese zodiac sign, and not even his own sign (not that that is mandatory, he just had no idea what he was looking at, just picked something random). The tattoo itself is perfectly fine and it aged well, no shitty work there. But the idea was definitely shitty, due to the fact he regretted his choice almost instantly. But for a brief moment in time, he was the coolest kid in class because he had a tattoo.
I don't know the law in all countries, but even with parental consent 13 y/o is likely too young to choose a tattoo they'll be happy with forever.
My first tattoo I wanted a Japanese symbol, but the artist was some bigot biker who shamed the hell outta me, "Say it in American. You ain't a fill in racist slang". I am so glad that racist ass hat did that I ended up with old English calligraphy instead which is more fitting since my family either comes from Ireland, Britain or Italy.
I got my first at 16, then another at 17 & 18. They are all horrible. 2 I did laser removal and covered up. The 3rd is just the worst shit you've ever seen and unfortunately it's a large piece on my upper back. I wish I could afford to get that one lasted but because of the sq inches I'd bet it'd be $800 per session and need 6 sessions
I can't tell if it's smudged over time or if the photo is out of focus. Either way, it's not great, but that bad. The real question is who tattoos a 13-year-old?
It’s a mediocre tattoo. It’s got some goofy bits, but it basically looks like what it’s supposed to look like, and what it is isn’t a crazy fucking choice.
This sub loves to treat tattoos like a pass/fail test, and everything that isn’t good is shitty. But if you were like, in front of me in the grocery line, this would barely register. It’s fine or whatever.
The execution isn’t great. But it’s not ludicrously incompetent in a way that’s memorable or unusual. The subject matter is basic bitch shit, but that’s normal and totally fine. It doesn’t appear to be comically huge or placed in the middle of your forehead.
It’s fine. Have adult you make better choices than young teenage you, which shouldn’t be that hard. You didn’t do great, but you coulda done a lot worse (like, so much worse!) Everyone with good tattoo collections has a few oopsies in the mix.
You can also tell how young and recently in to tattoos a lot of this sub is by their responses. Tattoos as an art form wasn’t really as big a thing until the last 20ish years and stuff that would have been considered solid or even good work when I tattooed back when now gets shredded here. Add in all the instagram pieces that look great fresh but are gonna heal like crap that I see and it’s a whole thing.
definitely. i see tattoos that are 3-5 years old, which were absolutely beautiful when they were new, looking worse than some i have that are 20-25 years old.
The “China pattern” look that’s really huge right now (deep blues with white) looks awesome but it’s gonna age so bad. Reminds me of when single needle got big and everyone loved it but those tattoos aged like milk.
That’s a good point. I had also assumed age was part of the issue, as I associate the drive to have a hot, extreme take on everything with the kids.
But yeah, if their exposure to tattoos is mostly through social media, that’s definitely going to mess up their frame of reference as well.
Yeah it’s not alarmingly bad or even noticeably bad unless you’re scrutinizing up close like you’re on Ink Master. People on this sub often just want advice on what it looks like to the average person.
It's not completely shitty. What *is* shitty is that someone tattooed a 13 year old.
Would I have that? No, but I'm not in to that style.
It's got some fade, skin's dry so could use some moisturizer.
A little touchup work by a reputable artist could make it pretty decent.
Whoever tattooed you is probably good at drawing.. but they don't got the knowledge when it comes to caring for a tattoo.
You were supposed to use unscented soaps and lotions to clean it and moisturize it. It would probably look better if you did those few steps.
I've definitely seen worse. Up to you if you wanna cover it up or keep it for the memory.
Yeah, pretty bad. Sucks a crappy decision that you made at the age of 13 is going to be around for the rest of your life. Also, how did you get a tattoo at 13? Friend or parents, allow it?
It looks much older than it is. But it's far from the worst I've seen. Wouldn't register if I saw it irl, other than maybe bc I have a dragon myself & love seeing scales on others.
I think it looks ok. I was going to ask how old it was because it does seem to be a little aged in parts, but seeing as it's only 3 years old it's probably that the technique was bad. You will be able to get this re-lined by a good artist and it will look a lot better. You're gonna be fine
Might be a hot take but I would call this a mid tattoo. It’s really not that bad. If someone showed me that I would be like “oh cool” and not feel strongly either which way. There are far worse.
Oh shit, then be patient! It is really not that bad. Don’t go to a ‘friend with a inkgun’ or something, maybe think of some cool updated designs in the mean time.
If OP went with his mom and she gave consent, depending on where they’re located it may be perfectly legal. IIRC most places require you to be anywhere from 14-16 at minimum though.
it is shitty, but also I like it, it fucks. you could easily get it touched up when you're 18, by a better artist. as other people have mentioned, moisturize.
Eh...I mean, it's a good shitty tattoo. It really carries the vibes of the temporaries that game with the bubble gum from the little shop at the campground. I'm into it.
I'm not a tattoo person but I don't think it looks bad at all! It looks cool idk why everyone is hating. Maybe it needs a touch up, or looks a little confusing, but it's not bad at all. Love the head
Yeah it’s pretty ass but a shitty tattoo ain’t the end of the world. Just embrace its shittiness or get it covered up if you don’t like it. It shouldn’t be too hard or expensive to cover up.
Thank you. I needed this bouy in the sea of hurtful, (probably truthful) comments. This was a matching tattoo with my mom, that i paid probably too much money for) 😥
Yes. Also who the fuck agrees to tattoo a 13 year old
a 13 yo
If a 13yo did this then i think it’s definitely a good tattoo.. considering
OP said it was a professional and the owner of the shop they went to to get a matching tattoo with their mom 😬
Yikes hope the mom is doing okay
She actually died. Snakebite.
Most tattoo places in Florida.
I was just going to say lol I got a tattoo when I was 14. In Florida, without my parents permission.
O.M.G!!🤯 As the parent of a teenage daughter, I would be SOOOOO PISSED OFF, & I’m usually pretty passive- passive aggressive by nature!! It’s not because I don’t want her having tattoos, but rather b/c I don’t trust her to make a PERMANENT DECISION at age 14!! Questions… How long ago was that & do you regret it????
I actually don’t regret it, it’s a small tattoo on my back, I’m 32 now. My dad was PISSED though. He saw it months after I got it and he came after me with a Brillo pad trying to scrub it off 😂
That’s exactly what my mom would’ve done, lol!! My husband doesn’t like tattoos very much & when I came home with a butterfly on my neck, all he said was “You’ve got a BUG on your neck! (We’ve been married 25yrs, so he’s stuck with me!!!;P)🤣🤣🤣
I have a butterfly too! Right under my elbow! Twins.
☺️
I was 15 when I bullshitted to the tattoo shop about my age. It was common to do back In the day and loads of my mates also had tattoos... Many of them got the ol' tramp stamp or some shit on their arms that looked awful. I was at least clever and got something on the back of my neck so I could hide it for as long as possible.... Aaaaah the 90s! They were great lol
And I'm over here in Louisiana just trying to figure out where I can take my kid to get her ears pierced and all the tattoo places being like, "we don't accept anyone under 14 even with parental approval" *eyeroll*
Where bouts in Louisiana? Because the piercer at the tattoo shop I frequent has won awards for being best piercer and will pierce anyone at any age.
Pete Davidson
when i was 14 a classmate of mine was doing stick-and-pokes on himself. iirc one of them was a tiny bee on the side of his knee…. the bee’s knees, if you will.
That's fucking clever. I want a bee tattoo because my name means honey bee I'm gonna steal this.
I got my first tat at 14 by my mom. It's bad.
Another 13 year old lol
OP says it was done a proffesional
I almost thought that is overgrown pussy hair
I’m more upset that you aren’t moisturizing.
Wait, i thought lotion was bad for tattoos?
If this isn’t a joke I’m legit concerned.
Let me preface by saying im not a smart person. But doesnt that like clog up your pores or something?
Once your tattoo is completely healed lotion is fine. It doesn’t clog your pores and you will find the better moisturized your skin is the tattoo will age better and it always makes the colors pop a bit more as well 👍
Also having a skin care routine is just generally good to stay looking younger and be healthier
Lotion is fine while it's in the healing process too, in fact most artists recommend it...
I usually aquaphor until the major flaking is done then switch to unscented lotion while it’s in that wicked itchy phase. As long as it’s moisturized and kept clean I suppose you’re golden.
Many artists don't recommend aquaphor due to it smothering tattoos during healing. That said, I've used it and it was fine...these days I just use unscented lotion right off the bat with good results..
they don’t recommend it because people will put waaayy too much on. i use aquaphor on mine but i only put a very thin layer on
Used to tattoo professionally, you’re correct. Aquaphor is great as long as they don’t smother the tattoo (which many people do).
That's fine, my larger point is that lotion is totally fine during the healing process.
This is why you wait until you're an adult to make choices
BEPANTHEN NOW! 💦
It's an aged tattoo so just regular moisturizer is ok. But OP for your future tattoos invest in some gallon barrel of Bepanthen. It's actually magic.
So our biggest living organ is actually our skin. Hydrating and moisturising a healed tattoo can prolong its life and require less touch ups 🤪 I moisturise my leg tattoos daily and they’re all bold as. Also sunblock helps for obvious reasons 😝🤙
Wait …. What did you put on this tattoo while it was peeling and healing if not lotion?
Vasoline 😅 didnt realize that was very bad until 2 weeks later
Yikes on a fucking bike 😅 did your tattoo artist not go over after care?
I mean they tattooed a 13 year old idk if they’re gonna be the pinnacle of good practice here
Well, OP said they were a “professional”, so curiosity killed the cat for me and I had to ask 😂
Holy shit I’m fucking dying
Every single tattoo that anyone has ever gotten when they’re 13, is guaranteed to be a shitty tattoo
Someone I know got a Chinese symbol at 13 years old. He just picked the one he thought looked the coolest. He later found out it was a Chinese zodiac sign, and not even his own sign (not that that is mandatory, he just had no idea what he was looking at, just picked something random). The tattoo itself is perfectly fine and it aged well, no shitty work there. But the idea was definitely shitty, due to the fact he regretted his choice almost instantly. But for a brief moment in time, he was the coolest kid in class because he had a tattoo. I don't know the law in all countries, but even with parental consent 13 y/o is likely too young to choose a tattoo they'll be happy with forever.
My first tattoo I wanted a Japanese symbol, but the artist was some bigot biker who shamed the hell outta me, "Say it in American. You ain't a fill in racist slang". I am so glad that racist ass hat did that I ended up with old English calligraphy instead which is more fitting since my family either comes from Ireland, Britain or Italy.
I can’t even look past the dry skin. I mean if it’s a shitty tattoo at least take care of it 😂😂
The 1st thing I thought was *this* snake is SHEDDING IT’S SKIN!! 😆
YAS! ACTION TATTOO😂
*LIVE* ACTION at that!! 🤣
How do you see the skin is dry?
I got my first at 16, then another at 17 & 18. They are all horrible. 2 I did laser removal and covered up. The 3rd is just the worst shit you've ever seen and unfortunately it's a large piece on my upper back. I wish I could afford to get that one lasted but because of the sq inches I'd bet it'd be $800 per session and need 6 sessions
💯
That is going to be really smudge-y in like 10'ish years.
Try 10ish minutes ago. That thing is not doing well
It's not the shittiest?
I can't tell if it's smudged over time or if the photo is out of focus. Either way, it's not great, but that bad. The real question is who tattoos a 13-year-old?
It’s a mediocre tattoo. It’s got some goofy bits, but it basically looks like what it’s supposed to look like, and what it is isn’t a crazy fucking choice. This sub loves to treat tattoos like a pass/fail test, and everything that isn’t good is shitty. But if you were like, in front of me in the grocery line, this would barely register. It’s fine or whatever. The execution isn’t great. But it’s not ludicrously incompetent in a way that’s memorable or unusual. The subject matter is basic bitch shit, but that’s normal and totally fine. It doesn’t appear to be comically huge or placed in the middle of your forehead. It’s fine. Have adult you make better choices than young teenage you, which shouldn’t be that hard. You didn’t do great, but you coulda done a lot worse (like, so much worse!) Everyone with good tattoo collections has a few oopsies in the mix.
You can also tell how young and recently in to tattoos a lot of this sub is by their responses. Tattoos as an art form wasn’t really as big a thing until the last 20ish years and stuff that would have been considered solid or even good work when I tattooed back when now gets shredded here. Add in all the instagram pieces that look great fresh but are gonna heal like crap that I see and it’s a whole thing.
definitely. i see tattoos that are 3-5 years old, which were absolutely beautiful when they were new, looking worse than some i have that are 20-25 years old.
The “China pattern” look that’s really huge right now (deep blues with white) looks awesome but it’s gonna age so bad. Reminds me of when single needle got big and everyone loved it but those tattoos aged like milk.
That’s a good point. I had also assumed age was part of the issue, as I associate the drive to have a hot, extreme take on everything with the kids. But yeah, if their exposure to tattoos is mostly through social media, that’s definitely going to mess up their frame of reference as well.
Yeah it’s not alarmingly bad or even noticeably bad unless you’re scrutinizing up close like you’re on Ink Master. People on this sub often just want advice on what it looks like to the average person.
Yea I was going to say it looks like it was a good tattoo 10 years ago 🤷♂️ nobody is going to second guess this one
10 years ago… when op was 6 years old 😬
This, plus a fairly simple touch up could make this a lot better.
it reminds me of 90s action figures, like some villain snake you'd get along with a ninja turtle. i think it's fun!
It's not completely shitty. What *is* shitty is that someone tattooed a 13 year old. Would I have that? No, but I'm not in to that style. It's got some fade, skin's dry so could use some moisturizer. A little touchup work by a reputable artist could make it pretty decent.
It’s soooo bad, but at least they could draw scales
Whoever tattooed you is probably good at drawing.. but they don't got the knowledge when it comes to caring for a tattoo. You were supposed to use unscented soaps and lotions to clean it and moisturize it. It would probably look better if you did those few steps. I've definitely seen worse. Up to you if you wanna cover it up or keep it for the memory.
Yes
If you find some good professional to correct this thing, it could end up being a really good piece. Has potential
If I sported this beaut in middle school, I would have been the man...
Yes. Any place willing to tattoo a 13 year old is doing shit ink.
Yeah, pretty bad. Sucks a crappy decision that you made at the age of 13 is going to be around for the rest of your life. Also, how did you get a tattoo at 13? Friend or parents, allow it?
It looks much older than it is. But it's far from the worst I've seen. Wouldn't register if I saw it irl, other than maybe bc I have a dragon myself & love seeing scales on others.
I think it looks ok. I was going to ask how old it was because it does seem to be a little aged in parts, but seeing as it's only 3 years old it's probably that the technique was bad. You will be able to get this re-lined by a good artist and it will look a lot better. You're gonna be fine
Might be a hot take but I would call this a mid tattoo. It’s really not that bad. If someone showed me that I would be like “oh cool” and not feel strongly either which way. There are far worse.
this looks like a tattoo a bad guy from an 80s Saturday morning cartoon would have
Yep
Yes
Yikes. I have 10+ year old tattoos that have aged better than this. If the shop owner did it he's a scam artist.
Especially since it was on a 13 year old
WTF tattooed a 13 year old? They ought to have their hands broken.
Can’t you just get a touch up? The design is not that bad
Ive tried, but i moved to a different state and they dont do tattoos on ppl under 18, its kinda ironic
Oh shit, then be patient! It is really not that bad. Don’t go to a ‘friend with a inkgun’ or something, maybe think of some cool updated designs in the mean time.
it's way nicer than the rasor blade and ballpoint pen ink tattoos my friends and i were giving each other at that age.
Forgot to mention this was freestyled on my left arm, by a professional artist, the store owner actually
THE STORE OWNER?? Man. Con artist in the making lol
And the owner of a tattoo parlor tattooed a 13 yr old? Wtf
He won the shop in a poker game..
Please never go back there, that’s straight up predatory behavior. And i’m sure tattooing minors isn’t the only ethics violation they’re making
If OP went with his mom and she gave consent, depending on where they’re located it may be perfectly legal. IIRC most places require you to be anywhere from 14-16 at minimum though.
The fact they would do this on a 13 year old says this is no professional, and it shows
It's not *bad* per se. It just looks like some of the ink scabbed out or something, it's got some indistinct areas. It's fixable.
I really like it. Maybe get it reinked someday to brighten the colors.
I bet the stencil looked really good
Yes
Yes.
It’s a shitty photo
it is shitty, but also I like it, it fucks. you could easily get it touched up when you're 18, by a better artist. as other people have mentioned, moisturize.
Yes
It’s pretty fire in a sailor kind of way
It’s shitty. But in a *charming* way.
Probably one of the better tattoos on the sub but yes still shitty.
I’ve seen so much worse🥰
It's really not that bad, I don't know what everyone else is yapping about...
It looks they went to a bargain tattoo hut on the outskirts of Saigon
Eh...I mean, it's a good shitty tattoo. It really carries the vibes of the temporaries that game with the bubble gum from the little shop at the campground. I'm into it.
Yeah, but nah. It’s awesome in its shittiness. It’s like if the 70’s were a tattoo. It’s got color! It’s dope, man.
I'm not a tattoo person but I don't think it looks bad at all! It looks cool idk why everyone is hating. Maybe it needs a touch up, or looks a little confusing, but it's not bad at all. Love the head
Yes!
Yes
Very
Yes.
There are tattoos that are way worse. Not too bad.
yeah
Yup
IT SUCKS!
It's ok. Don't listen to anyone who tells you its shitty - have a look at what actually passes for bad on this sub.
Nope, god damn Mona Lisa right there brother.
The tattoo itself? No, it’s just a faded one.
It feels like a temporary tattoo that came from a box of crappy candy in the 80's.
If it WASN'T faded, and had fresh lines, not cool. Faded cobra, though? 100%.
Yes
It's a bad tattoo yes but it can be easily corrected by a pro just put the real money in it this time, sorry for your bad ink man
Yes, it is
The fact that you are unsure is concerning
Bro...
Indeed
Yeah lol
Is water wet?
Yeah it’s pretty ass but a shitty tattoo ain’t the end of the world. Just embrace its shittiness or get it covered up if you don’t like it. It shouldn’t be too hard or expensive to cover up.
Yes
Yeeeeaaahh
It’s pretty awful, on the upside it’s not as bad as it’s going to be it’s going to be even more blown out in a few years and will just be a blob.
Yes
💯
Most definitely shitty
This is a horrific tattoo
Have you seen the other tattoos that are on this sub? This is nowhere near horrific in comparison to some of them. This is just mediocre bad.
I’d be embarrassed if this shit was on me. Glad I got tattoos when I wasn’t a kid. Sorry OP. Hope you can get it covered or touched up
Whoever tattooed a 13yo CHILD should honestly go to jail. What a garbage person. OP, it’s not the worst, but it’s not great.
It's a masterpiece..... 🤨 Also, if you have to ask, it probably is
Yes
Nah
this tattoo is really cool
Crappy but rad.
Extremely, but u asked
Big sick ass panther could fix it
FUCK NO that’s got time on it looking good
Thank you. I needed this bouy in the sea of hurtful, (probably truthful) comments. This was a matching tattoo with my mom, that i paid probably too much money for) 😥
> This was a matching tattoo with my mom Your **mom** let you get tattooed at 13? *what*
Do you own a motorcycle?
What? No driving scares me
Dammmmm crappy tat
Not the worst, but the head of that snake looks kinda goofy.
Prob was pretty cool when you were in middle school
It's so trashy it's brilliant again. I really like it! The motive the mediocre execution, the colors, it all adds up!
13?! Did you get it in an alley? You need it worked on, it can be saved I think.
Hairy Pottre and the Camebre of Seekrits.
Possibly
I love snakes. 10/10 personally
Woah kinda reminds me of like a trippy 90s style computer render, I love it
That'll become a cover-up spot a few years down the road
I mean yeah, but it can def be re-worked!
i think it looks cool and i dont even like tattoos lol
affirmative.
This is a troll post nice one lol.. 13hahahahaha
 Not awful but snake jaws are not like that... Nor their teeth...
If you have to ask....
Yeah it’s dense. Needs reworking
Yes - it’s awful
If you have to ask here 0P you already know the answer my man
Yep
Did the 13 yr old do the tattoo? lol I can’t imagine there are many people that got tattoos at age 13 that are good.
Yessssssssssss.
Yes
It's inconsistent. If that was a pro, I hope he's gotten better in the last 3 years
Yes
Yes.