Dear Young People: Are you among the tens of thousands of Americans experiencing tattoo regret? We warned you this day would come!
Lifestyle :
For many years, tattoos have been all the rage. In fact, they’ve overtaken pierced earrings as the fad of fads among America’s youth. However, just like every trend, this one is spiraling toward an end and we will soon have a society of Americans facing the dreaded tattoo regret.
Sure, tattoos are often artistic and creatively expressive — until the trend wears off and they’re no longer fashionable. Except, there’s one huge problem: tattoos are permanent and unremovable, particularly among those with brown skin.
To put it into perspective, think of your absolute favorite outfit when you were in 8th grade and how sharp it made you look and feel back then. Now, think about if you had to wear that same outfit every day of your life — including now in 2024. How foolish would you feel today walking around in a fashion statement that hasn’t been popular since you were a pre-teen?
Such is the fate of tattoos and the growing emotion of tattoo regret.
TikTok influencer and model Sara Beth Clark spent tens of thousands of dollars on tattoos in her early 20s, despite being told 100 times by older generations that she would “regret them later.”
Now in her mid-30s, she’s getting a large, full-color tattoo removed from her upper arm. She wants to remove another tattoo from her chest because it has gotten in the way of her modeling career. However, she knows the removal process on that part of her body would be “incredibly painful and time-consuming,” so she has resigned herself to being stuck with body art she no longer wants for the rest of her life.
“You were right. The older people were right,’” Clark said.
Some people got a tattoo of Mickey Mouse the day they turned 18 (and could legally mark up their bodies without parental permission) but regretted it by the time they were 21 and a “real adult.” Others got tatts while drunk and not really realizing what they were doing. Still, others tattooed the name of the love of their life across their chest — only to realize a year later how much of a mistake that was once the relationship ended.
“I’ve seen some people who have loved their tattoos consistently the whole time they’ve had them,” Brooklyn-based tattoo artist Gabs Miceli said. And then I’ve seen other people falter in their attraction to them soon after getting them.”
She added that people may be acting “more on impulse” and basing their tattoos on “what people think is attractive at the time.”
The problem with tattoos is that, unlike a hairstyle or outfit choice, it can’t be changed. Caucasians can undergo a painful tattoo removal procedure, but that procedure is next to impossible for anyone with darker skin pigmentation. Additionally, the designs are probably flawless on the body of a 20-year-old — but will one day look horrific on the wrinkled body of an 80-year-old. This is especially true for those who have covered large portions of their body.
“It’s a funny thing to have so much of your body covered with something that is not the trend anymore,” Miceli said.
So, for those of you who are covering your bodies with every design imaginable simply because it’s “the thing to do” these days, listen to your elders about the dangers of tattoo regret.
We hate to say we told you so, but… we told you so!
OK WASSUP! covers Lifestyle News:
Tattoo regret is starting to affect our youth.
This is a good discussion to have DJ. I was just talking to a young family member about this over the weekend. Stop marking up your body because it is popular. That thing is going to be a ugly eye sore when they get older.