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Getting a tattoo can be exciting, especially if it's your first one. Yet for some people, it can also be a source of regret. In fact, 24% of Americans say they have a tattoo that they now regret getting. Sometimes, those regrettable tattoos can be tragic. Other times, they're plain hilarious.

This Instagram page shares the latter, bringing you the best of the worst tattoos. The self-proclaimed "original failed tattoo page" is all about the times people regretted getting inked or got a badly done tattoo and didn't even know it until others pointed it out.

To know more about bad tattoos and how one can get rid of them, Bored Panda reached out to Lacey Cormier, a medical laser technician and tattoo artist. She kindly agreed to tell us more about the most common reasons why people get their tattoos removed and what the removal process is like. Read our conversation with Lacey below!

More info: Lacey Cormier | Lacey Tattoos | Ethereal Tattoos

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    There are a lot of things to consider when getting a tattoo. The design, the placement, the style, the artist – it's not an easy decision for most people. But some tattoos can be, like Bob Ross would say, happy little accidents: you get them at 2 a.m. during a trip with your friends and later have to live with the consequences.

    According to one survey, people most often get tribal tattoos, hearts, roses, stars, crosses, and skulls. The size matters too: 63% of the tattooed people the pollers surveyed said they regret getting a tattoo smaller than the palm of their hand.

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    The medical laser technician and tattoo artist with whom we got in touch, Lacey Cormier, has been tattooing people for many years, and recently also got into tattoo removal. You might think that removing tattoos is unethical for a tattoo artist, but, on the contrary – she's familiar with the ins and outs of tattoos better than other removal technicians.

    Lacey says that most of the ink she removes are impulse tattoos. "Tattoos when away on vacation and if someone passes away," she adds. "I have removed quite a few memorial tattoos. These tattoos are often not well planned out and impede on potentially larger tattoos in the future on that body part."

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    Not all tattoos are made equal: some can be far harder to remove than others. "There are lots of factors that play into a successful removal," Lacey admits. The most obvious criterion is the color, of course. Black and grey tattoos will probably be easier to remove than colorful ones.

    But what some people might not know is that the location of the tattoo also plays a big part in whether it'll be hard to remove. And it's not about how even the surface of the body part is. "Tattoos closer to your heart will remove faster because of the blood circulation," Lacey explains. 

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    #15

    A Sock A Day Keeps The Dentist Away

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    zims
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Look, every dude has an ugly tattoo of their kid, if you want to stand out they need to be doing something stupid, too."

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    She goes into more detail about the technical side of the removal process. "The laser breaks the ink into microscopic granules and your white blood cells then carry the ink away. So, where there's more blood circulation, the quicker the white blood cells will take the particles away compared to an arm or leg tattoo," the tattoo removal technician explains.

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    When people decide they no longer want their tattoos, removal is not the only way to go. Many talented artists can cover up an old, unwanted tattoo and create something stunning. Lacey says it depends on the person and what result they're looking for. Those who want a blank slate usually go for removal, and tattoo lovers might choose to cover them up.

    "I do recommend people invest in [themselves], whether that is complete removal of their tattoo or to have a few sessions to lighten the tattoo to make it easier to cover with another," Lacey says. "Tattoos and tattoo removal are expensive but I wouldn't cheap out on it. This is your body and we only get one, so invest in what makes sense for you."

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    Lacey also emphasizes that tattoo removal requires patience. "The removal of a tattoo take can take months or even years to achieve the desired result," she says. "You need to allow the skin to fully heal in between laser sessions and or getting tattooed over the old tattoo. Unfortunately, there is no fast track or shortcuts when it comes to removing your unwanted tattoos."

    #25

    Funny-Failed-Tattoos

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    Lsai Aeon
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Alpha male tattoo done RIGHT. This is exactly what I see when some douche says he's an "Alpha"

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    #26

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    Tobias Reaper
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    there is an obvious reason that it looks like the baby works in a coal mine its because she is a minor

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    In the end, who's to decide whether a tattoo is a fail or not? If the owner likes it, then that's that! In a previous interview for Bored Panda, the editor of Things & Ink magazine Alice Snape said that the only kind of failed tattoos should be spelling mistakes. "Surely, a tattoo can only really be a fail if the person who has the tattoo on their skin hates it," she told us. But other than that, it's really a matter of preference.

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    Good tattoos, bad tattoos – beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. So, Pandas, you decide: how many real tattoo fails did you see in this list? Upvote the best of the worst to the top and let us know in the comments which ones stuck in your mind. And, if you have a story about an unfortunate tattoo yourself, share it with us in the comments!

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    #43

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    Peppy
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No regets ? That’s fine, I don’t want to get it again, thanks

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    #53

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    Mavis
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Stalker alert! And his poor old dad on the couch in the background.

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    #54

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    Kalikima
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why add all the extra lines to her face? The tat would still be bad, but it wouldn't be as bad..

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    #62

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    weatherwitch
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Poor Buddy, no wonder the poor furry pal passed if this is image is anything to go by.... 😮

    #65

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    weatherwitch
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I literally burst out laughing at this one 🤣🤣🤣 I haven't the faintest idea what this is meant to be 🤷🏻‍♀️

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    #74

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    zims
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Slightly cartoonish, but not a bad representation. It's better when the artist respects the vibe of the picture instead of trying a 1-for-1 copy.

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    #75

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    #76

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    zims
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The artist tried to get too fancy with the J and accidentally made a cursive F.

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    #78

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    Tobias Reaper
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    the age of man is over the age of the orc is here oh sorry that should be Urakai

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    #79

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    FoxEcoLimaIndiaCharlieIndiAlfa
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If I ever decided I wanted to get someone's portrait/face tattooed on myself, best believe I would be doing thorough research into the tattoo artist and their skills/abilities to do so.

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    Allison Hayre
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Of course he is making that face! You would too, if your hind end was on fire!

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    #89

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    zims
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Did they both get it, or is one way more invested in the relationship than the other?

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    Angela C
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've always wanted to visit Puerto Rirco. I hear it's nice this time of year

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    Tobias Reaper
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    1 month ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Freddy looks like he fed up Jason looks like a melted candle Michael Myers has a moustache Pinhead looks more like cactus head and Leatherface looks like burnt bacon face

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    #97

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    FoxEcoLimaIndiaCharlieIndiAlfa
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hey, you forgot to add the 's' after the 't' at the end. Artist- Oh yea, my bad. I'll fix that. As the tattoo recipient goes back to watching something on their phone.

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    Green Machine
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The thing that almost always breaks my heart about the tattoos of people, is it's usually an attempt to immortalize someone they love dearly (and has passed), but they end up making them look... just so bad. It's sad all around.

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    FoxEcoLimaIndiaCharlieIndiAlfa
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Someone definitely peaked in high school. Let's hope this wasn't her biggest accomplishment in life.

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