78 Tattoos That Shouldn’t Have Been Tattooed

Over the years, tattoos have gained popularity and acceptance in society. No longer are they a “no go” meant for rebels, rockers, sailors, and gang members. Nowadays, everyone and their mom have a tattoo or two (or three). In many ways, that’s fantastic because people don’t discriminate as much.

In other ways, it’s not fantastic because people have gotten a lot of bad tattoos. Sometimes these can be covered up with long sleeves or pants. When it comes to face tattoos, however, that’s a bit difficult. Unless you’re comfortable wearing a full face mask all day, people are going to notice a less-than-stellar tattoo. Let’s take a look at 60 of them.

Cool Face Tattoo

In the early 2000s, rapper Gucci Mane rose to fame by pioneering the sounds of trap music alongside Young Jeezy, T.I., and others. Alongside praise, he gained considerable wealth. Some estimates put it at $12 million. In other words, he can afford to throw some money around.

One of the things he threw money on was a face tattoo … of an ice cream cone. Not the greatest idea in our humble opinion. According to Mane, it was meant to represent his being the coolest rapper alive.

A Baby Face on Your Face

Tattoos were once rare – mostly relegated to sailors and bikers – but nowadays over 20% of people have them. In other words, the stigma has gone down. However, there is still a bit of a stigma when it comes to face tattoos.

After taking a look at the photo above, you might get a better understanding of why. The meaning behind it might be cute (either a son or a baby picture of the person), but the actual tattoo is far from it.

Unique Face Design

Some face tattoos have a clear meaning behind them. For example, Gucci Mane’s ice cream tattoo is all about being the coolest rapper alive. The tattoo below, however, is far less certain. Have a look yourself.

It seems similar to a tribal tattoo seen on countless biceps and chests. Is there a religious or magical meaning behind it? Or is it simply a design that she liked and thought, “that might look great on my face”? It’s hard to know.

A Colorful Believer

Some folks take face tattoos to the next level. Sure, the design above is pretty out of the ordinary. But, the one below takes it to a whole other level – a colorful level.

Believe it or not but the colorful character above used to be a missionary and continues to make it to church every Sunday. Would you open the door if he knocked on it? He seems friendly enough, but we have some questions about the joker-style mouth tattoos.

Teddy Boy

Some people wear name tags to, you know, let other people know who they are on the first day of work or at a big conference. “Hello, my name is Teddy.” Others take it a step further. They tattoo their name on their foreheads. Meet Teddy.

Sorry, Teddy Boy. Alongside a unique moniker, Teddy Boy has a barbershop pole on his nose, a rock n roll phrase above his lip, and plenty of small tattoos all over. It’s a colorful bunch.

Face Full of Stars

When people think of stars, they think of famous celebrities and those bright shiny things in the sky. Quite a few think of tattoos as well. One of the more common tattoos out there is a series of stars. One of the most uncommon ones is a series of stars on your face!

Not a lot of people end up getting them. However, the girl above decided to go through with it. Her dad wasn’t thrilled – it took four years and $13,000 to get them removed.

A Heavy Face

A few decades ago, the general public associated tattoos with gang members. All over the world, different gangs identified members through different tattoos. The Yakuza are famous for their full-back tattoos filled with koi fish, dragons, and warriors.

The guy above is better known for a giant PVC pipe in his lip. Although he might not be part of a gang, he’s definitely identifiable. It looks like those nose rings are pretty heavy as well, we just hope they don’t fall out anytime soon. Ouch!

A Nose Fly

Have you ever had a fly or a mosquito buzzing around your face? If so, you know how annoying they can be. Swatting your hand only works for so long. Eventually, you have to spray some bug repellent on. The guy below, however, decided to let the fly stay … on his nose.

We’re not sure why, but just go with it. However, it might confuse newbies. We wonder how often someone smacks him on the nose to try to shoo away the permanent fly.

Skeleton Man

The man below loves face tattoos. And, considering some of the odd designs above, his are easy to understand and appreciate. The skeletal designs and Roman numerals have cost a whopping $28,000 so far – and he’s not done yet.

Perhaps he’s looking to become a full-body skeleton. That will take a bit more work. However, it’s going to get more difficult as time goes by and empty space goes down. For example, there’s not much more space for new face tattoos.

Chess Strategies

There’s something so simple and alluring about a black and white pattern. Maybe it makes life easy. There are only two choices. Or maybe it reminds us of a chess or checkers board. Whatever the case, some people love the look.

The guy above loved it so much that he tattooed it on his face. Now that’s dedication! Maybe he’s trying to let the game of chess soak into his skin so he can think deeply about the best strategy.

Wrinkle-Free

For women to be alluring, they have to be youthful, at least according to the ridiculous beauty standards pushed in the media and on social media. Many women spend thousands of dollars on all sorts of creams, pills, potions, and treatments to live up to these impossible ideals. This grandmother has a different solution for you.

To hide her wrinkles and droopy skin (forever), she had someone let loose on her with a tattoo gun. We can tell that she saves a lot of time and energy because she wouldn't even need to clean her face let alone bother with a beauty routine.

Dinosaur Scrawlings

Some modern art is incomprehensible to folks, and a common criticism is “my preschooler could have drawn that.” The same charge could be leveled at the following tattoo. 

There are a few interpretations of this. The first is that a son or daughter drew it in art class and the father memorialized it. The second is that the father let the son or daughter play a tattoo artist. The third (and perhaps most horrifying) is that the guy doesn’t have kids, the tattoo artist was an adult, and the scrawled dinosaur was a conscious choice. 

The Tiger That Wasn’t Terrifying

Anyone who has ever seen a nature show knows that tigers are terrifying creatures. They have the mannerisms of a house cat but are ten times as large and far more dangerous. Although people are understandably scared of that, they also respect tigers for their power.

One way to show that respect is through a tiger tattoo. That’s what the guy above must have been thinking. Unfortunately, the terrifying tiger turned out looking anything but terrifying. Time for a redo.

USA Forever

“Make America Great Again” is a slogan that was popularized by Donald Trump during his presidential campaign. It implied that America had lost its former greatness and was slipping into decline. This man doesn’t agree at all. 

It’s great to see that he loves America, but it’s safe to say that he went a little over the edge with his sense of nationalism. We’re pretty sure the United States will do just fine without all that ink. However, we’d never say that to his face.  

Smiles and Frowns

Smiley faces are a popular way to show that you’ve done a great job. Frown faces are a popular way to show you’ve done a terrible job. The guy with the tattoo below got a mix of both to show he was doing a great and terrible job. 

Although we admire the sense of balance, we don’t admire … really anything else about it. Next time, we suggest leaving the smiles and frowns to primary school teachers who grade homework for rambunctious kids. 

She Loves Geometry 

One of the subjects we loathed in school was geometry. Of course, no matter how much you despise a subject, there will always be other students who adore it. This woman clearly has a thing for shapes and lines. 

Do you think her tat designer utilized a ruler? From intersecting to parallel lines and many shapes in between, this woman is a walking geometry class. 

Overly Accessorized

This man knew that one effective way to draw in ladies is to don a casual, smart look. After a few tries, he finally tracked down the ideal balance and made it look so easy.

When he got his first face tattoo, he knew something was lacking. When he ran his fingers over his face he realized it required texture. So, he complemented each tattoo with a piercing. He’s a firm believer in “the more, the merrier” when it comes to accessories.

Glasses That Never Leave Your Face

Nowadays it seems like nerds are the new cool guys. Glasses, which were once the domain of the much-maligned “four eyes”, are now chic fashion statements. They come in all different shapes and sizes, from old-school wireless frames to modern-day semi-rimless to, well, thick black lines tattooed around your face. 

Although we applaud nerds getting recognition, we hope this new fad doesn't catch on because it seems like one of those decisions that you immediately regret. We suggest sticking to actual glasses, things you can put on and take off. 

Another Spider-Guy

Niccolo Machiavelli says, “it’s better to be feared than loved.” Regardless of whether it be plundering, burning vehicles, or battering individuals, many gang members will go to such lengths to rouse fear.

This guy took a simpler approach and had a spider tattooed on his face. Nearly everybody fears those eight-legged creatures. We wonder how many times he’s been slapped in the face by someone thinking the spider is real. 

Tattoo Text Messages

It’s no secret that many of us are deeply attached to our phones. It’s almost like they form an extra limb. When they vibrate from an incoming text, it can feel like our entire body is shaking with excitement. 

That seems to be the idea behind the tattoo art above. Although we think it’s an apt concept, we also think that it should have been drawn on a sketchpad and shown to friends rather than tattooed on a leg and shown to the (internet) world. 

In Full Bloom

This lady was an adorable child. Family friends would squeeze her adorable, plump cheeks. Some would give her treats and coo at her. What a dazzling young lady! Such a sweetie! 

Here's an image of her only a few weeks after her sixteenth birthday celebration. A red rose in full bloom! She now draws even more attention thanks to the eye-catching tattoo on her forehead. 

Have Patients

Spelling isn’t everyone’s cup of tee (sorry, tea). Unfortunately, the same spoken English sounds can be spelled multiple ways. This is mostly due to the fact that English has borrowed so many words from other languages. When you misspell a word in pencil, it’s easy to erase it, but what happens when you write it in ink? 

Well, you get the tattoo above. Regardless of whose fault it is (most likely the tattoo artist), it’s a good reminder to have some patience (and the ability to spell check) before making permanent decisions. 

When You Don’t Want to Wear Shoes

If you’re running a little low on cash and want to put off the appearance that you have shoes on, then we’ve got the solution just for you. Tattoo a pair of shoes on your feet. Sure it might sound a bit weird, but look at how well it turned out for the pair of feet below. 

Alright, maybe it didn’t turn out so well. We just hope this person was able to strike up a sponsorship deal with a famous shoe company.

Receding Hairline? What Receding Hairline?

Men generally don’t seem to be under as much pressure as women to “stay young.” However, the one thing many guys are self-conscious about is their hairline. If they notice that it’s receding, they often go to great lengths to prevent themselves from going bald. 

Rather than getting treatment or resorting to hats or toupees, this guy took a unique approach. That’s one very square hairline that will never recede. 

Another Way to Wear a G-String

G-Strings are usually well-positioned pieces of fabric or satin meant to secure the bits down below. The man in the picture below, however, pushed aside that whole “made of fabric or satin” bit and opted for something more permanent. Something made of ink. 

Although it’s hard to wrap our minds around why a man with a hairy back would get something like this, we choose to assume that he has an incredible sense of humor. What does his significant other think?

Jesus Saves, But He Doesn’t Give Tattoo Advice

Although the tattoo of Jesus below isn’t quite as bad as the tattoo of Coloring Book Jesus above, it still leaves a lot to be desired. The crown of thorns looks like lettuce, and the right eye isn’t looking right. 

It’s true that Jesus might save, but he sure didn’t save this guy from getting a questionable tattoo. To be fair, it’s difficult to get a lot of detail into a small space, so that’s why we recommend getting a cross or some rosary beads next time. 

The Nightmare Portrait

All the sketching, shading, and lines needed to make a portrait means it’s a tedious and easy-to-screw-up art. If you need an example, have a look below. Ostensibly meant to be a photo of his sweetheart, it turned out to be a sketch of a nightmare.

We aren’t sure exactly what went wrong. Maybe the arm was too small a canvas to get all the details needed. Or maybe the tattoo artist took a bit too much artistic license. Whatever the cause, it’s far from a pleasant portrait.

Seeing from Behind

We imagine the idea behind this tattoo was inspired by the phrase “eyes on the back of my head.” Now, that phrase can be taken in two ways: as a threat or as a joke. Considering the guy below looks like a hardened biker, it could be the former.

However, considering that he went through the trouble to add a tuft of hair for a moustache, it seems more likely that it’s the latter. We commend him for his commitment to spread a bit of laughter around.

The Visual Artist

John Yuyi, a Taiwanese visual artist, depends on the internet to communicate her presence. In contrast to individuals on this list, she creates impermanent body tattoos and applies them to her face in different looks. 

The artist creates works that we imagine Andy Warhol would love if he were alive today. Thankfully, she can wash her face and be free of the tattoos at the end of the day. The next person on this list isn’t so lucky. 

The Perfect Distraction

We can’t help but wonder if this guy and the last guy are friends. They’ve both taken their own approach to dealing with receding hairlines. This guy embraced it, creating tattooed tracks leading down from it and onto his face. 

Can you imagine if your partner came home to you with a face like this? On closer inspection, you see that it’s not fake – it’s a real tattoo and that’s how he’s going to look for the rest of his life. Would you stick with him?

A Toad Tribute

Everyone has their own favorite Mario Kart or Mario Party character. Besides Mario, there’s Luigi, Yoshi, and, of course, Toad. Who could forget the cute and cuddly toad with the oversized hat? 

Well, the person with the tattoo above certainly won’t forget Toad anytime soon. Their idea of paying tribute to the cute and cuddly character was to get a terrifying tattoo. To be fair, most of the blame lay in the tattooist’s hand – which has us wondering if the tattooist was an enemy of Toad’s? 

Beatlemania, Tattoo-Style

Beatlemania was a term used in the mid-1960s to describe the obsession and excitement that (mostly female) fans expressed when John, Paul, Ringo, and George (aka The Beatles) rocked up on stage to play some music. It reached its height in the 60s, but, as you can see from below, it didn’t end then.  

The ill-fated tattoo above is a more modern example of Beatlemania. Taken from the cover of their 1966 album Revolver, this tattoo tribute didn’t pan out right. Well, at least it only takes up his entire back. 

Howling at the Moon, Kind of

Wolves are majestic (and terrifying) creatures who have been a source of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years. Most often they’re depicted all alone on a snowy cliff howling at the full moon. The tattooed wolf below, however, looks like he’s throwing up at it. 

Not exactly the romantic image this person was going for. Rather than a strong and powerful animal ready to brave the cold world, this one looks like it has indigestion from eating one too many cookies.

Mystical Chinese Turkey Sandwiches

If you were around in the 90s and early 2000s, then you probably remember that Chinese tattoos (and barbed wire tattoos) were all the rage. Often the person who got the tattoo didn’t read Chinese but they always swore it had some mystical or profound meaning.

Perhaps a certain percentage of them did. Another percentage of them were complete nonsense –- or, as you can see from the post above, a food order. Perhaps the tattoo artist got a bit hungry during the job. Or, more likely, the tattoo artist doesn’t know Chinese. 

The Aspiring Spartan

From the look on his face, this man clearly sees himself as a warrior. He went to a tat shop and asked for the outline of a Corinthian helmet to be tattooed on his face. The result is pretty wild.  

Whatever you think of this tattoo design, you have to admit, this man is capable of sitting through a whole lot of pain. All that blackwork on your skull would not be easy! 

A Deliberate Mistake or an Accidental Mistake?

We want to apologize to any English teachers who have made it this far down the list. From “no regerts” to “it’s get better,” there’s just too many misspelled words and bad grammar getting tattooed on unlucky people. 

The case above is another example. The “your” should be “you’re” as in “when you are having fun.” However, the mistake has us questioning if he did it deliberately, or if he had a bit too much rum before getting his new tattoo.

No Mystery Here

This guy decided to put it all out there for everyone to see. Why hold back, right? Anyone who decides to give him a chance after reading his message must truly be a good person.  

Still, we don't think anyone should undercut themselves like this. We hope he gets it removed. However, if he doesn’t, at least it will be a good conversation starter! 

A Tribute to Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe was a big star during her brief but memorable career. Although she died many decades ago, her image and persona still inspire those today. For some, it inspires them to get a tattoo. 

For the person above, the result of that tattoo is best summed up in the words of Marilyn herself: “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” The tattoo artist seemed to capture all that mad imperfection in one ridiculous design. 

Coloring Book Jesus

Jesus has been a subject of artwork for thousands of years. His image has left an indelible mark on humanity – Renaissance masters painted him, mosaic artists have crafted him, and tattoo artists have created coloring book portraits of him on people’s arms. 

This coloring book Jesus is the kind of thing you’d expect from a second-grader in art class. It’s something you hang up on your refrigerator to show you’re proud. This person, however, chose to hang it on their arm forever. 

Face Tattoos Are Forever

YOLO, or “You Only Live Once”, has been a popular acronym for some time now. It’s kind of like “carpe diem” or “seize the day” – it’s meant to describe a person living life to the fullest. Some people like to say it in conversation or put it on their social media profiles. Other people like to, well, tattoo it on their faces. 

YOLO, however, doesn’t mean you can’t think about the future. Although diamonds are forever, as they say, so are terrible face tattoos. 

Freddie on the Arm

Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, was well-known and well-loved for his remarkable singing voice. Fans across the world flocked to watch him sing at Live Aid in 1985, and plenty more flocked to the movie theaters to watch that iconic concert reenacted in 2018. 

To commemorate the impact that Freddie had on his life, this diehard fan decided to get a massive tattoo on his arm. Unfortunately, it turned out cartoonishly inaccurate – look at how big Freddie’s face is?! 

Why Spelling Is Important

Not only is grammar important but so is spelling. Spell one word wrong and it causes an entire phrase to have a different meaning – or no meaning at all. If you need a concrete example of this, look at the following tattoo. 

Although “belief” might make certain possibilities real, we can’t say the same thing for “belife” because we don’t know what it means. Is it the life of bees? Jokes aside, we think we figured it out – a “belife” is a tattoo artist who forgets to spell-check. 

Some Nonsense Poetry

The best poetry attempts to describe the indescribable depths of the human soul. The worst poetry is written by pretentious and cringey folks who long to smoke cigarettes in 19th century France. 

In between is the glorious tradition of nonsense rhymes. Lewis Carrol’s Jabberwocky is a classic example. Another (not so classic) example can be seen on Dave’s back. It’s a bit sweet, a bit absurd, and a bit microwave. It’s also something that should have been left in a journal rather than tattooed on the skin. 

Wallpapered Face

This guy took the concept of being a wallflower far too literally. Not content with simply leaning against the wall to avoid conversations at parties, he decided to get his face tattooed in a way that would help him blend in. 

To be fair, his tattoo artist has clearly worked really hard on all those intricate designs. The work doesn’t look bad, it’s just more the type of thing you’d expect to see on a high school kid’s notebook rather than someone’s face. 

Stitch Yourself Together a New Tattoo

Stitch from the Disney animated film Lilo and Stitch is meant to be a cute little alien-koala mix. A fun creature who acts like Lilo’s dog as they go on adventures across Hawaii. The film was a massive hit that spawned everything from sequels to video games to merchandise. 

It also spawned a desire for Stitch tattoos. Some are pretty remarkable. Others, well… you took a look at the picture above, right? Stitch’s cute and funky personality is nowhere captured in that squiggly and creepy rendition. Better luck next time. 

A Guiding Light 

This man has a tough time at job interviews. He noticed that others with tattoos are similarly discriminated against. Determined to do something about it, he took to social media empowering people to stand up for the artwork on their bodies.

Many have reacted positively. They say they've felt confident to add more tattoos since reading this guy's posts. They are also getting real with employers who discriminate based on looks. Employment opportunities ought to be founded on merit, not tattoos.

Why Spell Check Is Important

Although some people might regret the fact that they have a tattoo fail permanently inked onto their skin, the guy below seems perfectly fine with it. In fact, to use his own words, he has “no regerts.” 

What he also has is a tattoo artist who doesn’t know how to use an online dictionary. That extra five seconds of double-checking where the letter “r” and “e” go would have saved this poor guy from a lifetime of “regerts” (sorry, regrets). 

The Permanent Moustache

Beards, moustaches, and goatees are back in style – in fact, there are whole competitions focused on facial hair. For some men, that’s great. For others, it’s a bummer because they can’t grow much of a beard or moustache.

The ingenious guy above figured out a (colorful) solution to that problem – face tattoos! It might not be the best solution for everyone, but it seemed to work out pretty well for him. Plus, there’s no need for all that messy grooming.

Time to Repeat the Time 

This one isn’t as noticeable as some of the tattoo designs above, so we’ll give you a minute to check it out before coming back. See it? Sure, the tattoo might tell time, but that time is going to repeat itself – “III”, or 3 o’clock, comes twice a day.

That’s fine if you’re a fan of 3 o’clock, but not fine if you’re a fan of accurate timekeeping. For those people, we suggest a wristwatch when telling the time rather than a misleading ink watch that’s on your skin forever. 

The Human Reptile

This next tattoo has to be one of the strangest we’ve seen yet. Rather than a misspelled word or a poorly designed portrait, it doesn’t have an easy explanation. It seems to be the exact design that this person wanted. 

The only question is: why? It has us shrugging our shoulders and scratching our heads. Perhaps this person knows that deep down inside they are, in fact, a reptile. We can appreciate that even if a red-and-orange combo is not the best color choice. 

Don’t Worry, It’s Get Better

People love to get heartwarming, funny, or inspiring quotes tattooed on their bodies. These quotes can act as a visual reminder to focus on the important things in life and forget about all the other stuff that keeps you down.

That seems to be the reasoning behind this guy’s tattoo above. Unfortunately, the short inspiring quote was mangled in the grammar department. Instead of “It gets better,” he (or the tattoo artist) ended up spelling “It’s (it is) get better.” If he gets another one, we hope it does get better.

The Psychedelic Business Man

Can you imagine how much more lively the office would be if you worked with this guy? We’re all for inclusivity and believe tattooed people have a right to pursue their dreams, even if they have a face full of ink like this gentleman.

It’s not a look any of us would go for, but who are we to tell others what they can do to their faces? The man is clearly happy, so does anything else really matter? 

Haters Gonna Hate

“Haters”, for those who don’t know, are people who hate. Often, haters seem destined to take away all joy from your life and replace it with criticism and negativity. The desire to understand why they do that has led to the common expression “haters gonna hate.”

Why do they hate? Well because they’re haters? It’s not the most elaborate explanation, but there’s some truth to it. For the moment, we’ll put aside our criticisms of the tattoo and just hope she sees a doctor soon because that red skin isn’t looking too healthy. 

When the Symbol and Phrase Don’t Match

In comparison to some of the tattoo fails we saw inked on skin above (we’re looking at you “it’s get better”), this next one isn’t that bad. It’s more an example of choosing the wrong symbol for the right words. 

The phrase itself is poignant, uplifting, and clearly meaningful to the person who chose to get it placed on their back. The infinity symbol, on the other hand, just isn’t doing it for us. Is “love never fails” meant to go forever? Perhaps a heart next time. 

Lovely Flowers

While some tattoos on this rundown look like clear mistakes, this one is quite pretty. The tones are bright and the woman looks rational. However, it's such a bold pattern that we wonder if she’ll always be happy having it on her face. 

She could have that superb tattoo on her arms or chest. It would be a dazzling contrast to her glowing face. One thing to remember is that certain colors (like pinks, reds, and oranges) don’t respond well to laser, so a tattoo like this may not be able to be removed.

The Picture Doesn’t Match the Words 

Anchors, for those who aren’t sailors, are great big heavy things that you throw over the side of the boat. They’re meant to sink to the bottom of the ocean, dig in, and give the boat some stability in rough waters. With that in mind, look at the following tattoo.

It might have you scratching your head a bit. Is the anchor refusing to sink? If so, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of an anchor? Why would you want an anchor that floats? 

Not a Loyal Fan

This person is clearly unsettled which explains why he has so many flags all over his face. He's fast to lose faith in his team, supporting one football team one match, then swapping sides the next. 

Then again, he could just be realizing that we’re all on “team human.” Why support one team over another? Instead, be like this man and make your face a colorful tribute to the human race. 

Wrongfully Tattooed

As any Jack Nicholson fan can attest, the eyebrows can express an enormous range of emotions. By raising them, lowering them, or dipping one down as the other goes up, we can show surprise, anger, and confusion. Those are relatively common, so take a look below for something more unique.

His eyebrows clearly show the feeling of being wrongfully convicted. Although we can’t say if that’s true or not because we don’t know the details of his case, we can say he’s guilty of a terrible tattoo.

For the Love of Shoes

Crocs have been a miracle for those who hate the slipperiness of sandals and the constriction of standard shoes. Sitting somewhere in between both, they offer breathability to your feet while looking respectable. 

Some people show their admiration for Crocs by supporting the company. The person with the tattoo above chose to show it by tattooing the famous footwear onto his calf. That’s some hardcore brand loyalty that we have to admire even if we don’t particularly admire the tattoo itself. 

The Sock Tongue Baby

People love all different kinds of art. Some are fans of the Renaissance masters, others like manga and cartoons, and others like creepy looking baby faces with a sock for a tongue.

It would take a true art critic to work out the depth of meaning behind this odd little image. Is it meant as a reminder to eat socks? Or to pay homage to a time when he ate socks? All we can hope for is that it was meaningful for the person who got the tattoo.

Crazy With Ink

Have you heard of the Brutal Black Project? It was an attempt by two artists to break away from the prettiness that had crept into mainstream tattooing and explore the darker side of body modification. 

Rough, dark lines are a feature of this style, just like the ones you can see on this man’s face, neck, ear, arms, and chest. Pain was also important in the Brutal Black Project, so this man truly suffered for that face tattoo. 

Goodbye Kitty

Apparently, this guy is all about Hello Kitty. However, he is hardly the type of character you’d expect to see watching such a show! 

With this design permanently inked on his forehead, it’s safe to say that this guy never really outgrew his childhood. Is that supposed to be Pacman on his neck?

Rainbow Eyes

Plenty of brown-eyed people dream of having blue eyes or a tinge of hazel. Colored contact lenses is one way to make that dream come true. Another way is to tattoo your eyeballs. It definitely shouldn’t be your first choice because there are plenty of risks, but some people decide to give it a shot.

In 2007, Luna Cobra and Shannon Larratt developed “scleral tattooing,” or the ability to tattoo your eyeballs. The technique is still developing so ophthalmologists caution against it.

Alien Visitations

Sometimes being a human is far too dull. Despite all the shapes and sizes that people come in, at the end of the day we look all too human. For some (like the guy below) that’s a bit disheartening.

To fix the problem, he decided to become an alien – or at least to look like one. Judging by his smile, he seems happy in alien skin. Although we’re not sure what planet he traveled from, we imagine it was a pleasant spot.

An Eminem m&m

Unlike some of the amateur art in the tattoos above, the artwork done for this next tattoo is top-notch. Clearly, we are dealing with a talented expert rather than a lazy beginner who forgot to spell-check. The technical side is not what has us scratching our heads – it’s the idea behind it. 

Yes, we get that the rapper “Eminem” and the candy “m&ms” have the same sound but different spelling. However, why plaster Eminem’s face on a piece of m&m candy? Are his rhymes that sweet?

There’s a Spider on My Face

Most people don’t like it when spiders crawl all over their faces. The guy below, as you can see, is not most people. He loves spiders and doesn’t mind them crawling all over his face. That’s why he decided to get a permanent spider in the form of a face tattoo.

A Black Widow face tattoo. This infamous spider is feared for its deadly venom that causes agonizing muscle pain and discomfort. Although not as bad as the spider bite, we imagine the tattoo caused some pain as well.

Just Don’t Do It

The Nike slogan is one of the most famous and popular slogans in all of advertising and business history. Nearly everyone associates the footwear with the slogan that encourages people to get out there and do something. 

For the person above, that “something” was a (very questionable) tattoo. Beyond the uneven lines and the fact that it takes up his entire back, this tattoo is questionable in terms of copyright. Is it copyright infringement? Either way, we suggest wearing one of their famous t-shirts next time. 

Have you heard of the Brutal Black Project? It was an attempt by two artists to break away from the prettiness that had crept into mainstream tattooing and explore the darker side of body modification. 

Rough, dark lines are a feature of this style, just like the ones you can see on this man’s face, neck, ear, arms, and chest. Pain was also important in the Brutal Black Project, so this man truly suffered for that face tattoo. 

Catwoman

This lady clearly loves tigers. We do agree with her sentiments. Tigers are incredible animals, and we wish there were more of them out in the wild. 

However, none of us would go as far as having a tiger tattooed on our face! She can, at least, utilize her curly hair to cover that hunter on her cheek.

Never Forget Your Glasses Again

A couple of problems with wearing eyeglasses are that they may fall off when you bend over, or you may break them if you’re not careful with where you put them. This man came up with an answer for these issues. 

We wonder how the scanners at airports handle this face tattoo. Usually, if you wear glasses, you’re asked to take them off to have your face scanned as you go through customs. This man would surely mess up the system!

Drake’s Boldest Fan

We don’t know who doesn’t love music. Some fans show support for their favorite singers through Spotify, while others feel the urge to make a more extreme gesture. Take this Drake fan for example.

It clearly wasn't fulfilling enough for this lady to start up a discussion with other Drake fans. Nor was it enough for her to simply listen to the rapper’s music non-stop. She felt that she needed to make her feelings known to everyone she meets before they’ve even had a chance to say “hi.” 

Any Clue for Blue?

Assuming you're a 90s kid, you would recognize the Nickelodeon show Blue's Clues. In every episode, you would go on a secret chase to discover his paw prints and sort everything out to translate Blue's message. 

This guy’s face apparently presents our first clue. However, one look and it’s clear that this isn’t a game we want to keep playing as adults! You can keep your clues, buddy.  

Tattooing Your Favorite Song Lyrics

Even though the spelling might be a bit off, the sentiment is true – it’s your life. If you want to get a tattoo of your favorite song lyrics, that’s your choice. The only thing we ask is that you look up the lyrics before you get it tattooed. 

This “Jon Bovi” fan clearly didn’t do that. Not only are the lyrics wrong – it’s supposed to be “it’s my life” – but so is the artist’s name – it’s supposed to be “Bon Jovi.” 

Never Enough

Some people are born beautiful. They don’t have to put any work into their appearance, and they’re often the envy of their friends. This guy was one of them, but he couldn’t leave well enough alone.  

We could gaze at those heavy-lidded eyes all day. Those lips are beyond words, and that appearance is close to unblemished. The one saving grace here is that it’s possible those tattoos aren’t permanent. We hope for his sake it’s the work of a permanent marker, not permanent tattoo ink!

Android

This man wanted to create the impression that he’s more machine than man. So, he added a new face tattoo to his collection. The results speak for themselves. 

With a face like this, you’d hope that he works as a mechanic. At the very least, he’d want to know his way around a car. Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be taking your car to the mechanic and not having a clue about what might be wrong with it if you had a face like this?  

Your Face Is with Me Forever

New parents are often so proud of their little ones that they want to get a tattoo of their tiny infant faces – something to remember them by. It’s a loving sentiment, but that loving sentiment doesn’t always turn out well. For the excited parent below, it turned out just plain creepy. 

The expression is all wrong and the face is too large. Sometimes, it’s best to keep the pictures in a photo album and the memories in your mind –- or else you’ll end up with the bad memory of a terrible tattoo. 

A Tribute to Seinfeld

The TV show Seinfeld was a massive hit during the 1990s. Over the course of nine seasons, this “show about nothing” led viewers into the daily life and hilarious mishaps of George Costanza, Elaine Benes, the notorious slacker Cosmo Kramer, and of course the central character: Jimmy Seinfeld. 

Sorry, Jerry Seinfeld. It’s an easy enough mistake to make, and (hopefully) easy enough mistake to fix. Regardless, this diehard fan didn’t have time to double-check Wikipedia and went ahead with his gut feeling. 

Permanent Designer Shades

Designer shades can run from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Not everyone has that kind of cash, so they make do with what they have. What the guy below had was a desire for some RayBans and a love of face tattoos.

Rather than fiddling around with the possibility of buying designer shades only to have them break, he went for the permanent option. Although useful, we aren’t sure how much protection they provide from the sun.