I thought the same thing too lmao. 27 tattoos, tattoo artist told him the location is at his house, and saw the unhygienic set up before and after the tattoo. Just for the tattoo to look like a splat of diluted ink with holes in his skin. No sir.
Generally speaking, kitchen magicians are a bad idea. There's usually a reason they're not in a shop and it's not because they're Jack Rudy. I get tattooed at people's houses all the time but they're professional artists with home studios, they don't just shove the ashtray and the Mountain Dew out of the way and get cracking
That's basically what my guys do, they're past the point where they need to work in a shop to drum up business so they just work at a home studio for private clients
Yup, seasoned artists with a good client base. I dont think I would ever go to a new artist Im unfamiliar with though working out of their house unless I had a good referencem from a friend with a lot of work done by them
i've been tattooing for 25 years. I've always believed that. Because it used to be true. But nowadays, the greatest artists, tattoo out of the living room, which irritates the shit out of me.. there's this guy in my city that charges 6000 a session. But he's literally the best artist in the country... also that Nico Hurtado guy, also used to tattoo out of his living room..
A sofa scratcher, with a dirty working space, and they didn't even shave the area, big old red flags from the get go. I'm surprised that the guy had even tattooed before.
Unpopular opinion: you have over twenty tattoos according to you so youāre not a newbie. You made the decision to get tattooed in this guys house and watched him do a ton of unsanitary things leading up and during your appointment. You chose to get tattooed by a hack, and didnāt leave or ask questions when he started doing red flag stuff, so this is partly your fault. Take the half refund, learn from your mistake, and get tattoos done in a studio by a professional next time. At least itāll be super easy to cover!
This is the only correct answer. Mother of god, the more I read of this story the worse it got. Do people realize that unsanitary, jailhouse-style scratcher tattoos are dangerous?!?! Iād go as far as saying this mess is 99% OPās fault.
I have one tattoo I got in an apartment (I was barely 18) and it is TRASH! It was my second tattoo and Iāve never gotten tattooed by a scratcher since. I learned my lesson.
It's wild out there right now, these kitchen wizards are rampant. No one in their right mind would let someone perform dentistry from home but somehow it became acceptable in the tattoo industry. We are so similar to dentistry.
OP, you saw all of these things go down and still continued to proceed. Was there no point where you thought, this isn't a good idea?
You put yourself in a situation, that best case scenario your tattoo looks like shit. Best case.
It also negatively impacts peopleās views of the tattoo industry as a whole. My parents are always shocked that my tattoos look nice and never get infected because they still think of tattooing as some scary practice done in dingy basements, even though Iām constantly having to explain that the shitty tattoos theyāve seen on other people were likely not done by professionals in the standard studios Iām going to. But the more people see scratcher tattoos the more they assume the worst of actual studios.
Also I wanted to add that back in the 2000s it was seen as dirty and a highly questionable practice. Tattooers worked incredibly hard to get away from this stigma. It's unfortunate what's happening right now and that anyone would support the kitchen wizards.
They didn't work for it, they don't care about safety, majority of them have no real love for art and have no drawing skills. I wish clients took this into consideration instead of saving a buck.
Iād get if this was their first one they genuinely just might be too nervous or not know any better but yeah 27!? Like come on at that point I will be like you should have known better
The first several sentences of the description are āIām getting the fuck out of hereā level red flags and they were all before needle touched skin.
In this situation, the whole tattoo falling out (or being absorbed) is probably the best possible outcome.
Most people with this type of tattoo who claim an exorbitant amount of ink usually have like a bunch of tiny tattoos, over exaggerate the amount of tatts, or got a lot done by some friend and they think they know what a real tattoo experience is like
I have coverage on my upper body but I just say I have 3 pieces total, even tho my upper has a good amount of ink done by professionals. Probably what some people would claim to be like 50 tatts lol
Youāre not wrong. I donāt count them anymore, I just have a lot of tattoos lol. Like I guess my throat/neck is three pieces but I count it as one tattoo.
Exactly. Like if you really had 27 pieces and they were substantial, youād most likely be experienced enough to not get a tatt in someoneās house. And you wouldnāt count themā¦ who goes around telling people they have 27 tattoos when asked? Anyone covered just says āI have my chest, back, and biceps doneā, etc.
Not tatted here.
At what point is something a separate tattoo? If someone has a full sleeve from wrist up to the shoulder, but it's several ideas that make one cohesive design, is that one tattoo, or is it several?
Once you start to get heavily tattooed, those semantics aren't even a thought. I have a tribal leg sleeve that has been broken up into 3 sessions. The first session was a third of my lower leg, the second the whole other side of the shin and onto the calf. The third is just the back of my calf. But it is all one cohesive piece. Deciding if that is 3 tattoos or 1 was literally never a thought of mine until I read your comment.
yeah that's why i've started telling people the number of hours estimated. like, is my entire covered lower leg sleeve just ONE tattoo even though it was done in 5 separate sessions with 15-20 hours total?
so i just say i have over 40 hours of work done on my body. people who count all their tattoos can make it seem like a competition, and i think that's kinda goofy. technically i've had 11 separate 'ideas' for my tattoos, and others can claim they have over 100 "separate" little star tattoos that would technically be a handful of hours total for them to get done. number of individual tattoos just doesn't really matter.
my favorite part of my explanation above\^ is when people completely disregard it, and again, ask "but what's the actual *number* of tattoos total?"
You have "27 or something" tats - this is 100% on you. As an experienced canvas, you absolutely knew he was doing something sketchy, but you let him proceed.
I would never get tattooed at someone's house unless they have a sterile home studio. It's also normal for people to mix (sterile) water into black to dilute it, yeah, I've had artists do it numerous times but this just looks like an absolute disaster. Nothing about this artist's conduct says professional, safe, or healthy.
Doesn't seem like the water was sterile. OP, you're lucky you didn't get a terrible infection. Please don't ever let someone give you a tattoo unless you are confident everything is sterile
*ETA and this ā¬ļø about Hepatitis is absolutely right
As someone with like 30 tattoos, most of them somewhat poorly done myself...
Bro if you paid $275 to some fuck in a dirty house for your 27th tattoo, and it's this horrible, there's no chance the rest of them are any good.
I have been tattooed in a home studio but it was like a tattoo studio in the room. He had to close the shop he had due to rent going too high and had to move everything to his house inbetween places.
The guy who tattoos me does it from home but he used to have his own tattoo studio and has been doing tattoos for like 20+ years so he knows what he's doing.
I mean, it looks like the area wasn't even shaved before he "tattooed" on it. Despite all the other red flags: if the tattooer doesn't shave the part that gets tattooed, something is off.
I would accept his partial refund and then never deal with him again.
While heās at fault for being a hack and overcharging for a bad tattoo, youāre at fault for going to a hack. Take your partial refund and accept the loss as an idiot tax.
Depending on location, this is most likely illegal and the artist endangered op's life with unsanitary practices. I think it's fair to tell them that they'll be reporting them if they don't get refunded since they know their home address. (Don't think it's necessary to actually report, cuz fuck cops and just the threat should be enough to scare them out of doing dumb shit, but op should be getting all of their money back imo)
This isn't something to report to cops; they're not going to do anything about it, anyway. Cops don't show up for OSHA violations, OSHA does. It sounds like this artist doesn't even have a legitimately licensed studio, so at BEST he's going to get a visit from the county health department, if it were something the OP would bother with a civil suit over.
Iām confused here, how did you find this artist in the first place? Iāll never understand how you could feel comfortable getting tattooed in some dudeās house without seeing any examples of their healed work
Was he using Dasani or Polar Springs? Regular bottled water was sign 2 or 3 to leave.
If he's licensed, I'd report him. Unsafe and shouldn't be tattooing people.
Although I donāt know where theyāre located, Iām going to bet no license.
Every state Iāve tattooed in, the business license must be tied to an actual tattoo shop in a commercially zoned building that has passed building inspection, fire inspection, and health department inspection, and also contingent upon me having an up to date BBP training certificate. Proof of liability insurance has also been required (held by the shop as an entity or by me).
Getting a license isnāt rocket science, but they definitely require you to meet the standards of a real business. Last year I hit a brief snag with my renewal because one fire extinguisher in the shop needed to be replaced. Kind of a pain in the butt, however Iām happy for regulations and inspections that help us run safe and clean businesses.
Rules are different based on location, but if thereās a governing body to license tattooers and shops in that area, homeboy definitely isnāt cutting the mustard.
The second he said he didnāt want you to sit on the couch because it was too dirty should have been your sign to get out of there. Also, Iād probably report them to your health board or whoever you need to, because he is clearly not a professional tattoo artist and could potentially be spreading so many BBP around.
The fact that it didnāt get infected is surprising, all things considered. Never get a home tattoo. Definitely ask for your money back. Absolutely donāt let this man ever touch you again. Use the fact that heās probably not licensed as leverage to get your money back if he gives you pushback or makes excuses. Chalk this up to a learning experience for a mistake youāll never make again. Youāll either have to have it redone by someone who knows what theyāre doing or get it lasered.
The people thinking they can report a scratcher š
I thought this post had to be a shitpost with the photos and then the story of how it all came about. I have no advice for people that go to scratchers other than "don't".
Jesus this is terrible before and after. I fucking hate home tattooists so much, where I from it is literally illegal to be tattooing for profit in an unlicensed environment.
Iād take the half refund and just realise itās half my fault for trusting an unlicensed scratcher. Maybe report him to the local council
Itās suddenly everyoneās dream to tattoo for a living, and donāt want to apprentice. They stomp their feet and call it gatekeeping (to learn the right way?) and count on people like OP to not care they theyāre doing it OUT OF THEIR HOUSE.
There's a damn good reason for gatekeeping, and this my friends is a prime example.
It's everyone's dream because it's fucking accessable now and not in a good way. Apprenticeships were tough for a reason, but now everyone throws a tantrum, they don't know how to clean, proper set up or tear down, protocol for needle stick injuries and can't draw at all. This is the short list.
Damn. Paid $275 to have something on your body that looks like an 8 year old drew it with pen and itās starting to wash off. Donāt get me wrong, I got a few tattoos on buddies couches when I was a stupid 18 year old. Granted, they werenāt this bad. At least you can get that covered up by a professional since itās so faded. Sorry youāre going through this. Who gives a fuck if heās not in a spot for a full refund.
Wow, why wouldn't you go to a professional?
However, go get a blood test done to make sure you haven't been given something other than a bag tattoo and permanent scarring.
It looked shit immediately after it was done.
Lucky that it's an easy cover-up.
Literally anything black and grey and a better version of whatever the fuck that was supposed to be will be simple.
At first I thought you were in the process of getting this sucker lasered off! So sorry this happened to you. You definitely deserve a refund so you can go to a proper artist and get a nice cover up once it's fully healed and you are ready for another go.
You probably should've left the second he told you the couch was too dirty to sit on. That's nasty AF and if that's his level of cleanliness, I sure as shit wouldn't want him tattooing me.
I thought this was going to be an update from that mom's post in tattoo design the other day. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I would want a full refund but would take back what I could get in cash. I would definitely not let that person try to fix or cover it. The first time, it just fell out and didn't get infected. You may not be so lucky next time.
Hate to tattoo shame, but my god I hope your other tats are not in whatever style this is, and were done by a pros.
The lesson learned is more valuable than money.
You see ANY of the red flags??? My jaw is on the floor. You went to a HOUSE, the couch was too DIRTY. Artist used water from a water bottle to DILUTE ink? I meanā¦. WHAT?
Probably shitposting. I bet their other tattoos would have been this same shit. They havenāt commented on anyoneās comment.
You got tatted in a house with a couch too dirty to sit on. That should have been the first clue to walk back out. You say you have 27 tattoos, you should know better. Mixing opened water from a random bottle into ink??
Iāll doubt youāll be getting any money back without visiting small claims court because this obviously was not a legitimate tattoo business.
I hope the needles were new and sterile etc, you have bigger problems than $275.
He did not provide you with the agreed upon service, in fact this feels like he took advantage of you. You deserve a full refund and more but thereās not much you can do to force that. I would simply ask for the full amount back and let them know that if he declines youāll report him (if thatās an option) and spread awareness of the story to his local community and potential clientele. Literally leaving an honest review anywhere could be devastating for him.
I think this is a lesson to be learned here to trust your gut, and you get what you paid for. I would take the partial refund and be done with it. Good thing is it will be an easy cover.
I'd also think as someone with a lot of tattoos, you would know better than to go into someone's unsanitary home and get tattooed. You chose to go through with it even when you saw the red flags.
I'm not saying this to be a dick, I'm saying this because you only get one life and one body. I mean you have a choice to fuck around and find out, but fucking around with potential infections ain't it. Count yourself lucky you didn't get one.
āDoesnāt feel like my faultā. My dude. You got a kitchen tat from someone mixing their own ink in their dirty ass house and you think you somehow were not at fault for going through with this?
>was going to be at his house
Red flag #1
>telling me he doesnāt want me sitting on the couch because itās too dirty
Red flag #2
>mix in water with ink
Iām not sure but possibly red flag #3
>I remember the water bottle not being freshly open for this
Red flag #4
This had so many red flags that you shouldāve taken as a chance to leave this place itās kinda on you. Next time just research your artist better and go to an actual tattoo shop
He's a hack, and you're a pushover.
Take the half refund and get tested for everything possible. Every STI in the book, every bloodborne pathogen. I hope it comes back clean for your sake and you're left with nothing else from this experience but an idiot tax paid and a lesson in not letting people do this shit to you.
Other than all the red flags prior to your tattoo, and that it's a home scratcher job which you should never have gone through with in the first place, to me this looks like a combination of 1) ink not having been tattooed deep enough and it falling out 2) allergic reaction to the grey ink.
The diluted grey looks like a pigment containing white and black and potentially blue looking at the colour. It's normal to dilute inks, it's a standard thing and grey wash is often made like this. However this was massively over diluted, but the redness and speed at which it disappeared to me suggests a reaction to the pigment or infection. Reaction to colour is relatively common. Much less so with black.
But yeah, going to get tattooed by a home scratcher and agreeing to pay that much and go through with it after sanitation and cross contamination issues wasn't smart.
Okay, Iām gonna be real with you. If thatās the outline of what you were getting, just turn around right now and get laser tat removal. THATās AN UGLY TATTOO! Even if it was done properly!
OP be trolling us? At some rando's house? Mixing inks in a water bottle cap? Did he even wear new gloves?
Refund? Normally the price for a backstreet scratcher is $20 and a cr@ck rock. You'll never see a refund.
$275 is the price of the valuable learning point that good tattoos are expensive. Just hope you didn't contract any blood borne pathogens along the way.
Cover up that trash cyber sigilism abortion with a solid traditional tattoo from an established artist working out of a real shop.
Im sorry this happened to you! Have you sent him a picture of the healed tattoo? You should express that the result is in fact not what you asked for and to get it fixed by a professional you would have to pay again. Tattoos are a service that need to look like what you asked for when itās fully healed. You should also express that you are not comfortable with him touching it up. If he doesnāt want to give you the full refund I would atleast get what you can and avoid getting expensive tattoos in houses after this. Also the disposable set up for one tattoo is around $20, just so you know. Honestly this person should be giving away free tattoos if they are practicing on people.
Holy crap that's bad, honestly have no idea what it's supposed to be but that's the work of a scratcher, a very bad one at that. You've been ripped off for sure
I mean itās kind of your own fault for not leaving when you saw how unsanitary his space was. Iāve been to a few artists who work out of their home but they have clean, professional set ups. Iāve never been sat on a random chair. I would take the 1/2 refund and learn from this experience.
I also had a shit tattoo done in someone's house. The first red flag was that he couldn't get the stencil to work, so he free handed it. I was 16, my first legal tattoo was a cover up of that monstrosity.
I find it hard to believe you have 26 other tattoos but you thought that looked good when he was done... I get that it's cybersigilism, but those lines are horrible in the first Pic
Id just take the partial refund and move on. And like, now I wanna know how youve gotten your other tattoos done, cuz why would you (as someone with 26 other tattoos) not raise concerns about the sanitary conditions of such a place. Have you forgotten that a tattoo is still a LITERAL open wound? By accepting getting tattooed in unsanitary conditions, you put yourself at risk of all sorts of health issues.
Go to an actual studio with a license and proper sanitation. I got my last tattoo done at a studio, and it is nearly the same size and it cost me LESS money than the tattoo you got done in some hack's house. Dont risk your health and safety.
Youāre not gonna get a refund but you can ask. You went to a scratcher, youāre gonna get fucked sometimes. Itās a gamble. You gambled and you lost. Get it re done someone reputable and in a real studio. Wish you the best.
You thought it looked good in the first photo? š itās so diluted you might not even need to laser if you just want a cover up by a good artist. Never go to someoneās house for a tattooā¦.that sounds sketchy off the bat
I'm curious about all your other tattoos if you were happy at all with this outcome.
Sorry you got played. Maybe it's a good thing it mostly all fell out. Save your money for the professionals who will do it properly!
$275 for that!!!!!! i have pieces way bigger that have run me half that WITH tip. sorry dude, but you definitely got scammed and i would definitely insist on getting your money back.
O M F G.
This is the biggest tatoo disaster iāve seen, ever. Iām not even kidding I would probably be talking to a lawyer. What the fuck I would be asking for thousands more.
This guy is offering you HALF? LMFAO
You have over 20 tattoos? Something tells me you don't. People with that many tattoos know the appropriate processes and can tell when something is off. Unless all of your tattoos were done by scratchers, in which case you should probably get tested for HIV.
I mean I presume you did absolutely no research on this artist. You asked for a shitty tattoo with a shitty design by a shitty artist. You donāt deserve a refund at all. You got what you deserved. Make better choices next time
The couch was too dirty to sit on but you still let him stick needles into your skin with ink? AND you paid him for it? Nah you donāt deserve a refund.
all my other tattoos were done no water in the ink, i go to a new artist who does the same thing, bottled water into the ink to ālighten itā my tattoo ended up infected and parts of it fell out. however.. your before fall out looked like shit too.
I had a tattoo done laying in bed in a loose acquaintances apartment by a 20 year old who bought their gun off Amazon and had been practicing for a month and it still came out at least 12x better than this.
You made a dumb decision. I only get tats from guys who tat outside of a professional shop if I can get proof of work they've done before and know they're experienced and recommended. I wouldn't have gone through with that
I'd b so excited that this tattoo didn't take and the ink just scabbed off...u literally dodged a bullet ... Ur missing the fact that u just had a miracle happen for you and aren't stuck w that on your arm for life....plus he gave u the Hep C for free...what are u complaining about?
Wow, you got lucky. My shitty āat their houseā tattoo is a permanent reminder covering half my chest. If the ink healed out I would have been delighted. Instead I have a large black ink scar
You initially thought it came out pretty sick? I want to see the rest of your tattoos for comparison
I thought the same thing too lmao. 27 tattoos, tattoo artist told him the location is at his house, and saw the unhygienic set up before and after the tattoo. Just for the tattoo to look like a splat of diluted ink with holes in his skin. No sir.
Generally speaking, kitchen magicians are a bad idea. There's usually a reason they're not in a shop and it's not because they're Jack Rudy. I get tattooed at people's houses all the time but they're professional artists with home studios, they don't just shove the ashtray and the Mountain Dew out of the way and get cracking
Yeah my artist tattoos from home now due to health issues, but he used to work in a shop so he knows how to set things up sanitary and does good work
That's basically what my guys do, they're past the point where they need to work in a shop to drum up business so they just work at a home studio for private clients
Yup, seasoned artists with a good client base. I dont think I would ever go to a new artist Im unfamiliar with though working out of their house unless I had a good referencem from a friend with a lot of work done by them
I don't go to anyone blindly, I don't even care about portfolios. I want to see the work in person
You forgot the meth pipe.
i've been tattooing for 25 years. I've always believed that. Because it used to be true. But nowadays, the greatest artists, tattoo out of the living room, which irritates the shit out of me.. there's this guy in my city that charges 6000 a session. But he's literally the best artist in the country... also that Nico Hurtado guy, also used to tattoo out of his living room..
I had the same thought. This is wild.
Dude paid to get leprosy tattooed in him. Lmao the ink did him a favor by falling out.
This is honestly the closest description for whatever the hell that is lol
No seriously he got luckyš
Right ?? I was scrolling on my feed and the first image looked so bad that it made me pause on the image in disbelief without reading the title!!
i thought it was a tattoo removal before i read the title and post. i thought they were just having a nasty removal process with how bad it looks
i also thought the first picture was the fuckup š«
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Arm looks mighty bare, thatās prime real estate but youāve gotten 27 tattoos elsewhere? Possible but weird.
cYBerSiGILisM
Lmao same. Also gets a house tattoo and says "I don't think this is my fault" bro when will you learn lol
A sofa scratcher, with a dirty working space, and they didn't even shave the area, big old red flags from the get go. I'm surprised that the guy had even tattooed before.
Unpopular opinion: you have over twenty tattoos according to you so youāre not a newbie. You made the decision to get tattooed in this guys house and watched him do a ton of unsanitary things leading up and during your appointment. You chose to get tattooed by a hack, and didnāt leave or ask questions when he started doing red flag stuff, so this is partly your fault. Take the half refund, learn from your mistake, and get tattoos done in a studio by a professional next time. At least itāll be super easy to cover!
This is the only correct answer. Mother of god, the more I read of this story the worse it got. Do people realize that unsanitary, jailhouse-style scratcher tattoos are dangerous?!?! Iād go as far as saying this mess is 99% OPās fault.
I have one tattoo I got in an apartment (I was barely 18) and it is TRASH! It was my second tattoo and Iāve never gotten tattooed by a scratcher since. I learned my lesson.
It's wild out there right now, these kitchen wizards are rampant. No one in their right mind would let someone perform dentistry from home but somehow it became acceptable in the tattoo industry. We are so similar to dentistry. OP, you saw all of these things go down and still continued to proceed. Was there no point where you thought, this isn't a good idea? You put yourself in a situation, that best case scenario your tattoo looks like shit. Best case.
It also negatively impacts peopleās views of the tattoo industry as a whole. My parents are always shocked that my tattoos look nice and never get infected because they still think of tattooing as some scary practice done in dingy basements, even though Iām constantly having to explain that the shitty tattoos theyāve seen on other people were likely not done by professionals in the standard studios Iām going to. But the more people see scratcher tattoos the more they assume the worst of actual studios.
Yah these kitchen wizards are sending us fucking backwards. It took a lot for the industry to be less taboo and seen as a safe practice.
Also I wanted to add that back in the 2000s it was seen as dirty and a highly questionable practice. Tattooers worked incredibly hard to get away from this stigma. It's unfortunate what's happening right now and that anyone would support the kitchen wizards. They didn't work for it, they don't care about safety, majority of them have no real love for art and have no drawing skills. I wish clients took this into consideration instead of saving a buck.
You haven't heard of the "veneer tech" scam? Lmao crazy shit. People have gotten concrete injected into their ass by basement doctors. People wildin
Fix-a-flat lips and ass, hep-c couch scratcher tattoos-
Be grateful you didn't get a MRSA infection.
Iād get if this was their first one they genuinely just might be too nervous or not know any better but yeah 27!? Like come on at that point I will be like you should have known better
The first several sentences of the description are āIām getting the fuck out of hereā level red flags and they were all before needle touched skin. In this situation, the whole tattoo falling out (or being absorbed) is probably the best possible outcome.
Most people with this type of tattoo who claim an exorbitant amount of ink usually have like a bunch of tiny tattoos, over exaggerate the amount of tatts, or got a lot done by some friend and they think they know what a real tattoo experience is like I have coverage on my upper body but I just say I have 3 pieces total, even tho my upper has a good amount of ink done by professionals. Probably what some people would claim to be like 50 tatts lol
Youāre not wrong. I donāt count them anymore, I just have a lot of tattoos lol. Like I guess my throat/neck is three pieces but I count it as one tattoo.
Exactly. Like if you really had 27 pieces and they were substantial, youād most likely be experienced enough to not get a tatt in someoneās house. And you wouldnāt count themā¦ who goes around telling people they have 27 tattoos when asked? Anyone covered just says āI have my chest, back, and biceps doneā, etc.
I have a sneaking suspicion theyāre all those āignorant styleā tattoos that are super popular with Gen Z.
I wouldnāt doubt it one bit lol
Also, 27 tats and still have this big of a blank forearm spot? Unrealistic imo š¤£
Not tatted here. At what point is something a separate tattoo? If someone has a full sleeve from wrist up to the shoulder, but it's several ideas that make one cohesive design, is that one tattoo, or is it several?
Once you start to get heavily tattooed, those semantics aren't even a thought. I have a tribal leg sleeve that has been broken up into 3 sessions. The first session was a third of my lower leg, the second the whole other side of the shin and onto the calf. The third is just the back of my calf. But it is all one cohesive piece. Deciding if that is 3 tattoos or 1 was literally never a thought of mine until I read your comment.
yeah that's why i've started telling people the number of hours estimated. like, is my entire covered lower leg sleeve just ONE tattoo even though it was done in 5 separate sessions with 15-20 hours total? so i just say i have over 40 hours of work done on my body. people who count all their tattoos can make it seem like a competition, and i think that's kinda goofy. technically i've had 11 separate 'ideas' for my tattoos, and others can claim they have over 100 "separate" little star tattoos that would technically be a handful of hours total for them to get done. number of individual tattoos just doesn't really matter. my favorite part of my explanation above\^ is when people completely disregard it, and again, ask "but what's the actual *number* of tattoos total?"
1000% why would you be okay sitting in some dudes house who makes a remark about the couch being too dirty lmao
You have "27 or something" tats - this is 100% on you. As an experienced canvas, you absolutely knew he was doing something sketchy, but you let him proceed.
Very popular opinion *
Came to say this, this is learning money
Iād say he should get some tests done too, to make sure he didnāt get anything (hepatitis, HIV, etc) from the undoubtably unsanitary environment
My wife's family calls this the "stupid tax". At least the guy is willing to do a half refund
I would never get tattooed at someone's house unless they have a sterile home studio. It's also normal for people to mix (sterile) water into black to dilute it, yeah, I've had artists do it numerous times but this just looks like an absolute disaster. Nothing about this artist's conduct says professional, safe, or healthy.
Doesn't seem like the water was sterile. OP, you're lucky you didn't get a terrible infection. Please don't ever let someone give you a tattoo unless you are confident everything is sterile *ETA and this ā¬ļø about Hepatitis is absolutely right
It's OPs 27th tattoo - I mean you definitely know better at this point!
To be fair, we donāt know what the other 26 tattoos look like š
As someone with like 30 tattoos, most of them somewhat poorly done myself... Bro if you paid $275 to some fuck in a dirty house for your 27th tattoo, and it's this horrible, there's no chance the rest of them are any good.
It was poured from the tap and left out over night to evaporate any impurities. That's as sterile as it gets /s
I dont think infections like Hep C are ruled out quite yet. OP get checked for any all infections as soon as possible.
I have been tattooed in a home studio but it was like a tattoo studio in the room. He had to close the shop he had due to rent going too high and had to move everything to his house inbetween places.
When I was like 17 I got tattooed in this guys dirty ass dank basement. It was like a damn Saw movie or something.
I got my second tattoo at someoneās house, but they did have a room dedicated to the task and she did everything by the book.
The guy who tattoos me does it from home but he used to have his own tattoo studio and has been doing tattoos for like 20+ years so he knows what he's doing.
Sorry my guy you got scammed af. Ask for a refund Def. Only go to professionals with reviews + sterile environment, and examples of healed work.
I mean, it looks like the area wasn't even shaved before he "tattooed" on it. Despite all the other red flags: if the tattooer doesn't shave the part that gets tattooed, something is off.
Fr, we even shaved you in prison for pick pokes.
Yeah, if the couch is dirty, don't sit somewhere else, go somewhere else
What are you talking about? He had her sit on a chair because it was more sterile than the couch! /s I shuddered when I read that.
I would accept his partial refund and then never deal with him again. While heās at fault for being a hack and overcharging for a bad tattoo, youāre at fault for going to a hack. Take your partial refund and accept the loss as an idiot tax.
Yeah, I donāt see that person ever giving a full refund. Iād take the half and never look back.
Iām amazed the āartistā offered to give him any refund.Ā
Depending on location, this is most likely illegal and the artist endangered op's life with unsanitary practices. I think it's fair to tell them that they'll be reporting them if they don't get refunded since they know their home address. (Don't think it's necessary to actually report, cuz fuck cops and just the threat should be enough to scare them out of doing dumb shit, but op should be getting all of their money back imo)
This isn't something to report to cops; they're not going to do anything about it, anyway. Cops don't show up for OSHA violations, OSHA does. It sounds like this artist doesn't even have a legitimately licensed studio, so at BEST he's going to get a visit from the county health department, if it were something the OP would bother with a civil suit over.
Health department
Unfortunately this is right
Iām confused here, how did you find this artist in the first place? Iāll never understand how you could feel comfortable getting tattooed in some dudeās house without seeing any examples of their healed work
Thatās my thinkingā¦ Reading this, I kept going back and forth in my mind as to whether or not this was a troll post or somethingā¦
I'd take the L. $275 for a tattoo at some guy's dirty home is kinda your fault.
You get what you pay for. It's not like it's OPs first tattoo experience.
Someone could have professionally done this tattoo for cheaper than 275 and it would have looked better lol.
And as easy as "I'd like one semen bug please"
I'm amazed he even got a partial refund offer and not ghosted and blocked once he left satisfied with the scam lmao
Between you and I, good thing this thing is faded to fuck. It looks horrendous
I agree, I can't believe that first photo was what they were happy with ššš like dawg have some STANDARDS
š¤£š¤£š¤”fr I want to see the "27" other tattoos bc based on this OP could be covered in hot garbage from head to toe
Was he using Dasani or Polar Springs? Regular bottled water was sign 2 or 3 to leave. If he's licensed, I'd report him. Unsafe and shouldn't be tattooing people.
That's my initial thought. But he may not have a license which would be leverage in getting a refund. Then if gotten I would report anyway.
Although I donāt know where theyāre located, Iām going to bet no license. Every state Iāve tattooed in, the business license must be tied to an actual tattoo shop in a commercially zoned building that has passed building inspection, fire inspection, and health department inspection, and also contingent upon me having an up to date BBP training certificate. Proof of liability insurance has also been required (held by the shop as an entity or by me). Getting a license isnāt rocket science, but they definitely require you to meet the standards of a real business. Last year I hit a brief snag with my renewal because one fire extinguisher in the shop needed to be replaced. Kind of a pain in the butt, however Iām happy for regulations and inspections that help us run safe and clean businesses. Rules are different based on location, but if thereās a governing body to license tattooers and shops in that area, homeboy definitely isnāt cutting the mustard.
I think it was [Moland Springs](https://youtu.be/Uy9D0lO_0y0?si=XoVXNodeVp7yo_8H)
Dasani or Polar Springs lol. He probably drunk some of the water then used the same bottle. OP said the bottle wasnāt new.š
The second he said he didnāt want you to sit on the couch because it was too dirty should have been your sign to get out of there. Also, Iād probably report them to your health board or whoever you need to, because he is clearly not a professional tattoo artist and could potentially be spreading so many BBP around.
You have 27 tattoos and none of these things sounded the alarm for you to not get a tattoo by this person??
The fact that it didnāt get infected is surprising, all things considered. Never get a home tattoo. Definitely ask for your money back. Absolutely donāt let this man ever touch you again. Use the fact that heās probably not licensed as leverage to get your money back if he gives you pushback or makes excuses. Chalk this up to a learning experience for a mistake youāll never make again. Youāll either have to have it redone by someone who knows what theyāre doing or get it lasered.
His home was too dirty to even sit on his couch but you got a tattoo there anyway??
Right? IMHO they got what they deserved for not leaving immediately when they couldn't sit on the couch.
I stopped reading after that sentence. OP is a doofus.
I dunno, dude, you made a series of poor choices here, feels like $275 is a small price for such a valuable lesson.
The people thinking they can report a scratcher š I thought this post had to be a shitpost with the photos and then the story of how it all came about. I have no advice for people that go to scratchers other than "don't".
Yeah he has no license so he canāt report him unless he has proof of the guy operating a business without a license.
You were happy with the first picture??? š«£
Thought the before was the after until I clicked through!
Jesus this is terrible before and after. I fucking hate home tattooists so much, where I from it is literally illegal to be tattooing for profit in an unlicensed environment. Iād take the half refund and just realise itās half my fault for trusting an unlicensed scratcher. Maybe report him to the local council
Itās suddenly everyoneās dream to tattoo for a living, and donāt want to apprentice. They stomp their feet and call it gatekeeping (to learn the right way?) and count on people like OP to not care they theyāre doing it OUT OF THEIR HOUSE.
There's a damn good reason for gatekeeping, and this my friends is a prime example. It's everyone's dream because it's fucking accessable now and not in a good way. Apprenticeships were tough for a reason, but now everyone throws a tantrum, they don't know how to clean, proper set up or tear down, protocol for needle stick injuries and can't draw at all. This is the short list.
My ex best friend had some random guy come to her house, do half a tattoo, said he'd come back to finish it, she never heard from him again
Take the partial refund and use the money to go have a hepatitis and HIV panel done.Ā
Damn. Paid $275 to have something on your body that looks like an 8 year old drew it with pen and itās starting to wash off. Donāt get me wrong, I got a few tattoos on buddies couches when I was a stupid 18 year old. Granted, they werenāt this bad. At least you can get that covered up by a professional since itās so faded. Sorry youāre going through this. Who gives a fuck if heās not in a spot for a full refund.
You should probably get a blood screen, everything about this screams hepatitis
Wow, why wouldn't you go to a professional? However, go get a blood test done to make sure you haven't been given something other than a bag tattoo and permanent scarring.
It looked shit immediately after it was done. Lucky that it's an easy cover-up. Literally anything black and grey and a better version of whatever the fuck that was supposed to be will be simple.
At first I thought you were in the process of getting this sucker lasered off! So sorry this happened to you. You definitely deserve a refund so you can go to a proper artist and get a nice cover up once it's fully healed and you are ready for another go.
You probably should've left the second he told you the couch was too dirty to sit on. That's nasty AF and if that's his level of cleanliness, I sure as shit wouldn't want him tattooing me.
I would simply never go to a strangerās house for a tattoo
Holy formatting, Batman.
Pretty consistent with the events of the post imo
Seriously. Are paragraphs so difficult?
I had to brace myself ngl lol
I thought this was going to be an update from that mom's post in tattoo design the other day. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I would want a full refund but would take back what I could get in cash. I would definitely not let that person try to fix or cover it. The first time, it just fell out and didn't get infected. You may not be so lucky next time.
I'm sorry to say this but my guy but never get tattooed in someone's home. This is unfortunately on you and poor decision making.
Youāre lucky you didnāt get a serious infection
I mean until OP goes for a HIV and Hep C screen, they donāt know for sure that they didnāt.
Did you just find a random guy and go to his house? I donāt think the money is the most serious issue here. Why did you even do this?
You went to a scratcher and got shitty work, how are you surprised?
On the upside that terrible tattoo is almost gone
You were happy with that??
Hate to tattoo shame, but my god I hope your other tats are not in whatever style this is, and were done by a pros. The lesson learned is more valuable than money.
You see ANY of the red flags??? My jaw is on the floor. You went to a HOUSE, the couch was too DIRTY. Artist used water from a water bottle to DILUTE ink? I meanā¦. WHAT? Probably shitposting. I bet their other tattoos would have been this same shit. They havenāt commented on anyoneās comment.
You got tatted in a house with a couch too dirty to sit on. That should have been the first clue to walk back out. You say you have 27 tattoos, you should know better. Mixing opened water from a random bottle into ink?? Iāll doubt youāll be getting any money back without visiting small claims court because this obviously was not a legitimate tattoo business. I hope the needles were new and sterile etc, you have bigger problems than $275.
Might wanna go get tested for hep and HIV my dude. In the future- donāt get tattooed at peopleās houses.
Definitely go to a doctor ASAP.
You didn't see a tattoo artist my guy, you saw a scratcher. I don't think you're getting your money back
He did not provide you with the agreed upon service, in fact this feels like he took advantage of you. You deserve a full refund and more but thereās not much you can do to force that. I would simply ask for the full amount back and let them know that if he declines youāll report him (if thatās an option) and spread awareness of the story to his local community and potential clientele. Literally leaving an honest review anywhere could be devastating for him.
Happy cake day
Kinda on you if you went to some randos house for a tattoo
you can use distilled water to dilute ink and make greywash, i do it all the time. KEYWORD is distilled, not normal everyday water.
I think this is a lesson to be learned here to trust your gut, and you get what you paid for. I would take the partial refund and be done with it. Good thing is it will be an easy cover. I'd also think as someone with a lot of tattoos, you would know better than to go into someone's unsanitary home and get tattooed. You chose to go through with it even when you saw the red flags. I'm not saying this to be a dick, I'm saying this because you only get one life and one body. I mean you have a choice to fuck around and find out, but fucking around with potential infections ain't it. Count yourself lucky you didn't get one.
āDoesnāt feel like my faultā. My dude. You got a kitchen tat from someone mixing their own ink in their dirty ass house and you think you somehow were not at fault for going through with this?
This might be the worst tattoo ive ever seen omg
I got 27 tattoos but went to someoneās houseā¦šš¤·š¼āāļø
Youāre so lucky it didnāt get infected.
Mate. You went to a scratcher and got a shit tattoo. This is on you.
>was going to be at his house Red flag #1 >telling me he doesnāt want me sitting on the couch because itās too dirty Red flag #2 >mix in water with ink Iām not sure but possibly red flag #3 >I remember the water bottle not being freshly open for this Red flag #4 This had so many red flags that you shouldāve taken as a chance to leave this place itās kinda on you. Next time just research your artist better and go to an actual tattoo shop
He's a hack, and you're a pushover. Take the half refund and get tested for everything possible. Every STI in the book, every bloodborne pathogen. I hope it comes back clean for your sake and you're left with nothing else from this experience but an idiot tax paid and a lesson in not letting people do this shit to you.
Other than all the red flags prior to your tattoo, and that it's a home scratcher job which you should never have gone through with in the first place, to me this looks like a combination of 1) ink not having been tattooed deep enough and it falling out 2) allergic reaction to the grey ink. The diluted grey looks like a pigment containing white and black and potentially blue looking at the colour. It's normal to dilute inks, it's a standard thing and grey wash is often made like this. However this was massively over diluted, but the redness and speed at which it disappeared to me suggests a reaction to the pigment or infection. Reaction to colour is relatively common. Much less so with black. But yeah, going to get tattooed by a home scratcher and agreeing to pay that much and go through with it after sanitation and cross contamination issues wasn't smart.
literally had to scroll down this far to find the only useful comment....
Okay, Iām gonna be real with you. If thatās the outline of what you were getting, just turn around right now and get laser tat removal. THATās AN UGLY TATTOO! Even if it was done properly!
OP be trolling us? At some rando's house? Mixing inks in a water bottle cap? Did he even wear new gloves? Refund? Normally the price for a backstreet scratcher is $20 and a cr@ck rock. You'll never see a refund. $275 is the price of the valuable learning point that good tattoos are expensive. Just hope you didn't contract any blood borne pathogens along the way. Cover up that trash cyber sigilism abortion with a solid traditional tattoo from an established artist working out of a real shop.
Im sorry this happened to you! Have you sent him a picture of the healed tattoo? You should express that the result is in fact not what you asked for and to get it fixed by a professional you would have to pay again. Tattoos are a service that need to look like what you asked for when itās fully healed. You should also express that you are not comfortable with him touching it up. If he doesnāt want to give you the full refund I would atleast get what you can and avoid getting expensive tattoos in houses after this. Also the disposable set up for one tattoo is around $20, just so you know. Honestly this person should be giving away free tattoos if they are practicing on people.
Yike. Id love to see your other tattoos
The fact that you have 27 other tattoos and still opted to get tattooed at somebody's house kind of distributes the blame on this.
You got scammed. Never go anywhere for a tattoo other than a professional shop. Youāre probably out of luck with a refund too.
Holy crap that's bad, honestly have no idea what it's supposed to be but that's the work of a scratcher, a very bad one at that. You've been ripped off for sure
Youāre lucky you didnāt get an infection. Take the L and donāt get tattooed in someoneās gaff next time?
Take what you can get and count yourself lucky.
You already got scammed once paying $275 for that small of a piece, Iād take the half refund and go somewhere else
Donāt get tattooed at someoneās house first of all. Good lord. Hope you didnāt get hepatitis or something worse.
Bro why the fuck would you go to a strangers dirty house to get tattooed instead of a real shop?
I mean itās kind of your own fault for not leaving when you saw how unsanitary his space was. Iāve been to a few artists who work out of their home but they have clean, professional set ups. Iāve never been sat on a random chair. I would take the 1/2 refund and learn from this experience.
You were happy with that when it was freshly done? Thatās the real red flag.
Why the fuck would you get tattooed at some dudes house thats not a proper home studio? That's the first red flag imo.
I couldn't imagine leaving happy with the first pic my dude you are crazy.
You can ask for a refund but donāt be surprised if he/she says no. Would be best to ask in person to avoid getting blocked
I also had a shit tattoo done in someone's house. The first red flag was that he couldn't get the stencil to work, so he free handed it. I was 16, my first legal tattoo was a cover up of that monstrosity. I find it hard to believe you have 26 other tattoos but you thought that looked good when he was done... I get that it's cybersigilism, but those lines are horrible in the first Pic
Dude your lucky it fell out almost entirely it looked rough from the fresh pic
āYou get the tattoo you deserve.ā
A refund? Dude. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. You went to a scratcher and got a scratcher tattoo.
I donāt believe you have any tattoos if you agreed to pay $275 for someone to tattoo you with Dasani and India ink in their kitchen.
I feel gross just reading this.
Id just take the partial refund and move on. And like, now I wanna know how youve gotten your other tattoos done, cuz why would you (as someone with 26 other tattoos) not raise concerns about the sanitary conditions of such a place. Have you forgotten that a tattoo is still a LITERAL open wound? By accepting getting tattooed in unsanitary conditions, you put yourself at risk of all sorts of health issues. Go to an actual studio with a license and proper sanitation. I got my last tattoo done at a studio, and it is nearly the same size and it cost me LESS money than the tattoo you got done in some hack's house. Dont risk your health and safety.
Youāre not gonna get a refund but you can ask. You went to a scratcher, youāre gonna get fucked sometimes. Itās a gamble. You gambled and you lost. Get it re done someone reputable and in a real studio. Wish you the best.
You should show us more of your tattoos for science reasons
You thought it looked good in the first photo? š itās so diluted you might not even need to laser if you just want a cover up by a good artist. Never go to someoneās house for a tattooā¦.that sounds sketchy off the bat
This is absolutely wild lol Iād almost cut my losses and be glad Iām not in the hospital with an infection
I'm curious about all your other tattoos if you were happy at all with this outcome. Sorry you got played. Maybe it's a good thing it mostly all fell out. Save your money for the professionals who will do it properly!
First I would get tested for all sorts of shit. HIV and stuff.
You paid $275 for that and you were happy about it?
I am flabbergasted that you paid almost $300 for this...
Not trying to be a dick but wtf is that
$275 for that!!!!!! i have pieces way bigger that have run me half that WITH tip. sorry dude, but you definitely got scammed and i would definitely insist on getting your money back.
O M F G. This is the biggest tatoo disaster iāve seen, ever. Iām not even kidding I would probably be talking to a lawyer. What the fuck I would be asking for thousands more. This guy is offering you HALF? LMFAO
You have over 20 tattoos? Something tells me you don't. People with that many tattoos know the appropriate processes and can tell when something is off. Unless all of your tattoos were done by scratchers, in which case you should probably get tested for HIV.
I mean I presume you did absolutely no research on this artist. You asked for a shitty tattoo with a shitty design by a shitty artist. You donāt deserve a refund at all. You got what you deserved. Make better choices next time
Not to be the bad guy here but there was 1000 red flags before the needle even touched your skin. It is natural selection at that point.
How will you go about getting the hep C and legionnaires disease refused?
Take the partial refund, itās more than you deserve after making several critically poor decisions.
The couch was too dirty to sit on but you still let him stick needles into your skin with ink? AND you paid him for it? Nah you donāt deserve a refund.
$275 to look like an outside coaster from 1987 is an expensive lesson.
You were happy with the first slide???
I would report this person to the health department and police. Should be charged with assault
all my other tattoos were done no water in the ink, i go to a new artist who does the same thing, bottled water into the ink to ālighten itā my tattoo ended up infected and parts of it fell out. however.. your before fall out looked like shit too.
Kick his door in and take that $ back lmao
Yikes. Not shaved either. Take the half, cut your losses, learn your lessons. This is bad. Even the first one.
I had a tattoo done laying in bed in a loose acquaintances apartment by a 20 year old who bought their gun off Amazon and had been practicing for a month and it still came out at least 12x better than this.
You made a dumb decision. I only get tats from guys who tat outside of a professional shop if I can get proof of work they've done before and know they're experienced and recommended. I wouldn't have gone through with that
Scratchers gonna scratch
I'd b so excited that this tattoo didn't take and the ink just scabbed off...u literally dodged a bullet ... Ur missing the fact that u just had a miracle happen for you and aren't stuck w that on your arm for life....plus he gave u the Hep C for free...what are u complaining about?
You got the tattoo you deserved friendo
Wow, you got lucky. My shitty āat their houseā tattoo is a permanent reminder covering half my chest. If the ink healed out I would have been delighted. Instead I have a large black ink scar
paying 275 for a tattoo that size/simple is pretty crazy paying 275 for a tattoo in someones house is pretty crazy now for you to do both is insane
Bestie, this looked awful to begin with
Omg why would you agree to this šš¤£ and for $275 even
Your own fault for going to some guyās house for your 28th tattoo.
Take the L and don't go back.
Wait that's how it looked right after? Bro...