January 11, 2026

50 Tattoo Fails So Epic, Folks Just Had To Share Them Online

Getting a tattoo can be a sort of leap of faith. As wonderful and clear as the drawing may be, it ultimately comes down to the tattoo artist’s ability to use their machines. Unfortunately, that means that some folks out there have ink that serves as a warning to always do your research beforehand.

This Instagram page is dedicated to some of the most questionable, bizarre and downright terrible tattoos out there. So get comfortable as you read through, prepare to be deeply confused by how someone could want that, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts below.

Mind-Bending Ink

Bald man with spiral tattoo on head, showcasing an epic tattoo fail.

No Shame Zone

A person on the street displaying epic tattoo fails, wearing a swimsuit and holding a bag.

Muscle Goals, Kinda Reached

Man with tattoo fail depicting a muscular figure holding handles on his chest.

Tattoos are evidence that no matter how long something has been around, ultimately it comes down to human artistic skill to make it look good. We have evidence that people had some sorts of tattoos over 5000 years ago, for example, “Ötzi” whose mummified remains were found in the Alps, had a number of simple, line tattoos on his corpse.

We have more evidence from the ancient Egyptians, who put in more work to preserve their bodies after they died. One example had multiple animals, a bull and sheep, showing that the ancients weren’t that different from us and liked modifying the way they looked.

Blue Collar Rapper Vibes

Epic tattoo fail featuring a blue cartoon character with a human face and a beanie on a person's leg.

Built-In Excavator Skills

Hand with an excavator tattoo, appearing to dig into concrete rubble, representing an epic tattoo fail shared online.

Waves of Irony

A humorous tattoo fail on a person's head with wavy text reflecting the head's shape.

This means that humans have been developing this skill for thousands of years, yet there are still tattoos being made in 2024 that are absolutely terrible. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but, importantly, the person requesting the tattoo is almost never the person making it, so there is always the question of if this was what they really wanted.

The Half-Hearted Haircut

Man with sunglasses showcasing an epic tattoo fail of a hair design on his head.