Tattoo Artists Share Requests They Refused

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mattstaff
Mar 22, 2020 8:00 AM EDT

Someone on AskReddit asked for tattoo artists to describe their experiences with rejecting people's tattoo requests. Sometimes the tattoo artist ends up being a kind of gatekeeper, from letting the stupid spontaneous decisions from getting through. 

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  • 01
    Text - _rummagingsoul • 14h Friend who is a tattoo artist says she mostly turns down drunk 18 year olds. A girl came in to the shop and was SMASHED, actually laid down on the floor and screamed "BUt I WaNT MY NOSE PIERCED RIGHT NOWWWW!" Also turned away a wasted mother/daughter duo. That time, the drunk mother argued "she's not drunk, I'm her mother!" Lady, you can't sign a permission slip to make someone sober.
    via u/pm1966
  • 02
    Text - GoreTiciaAddams • 11h Managed a shop for a while... some dude wanted his girlfriends initials on his taint and requested a female artist to do it. We kindly denied it because a.) not 100% sure how that would heal and didn't want to deal with him coming back with issues trying to pin it on us, and b.) our only female artist didn't want to go near some random dudes taint...
    via u/pm1966
  • 03
    Text - yongf • 6h My artist refuses all hand tats without a minimum of at least a full sleeve on the matching arm. Also refuses all non-English text tats unless the person can translate the thing for him right there.
    via u/pm1966
  • 04
    Text - person8743210 • 5h I got my first and only tattoo just after marrying my husband 30 years ago. My tattoo artist tried to dissuade me from getting my husbands name tattooed in the design. When I insisted, he said "Fine but just remember - Love last forever but a tattoo lasts six months longer". I'll never forget that advice.
    via u/pm1966
  • 05
    Text - Skylarboof • 10h When I had just turned 18 I went to my local tattooist and asked for a sun and moon on my hand. He refused gently and said I should get some others tattoos first and then we can revisit. I am very greatfull now!
    via u/pm1966
  • 06
    Text - 100Dachshunds • 5h I've been a tattooist 15 years. My shop doesnt usually do walkins anymore because our artists are booked 2-6 months in advance, but back in the old days while we were still building up our reputation we'd turn down anyone who was obviously under the influence. I would also turn down certain requests for names- specifically people who just looked too young or 'flighty' for that kind of commitment. I would also occasionally have to turn down racist designs. Not being open
    via u/pm1966
  • 07
    Text - jack_kels • 4h I'd just like to publicly thank the tattoo artist who in 1988 (on my 18th birthday) refused to tattoo a pot leaf on my leg. You are a saint.
    via u/pm1966
  • 08
    Text - _retail_bitch_ • 11h My managers brother runs a tattoo shop and if I remember right they turned down a lot of young white girls when the anchor tattoo on the ankle with something like "refuse to sink" or some shit because anchors are literally made to sink
    via u/pm1966
  • 09
    Text - Bomberman64wasdecent • 11h 3 3 Awards Not a tattoo artist, but I volunteer to do face painting at church carnivals. Instead of what I won't do, here's all I will do. Suns, stars, crosses, happy faces, rainbows, whiskers.
    via u/pm1966
  • 10
    Text - HouseTarg • 11h Ex Bf to a tattoo artist An automatic no is the "I was my partners names tattooed here" Bloke came in asking to have "Melissa" in massive letters tattooed around his neck. When asked why, he said it was because she dumped him 2 weeks ago.
    via u/pm1966
  • 11
    Text - ledgerdemaine • 7h Partner does cosmetic tattoo and a girl with those recently fashionable thick eyebrows that look like Groucho Marx, wanted my partner to join them up and give her a mono-brow. She refused but I on the other hand, feel the customer is always right and would have gladly given it a go.
    via u/pm1966
  • 12
    Text - bloodectomy • 13h Posted this before but here you go: obligatory not a tattoo artist but I asked this of mine. he says he once had a guy want a tattoo under his thumbnail, like he was gonna rip the nail off, then come in to the studio so he could get a tattoo that would eventually be protected by a new thumb nail
    via u/pm1966

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