Artist designs tattoo for 29-year-old friend for free, friend regrets it a year later and asks her to pay for tattoo removal: 'Her regret isn't your bill to pay'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Jan 23, 2025 3:00 PM EST

Tattoos are a big deal. They're on you forever… that's kind of the whole point. They aren't temporary (unless you're rocking with a temp tat), and they aren't cheap. You have to make peace with the fact that it's going to be on your body forever as soon as you sit down in the tattoo artist's chair. Of course, you don't have a crystal ball, but you have a pretty good idea of what's going to age well and what isn't. You know that a tattoo honoring Mario Lopez's role as A.C. Slater in Saved By The Bell won't be as timeless as, say, a rose. Not that a Mario Lopez tattoo is a bad idea necessarily, you just have to be zen about it. 

Some folks don't have the gift of foresight, however, and end up with stuff on their skin that they would rather not. It happens. It's part of the risk you assume when you get a tattoo. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10458207744
    via Unsplash+ (Andrej Lišakov)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • But unless someone was forcibly holding the tattoo needle to you, you really have no one to blame but yourself. You thought that the name of your high school boyfriend on your bicep would be a good idea, and now you have to live with the consequences. That's not what happened in this situation, though. Read on for the story and see what you think. 

  • 02

    AITA for not paying for my friend's tattoo removal after I designed it?

    So I (32F) am an artist, and my friend "Kate" (29F) asked me about a year ago to design a tattoo for her. She said she wanted something super unique and loved my style. I told her upfront that I'm not a professional tattoo designer, but she insisted, saying she'd rather have my "personal touch" than some random artist at a shop. I worked on it for WEEKS, sent her drafts, and made every little change she asked for. She was super picky, but we finally landed on a design she loved.
    via u/desireexxhoney
  • 03
    Fast forward to now, and she suddenly hates the tattoo. Like, she's been whining about how it's "not her vibe anymore" and how she "can't believe" I let her get it. Umm... SHE picked it! She approved it every step of the way! And now she's saying it's my fault because I "should've known better" than to let her get something "so big" and "so permanent."
    via u/desireexxhoney
  • 04
    Here's where it gets worse. She wants me to pay for her tattoo removal. Let me repeat that: SHE WANTS ME TO PAY. She's going on about how it's only fair since I'm the one who "gave her a bad design." First of all, the design is good. Like, other people have seen it and said it's gorgeous. Second, it's not my fault she's having some sort of identity crisis and now wants her skin to be a blank slate.
    via u/desireexxhoney
  • 05
    I told her no, and now she's been trash-talking me to mutual friends, calling me "cheap" and saying I "ruined her body." Are you kidding me?! I didn't even tattoo it on her- I'm not a tattoo artist! I feel bad she doesn't like it anymore, but I put so much time and effort into it, and it's not like I forced her to go through with it.
    via u/desireexxhoney
  • 06
    So now I'm wondering... AITA for refusing to pay for her removal? Because honestly, I feel like she's being ridiculous.
    via u/desireexxhoney
  • 07

    Commenters swooped in to set the record straight on who was to blame.

    smokyuno • 2h ago She approved it. Her regret isn't your bill to pay.
    via u/smokyuno
  • 08
    • sog96 2h ago NTA. Make sure you let everyone know the true story when she trash talks you.
    via u/sog96
  • 09
    waywardjynx • 2h ago ΝΤΑ . You didn't force her to get a tattoo. She is being ridiculous. Hopefully your mutual friends are telling her that.
    via u/waywardjynx
  • 10
    Caspian4136 • 2h ago NTA She's full of sh with this. Don't give her a cent, it's her body, her choice to get it tattooed, and her choice to remove it.
    via u/Caspian4136
  • 11
    Tbh, I'm struggling to understand why you're still friends with her at this point. She's almost 30 and still doing this kind of high school sh?
    via u/Caspian4136
  • 12
    Amira_Rae 2h ago NTA. Tattoos are personal choices and SHE made that choice. Not your job to cover her regrets, especially after all the effort you put into making her vision come to life.
    via u/Amira_Rae
  • 13
    The_Defiled_Angel . 2h ago NTA, your friend is for not being realistic and accepting that it is her responsibility for going and getting something tattooed because she wanted to be "unique". YOU didn't "ruin her body", SHE did. Not your problem OP, don't you dare pay a penny!
    via u/The_Defiled_Angel
  • 14
    Cheezburger Image 10458208000
    via Unsplash+ (Andrej Lišakov)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 15
    Dusky-Petals · 2h ago • NTA. She approved the design and made the choice, her regret isn't your financial responsibility
    via u/Dusky-Petals
  • 16
    • SleeplessPilot 2h ago NTA. Show her this post and responses. You are not, and cannot be held, emotionally or financially responsible for your friend's decisions. She needs to grow up and take responsibility for her own actions I.
    via u/SleeplessPilot
  • 17
    For what it's worth: Your friend sounds like a childish ahle. Tell her, and her army of off. All flying monkeys, to f the way off. You don't need any of that type of people in your life.
    via u/SleeplessPilot
  • 18
    ConsciousNectarine9 NTA 2h ago You didn't pin her down and tattoo her. She willingly went to a tattoo artist after spending ages with you approving it and making changes to the design. If she didn't like it she would have said. She is absolutely cuckoo if she thinks you should be paying for it.
    via u/ConsciousNectarine9
  • 19
    External-Project2017 2h ago Your "friend" thinks she can get away with getting a tattoo design for free and then have it removed for free. Makes you wonder if she also other things for free as well.
    via u/External-Project2017
  • 20
    nottooparticular • 1h ago There is an easy solution to this. Find out how much it costs for the tattoo removal. Then send her a bill in that amount for the unpaid tattoo design. Tell her that you will pay for the removal only after she pays you for the design. Feel free to charge more for the emotional distress caused by her destruction of your art.
    via u/nottooparticular
  • 21
    Radiant Humor51... . 41m ago Wait a sec. So OP you: 1. Told her up front you're not a professional tattoo designer 2. Spent hours designing and redesigning a tattoo for free 3. had nothing to do with the actual tattoo process other than the design
    via u/Radiant_Humor5110
  • 22
    Your "friend" is insane. Your other friends can pay for the removal if they feel so strongly about it. Also, "friend" already owes you money for the time you spent designing the tattoo to begin with. NTA, except to yourself because you're letting "friends" take advantage of you.
    via u/Radiant_Humor5110
  • 23
    . Past_Wrangler8120 • 2h ago It would technically be on the tattooer but even then they aren't responsible for her not liking the tattoo. Sks to be her. NTA
    via u/Past_Wrangler8120
  • 24
    Any-Expression2246 • 2h ago Tell her it's cheaper to disown her as a friend than pay for a tattoo removal and block her.
    via u/Any-Expression2246

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

friendship arm tattoos aita AITAH best friends money problems artist friends tattoo removal reddit story tattoos Ugliest Tattoos bad tattoos reddit thread Reddit money
Scroll Down For The Next Article