What are the common elements in tattoo apprenticeship horror stories?

One horror story is about an apprentice who was made to clean non - stop. The mentor just had the apprentice do all the menial tasks like scrubbing floors and cleaning equipment for months without any real tattooing training. It was a total waste of time for the apprentice who thought they'd be learning the art.

One common element is bad tattoo artists. For example, if they are inexperienced, they might make mistakes like using the wrong ink or not sterilizing their equipment properly, which can lead to all sorts of problems.

Some tattoo artists have horror stories about clients who haggle over the price right in the middle of the tattoo session. It's really unprofessional and can be very distracting. One artist said a client started arguing about the price when he was halfway through a large back piece tattoo. It made the whole process very unpleasant.

A common horror story is about clients who have unrealistic expectations. An artist was asked to create a super - detailed, full - back tattoo in just one session. It's physically impossible to do that well in such a short time. When the client saw that it wasn't finished as they hoped, they were very unhappy and left a bad review, even though it was the client's unrealistic request that caused the issue.

One common DIY tattoo removal horror story is about using the wrong products. People might think that any strong acid or abrasive can remove a tattoo, but this is far from the truth. For instance, using lemon juice or vinegar which are acidic, can cause the skin to become overly sensitive and peel in an abnormal way. Another common story is about over - scrubbing. Some individuals scrub the tattoo area so hard in an attempt to remove it that they cause abrasions and open wounds, which are very prone to infection and take a long time to heal. There are also cases where people try to freeze the tattoo off with ice, which can lead to frostbite and permanent damage to the skin.

One common tattoo removal horror story is extreme pain. Some people expect it to be like getting a tattoo but it can be much worse. Another is bad scarring. If the removal process isn't done right, it can leave ugly, raised scars. Also, there are cases where the tattoo doesn't fully disappear. After multiple sessions and a lot of money spent, parts of the tattoo still remain, which can be really frustrating.

Infection is also a big issue. Poor after - care or the product itself can lead to infections, like in the case where people end up with pus - filled sores. Another problem is that sometimes the tattoo is not removed completely. Instead, you end up with a blotchy, faded mess that looks worse than the original tattoo.

A frequent horror story is about apprentices being exposed to unhygienic practices. They might see other artists not properly sterilizing equipment, but because they are new and afraid to speak up, they have to work in that environment. Also, some apprentices have horror stories of being promised proper training but then being left on their own. They're expected to figure out techniques like shading and coloring without proper guidance, leading to sub - par tattoos and disappointed clients.

One common element is miscommunication. For example, the customer might describe one design but the tattoo artist interprets it differently. Another is inexperience of the tattoo artist, like bad line work or wrong shading. And sometimes it's unhygienic conditions in the tattoo parlor which can lead to infections.

One common element is tattoos related to lost love. Like when people get tattoos of their ex - partners' names or symbols that were important to the relationship, and then the relationship ends badly.