We’ve all made questionable choices — a late-night snack that turned into a food coma, a haircut we immediately regretted, or that one text we never should’ve sent. But few decisions are quite as permanent (and public) as a bad tattoo.
Cue the Facebook group with the perfectly chaotic name: “What in the $20 Wish Tattoo Machine is This?” Founded in November 2020, this online hall of fame for disastrous ink jobs has become the internet’s unofficial museum of “what not to get tattooed.”
Regret, in Bold and Ink
The group shares everything from misspelled quotes (“No regerts”) to wonky portraits that look more like horror movie villains than loved ones. There are cartoon characters gone wrong, anatomical anomalies, and animals that defy biological logic — all inked with the kind of confidence only a shaky hand and $20 equipment can deliver.
“This was supposed to be a lion. It looks like a depressed golden retriever,” one commenter noted on a post that went viral.
Another tattoo featured a motivational quote — or at least, it tried to. Instead of “Strength comes from within,” the poor soul walked away with “Stregnth cums from whithin.” You can’t make this stuff up.
A Celebration of Chaos
As the group celebrates its birthday, it’s amassed hundreds of thousands of members, each united by a shared fascination with tattoo disasters. But behind the laughter, there’s a reminder: tattoos are forever — and so is the internet.
While some posters are proud to show off their wild ink as a badge of honor, others admit they’ve since booked removal sessions or cover-ups.
Still, the group has a strangely wholesome vibe. “It’s a place to laugh with people, not always at them,” says one moderator. “Most folks know they messed up. They just want to share the story.”
In the End, It’s Just Skin
Tattoos are deeply personal. And sometimes, deeply regrettable. But thanks to this group, the worst of them at least get to live on in meme-worthy glory.
So before you book that cheap back-alley special or let your friend “practice” on your arm, do yourself a favor — scroll through What in the $20 Wish Tattoo Machine Is This? first. You might just save your skin.
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