From BAE’s name to not-so-sexy body art, these tattoo mistakes from GLAMOUR readers are proof to think before you ink – even if it did seem like a (kind of) good idea at the time…
“He put his initials on my bottom!”
“I went back to Neil’s house after I met him in a bar. I really liked him – he was covered in tattoos as you’d expect from a tattoo artist. He had a mini studio at home and, as i was admiring his sketches, he offered to give me a quick tattoo. I blame the mojitos but I agreed to a tiny star – and, wanting to be provocative, I said, “Do it on my bum”. The cheeky sod did it but also tattooed his initials “so I could always remember him”. The letters are teeny-tiny but the fact is I’ve walked around with the initials of a one-night stand on my arse for eight years now. Argh!” – Kate*, 28
“It’s a little bow right on my bikini line”
“For my 21st birthday, I decided to give myself a present: a bow tattoo on my bikini line. I thought it was cute but it’s sparked awkward conversations with guys ever since, like, “What does it mean?” and “Why there?”. When I met my husband three years ago, I didn’t pre-warn him and, as he went down on me for the first time, he stopped. “Here we go…” I thought but he simply said, “Thanks for the present” – and then gave me one of the best orgasms I’ve ever had.” – Mandy, 30
“I got a peek-a-boo Playboy bunny”
“My first boyfriend hated tattoos – he’d never date a girl with one. We were always rocky: we’d argue, break up then get back together. One day, in a bid to end the drama, and as an act of naive defiance, I got the tackiest tattoo I could find: a Playboy bunny on my lower back. It worked. We broke up for good but now I’m stuck with it. I’m a serious businesswoman and people can’t believe it when those ears peek out over my trousers – and neither can I!” – Stacey, 31
“The sun shines from the back of my neck!”
“Travelling around India after university, my boyfriend and I decided to get tattoos so we’d always remember being young and carefree. He sensibly chose his lower back to have his star sign whereas I went for a large sun on the back of my neck, just below my hairline. Back home, I realised it was a mistake. Unless I’m wearing a polo neck, which isn’t often, you can always see it. Whenever I go to job interviews or have to do something professional, I spend ages twisting round trying to apply makeup.” – Milly, 33
“I pretend his tattooed initials stand for ‘extra spicy'”
“I once fell head over heels for a guy I met on holiday and, as a present to each other, we decided to get joint tattoos of each other’s initials. Of course, we’ve since split up and when my now-boyfriend spotted the tattoo, I lied – on impulse – and said that ‘E.S.’ stood for ‘extra spicy’ as a tribute to my love for Nando’s. He laughed about it but, as true Nando’s fans know, the ‘extra spicy’ flavour is actually called ‘extra hot’ so it’s just a matter of time before he works it out over a plate of peri-peri.” – Keira, 26
