Warning! Tattoos That Send Off Major Red Flag Vibes

With so many tattoo designs out there, it might be hard to decide what type of ink to get next.

However, there are some designs people should just steer clear of, as they are major red flags.

The Horrid Fad Of “Live, Laugh, Love”

The early 2000s were a strange time, namely the huge fad that was “live, laugh, love.” Alas, people decided the phrase was the perfect tattoo idea.

Sadly, it did not age well, is made fun of, and is now a huge red flag when it comes to tattoos.

A Partner’s Name

When it comes to partners, there is nothing wrong with showing a bit of romance. The thing is, the romance doesn’t need to be their name in huge bold letters, permanently tattooed onto a body part.

This is a major red flag, especially for couples who aren’t even married.

Tribal Ink

Sadly, the early 2000s was a time when tribal tattoos were the “it tattoo.” Thankfully, the public has learned from its mistakes and has decided as a collective the design is horrible, especially when the line work is bad and the person has no connection to the design.

Tribal tattoos are massive red flags.

A Tattoo That Screams “I Got Inked In My Friends Garage”

Any tattoo that screams, “I got a bit too intoxicated last night and wound up in my friend’s makeshift tattoo parlor in their garage,” is a definite red flag.

It just looks as though the person is irresponsible and doesn’t have good friends to talk them out of bad life choices.

Chinese Symbols

Sorry, but Chinese symbol tattoos are a huge red flag, namely because people who tend to get them don’t do their research and don’t even speak the language.

The result is typically a symbol that means something completely different than what they thought.

Unoriginal Words And Phrases

In the early 2000s, single words and phrases were a go-to tattoo design for many people. However, the unoriginality of phrases like “carpe diem” has since become a red flag.

Pro tip: get creative and be original!

Animal Prints

Is there any way to take a cheetah print tattoo other than seeing it as a huge, bold, red flag?

Does this person want to be a cheetah? Is there a big significance to the print? Highly doubtful.

The Overdone Deathly Hallows Tattoo

Unoriginal, overdone, and so boring to see on people, the Deathly Hallows tattoo from Harry Potter might be one of the biggest tattoo fads imaginable.

This, along with the word “Always,” is one tattoo a lot of people are sick of seeing.

Anything Spelled Incorrectly

I think most people can agree that one of the biggest tattoo red flags is anything that is spelled incorrectly.

It just means the person is irresponsible and didn’t care enough to check the artist’s spelling before being permanently inked!

“Only God Can Judge Me”

While the saying “only god can judge me” is all fine and good, something people might believe, it is not something that needs to be permanently inked onto one’s skin.

The thing is, people will judge others no matter what a tattoo says.

Realistic Portraits Of Famous People

There is nothing wrong with enjoying a celebrity.

The moment a person decides to tattoo a realistic portrait of their face onto their body, though, it throws up a lot of red flags.

Barbed Wire

To many, barbed wire tattoos look like nothing more than a billboard on a person’s body saying, “yes, I have been to jail.”

It’s not exactly subtle, and it definitely makes a statement, albeit not a good one.

“I Refuse To Sink” With An Anchor

For some reason, the phrase “I refuse to sink” became a huge tattoo fad in the 2010s. Of course, what is the phrase without the little anchor?

The thing is, this tattoo is unoriginal, and, sorry folks, the anchor next to the phrase makes no sense since an anchor is supposed to sink.

Face Tats And Tear Drops

For some people, there is nothing as off-putting as face tattoos.

While the placement is all the rage with Gen Z, most other people see it as nothing more than a red flag fad that will go away in time and leave people upset that they permanently inked their face.

Matching Friendship Tattoos

While friendship tattoos are cute, they can cause a potential issue. What happens if the friendship falls apart? Now, each person is stuck with one half of a tattoo, something they might have to explain to others.

Red flag: the person can’t hold onto a friendship for whatever reason and now has a permanent reminder of it.

Any Band Tattoo

This particular tattoo is for a band called Bayside.

Even if you are one of the “cult,” a name for this band’s fans, keep in mind any band tattoo sends up red flags in every direction.

Zodiac Symbols

Even if a person is really into astrology and Zodiac symbols, other people might see something like this Aries tattoo to be a major red flag, especially considering the sloppy line work.

Honestly, an artist with a steady hand would have made this piece a whole lot better (maybe).

Comedy And Tragedy Masks

For a lot of people, one of the biggest red flags out there is someone with a comedy and tragedy mask tattoo.

Yes, these tattoos can be very well done, but it doesn’t detract from the fact that a majority of people who have this ink aren’t even in the theater.

Cat Brows…Enough Said

If a person likes cats, that’s all well and good.

The thing is, swapping out eyebrows for two cats lying down is a questionable life decision that might stand out as a red flag to more than one person.

Zipper Tattoos Are Bad. Zipper Tattoos With Skeletons Are Worse

There is nothing wrong with horror-inspired tattoos. Even this one has amazing artistry.

The thing is, it is very creepy; having a 3D skeletal hand making its way out of a zipper might be a red flag to some people.

Reptiles That Look Like Their Coming Out Of A Body Part

While this tattoo is arguably very well done, it still might be a red flag in some people’s books.

Seriously, who decides they want a 3D lizard crawling out of their leg for life?

One Realistic Eye

Eyes are a common tattoo, namely the all-seeing eye, the Eye of Ra, and even an Evil Eye. That being said, one very big and realistic eye isn’t common.

In fact, it’s a bit creepy and unnerving.

An Arrow With A Phrase As The Shaft

An arrow with a phrase such as “free spirit” might have some people running to the hills with the unoriginality.

This red flag screams, “I wanted a tattoo, and Pinterest showed me this one.”

An Infinity Symbol. Bonus Flag If It Includes “Yolo”

Oh, the infinity symbol, a tattoo that has, sadly, not faded away into the ether quite yet.

A red flag to many, a person with this tattoo gets a bonus flag if they have any words written within the symbol (two flags if that word is “Yolo”).

A Playboy Bunny

Unless a person is or was a playmate at some point in their life, there really is no reason to have a Playboy bunny tattoo.

It sends off major red flag vibes.

Dreamcatchers With Feathers

The bigger the dream catcher and accompanying feathers, the bigger the red flag.

It always seems as though people with this tattoo are trying to be someone they’re not — a wanderlust hippie who “belongs nowhere and goes everywhere.”

Monster Energy Drink Symbol

Is there anything more cringe-worthy than seeing someone with an energy drink tattoo, especially if that symbol happens to be a lime green monster “M?”

If someone is thinking about getting one of these bad boys, keep in mind that any potential dates will probably flock in the other direction.

Poorly Done Portraits (Especially Babies)

There is nothing worse or as much of a red flag than a poorly done portrait, especially if the portrait is of a baby.

With bad line work, shading, and an alien face, this person clearly did not do research on the artist prior to scheduling their appointment.

Any Company Tattoo, Especially If The Person Works There

There is nothing more off-putting than seeing someone with a company logo tattooed on some part of their body, especially if they work for the company.

Is the company a cult? Why ink their logo if it wasn’t a cult?