Readers share their true stories of terrible tattoos.

I had just broken up with my fiance of five years, and I was feeling a bit out of sorts. I decided to go to meet some girlfriends at the neighborhood bar for a few games of pool and some drinks.

Everything was going fine until a few gentlemen came over to the table in an attempt to meet our group of girls.

One of the men was exceptionally good-looking. We played a few games of pool, and he told me he had just gone through training to be a tattoo artist. He also presented this challenge: If I won the next game, he would give me a free tattoo.

I had never gotten one before, but after having a few drinks, I was impaired enough to agree to the terms. He was a great pool player, and I knew I was going to lose anyway. But guess what -- he sank the eight ball! I had made a promise and my friends were also being very persuasive. I had to follow through.

The group of us went to the tattoo parlor and the handsome gentleman started on my tattoo. I told him that I wanted a rose on my ankle, but I didn't choose any pictures. He said that he could do that easily and I believed him. During the process I laughed and joked with my friends, paying little attention to what he was doing. About 10 minutes into the process I decided to look down.

Instead of seeing the beginnings of a tattooed rose, I was startled by a spiderweb and half of a spider. I wanted to scream but it was way too late to change anything. I had to sit there and let him finish. At the time, it didn't seem to look that bad. But when I woke up in the morning, I could see that I made a terrible tattoo mistake.

I rarely wear sandals in public now, and I always have to worry about covering the awful "art." When people do get a glimpse of it, I get teased terribly. But the worst reaction I got was from my mother, who now reminds me of the tattoo every time she sees me.

You should never be impaired or even remotely emotionally distressed before deciding to get a tattoo. Some other tips: Always go to a reputable tattoo parlor; first choose a picture, and then have the artist to sketch it out on your selected area; and most important, choose a tattoo artist because he has experience -- not for his physical attributes.

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