My girlfriend (F22) just got a pretty u**y tattoo and I (M22) don’t know what to say

A Reddit user shared their dilemma regarding their girlfriend’s new tattoo, which didn’t turn out as well as she had hoped. The user is unsure whether to be honest about the tattoo’s imperfections or to lie to avoid hurting her feelings.

They want to support her while being truthful, but also fear that their honesty might make her feel self-conscious about her permanent decision. To find out how others might handle this delicate situation, read the full story below.

‘ My girlfriend (F22) just got a pretty u**y tattoo and I (M22) don’t know what to say’

We’ve been together for almost a year, and honestly, our relationship has been amazing. I really care about her, and every moment we’ve spent together has been special. But yesterday, she went out with some friends and decided to get a tattoo on her ribcage. It’s a rose, so it’s definitely not a cheap or simple design.

However, when I saw it, I could tell that the tattoo artist didn’t do the best job. The final result wasn’t exactly what she had hoped for—it didn’t come out as clean or polished as it should have. I could see in her eyes that she wasn’t thrilled with it, and it was clear she was trying to hide her disappointment.

I have no idea what to say to her about it. Should I be honest and say, “Yeah, it’s not great” (though obviously not in those exact words)? Or should I lie and tell her it looks amazing to avoid hurting her feelings, especially since this is something that’s going to stay with her forever?

I really want to be supportive, but at the same time, I don’t want to make her feel bad about something that, in her eyes, is a permanent part of her. I know honesty is important, but there’s also the fear that being too blunt could make her feel worse than she already does.

On the other hand, if I lie, am I doing her a disservice by not being truthful about something she might want to fix later? It’s a tricky situation. I don’t want to make her feel self-conscious about it, but I also don’t want to completely ignore the fact that she’s clearly disappointed.

I think the best approach will be to acknowledge that it’s not perfect, but also remind her that tattoos are personal and full of meaning. I want her to know that it doesn’t change how I feel about her—she’s beautiful just the way she is, tattoos and all. I think a gentle approach, where I offer my honest opinion without being hurtful, is the way to go.

Let’s dive into the reactions from Reddit:

whatforthen −  Dude be honest. She can get a kick ass peice to cover it from a really great artist. I have a lot of ink…so advice. You tell her that her idea was beautiful and wonderful and that she didn’t get the peice that she deserves and thats not her fault. Then let her know that its completely fixable by a really good artist.

Then research really good, well reviewed artist with a lot of experience covering tattoos and big portfolios, Then save up a GOOD chunk of money (if you’re interested in getting the tattoo changed as well, you could consider going half in on it with her to get more money together in half the time) and get a new awesome tattoo to cover the old one

AlanTudyksBalls −  One thing you could do is ask her how she feels about it, and validate her feelings, instead of waiting for her to pick up on / get tired of you not liking it, and asking about it. That latter thing tends to start off poorly because she’s feeling your disapproval and is going to be defensive. .

Acceptable_Recipe −  Be honest, but more importantly be tactful.

huammaye −  I don’t know much about tattoos, but is it possible it looks crappy now just because the skin is still healing? If so, tell her “Maybe it will look better once it’s healed.” That will give her “permission” to admit she’s not thrilled with it now, and if it doesn’t get better-looking, she can proceed with a cover-up tat.

AnnetteXyzzy −  It’s on her rib, not her face. She might come to the same conclusion and get it touched up sometime down the road. Don’t go out of your way to make her feel badly about it.

[Reddit User] −  Find a better artist and pay to have it redone/covered up as a gift. It’s amazing what a talented tattoo artist can do to remedy crappy work.

Popcorn1308 −  You should be honest about it and focus on finding a solution together.

Sonnet2myHeart −  I have two but none on my ribcage, and I’d probably be pretty devastated to go through that pain again because the first one is u**y (though necessary), so I wonder if she is feeling the same. I like everyone else’s advice. Just bolster her spirits with love and support and excitement to improve it with an awesome new one.

basylica −  Do what I did when my friends had legit the ugliest baby I’d ever seen.. “Oh isn’t he handsome!”
“Yep! He’s a baby alright…”

PlantPrincess3337 −  A good artist may be able to fix it if she doesn’t want a cover up! They could add to it or touch it up