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Unsurprisingly, this is the tattoo style people regret most

Regret
This is the tattoo that people are most likely to end up regretting [Photo: Pexels]

Tattoos are proving increasingly popular with over 18% of the UK population prepared to go under the needle. Yet although the decision may seem like a good idea at the time, a large majority will end up regretting their decision thanks to everything from design mishaps to boredom.

But the leading reason behind booking in laser tattoo removal is admittedly unsurprising.

A recent survey conducted by the University of Portsmouth and Casino.org – which reached out to 1,000 inked respondents – discovered that people are most likely to regret having another person’s name emblazoned on their body.

Angelina Jolie famously covered her tattoo of ex-husband Billy Bob’s name with co-ordinates of her children’s birth places after their divorce in 2003 [Photo: Getty]
Angelina Jolie famously covered her tattoo of ex-husband Billy Bob’s name with co-ordinates of her children’s birth places after their divorce in 2003 [Photo: Getty]

The study, commissioned by Dr Stephen Crabbe, revealed that almost one third of males regretted having their other half’s name inked while 24.33% of women agreed.

Tribal designs are also a common cause of regret for 12% of men while 15% of female respondents admitted that they can no longer bear to look at their star constellation ink – a trend championed by celebrities such as Olivia Wilde in recent months.

In further unsurprising news, researchers discovered a correlation between tattoo regret and the average time people spent considering a tattoo before booking an appointment.

Heatwave activities include… ✨🌙✨ For my little o

A post shared by Olivia Wilde (@oliviawilde) on Jul 8, 2018 at 8:26pm PDT

According to the results, over a fifth of respondents admitted that it took “no time at all” before they chose a design while men are three times more likely than women to get a tattoo on a night out.

“People may just assume that people were young, naive, or victims of their own poor judgement if they regret having a tattoo,” Dr Crabb said. “This survey actually shows us a more complex picture. There are countless reasons why people get tattoos, but there are an equal number of reasons why they get them removed. Frequently, these reasons are not necessarily associated.”


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