The Most Horrible Lip Tattoos: 20 Photos

Tattoos are made on all sorts of things these days. On the neck, arms, legs, genitals, and even eyeballs. And today we'll talk about the worst tattoos people have made on and around their lips.

20. Cupcake

CupcakePerhaps the tattoo's owner has some sacred meaning for the word. Or perhaps she chose it by simply poking it into a dictionary at random. But to endure pain and some discomfort in order to wear the word "cupcake" on your lower lip for the rest of your life is kind of silly, don't you think?

19. Rock-N-Roll

Rock-N-RollWhat ruins this tattoo is the fact that its wearer doesn't look like a rock 'n' roller at all. Sure, the camera could have pulled back and we would have gotten a completely different impression of him. But overall, the tattoo doesn't seem to have the effect it was intended to have.

18. Lip liner

Lip ContourThe conversation I had with my tattoo artist before getting one of the worst lip tattoos probably went something like this:

Tattoo artist: "What would you like?"
Lady: "I want defined lips."
Tattoo artist: "Say no more!"

Now this woman will have to wear "vampire" shades of lipstick if she wants her lip tattoo to go unnoticed. And hope that her lips don't change shape in the coming years, otherwise she'll look like a Picasso.

17. Numbers

lvshxqip"What do these numbers mean?" is the first thing you'll think when you look at this tattoo. But if these numbers are so important, why not write them down on paper or in a smartphone app? It's a better and less painful option.

16. Antennae

AntennaeThe fact that to properly display this tattoo you literally have to stretch your lip over your nose makes it useless. Sure, it will make you smile, but wouldn't it be easier to grow a moustache?

15. Jellyfish

JellyfishLooks like the jellyfish is running away from the wound on the left. Hopefully SpongeBob will come to the rescue.

14. Sore lips

Sore lipsMaybe they wouldn't be so sick if they didn't have letters engraved on them.

13. Ladies love it

Ladies love itI wonder who told this man that ladies like such tattoos? His girlfriend? Or an obvious ill-wisher?

12. Skellington's Smile

Skellington's SmileThe only person who looked good like this was Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas. If you're not him, you might want to avoid getting a horrific tattoo like this.

11. Penis

PenisIt's definitely not the coolest tattoo in the world if all it does is spell out the word "dick."

10. Penis-2

Penis-2And this owner of not the best tattoo in the world decided to immortalize his main value in life not with words, but with a picture.

9. Vegan

VeganPerhaps the only reason for such a tattoo is that the poor guy cannot speak. And when he goes to a restaurant, he simply pulls his lip back so that he is offered a vegetarian menu.

8. Meow

MeowSupermodel Kendall Jenner showed off the ink on the inside of her lip during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2018.

She explained that at the time of getting the tattoo she couldn't think clearly due to alcohol, and the word "meow" was literally the first thing that came to her mind.

7. Almost done

Almost doneThis woman actually has beautiful lips, and the permanent makeup tattoo would look great...if the tattoo artist hadn't decided to stop for some reason, leaving his work unfinished.

One can only hope that his (or her) client loves red lipstick, because she will only have to wear one color to complete the look.

6. Crying kitten

Crying kittenEven celebrities can have ugly lip tattoos. One example is singer Miley Cyrus, who got a sad kitten with a tear rolling down its cheek on her lower lip.

5. King

KingOne of the worst lip tattoos looks more like a moustache than a message. Maybe that was the intention. Well, if this man doesn't have his own kingdom, at least he has something to stand out from the crowd.

4. I love you… I know

qcnfdr10We hope that this couple will live their whole life in love and harmony. Otherwise, the new "other half" will have questions.

3. Pwease

PweaseSoy, but no.

2. Rotten

RottenProbably a warning about the quality of his oral hygiene. At least the man is honest.

1. Family traditions

Family TraditionsIf getting a tattoo like this is truly a tradition in this person's family, his commitment to it, despite the unpleasant process of getting it, is worthy of respect. Otherwise, his family has probably disowned him.

Why You Shouldn't Get Lip Tattoos

Here are the five most important factors that can reduce your desire to get a lip tattoo.

  1. Lips are one of the most painful areas to get a tattoo.
  2. The risk of infection from lip tattoos is high because the mouth is teeming with bacteria.
  3. Lip tattoos may only last a few weeks or months.
  4. As a consequence of point 3, frequent adjustments to the design are required.
  5. An allergic reaction to tattoo ink may cause swelling or severe pain in the treated area.

Additionally, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the long-term effects of pigments and possible contaminants in various tattoo inks are still not fully understood.

The FDA has received reports of bad reactions to tattoo inks, both immediately after the tattoo and even years later. Localized bacterial infections or blood-borne infections (such as hepatitis B and C) can result from unsterile needles or contaminated inks.

If you decide that the artistic result outweighs the above-mentioned risks of getting a lip tattoo, just make sure that your procedure is done in a professional tattoo parlor, with an experienced artist who has many positive reviews. And don’t be shy about asking them to explain their sterilization methods and show you the equipment in sterile packaging.