male narrator: there's nothing worse than a bad tattoo. - oh, my god! - i really need some help. narrator: now, three of the country's best artists

have joined forces to open a shop that tackles the most difficult tattoo specialty: cover-ups. - i've been tattooing for 17 years. i'm a perfectionist, but i love the challenge of a cover-up. - cover-ups aren't easy. that's why i love working with and learning from the best. - you bring me your gnarly, jacked-up tattoos, and i'll turn them into a piece of art. narrator: now they're turning disaster-pieces... - oh, my god. narrator: into masterpieces... - oh, my god. narrator: as they take on the worst... - oh, what did you do? - it's cute, sweetheart. [laughter] - it's supposed to be manly! - what! narrator: and hear the craziest stories. - that was when i spiraled, like, completely out of control. - what! narrator: you won't believe these tattoo nightmares. - [laughs] - i'm always like-- - 'cause you got a.d.d. you're not even paying attention. - when you're young, you make mistakes. the decisions you make, you don't realize that they're gonna affect you the rest of your life. or wear them the rest of your life.

- i'm home! - hey! - hey! - [laughs] because at that moment, it's a permanent thing that you really want. you guys don't have no laser work done, huh? - mm-mm. - no. - i had tattoos on me that i really didn't want on me. you know, some stuff from when i was a kid. childhood bad stuff, you know? - lasers are for robots and space people. - [laughs] - [bleep]. today, i got a girl coming in with a tattoo that she says is really strange that's got to get covered up. i got to say, i'm really excited to see her. - hi! - how's it going? - how are you? - good, how are you? - good. i'm emily. - tommy, man, nice to meet you. - hi, nice to meet you. - what brings you to tattoo nightmares? - i need something covered up yesterday. - oh, it's that bad, huh? - yeah, that bad. basically, if your tattoo artist doesn't have a tattoo, then he probably shouldn't be tattooing you, right? - oh, no. whoa! [laughs] - yeah, it's bad. - "death before duckface." - you can read it. that's surprising. at the time, i was doing a lot of tattooed modeling

and saw a lot of other girls doing duckface, which made me so crazy. duckface is just a kissy-faced girl taking a cell photo in a mirror. - yeah, that's not conducive of modeling, man. - no. - what is this mess? the drawing is terrible. it says "death before duckface" on the back of her leg. it's pretty awful, man. i've never seen anything like this in my life. can i see it one more time? - yeah, absolutely. when i had got the duckface tattoo, i was lied to, i was manipulated, and i was led on. and i learned the hard way that you always must research your artist. - so what are you thinking of doing? like, what are you thinking of covering it with? - i am an aspiring tattooed model. - oh, cool. - so i've always been really fascinated with tattoos. so i know that when the carnival and circus started, tattooed people were a huge outcast. - of course. - so they were a huge part of that. so i think that something along the lines of like the original 1920s freak show circus. - okay. - so something like a clown, or you know-- - okay. all right, so let me just sketch something up for you. - okay.

- thoughts on emily's tattoo. she believed it was a funny thing to make fun of people doing duckface on their phones, but that fun only lasts for a couple of days even. you have to live with a tattoo forever. so don't go getting statements on you that might only be a moment in your life. there's nothing i can do with the line work that's there already, 'cause it's so solid and all condensed into this one area on the back of her thigh. i'm gonna use the dark parts of that hat of the clown to actually cover some of the heavier parts on the top of the cover-up. i'll use all the textures of everything going on, from the balloons to the flowers to his clothing to the cotton candy. those'll help me do all the covering. the line work is so solid and so condensed and tight. ugh, i don't even know what to say about this one. - my client chris today, this guy's got a tattoo from college that's still embarrassing him till this day. i got to see what this is all about. hey, how you doing, buddy? - hey, what's happening? - how can we help you, man? - i need to get something covered up. - let me see what you got, man. - believe it or not, three different artists messed this thing up. - what! whoa! what is that? - oh, man, it's a mistake. this tattoo's an embarrassing reminder

of how i totally jumped the gun. and i feel like a little bitch because it made me drop out of college. i just want to move on and just totally open up a new chapter of my life. - are those like frat symbols? - yep. - were you guys handshaking each other when you got the tattoo? that thing's blown out. what makes me nervous about chris's tattoo is that it's really compressed, thick, and dark. there's so many things going on in the center of this thing, and it's so low on his arm, so it's gonna be hard to, like, displace everything. all right, my man. so what kind of ideas are you thinking about? - my mom passed away, like, three years ago, and so i was kind of hoping to have, like, a clock, you know? she died at, like, 1:20. maybe with a couple of chains wrapped around it, and have, like, the hands symbolize 1:20, and then the chain kinda hold that time. - wow. - yeah. - my mother died when i was 19. that's why i have this one... you know, to remind me of her every day. so i can see why you would want something like that. give me, like, a few minutes... - absolutely, man. - and then i'll be right back. - cool. - my biggest challenge for chris's tattoo is the center, man. it looks like a big, muddy pile of ink.

i'm gonna try to hide most of the tattoo on this lower section down here. my plan is to hide the cross within the chain and the detail of the clock. and then whatever i have left over, i'm gonna hide in the texture of the hourglass. i did a design that he really hasn't given me a full concept of, but i think it's the best image that will work for his cover-up. so i really do hope he likes it. - i have a client coming in today that does not even know what his tattoo is. that's crazy. i need to see this. - hello. - hi. - i'm jasmine. - lou. nice to meet you. - what's your name, sweetheart? - lou. - lou, nice to meet you. - yeah, hi. i really need your help today. - oh, look at you. your freaking leg is shaking. - i've got a terrible tattoo i need covered up. - let me see it. [laughs] let me see it. - are you ready? - show me this thing, please. - okay, but just so you know, a short moment of pleasure caused me a lifetime with this. - [laughs] what the hell is that thing? - you tell me. - this tattoo is ruining my sex life. i can't get turned on all because of the horrible memories attached to this tattoo.

now i have to turn down sex, and i'm stuck with this ugly tattoo. - what is that? - it's open for interpretation. you decide what that is. - maybe an alien-zombie sperm, right? - i have no idea. - come with me, 'cause i want to hear this story. it's just a horrible mess, and i know this is gonna be a hard cover-up. i need you to break this down to me on what you want. - basically, like, i wanted to get, like, a 1950s style pinup girl... - okay. - you know, with like the bangs, maybe holding, like, a whip or a riding crop. - okay. - but i wanted to have, like, a skull instead of her normal face. - that's cool. - i thought that would be really cool. i've never seen anything like that. - that is really cool. i'll be back. he's telling me that wants, like, a 1950s style pinup girl, which is cool. that's pretty cool. i love pinup girls. okay. and i'm very worried that the tattoo will come out looking flat, and that makes for a bad cover-up. there's a bunch of different factors this time. it's a hard cover-up, period. for lou's tattoo, what i'm gonna have to do to make this look good is i'm going to have to line up the hair to the face of whatever that thing is, and that's where it's gonna start off. i then have to make sure that there's movement in the lingerie

so that it doesn't appear flat. it's definitely going to be a big tattoo. - all right. so, um, i drew up this, like, sinister clown from, like, a carnival. - oh, my gosh! that's so cool! - is that cool? - yes! - why don't you come on back and let's start to figure this out? - okay. looking at the drawing that tommy just showed me of a clown, and i mean, it's amazing! however, it's really difficult for me to imagine that this clown is gonna cover up all that i have going on with duckface. - so why don't you tell me how you got this wacky tattoo on your leg? - well, basically, if your tattoo artist doesn't have a tattoo, he probably shouldn't be tattooing you. - he didn't have any tattoos? - no. - [gasps] and i noticed that he doesn't really have a lot of tattoos, and he goes-- - i don't like needles. i don't like needles. - that is so [bleep] shady, dude. - a couple cops walk through the door. - my old lady'll handle it. she's tatted before. - [trilling tongue]

- aw, god, dude!

- all right, my friend. so why don't you tell me how you got this wacky tattoo on your leg?

- all right. [needle buzzing] so basically, um, it's a normal day. i'm at work, and my friend walks in. he has another friend with him, and he's this new, upcoming tattoo artist. his name is johnny from new york. - how are you? i am johnny, and i am from new york. - he shows me his portfolio. - i drew all this stuff. - it's really good. he's was like, "i have this convention coming up in vegas, and i've been looking for a model." - so that's, like, your big break. - yeah, you know, this could be a really great opportunity. so we set up an appointment, get to the shop, and i notice that he doesn't really have a lot of tattoos. so i said, "johnny, why don't you have any tattoos?" and he goes-- "i'm a little scared of needles but it's not a-- not a big deal." [needle buzzing] ugh, god. - he's scared of needles? - yeah. that is, like, super, super red flag number one. - that is so [bleep] shady, dude. - yeah, but like, i don't want to back out, you know? so we begin the tattoo, and it hurts so bad. - [screaming] - it feels like my leg is being sawed off. after about 3 1/2, 4 hours, i ended up just tapping out.

- i can't, i can't, i can't, i can't. can we just finish in vegas? - that took four hours? - yeah. and he goes, "we're gonna meet back up at the convention," and he's gonna finish the tattoo. he wraps me up, and i walked, like, right out of the shop. i'm at work two days later. a busboy comes running by, and he goes-- - you hear that johnny from new york is a fraud? - [gasps] - all the pictures in his portfolio? stolen off the internet. - [scoffs] - and it sucks because the tattoo on your leg is horrible, and you can't even get it removed. [laughing] have a good day. - i just was like-- - so you get conned? - yeah. i got completely conned. and he left town and doesn't have a phone number and doesn't have a facebook. - that sucks. just too bad the tattoo wasn't fake too. - that would've been so awesome if it would've just came off in the shower. - [laughs] - all right, my man. i know that you gave me, like, the idea that you wanted, like, a clock, and you wanted the time of death of your mother involved and stuff like that. - right, right. - so i did, like, an hourglass type of a design.

- oh, hell, yeah. - there's the illusion of a clock in here, and it's on the one for 1:00. - right. - and then as it comes down, it looks more like the whole shape of a clock, and then that's on a four. so that's kind of, like, the concept that i'm trying to do. - dude, that is bad, right there. i'm so excited to get this covered up, but at the same time, i'm worried. i've already had to try and cover it up one time, and it didn't work. - so how'd you end up with this thing, man? - i was in my, uh, freshman year of college, man, and i get invited to my first frat party. i get up to the house, and there's, like, five chicks for every dude inside this place. - oh, my god! - is it always like this? - every night, man. - whoo! - so i'm about a couple of days from being initiated, and i hear these guys talking about getting branded or getting tattooed. - hey, man, don't forget. 2:00 tomorrow. we're getting the greek letters tattooed on us. - knowing that i'm not initiated, but i know i'm gonna be initiated, i'm thinking-- - i'm getting my own tattoos. - the very next morning, i drive to the nearest tattoo shop. getting fraternity letters tattooed on me, and i'm not even part of the fraternity yet. hey, i know what i'm doing, right? - you're all pumped up.

- i drive back to the college and end up going to the frat house that night. - yo, what is that, man? you ain't ever gonna be initiated into this fraternity. - i thought it'd be cool! - oh, so-- - dude, i was depressed, man. - so you had no frat, no more hot chicks, no partying. - no beer. - no beer. - yeah. i dropped out of college. i didn't even go back. - what! - yeah, i stopped going. i'm thinking to myself, "i'm gonna get this thing covered up." i go in this tattoo shop. the shop is a dump. and there's this big guy sitting there, you know, with a red beard. - please tell me you can cover this up, please. - hell, yeah, i can cover that up. - so i sit in his chair. he doesn't trace it out or anything. he just starts tattooing. - whoa! ah! - [cackling] - and just wouldn't you know it, a couple of cops walk through the door. - get out of here. - seriously? - seriously. are they here to get this dude? - yeah, yeah. - and they call him out by name like they knew him. [sirens blaring] - all right, tubby. you know what to do. let's go. - what am i supposed to do? - my old lady'll handle it. she's tatted before. - [trilling tongue]

- forget it, man. i'm in the chair. why not? let's do it. she sticks a piece of plastic on it, slaps it, and says-- - "all done. how about a little 'thank you' for mama?" - everybody wants to know the story behind your tats, you know? i mean that's why you get 'em, 'cause they're symbolic and... - right. - everybody wants to know what's behind that story. so i'm just ready to get it off me, man, and-- and tell a different story. - well, let's give you a new story. - all right, let's do it. uh, i did some crazy [bleep], man. - yeah, i am glad i didn't go to college. - i'm not really sure how this is gonna work out, so we're gonna have to figure this [bleep] out together. all right, sweetheart. okay, i drew up something. - that looks amazing. - good. i wasn't taking no for an answer. [laughter] - jasmine's design is so awesome and beautiful, and i'm just nervous because if this cover-up doesn't work, this might ruin my current relationship. - so, sweetheart, how did you get this?

- well, this is what happens when you listen to the head in your pants and not the head on your shoulders. - oh, my god! [laughs] [scrambled audio] - the next thing i know, my belt is off, my pants are unzipped, and she's doing her thang-thang. - she's going in. - all right, let's see if i made you proud. let's see. what do you think? - oh. oh, man.

[needle buzzing] - so how did you get this? - i was dating this girl for two years, and it was, like, this crazy relationship. her friend's boyfriend was doing tattoos out of his house for cheap. i figured, you know, it's gonna be cheap, why not? so on the ride over there, my girlfriend's saying-- - it's the best idea ever if you got a tattoo that reminded you of me. i could draw something for you. - i was just like, "you know what? i'll think about it" you know, just-- - is she an artist? does she draw? - no, she's not even an artist. like, it's like, "you know what? go into the other room. go draw something up." - i'm so excited. i'll be right back. - all right, baby. hey, man, before she comes back, man, tattoo me, all right? - so he finishes up the tattoo, and then my girlfriend comes out with this ugly drawing. she sees that i had already gotten a tattoo, and-- - what the [bleep] is this? - baby, i'm sorry. - she's like, "look, you should get the tattoo done anyway." - if you get this tattoo, i will give you oral sex right here. - you'll give me what? - oral sex. - um--uh, okay. - so you're telling me that she is about to go down on you and give you the business in front of this dude.

- while i'm getting it done. - [laughs] that's crazy. - yeah. so the next thing i know, my belt is off, my pants are unzipped, and she's doing her thang-thang. - she's going in. - like, as soon as i saw it, i was, like-- i just, like, zoned out. and then the next thing i know, she finishes up, and i've got this terrible tattoo. as soon as i saw it, i was like, "oh, god, why did i do this?" i just wanted to get out of there. - it is the most amazing tattoo ever. - finally, i'm just like-- - but it wasn't even worth it, babe. - we start fighting, and that's it. we broke up. so now-- - yeah, it's time to get rid-- that's a-- that's a crazy story. [laughing] - and my current girlfriend, like, she loves doing that for me. - oh. - but it's like, you know, like, i'll look down at the tattoo, and i'll remember the incident, and i'll remember my ex, and i can't get into it. so she starts--she's, like, getting self-conscious now that it's her. - that she's not doing a good job. - so that's why i just want to get this thing covered up, so that way, you know-- - you can get it on the right way. - exactly. - i hate you. [grunts] - all right, my man! we're done! - oh, man, i'm ready.

- you are super ready to see this thing. - i'm ready. let's do it. - i'm about to show chris his tattoo, and i really hope it represents his mother well, and the time that she died and how he held her, by giving him just a small moment of time to hold onto. - all right, man, you ready? - yeah. - all right. - let's do this. - let's see if i made you proud. let's see. - oh, my god. hell, yeah! hell, yeah, man! thank you! oh, my god. this is definitely symbolic, you know? it has a chain wrapped around the time and it's trying to hold it there, like, when i had my mom in my arms. this is exactly what i needed. thank you. this is amazing, because it honestly-- it was right there, you know? - it was. - it was. it was right there. - keyword: "was." to fix chris's tattoo today, i had to hide the cross on the bottom section of the hourglass by using the chain and the detail of the clock to disguise most of the bold lines that were hidden inside of it. the other ink was really old, so i was able to put new color on top of it and disperse it really well. - no more lying, no more bull[bleep] people. those college days, they're done. - awesome. - thank you, man. - thank you. - appreciate it. - thank you.

- this new tattoo is definitely gonna close a chapter in my life. i'm gonna stop telling the old frat stories. i cannot wait to start telling people what my mom meant to me, and hopefully, go back to college. thanks. take care, man. - you're welcome. - all right, girl. you're done. - really? - emily's not only a tattoo collector, she's a tattoo model. so it adds so much pressure to make this thing perfect. - all right, girl. why don't you take a look? - okay. oh... oh, my god! yeah, mm-hmm. yeah. yeah, that's baller. that's [bleep] great. - [laughs] - that looks so good. - it turned out pretty sick, huh? - yeah! it turned out really good. i love it. i feel so fantastic because my new tattoo is exactly what i wanted. it's totally me. i love the colors. i love the placement. i love the movement. i love how we worked with each other. i loved everything about it. i can't even see-- - where the cover-up is. - yeah. - yep. - i can't, like, at all. - well, that was our goal, man. - right.

- with emily's tattoo, i had to use the dark of the hat to cover up the majority of the top of it. then i used the shadow on the side of the face and into the neck of the clown to cover the bottom area. and to get rid of emily's line work, i head to do a ton of camouflaging. - god. bring it in. bring it in. - [laughs] - oh, thank you. - awesome. - i really didn't like being associated with my tattoo in my profession. so now, like, i'm really excited to go back out there and be photographed with this amazing piece of artwork on me. - later, girl. - bye. [needle buzzing] - all right, sweetheart. i am finished. - [groans] awesome. - so i'm about to show lou his tattoo, and i just hope that he won't feel like he's going flaccid because he's looking at that nasty-ass tattoo that gives him bad memories. - all right, i'm gonna let you see it right now. are you ready? - i'm ready. - all right, okay. - anytime now. - boo-yah. - wow. that is badass. - yay! - that is awesome. - you can tell what that is. - yeah, i can definitely tell what that is.

that is a badass tattoo is what that is. - yay! - can't even tell that there was something there. i love, like, the skull. like, it came out, like, so realistic and awesome-looking. it almost has, like, a 3-d look to it. wow. that alien sperm never existed. - yeah, it never happened. - [laughs] - my biggest challenge was to make sure that the hair lined up with the face of that thing, and i had to make sure that the pinup girl was angled in a way where it's still centered, but the face is not part of the cover-up. - dude, that is freaking sweet, though, dude. it's, like, super sexy and evil-looking. - i'm getting a little turned on just looking at her right now. - good! - all right! [laughter] take one for the team. - i think when my girlfriend finally sees my new tattoo, i think she's just gonna be amazed and speechless. - all right, you know what? it's time for you to go. - thanks for coming, brother. - thank you, jasmine. it's definitely a new beginning. i'm looking forward to this new chapter of having an awesome piece of artwork on my arm. - i can't believe you did that. [laughter] - what do you want me to do? [laughter]

- now it's a party. male narrator: there's nothing worse than a bad tattoo. - oh, my god. - i really need some help. narrator: now three of the country's best artists have joined forces to open a shop that tackles the most difficult tattoo specialty: cover-ups. - i've been tattooing for 17 years. i'm a perfectionist, but i love the challenge of a cover-up. - cover-ups aren't easy. that's why i love working with and learning from the best. - you bring your gnarly, jacked-up tattoos, and i'll turn them into a piece of art. narrator: now they're turning disaster pieces... - oh, my god. narrator: into masterpieces. - oh, my god. - man! narrator: as they take on the worst... - oh, what did you do? - it's cute, sweetheart. - it's supposed to be manly. - what? narrator: and hear the craziest stories... - that was when i spiraled, like, completely out of control. - what? narrator: you won't believe these tattoo nightmares. - every cover-up that i do

is like a freakin' roller coaster ride. - another day. - it's just so emotional for me as well as the client. - and then they walk in with that beat down face, man, where they've been to 100 places and-- - and that pretty much summed it up. - yep. but when i'm able to deliver, it's a great feeling, because i'm helping somebody, and that's always a good feeling. it's rewarding at the end, when you actually conquer that freakin' horrible tattoo. my next client, keely, has a tattoo that's left her emotionally scarred. this sounds like a rough one. - hi. - hello, i'm jasmine. - i'm keely. - what can i do for you today? - well, i have a tattoo that i need out of my life. i just need it gone so bad. - are you all right, sweetheart? - yeah. i'm sorry. there's a lot of baggage that goes with it, too, so it really needs to be gone and, like, out of my life forever. - oh, my god. come over here. you know, i've been doing this for quite some time, and nobody has ever walked up to me the way keely's walking up to me right now. you're gonna be okay. she really needs help. dare i ask? - well, i fell in love with my tattoo artist,

and my relationship actually ended up worse than this tattoo is. - whoa. oh, my god. oh, my god, it's like-- it's a massacre on your back. - this tattoo cost me my heart and a whole lot more. i lost everything because of it. the tattoo almost is more of a tumor to me than anything, and once that's covered up, i'll never have to remember that nightmare ever again. it was the worst night of my life. it's supposed to be a scorpion. - oh, my god, they didn't know what the hell they were doing. - after 2 1/2 hours, i told him i couldn't take it anymore. - i am seriously overwhelmed. there's not one straight line on this thing. i just want to, like, kind of discuss where your ideas-- - i've been going up to my grandparents' cabin in oregon, and so i just honestly want something pretty, and that represents love and tranquility and-- - mama's got you. you're gonna be okay. - thank you so much. [laughs] - for keely's cover-up, we're going to do a mountain scene. and of course, there'll be water, so it'll be like a landscape. and i want to make it very girly.

that's what i need to do right now, because that girl needs my help. she wants it very feminine, and what she has on her is anything but feminine. in order to cover up keely's tattoo, i'm going to use the mountains to cover up the claws, and i'm going to use the rocks to cover up the tail. and then i want to put a little heart tree to make it very feminine, very girly. i really hope she likes this drawing, because she doesn't, she's gonna probably start crying like-- and then i'm gonna start crying. it's gonna be a crying, freakin' mess. - my client today says he has a pornographic image on his arm. i have no clue what it's about, but i cannot wait to hear this story. what brings you here? you got a cover-up that's-- - yeah, i got a cover-up. i've had it since i was a teenager. i'm a family man now. i do a lot of stuff with my daughter, so it's really inappropriate, and i'm at that point where i don't want her to... - absolutely. - ask. - well, let's see what you got goin' on, dude. - all right. just 'cause it makes you laugh doesn't mean you should put it on your arm. - dude, that is [bleep] awesome. two lizards bangin' it out on his arm. it's one of the craziest tattoos i think i've ever seen in my life. the tattoo is done so bad,

i was wondering if the guy did it with a shovel. - [laughs] - oh, god, dude. - right? that's what you get, being a teenager and rambunctious. when i look at my tattoo, i just wish that it was gone. i just begged that i wouldn't have to look down and see two lizards doing it doggy-style on my arm. but this is what you get when a short little fat kid picks your tattoo. - what are you looking to do? you just want to add, like, kinda like scales and green and color the eyes? - [laughs] that's what i don't want. i don't want it finished. - what--and what are you thinking of getting? - i'm from the northwest, born and raised, and that's where all my heritage is from, the pacific northwest... - oh, okay, cool, man. - specifically. so i'm thinking some native american artwork, maybe a totem pole or something. - cool. awesome. - yeah. - okay. yeah, just grab a seat. - okay. - i'm gonna sketch some things up for you, and then we'll get back to it. - awesome, thank you. - awesome, kid. - all right. - i'm done pacific northwest type design work, but i've never actually done a physical totem pole, so i'm a little worried about it. one of my biggest concerns is how low it sits on his arm. i want the tattoo to fill up his arm

so it looks like a brand-new tattoo. to cover tyler's tattoo, fortunately he wants some sort of native american design. i'm gonna be able to use the textures within the weathered totem pole to camouflage the existing line work. i'm gonna manipulate some of my cracks in the totem pole to follow the exact line works that's there. i think this tattoo's gonna be very appropriate for him, and i think it'll be a great thing to get rid of this-- this awful image he has. - hey, what's up, buddy? man, my poor client today, he gets so pissed off every time he looks at his tattoo. this sounds really serious. - yeah, i'm in a pretty desperate situation right now. - really? - yeah, i gambled big, and i lost more than i could ever imagine. - [whistles] wow, that thing is freaking gnarly. what the hell is that? - this tattoo is a constant reminder of my rock bottom. i was doing a lot of stupid things because of gambling. i was stealing money, embezzling money, maxing out my credit cards, and this tattoo just symbolizes everything that went wrong in my life. the worst part is he's not even my dad or my friend.

it's, like, someone that i don't even speak to anymore. - so you have a portrait of somebody you don't even talk to anymore? - yeah. it was really-- it was something really stupid. - that's freaking crazy. - oh, yeah. - wow, have a seat, man. daniel's got a portrait of a dude on his arm. it must suck to take a shower with a dude every day that you don't even like. tell me what you want to do with this thing. - i was thinking maybe of getting a tiger over it. - okay. - like, something that shows a lot of strength. maybe the tiger breaks through glass. - okay, cool. i'm gonna go draw you something up so we can get rid of this thing for you, huh? - okay, thank you. - all right? i'll be right back. the thing that i have to worry about is the four things that you can see visibly on the tattoo: the hair that's on the top, the goatee that's in the center of the jawline, and then that thick name on the bottom is pretty thick itself. it's got its good things, and it's got its bad things. that good thing is that the face is really light. the bad thing is the hair and the goatee are so dark, and that is gonna be the hard part. dark hair that's up on top, i'm gonna hide it in the shadows of the mouth, and then to put the icing on the cake, man, i put those liquid tops floating off the back shoulder.

i got my work cut out for me today, man. jesus. - i drew something up. hopefully you like it. - oh, that's so pretty. that's awesome. i love it. looking at the drawing just takes me straight to my grandparents' cabin, and represents everything that i wanted. i cannot keep living with this tattoo. it's just a black hole in the back of my mind. - all right, sweetheart. i'm so interested. how did you end up with this scorpion on your back? - this tattoo cost me my heart and so much more. - oh, oh, god, the pain. - he proposed to me. - be woman to me. - [screaming] - everything was going great, and then my apartment was ransacked. - what? no! - i'm about to see my new tattoo, and if i see the old tattoo there, i think i'm gonna cry.

- so how'd you end up in here today? - well, after college, i ran into an old classmate that i actually had a crush on. so things moved really, really fast. we got together, moved in together. - it's our first place! - you look so happy.

- he proposed to me. - be woman to me. - [screams] - and everything was going great. and then he stopped coming home at night and lost his job. one day i came home from work. he was opening this big, old box on the table, pulls out a tattoo machine. - [laughs] can you believe it? our money problems are over. - then he looked at me, and he was like, "well, do you want a tattoo?" - you would be like my billboard, you know? - i wanted to support him, so i said sure. - what? no! - all right. we can--we can do it. like a little scorpion, like, maybe somewhere on my back. - oh, oh god, the pain. - after 2 1/2 hours, i was in so much pain, i just couldn't take it. - stop, stop, stop. - don't move like that. - i need a break. i need a break. - oh, you're messing up my rhythm. - i went into the bathroom and looked at it, and there was blood everywhere, ink everywhere. - oh, my god. - i just broke down and started crying. i was just hysterical. so then i was like, "what is with this?

this is not what i drew." - i thought you knew how to give tattoos, and you don't. - you should've let me do my work. - the next day, i went to work just like normal. - yeah. - came home, and i was, like, in disbelief. my apartment was ransacked. so i went straight to my jewelry box and checked to see, like, if all my heirlooms that my grandmother had given me was there, and it was all gone. - that's crazy. - yeah. and then i go into our bathroom, and i'm looking under our--the sink, and i find a meth pipe. oh, my god. did i seriously just get played by a drug addict? so i call my fiance, and he never answers the phone. - and you never spoke to him again? - not once. - did you call the cops at least? - the cops couldn't do anything, 'cause they had no proof on him at all. - completely understand why you came in here the way you did. - yeah, a lot, a lot, a lot of emotional baggage to carry around for such a long time. - we need to get this off of you asap. - asap. - why would you have a dude tattooed on you?

- i'm about to show tyler his tattoo, and i am really excited about it, man. this guy cannot live with these lizards on his arm anymore. this is really important, that he completely gets rid of 'em. i'm really excited for you. what i drew up is pretty awesome. - okay. - are you ready to check this out? - i'm so excited. - cool. awesome. so this is what i drew up for your, uh-- - that's perfect. - is that cool, man? - perfect, dude. i love it. i love the greens and the reds and the blues in there. - yeah, dude. - that'll be sweet. - yeah. you know, you want to come on to the back? - yeah, that'd be great. - cool, man. - well, i see the drawing for the first time, and i'm so excited. it's a perfect tattoo. i hope that covers it. i mean, i've been living with this for way too long, and the pain has got to stop. - how did you end up with this thing, bro? - i was 15 years old. my best friend is like, "oh, my good buddy's coming into town. he does tattoos." i'm like, "oh, okay, cool," you know. so we're flipping through the book, and bam, here's this tattoo with these lizards doing it doggy-style. i'm like, "i have to get that freakin' tattoo."

then he pulls out his tattoo gun. it was this walkman that he had taken apart, and then had freakin' guitar string as the needle. - that's what they do in jail. - yeah, exactly. jailhouse tat, for sure. - yeah. - [laughs] wait. that is a chick, right? - yeah, bro. - all right, good. - i was so excited when i saw it. i was like, "oh, that is sick." - [laughs] - no, no, no, no. so eventually, i had my daughter. i mean, look, we went into gymnastics, and they actually made us transfer classes because they said that the parents were so irate with it that they weren't gonna come back. - they--lizards hug from behind. - that's not cool around kids. - come on, coach. give me a lizard hug. from behind. - really? you're supposed to be a role model. - coach. - it's affecting not only my life, but her life, big time. - yeah. yeah, we have to get rid of this for you. - right, before she becomes a teenager and starts doing some stuff dad did, you know. - absolutely, man. - have a seat. have a seat. let me see if you're gonna like this thing, bro, you know. all right, check this out, man.

- that's amazing. that's dope, man. - it's not just, like, a portrait of a tiger, so it's got a lot going on. - i can't believe it. - awesome, you ready? - let's do it. - man, this poor guy, daniel, he's clearly haunted by the way this dude looks on his arm, constantly staring back at him. i feel for this kid, man. all right, my man. so you got a portrait of a dude on you. i really want to know why, because he's not related to you. - well, if i would've played my cards right, i wouldn't have this stupid tattoo on me. - [laughs] - i run up into the card room, lift my shirt up. - boom! - and then the whole table goes crazy. - ready to change your whole life? i hope you like it, dude. take a look, brother. - i don't even know what to say, dude.

- man, so you got a portrait of a dude on you. i really want to know why, because he's not related to you. - so when i was 18, i got introduced to gambling.

a lot of asian people gamble. - [laughs] - it was a hobby at first, and then it grew into something that was more than a hobby. through gambling, i met a lot of people, and one of these guys, he was a high roller. he liked to--he liked to talk a lot of smack. - someone get my friend a booster seat. i don't think he can see over his kiddy cocktail. - he's, like, all buffed out and ready to kick some ass trying to win some money, right? one of the things he liked to always say, "i'll bet you $10,000..." - for any of you little peons who gets this face tattooed on their body. - whoa, dog. was he saying that to, like, the people that were losing, or what? like, he was trying to punk you guys? - yeah. no one ever took it seriously. but there was a point in my life where i just wanted to keep on feeding my habit. - you were a gambling addict. you were really deep into some stuff. - pretty much. it was--it was hard core. i won a lot of money, and i lost a lot of money, too. - you lost a big part of your arm, 'cause that [bleep] is ugly, dog. [both laughing] anyways. - i walked up to him, and i said... - hey, high roller, that bet still on?