You may have the desire to have something permanently inscribed on your skin but Tattoo Nightmares, currently airing on the channel, and Bad Ink, starting in August, give some must-see pointers particularly when it comes to what not to do.
Tattoo Nightmares features real people with really bad tattoos, ranging from the hilarious to the downright disturbing, who seek the help of three of the best cover-up artists in the business to fix them – Tommy Helm, Big Gus and Jasmine Rodriguez. It’s all given a reality feel with re-enactments of the circumstances under which the "victims" wound up with their ink and what the Big Three can do to help them.
They’ve seen some crazy tattoos and have even had to cover up 'tramp stamps' in the nether regions with Rodriguez seeing a real shocker in the much talked about 'ball sack' episode.
Bad Ink, coming to the channel in August, demonstrates just how silly people can be when deciding to get themselves tattooed. The show’s hosts are renowned Las Vegas tattoo artists Dirk Vermin and his trusted sidekick and best friend for 20 years, Rob Ruckus. Both presenters are covered in tattoos. They walk the streets of Las Vegas looking for people who have made terrible mistakes on their skin with Vermin offering help to turn those blunders into something more attractive.
The show also reveals how some people just enjoy having really bad tattoos. On one of the episodes, viewers will get to see how two college buddies bet to see who can get the worst tattoo. This is when Dirk steps up to the podium and is given the task to settle the score by making their tattoos even more ridiculous.
Not only do tattoos go wrong internationally but locally too. Our very own former TV host Sade Giliberti sports a few tattoo mistakes herself: "I have one on my left inner arm where the tattoo artist must have had hiccups or something – one word out of the sentence is all shaky."
Her bad experience is shared with Skhanda Queen and TV host Nomuzi Mabena who had a tattoo done on her middle finger which says 'salute'. However, it no longer does.
Hip Hop artist, Da Les, who has seven tattoos, admits the first two weren’t the best artistic work and has now learnt to research and take time when it comes to adding ink to his body.
5FM host and producer, Catherine Grenfell, is a lover of all things ink but had the unfortunate incident of her first tattoo done by a friend who was "trying out in the industry" and unfortunately did not turn out as she initially hoped for.
Dale Schnettler, drummer of Prime Circle, started his love for tattoos in 2000, he now has over 30 tattoos of which his favourite is a clock he has on his back as it represents Time Kills Us All – a Prime Circle song off their album Evidence. However, the love for tattoos turned the opposite way when one of his tattoos on his hand got infected.
Prime Circle keyboardist, Neil Breytenbach has five tattoos, of which one reads ‘only the strong survive’ which is a tribute to his Italian heritage. A lover of ink and creative expression, Breytenbach has had a real life tattoo nightmare happen to a love struck friend of his: the friend tattoeed his girlfriends name on his arm, only to be dumped a week later.
Skin Wars just may provide the answer. This hot new reality show, which debuted on Sony Max, channel 128 on DStv, on Friday, May 22 at 21:30 and hosted by international supermodel and actress Rebecca Romijn, also focuses on body art – although here the results aren’t as permanent.
The gripping eight-part Skin Wars pits 10 talented and versatile body painters against each other for a $100 000 prize in a series of challenges that promise amazing reveals.
Says Romijn: "I love body art and have plenty of experience in the subject. Skin painting could overtake tattooing. With skin painting you can shower it off. With tattooing you are stuck."
Tattoo Nightmares airs on Sony Max, channel 128 on DStv, on Fridays at 21:00; Skin Wars airs on Sony Max, channel 128 on DStv, on Fridays at 21:30; and Bad Ink premieres on Sony Max, in August.
For more information, visit the Sony Max website. Alternatively, connect with the channel via Facebook and on Twitter.