News

Nov 12, 2023

ON THE FRONT LINES: My tattoo artist edited out my acne for Instagram — what you see online is not reality

On the Front Lines On Friday, I got a tattoo of a flower on my back in New York

On the Front Lines

On Friday, I got a tattoo of a flower on my back in New York City. After my tattoo was completed, the artist took a photo of my back and sent it to me. I posted the picture on my Instagram Story.

It was the original photo. No filters and no edits. Later that day, after I had left the tattoo shop, I checked the tattoo artist's Instagram page and saw that they had posted the picture of my finished tattoo.

But from the second I saw the photo, I knew the picture was edited.

The picture was black and white, but this wasn't the edit that caught my eye. The acne on my back had been completely erased from the photo. In the original picture that I posted on my own Instagram account, you can clearly see that I have back acne.

Not just one or two pimples but a noticeable cluster that anyone could point out.

As soon as I saw the edited photo, my heart sank, and I immediately became self-conscious. Why did the artist feel the need to edit out my acne?

From a marketing standpoint, I guess I could understand it. Maybe they did not want to risk my acne taking attention away from the tattoo or customers being grossed out by the sight of my acne. I will be the first to admit that my back acne is not particularly attractive. Hey, if I could remove it in real life, I would.

But the reality is I have acne on my back. I have struggled with acne since seventh grade, and as a result of that, it is a particularly sore subject when it comes to my self-esteem and body image.

I honestly considered sending the artist a message and asking why she felt the need to edit my skin, but I did not. I considered taking a screenshot of the edited photo, but I did not.

I was in a sort of paralysis and kept asking myself if I even had the right to be upset, to be hurt. Was it really that big of a deal?

But after talking about it with friends and family, I determined what truly bothered me the most about this situation and what I wanted to take away from this. Even if I do not think it is particularly ethical of the tattoo artist to edit out my acne, even if the tattoo itself, their artwork, is not clearly distorted, I do not want this to be about calling out the tattoo artist and potentially hurting their reputation or business.

When I first saw the edited version of the photo, I knew that I had a decision to make. I could do nothing and pretend it never happened. I could take a screenshot of the edited photo, post it alongside the original and expose the artist for editing out my acne without my knowledge.

When I told my family about it, my father asked me if I remembered signing something that said they could post photos on social media (edited or not). I remember checking off a list of boxes about the risks and consequences of getting a tattoo, but I do not remember anything about social media — though it could have easily been said alongside one of the checkboxes.

Regardless, even if I was okay with the artist or tattoo shop posting my tattoo on social media, that artist did not verbally tell me that they were going to post an edited photo that erased any trace of my acne.

And to be honest, if the artist had asked, I would have told them that I would prefer that they post the original, and this is why.

My worst fear is that someone who struggles with acne sees that edited photo and thinks, "Wow, I wish my back looked as clear as hers."

I wish I could contact everyone who saw that edited photo and tell them the truth. Because as soon as I saw that photo, I thought, "That is not my back. That is not accurate at all."

Unfortunately, I cannot do that, but I can use this platform to remind people that what you see on social media is not reality. When you see the flawless skin and toned muscles of Instagram fitness models, make sure to remind yourself that human beings are not that perfect in reality.

We all have acne, fat rolls, stretch marks, wrinkles and eye bags, and if you see a photo of someone without any of these things, instead of being envious, maybe we need to be a little more skeptical.

I also do not want this article's message to shame people who feel the need to use filters and editing platforms to alter their photos. I understand the temptation to erase your flaws but think about the impact it is having on other people.

If we want to see more transparency on social media, we all need to practice transparency.

After this experience, I am holding myself to higher standards. A few years ago, I posted a picture on Instagram in which a friend had edited out the acne on my forehead, and even though I had felt a bit uncomfortable that they had edited it, I posted the picture to show my friend gratitude for their help in a sort of way.

I have since deleted the photo because I realized I would rather show my authentic self to the world and remind people that we are all imperfect, beautiful human beings. We are worthy just the way we are, and we should not feel the need to edit ourselves.

Sara Eschleman is the opinions editor of The Daily Targum.

*Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff.

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