The tattoo industry is facing a reckoning, with customers fed up with bad artists, overpricing, and sexism

• The high cost of living for Gen Zers and millennials appears to have impacted the tattoo industry.
• Clients seem to be becoming more selective, preferring respectful and accommodating artists.
• Several stories of tattoo consultations gone wrong have spiraled into viral outrage on TikTok.

Tattoo artists and enthusiasts on social media have been debating whether there is a "tattoo recession" afoot over the past few weeks.

Some believe the number of clients wanting to get inked has declined, while others claim there's simply been a shift in how discerning people are when choosing an artist.