Did This TikToker Really Get Her Boyfriend’s Name Tattooed on Her Forehead? An Investigation

The internet has been raising its eyebrows over a viral TikTok in which a woman claimed she got her boyfriend’s name tattooed in large, fancy script across her forehead.

The video posted Sunday by TikToker Ana Stanskovsky (@anastanskovsky) starts by showing Stanskovsky getting the traditional purple stencil for a tattoo that reads “Kevin” in a cursive-like font.

Stanskovsky appears to be excited about the tattoo at first, but clips show her wincing in pain as the tattoo artist allegedly tattoos her forehead. Close-up shots of the artist’s tattoo gun appear to show him filling in the “K” in “Kevin” and blotting away the excess ink.

After the tattoo artist tells the TikToker that he has finished, she walks over to a mirror to see the finished product, where she says, “Oh my God! I love it.” Stanskovky, who has tattoos across her arms, stomach and legs, says “He’s going to love it,” referring to her boyfriend.

The TikTok has since amassed more than 21.5 million views, with thousands of users filling her comment section debating if the tattoo is real or not. And those who did not think it was a prank — were hoping that it was.

Adrian Sandoval, a tattoo artist based in San Diego, told The Messenger that he agrees with those who think that the tattoo is not real. “They never showed the needle actually hitting the skin, even during the parts while he’s supposedly tattooing. The needle wasn’t moving and the tattoo looks like it was done with Sharpie,” Sandoval said.

Tattoo artists also commented on the technique that the alleged tattoo was done with. Miami-based tattoo artist known simply as Yordi told The Messenger, "He was dabbing the whole time, but once you finish a full letter you can wipe it entirely to see if you need to touch it up. Everything about that video was for the funnies."

Yordi also noted that the fresh tattoo's appearance did not line up with what he had seen in the past. "A freshly done tattoo will have the fattest red mark surrounding it," he said.

Another point of contention among viewers was Stanskovsky’s aftercare process. Some users were quick to point out that she appeared to touch her tattoo after it was completed, which Sandoval said was another giveaway. “You shouldn’t be touching the tattoo when it’s fresh, which is what she was doing,” Sandoval said.

In Stanskovsky’s videos following the alleged tattoo, she removed the cling wrap, which is commonly used by tattoo artists to temporarily protect the fresh ink from contaminants. However, San Diego-based tattoo artist Claire Weissbein pointed out something wrong with these clips.

“She’s acting like it hurts to take the Saran Wrap off, when that’s not realistic,” Weissbein told The Messenger.

Sandoval explained that plastic wraps should only be kept on for about an hour. Meanwhile, Stanskovsky posted two separate videos hours apart in which she had the Saran Wrap on. The TikToker was wearing two different outfits in these videos as well, suggesting that Stanskovsky took off the plastic wrap and then put another back on.

Weissbein also noted that Stanskovsky “does stunts including tattoo artist friends,” which she thought was an indicator that this video was likely also another stunt performed for the TikToker’s page.