Can we quit with the grousing about tattoos?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Consider your streak broken. I’ve got one that was poorly done to begin with and is definitely worse for the wear eleven years later, but I love it dearly and wouldn’t have it removed for any amount of money–not because it’s attractive but because of what it meant to me when I got it and what it continues to mean to me today.

Yes, yes, I know many people get tattoos with no forethought as trend-following wankers who will later regret the youthful indiscretion. I also know that my tattoos will not be tight and perky when I’m sixty, but then neither will my ass or anything else. Just like I won’t be showing off my ass when I’m sixty, neither will I be showing off my skin art; why would I? Frankly, I couldn’t care less what my tattoos will look like or what anyone thinks of them when I’m sixty, as I didn’t get them to pretty myself up and I didn’t get them as some kind of permanent group identity statement–despite the fact that they cover a good portion of my body, most people in my daily life will never see them or even know I have them. They are deeply personal pieces of permanent body art and will continue to be so for the rest of my life, regardless of how they age. I am proud of my imperfect body now and if I’m lucky enough to live so long, will be proud of every wrinkle, scar, and sagging, faded tattoo that marks my age.

Just like not everyone buys cars, chooses clothing, or decorates their home based on what others will think of them, not everyone who gets tattoos does so, either. Obviously it’s okay if you don’t like them, but I really wish people would stop assuming that every single person who gets a tattoo is inevitably in for a lifetime of anguish and regret. I also resent the implication by extension that people with tattoos have either impulse control problems or a childish lack of forethought.

Many people dislike and regret the tattoos they didn’t carefully consider. Many people dislike and regret many decisions made on the spur of the drunken moment. Is it really so shocking to imagine that there exist people who did plan their tattoos with careful consideration beyond the aesthetic, and that they might continue to be happy with them even decades later?

eleanorigby, I’m not really calling you out in particular, as this seems a common point of view here, but your comment did give me a rolleyes moment. This is in IMHO instead of the pit because I’m not really one for anger and gnashing of teeth; I just wanted to express an opinion that didn’t seem appropriate for the thread in which the comment was posted.

I am proud of my tattoos–not only are they deeply personal to me, but (despite the tattoo haters’ perfectly valid opinions on the matter) are beautiful pieces of original art. Maybe someday I’ll work up the nerve to have them photographed and show them off :wink:

2

Please do! And yay for you and all. Especially your attitude towards your body and aging in general. I have a lot of ground to cover between there and here.

3

Tattoos are just one of those things that people go insane about. Just ignore them. People that close-minded aren’t worth your time.

Personally, I think they’re hot, and I’ll likely get one in the near-ish future… just waiting to settle on something.

4

I’ve got my entire back covered. The first thing my dad said to me when he saw it was “what are you going to do when you’re 60?” My response was “if I’m still around at 60 and that’s the main thing I have to worry about, I’ll consider myself fortunate” :stuck_out_tongue:

And it’s been over 10 years, no regrets here…

The only thing I don’t like is when people see a bit of it peeking out from my shirt, and come over and (without asking) try to pull my shirt aside so they can get a look at it. Doesn’t happen that often, but I consider that very rude and will say so. I didn’t get it for other people to look at, I got it for myself. Some people have no end of trouble grasping this concept. “But it’s on your back! How can you see it?” :confused:

5

NajaNivea,

Well put. :cool:

Add me to the list of those who don’t regret getting tattooed (14 years ago).

6

People pull on your clothing in order to reveal more of your skin without asking? That warrants a smack upside the head in my book.

7

My first one is now 15 years old and my newest is 45 days old, and not a day has passed in between time that I regret getting them. And I plan on more in the future.

I work in the IT dept of a bank… and co-workers will come up behind me when I’m sitting at my desk and not only will they pull my shirt away to see the one one the back on my neck, but they’ll reach out and touch it or run their fingers over it. :eek: Lately, they grab my wrist to look at the newest one… People are amazing!

These same people are probably the ones who will walk up to an unknown pregnant woman and touch her belly.

Doesn’t bother me any more, but sooner or later, they may get slapped by someone.

8

I don’t have a tattoo (I’m a wimp and I don’t like needles). I think, like everything else in the world, there are people who get them for stupid reasons and people who get them for good reasons. In either case, it’s not my place to judge your body. It doesn’t hurt me and, to be honest, I think tattoos are cool. I feel the same way about piercings and other body modifications (the more extreme ones squick me out, but still, not my body, not my problem). I don’t get why there’s such the extreme disgust or hate about such minor things. (Eyebrow piercings are disgusting? Bwuh?)

I actually hired a guy with tattoos on his hands and neck, a nose ring, one inch holes in his ears, and eyebrows rings. The ears kinda bothered me, but he was the best candidate (and the only one who seemed to most understand proper interview attire - he wore clean, unwrinkled attire, at an appropriate formality level and took out the piercings he could). This was for an office job doing graphic design. I refuse to discriminate against something so minor.

9

Nice OP NajaNivea. Count me in. I’ve have an original piece I designed on my ankle for 16 years now. It’s looking a bit worse for the wear and needs some touching up. Alas, I don’t have the disposable income to fix it.

Not a day has passed that I have ever regretted getting it. Not even the days when the firm I worked at years a go asked me to cover it (with a large bandaid) under my hose. Or when I had to wear taller socks with my shorts (talk about looking ridiculous) at the “progressive” coffee pusher I had to work at because their policy was “no visible tattoos.”

Once at the mall I was watching a guy make airbrushed t-shirts and he wanted to put my tat on a t-shirt. I wore that shirt until it damn near fell apart. I still have it and I’m sad I can’t really wear it much anymore.

My tat is a reflection and reminds me of what was meaningful to me back when I was young and fearless. I’m not the same person I was back then, so there is a certain nostalgia that arises when I look at it or someone comments on it. And even though it looks pretty ragged, I still get compliments on the design.

I really would like to get another, but I don’t know if I ever will. The first for me will always be the most significant if I ever do, though.

Oh, and my mom had a fit when I told her about it after getting it. “Why would you do that to your body,” she asked me incredulously. Well, says I, it’s me right now in my life in art. Then, “Why didn’t you just get a temporary tattoo?” Because that would be temporary. When I’m 60, I’ll remember who I was at 21 when I look at this tat.

10

Oh, and Silver Tyger Girl, your open-mindedness is admirable. Thank you from a tattoo’d (though not bejeweled) woman. I wish all my employers had been that progressive.

11

Mine will be 10 years “old” coming up this June. I love it, I still think it’s beautiful, and I think it’s in the perfect spot. You can see it when I wear a skirt or dress or shorts. I still take care of it in the sun, and I even had it added to a couple years ago. And it still has the same meaning to me that it did when I got it.

12

Add me to the list. My oldest tattoo is now 14 years old, and I don’t regret it a bit. I don’t get as enthusiastically elated every time I see it as I did when I was 18, but I don’t regret it.

13

I think it’s funny when people ask me if I know what my tattoos will look like when I’m 70. I always ask them “Have you ever seen your grandfather’s back?..Then what makes you think I’m going to be showing people my back when I’m 70?” That usually shuts them up. Besides, I didn’t get my tattoos for other people to see. I got them for ME. In fact, two of my three, I can’t even see with out at least one mirror.

14

I’ve had all of my tattoos for over ten years and have no desire to be rid of them. They still look great.

15

No offense to the ladies in this this thread but I find tattoos a complete turn off. I guess I could be considered an old fart but I just don’t find them attractive on females at all. We are all different so no worries.
I love females in all shapes but a tattoo somehow just destroys my mental image of a female.

I love women because their skin is soft, they smell way better than men and are fun to cuddle with…along with other things. I just picture women as somehow more innocent.

I’m 45 so shoot me! If this gets me in the pit for the first time? I’ll try to roll with the punches.

16

Count me in as one of those people. How can you get something for “yourself” that you can’t even see? It’s like a blind man changing the color of his shirt “for himself”. What’s the point?

17

There’s an old guy who owns a little donut shop near where I work. He’s got a blurry, faded, (yet in remarkable shape for it’s age) tattoo on his bicep. It’s a Marine logo, inked during WWII and still proudly displayed some 55 years after it was put there.

My oldest tattoo just turned ten, and it still makes me smile to look at it. My Mom is about to turn 60, and a month or so ago she said to me, “You know, I always wanted a tattoo, and everyone says, ‘what will you think when you’re 60?’ Well, I’m about to be 60 and I still want it-- you think it’s okay to just go and get it now?”

18

Mine is only 3 years old, still adore it. It is on my upper back and only for me, I know it’s there all the time and I can see it in the mirror anytime I want to. It represents something very special and significant in my life and is motivation to maintain the positive life changes I made. I can’t go back to my old ways - then my tattoo WILL be a meaningless lie. It helps keep me motivated, I am so much happier now, I don’t want to ever go back to my old life. Everytime I see it or think of it, I think of what I’ve accomplished - it’s still so personal and meaningful, how could I ever not love it?

19

I replied in that thread and I’ll say it again here - my tattoo is now 10 years old and I still think it’s great, never regretted it for a moment. I think the key factor in this is whether people get a tattoo because it’s significant for them (and particularly have a design that means something) as opposed to the people who feel like getting a tattoo and pick a design at random, or who do it on the spur of the moment (or a combination of the two - you’re guaranteed to regret it then).

I always give the same advice to people when they talk about getting a tattoo:

  1. Pick a design - it can be anything but don’t just go into a tattoo parlour and pick something out of a book because it’s better than the others.

  2. Once you know what you want and have decided to get it write the date in your diary, go ahead six months and put “can now get tattoo” there. If you still want it in six months you’ll more likely like it long term. If six months seems too long to get it then you really haven’t thought it through.

  3. Take care of your tattoo! That means planning where it should go, meticulous after-care once it’s done (I knew someone who got a tattoo and used vaseline on it as part of her aftercare despite me telling her it was a bad idea, and surprise surprise the design looked crap because it didn’t heal properly) and longer term protection such as sun cream for exposed areas.

As pretty much everyone else has said, what my tattoo looks like when I’m 70 will be the least of my worries.

20

I did what Illuminatiprimus did, but I used 5 years as a rule, instead of 6 months. That 5 years turned into 15 in the end, but I got the design I originally wanted, on the part of my body I’d originally chosen, in the same colour, at the same size, and I don’t regret it yet. Mind you, it’s only been eight years so maybe I’ll wake up in 24 months and go :smack:

(N.B. the second tattoo was done with only a week’s consideration. So I am a hypocrite. But I don’t regret that either. I’m now considering a third… Oh dear.)