For the poll. My oldest tat is 27 yrs old. It is a swallow, the bird is 1 1/2 inches and the only disappointment is the reds faded out but all the other colors are all still pretty vivid. It is on my upper left shoulder, over the Small pox vaccine scar. The next is 25 yrs old and is small sunburst just under and behind the bird. The yellow has all faded away. Poor quality ink I believe. My youngest is 20 yrs old and is a bare footed, long haired bearded man, sitting under a palm tree, taking a siesta. It is my own design and is a “self portrait” of my inner self. The detail is still very distinct. Each of these has a personal meaning for me and the over all design is not yet complete.
I concur. Most of the time, getting a tattoo felt (at most)mildy irritating. But for the bit that went over my spine, besides making my whole spinal column vibrate, it was a lot more painful. I think the bonier the body part is, the more painful it is.
The one that hurt most for me was the outside calf - fine at the muscle, YOW! near the shinbone. I’ve also heard that the closer to the bone, the more it hurts.
One tattoo, very small, left hip. Shooting star. Three colors. I’ve had it for 17 years. Never regretted it. First one on my block to get one. (I originally wanted Saturn, but the guy said he couldn’t do it.) So I settled for the star. I always liked stargazing, so I figured why not a little extra celestial pigmentation?
personally, i believe that tattoos are a way for people to express themselves, as long as it is of some significance (getting a tattoo because you think it looks cool is stupid). my tattoo symbolizes my faith. i designed it myself, with the help of an artist friend.
i think a good rule of thumb for getting tattoos, no matter their meaning or significance, is to choose or design one, wait six months, and if you still want it, then get it. if at the end of the six months youre not that psyched, its not the right one.
by the way, i think it’s really rude, not to mention ignorant, to say that all people who have tattoos are idiots. before you judge someone based on something as minute as a tattoo, ask them about it. maybe it has some deep meaning that you’ll really appreciate. maybe not. but dont judge people based on their looks, and dont judge them based on personal decisions like that.