I’m 41. I got my first tattoo at 39 years old. I had always been fascinated by them but didn’t get one because I worried what people would think, especially my family. Finally, I decided, “Heck, I’m nearly 40. Why am I worrying about what other people think?”
I now have two tattoos. The left arm is a typical first, an “armband” tattoo of intertwined chain of “jesus fish” (looks kind-of tribal first, the fish are only noticed on people’s second look). I’m proud of it because it looks cool, reflects my religion in a fairly subtle way, and is fully my design.
My right arm is a large phoenix that goes pretty my from shoulder to elbow. Both are concealed when I wear a T-shirt since I work in corporate america.
My left ear lobe is pierced and I usually wear either a stainless or hematite ear-plug in it (only 6 guage, not the big buggers).
I’m on-deck to get my third and fourth tattoos. The third will be a stylized woman’s silhouette created by comic-book artist Frank Miller (right scapula) and the fourth is probably a tribal dragon to add some weight and balance to to the left shoulder’s lone band.
I have the impression that these’ll be my last tattoos but I said that after I got the phoenix, too. My wife is also pierced & tattooed. She just got her sixth and she has a bunch of ear piercings and her nose. She had an eyebrow piercing and I bugged her about it until she removed it - I didn’t like it. She’s 33, by the way.
I’m 25. No tattoos or piercings other than my ears. I had my navel pierced but took it out because it hadn’t healed after a year.
Almost all of my friends have either a tattoo or piercings. Navel and tongue piercings mostly, and the tattoos are somewhat small. A star here, a dolphin there…most have more than one tattoo.
No tattoos, no piercings. I almost had my family coat of arms tattooed on my left shoulder blade, but I changed my mind. As for the piercings, hell no. That’s why Og inspired Kevlar.
None and none. Same for my wife and kids (18 and 17). I also work in corporate America, and I see people with tattoos visible fairly often, most often ankle tattoos on women or something on the bicep for guys. Some of the younger people here have tattoos on the back or sides of their neck.
I see more tattoos in the gym at work, but that’s a different culture and a whole different dress code…
One hole in each ear (well, two if you count the ones i hear with :P)
I did have a bellybutton ring at one point–it was a gift for my 18th birthday (my parents weren’t too thrilled with that idea). Unfortunately, I didn’t realise that being able to change it did not mean I could leave it out for any length of time, and took it out for prom :eek: I wasn’t able to get it back in once I got home.
I’ll probably get that redone some day, but right now I neither have a lot of disposable income nor a want to deal with the pain again–damn thing hurt for two days before I could stop worrying about irritating it last time I also might get a tattoo someday, but as I still can’t decide for certain on a location or a design, I’m going to leave that one be.
12 piercings (6 in right ear, 4 in left ear, nose and belly)
and one tattoo on lower back.
The belly ring is currently out, as it got increasingly uncomfy with my 7 month pregnant belly. I’ve had it for 12 years, so I’m hopeful it won’t grow in. If it does, I’ll just get it re-done. I felt naked for a week after I had to take it out.
45 here - two holes in each ear lobe and four tattoos - although one of the tattoos goes from my ankle to my hip! I’d wanted a tattoo since I was about 15 and got my first one at age 30. I had 5 and was trying to decide on where to put the next one when my artist and I decided on a leg piece. That way I can work on it as much as I want without having small pieces all over me. All of my tattoos are on my legs with the exception of one on my left breast.
For some reason (and this is personal opinion, not judging anyone elses choice) upper arm tattoos always look masculine to me, no matter how feminine or dainty the design. I have never seen one I thought was attractive, so I decided not to get any. I thought about a wrist band, but I have scar tissue on my wrist and my artist doesn’t want to do it - he’s not sure how it would turn out. So I went with the leg piece.
I’ve got 2 tattoos and my ears are each pierced 3 times (although I never wear anything in the upper two holes, they’ve just never closed). Oh, my left ear has the cartilage pierced and that never really closed up all the way. So I guess that makes 4 sets of piercings?
On the other hand, my roomie is 20 and doesn’t have a single tattoo or piercing. In fact, none of my friends (female or otherwise) have tattoos. Most everyone has their ears pierced, a belly ring, or some variation there of, but I’m really the only one with tattoos.
The girl my ex bf dated after me (we ended up friendly due to his skankiness) has her nose, tongue, ears, eyebrow, and belly button pierced. She also has 8 tattoos. So, maybe I’m not the only one. She’s 22.
I have 2 earrings in my left ear (1 at 14 and 1 at 18). I had at least hoops in continuously unless visiting clients until my recent job a year ago. I only put them in on weekends.
I have 2 tattoos, a celtic knotwork arm band on my left upper arm and a Canadian flag on my right upper arm. I haven’t got any for 10 years, not due to not wanting anymore, it just hasn’t happened yet. Due to poor care the red in the flag is almost completely washed out so I should have that redone first.
No tattoos, no piercings; never have and never will. Don’t particularly like the former, nor piercings beyond the single earlobe variety. Pretty fuddy-duddy that way, but so’s my wife, so that’s all that matters.
I have two body piercings, one in my eyebrow and both ears pierced twice. I don’t usually wear anything in my ears though.
I have 3 tattoos. Two japanese symbols on my left shoulder blade. And a scale (Libra) on my lower back.
Ditto: I never heard that term till Wedding Crashers came out. I got it done at 18.
I’m planning on getting more tattoos, my next one will be a memorial for my brother.
Most of my friends have tattoos and/or piercings but not all of them. My sister (28) has had her eyebrow pierced in the past. She also has a small tattoo on her back.
I used to have my ears pierced. As a kid, I begged and begged for pierced ears–my parents think it’s a barbaric practice (you should hear what my mom thinks about piercing babies’ ears!). I finally got them–and turned out to have very sensitive, infection-prone skin which tried to close up if I wasn’t careful. I eventually got 3 holes in each lobe anyway (though I let one close up right away, as I preferred the uneven look).
After years of fighting with my ears, I gave up and took everything out, but they just sat there and oozed in a gross way. A street vendor fixed the problem by selling me surgical steel hoops, which she punched through in a painful and probably none-too-hygenic manner, but the cleanser she gave me worked, and for a few years I loved my little hoops. After surgery on one earlobe for a cyst, all the holes closed before my ear was healed up enough to put the earrings back in, so now I’m completely without.
No tattoos or piercings in odd places, though. Considering my skin’s propensity for infection, that’s probably a good thing.
I also might get a tattoo someday, but as I still can’t decide for certain on a location or a design, I’m going to leave that one be.