Tattoo stories: Pros, Cons, etc.

1. 60

   Lynda Garyposted 13 years ago

   Share your tattoo stories, please!
   
   Do you have one (or more)?
   When did you get it?
   Why did you get it?
   
   Are you against tattoos?
   If so, why?
   
   Are you not against them, but would never consider getting one?
   If so, why?
   
   Do you have a great tattoo story or experience?
   
   Share, please!!

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   1. 0

      Justine76posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I have four, I love them, and will very soon be getting a new one. Im thinking maybe .... something like     not exactly of course, but you get the idea..

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2. 76

   Fluffymetalposted 13 years ago

   I love tattoos.  I didn't get mine until I was 28.  It's on my wrist.  I want more.

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3. 64

   Mutiny92posted 13 years ago

   I'm just to cheap to spend money on them - but I think it would be neat to have Captain America's shield on my shoulder...

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4. 78

   Shadesbreathposted 13 years ago

   My only complaint is how they look in evening dresses and formal gowns on women.
   
   But then, I'm old fashioned, so, maybe the evening gown thing is just on me.  I think the female form is the universe/God having accomplished it's finest aesthetic creation, so to me, a tatoo is like drawing a moustache on the Mona Lisa as they say.  But, in a nice evening gown, it never fails to shock me to see some woman walk by looking gorgeous then, as she passes, you see from the back a half-covered blob of ink.  The tatoo itself is lost because half of it is covered, so the drawing image doesn't work.  And the aesthetic of the gown is ruined by the distraction of a dark blob of a half-seen tatoo.
   
   I would also ad that, for guys, any guy with a tatoo crawling up his neck out of his shirt and tie just loses any credibility with me as a professional.  It's not that he can't be smart, it's just that he looks like he doesn't make good decisions because, in the professional world, you have to be able to look forward and anticipate situations, and any professional who can't predict that a large number of potential clients and power brokers are going to think he looks unprofessional with a tatoo coming out of his shirt collar is not a guy I'm going to trust making decisions for me.
   
   Great guys to go drinking with and hang out.  Not so great for allowing your fate to rest on financially or legally.  I'm sure someone can point out some example of how I am wrong, some individual that defies my assessment, but, ... yeah, changes nothing for me.

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5. 67

   rmrposted 13 years ago

   I've got a bunch of them myself but, as Shadesbreath pointed out, I think they look unprofessional in the wrong place. I wear mine proudly, but they are also easily covered with sleeves for job interviews and business meetings.
   
   What I think is interesting is that, since tattoos have become more mainstream, kids have to go to greater lengths to "express themselves." My teenage boy has an earring that left a hole so big that it whistles when he rides his bike.

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6. 85

   Marisa Wrightposted 13 years ago

   When you get into your 50's, I think you take a different view of tatts - because if any of your friends have them, you see how awful they look when skin starts sagging and wrinkling.
   
   Most young people seem to think they won't care by then - but trust me, you do!

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   1. 67

      rmrposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      This is true up to a point. I'm 44 now, and have some tattoos that are over 20 years old with no fading or bleeding; and one that's only a few years old that looks terrible. A lot of it depends on the quality of ink, the skill of the artist, and keeping sun exposure to a minimum.

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      1. 85

         Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         It's not the quality of the tattoo that's the problem, it's the quality of the skin!
         
         At 44, you're not experiencing sagging or wrinkling yet.  Both can significantly affect the look of the tattoo.  Also, sometimes you'll find the location of the tattoo is highlighting a body part you don't want highlighted.  For instance, a tattoo around the upper arm may look nice on a young person, but it draws unwanted attention to bingo wings on an older woman.

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7. 82

   donotfearposted 13 years ago

   I got my tattoo in 1996. It was during a time in my life when I was becoming free....not only with myself, but out of a painful relationship. My tattoo is a dove emerging from a broken heart. I felt it symbolized my healing. It has "bled" some, meaning the dark ink outlining it is spreading out. Probably because I'M spreading out!  I made sure my tattoo was ony visible for one special person: My significant other. It is on the lower part of my stomach next to my hip.  I don't have any regrets.

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8. 60

   Jane@CMposted 13 years ago

   Several of my friends decided to gets tats to celebrate their 40 & 45th birthdays.
   
   I would never get one, I hate pain.

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9. 73

   relacheposted 13 years ago

   I have "more.". A lot more.  First one was when I was 21.  I have so many I no longer say I have tattoos, I say I am tattooed.
   
   My most recent ink is explained and shown on my Hawaiian tattoos Hub.  Confessions of a Body Art Collector (another Hub) pretty much tells the story overall.

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10. 60

    Lynda Garyposted 13 years ago

    Wow. Loving the responses!  Thanks guys, and keep em coming! (I'm writing a hub on the topic, in case someone didn't guess.)
    
    I, too, got my first tattoo in response to a period in my life where I was experiencing "freedom." It includes the phrase, "Wild at Heart" and the Harley engine. My son was so disappointed with me, not because I got the tatt, but because I got it without HIM being with me (he's autistic), that I had to get another one. LOL
    
    He also got one -- a huge one -- on his back, and I got what we call a "companion" tattoo to his, a smaller version of the same thing.  His was a poem I wrote, surrounded by angel wings and a few other symbolic elements, that covers the majority of his back.  My 2nd one was similar, but smaller, with angel wings, one word from the poem, and the same symbolic elements my son has.
    
    The artist we went to wasn't very good.  In fact, mid way thru the 2nd tatt, I told her to stop.  It was more than year later (which was a few days ago) that we both went in to someone new to have the tatt's finished and fixed.  The difference in the work is amazing and dramatic, with the ink colors being SO much more vibrant, the art overall just so so so much better.
    
    We have to go back to have them finished, and I DREAD it.  Like someone said, I don't like pain -- and I find this to be amazingly painful. LOL 
    
    Both of my tattoos are only visible if I'm undressed or if I were to wear a 2 piece suit, something I'm very unlikely to ever do again (and not because of the tattoos! LOL)
    
    I did this knowing that they could be removed, if I ever really hate them.  The removal methods they use now are pretty dang good, easy, etc. (lasers)

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    1. 73

       relacheposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I'm sorry you have this impression of laser removal.
       
       1) Costs average to be 10 times what you paid to get the original tattoo.  And it takes multiple sessions spread out over weeks or months.
       
       2) The examples laser doctors show in their ads are only the perfect ones.  Many people have incomplete removal, meaning there is some skin scarring or discoloration that remains.  Some skin tones make it very hard to remove certain colors of ink.
       
       3) It feels like being splattered with hot cooking grease, a sensation I find to be much more painful than actual tattooing.
       
       Over at BellaOnline.com where I have been the Body Art Editor for just about eight years now, I tell people if you think you want a tattoo but have the idea that you might want to get it removed someday, you should never get tattooed in the first place, and stick to temporary forms of body art like stick-ons or henna body painting.

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       1. 60

          Lynda Garyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          You and I don't actually disagree, relache.  I didn't do a good job explaining myself (a problem I have when I'm hurried).
          
          I DID see, though, a demonstration of laser removal less than 2 months ago with a brand new technology -- one that is drastically better than the older laser removal methods.
          
          And, no, I would never get a tattoo with the thought that I could remove it some day.  It's just that, well, I COULD. 
          
          I'll have to take a look at your site.  I sort of look at you as our local tattoo, piercing, art expert, so it's definitely something I want to see!

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11. 84

    Whitney05posted 13 years ago

    I have three tattoos, and I'm waiting on my fourth. I have an APBT on my back shoulder blade that needs touching up. It's not too bad, and still looks great after a year or so (I forget), but it needs a regular touch-up. My stars needs to be touched up because while healing some of the scab pulled ink out when they would dry to my pants. My wrist tattoo is fine after about 3 years, but it needs fixing from the initial tattoo where it had mistakes.
    
    A tattoo may not be perfect, and it's a lifelong process in my opinion, but each tattoo in its imperfections tells a story. I think about mine a good while before getting them, as otherwise I'd be coated in them, and I'd regret many of them.
    
    
    My next tattoo will be a anklet style  tattoo with the South Korean flag as a charm on the anklet. I'll probably have 'Seoul' tattooed on the side of my foot. It'll be small and petite.

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12. 60

    Hecka_Beccaposted 13 years ago

    I have three tattoos and have plans for more.  I did get my fist at 18, feeling out my new-found freedom.  I wound up being displeased with it, but found a very talented artist willing to re-do it.
    
    The best advice (that I currently practice) is to think of an idea of a tattoo that you would like to get, print the picture or write about the concept, and put it in a safe place for 6 months to a year.  Once the time is up, go back and look at the idea and decide if you still think it's a good idea.
    
    Shop around for tattoo artists as well; don't settle and don't do it on the fly.  Something that permanent deserves some consideration.

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13. 59

    Originposted 13 years ago

    I've never had one, and not really looking to have one either. I'm not against tattoos or anything, but it's just not for me. Although, I totally dig tattoos on people!

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14. 60

    jackscarposted 13 years ago

    I don't have any tattoos, but a lot of my friends do. I don't have a problem with them, it's just that there isn't anything I can think of that I would want permanently fixed on my body!

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15. 51

    Jasonnicholsonposted 13 years ago

    i was sixteen when i got my first tattoo, i then got another three in the same year. mine are easy to hide as i have one on my leg, my right shoulder blade and one on each wrist. I love my tattoos and i know i will have them for the rest of my life and i want them for the rest of my life. i was warned and every thing, told you will ruin your life etc. but its what i wanted and i got it done. After i had my tattoos done i still managed to get a job and still have it. my boss doesnt mind at all. I live in Australia and the legal age is 18 but i got mine done with my parents permission at 16. i still want more and plan to get more in the near future. tattoos arent for everyone but for some people it means something special.

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    muddles4posted 13 years ago

    i've been reading through everyone's answers as part of the research that im doing before getting my first tattoo. i think that everyone has a point individually.
    i know that personally i am amazingly sure that i want a tattoo as i want something to represent the bond between myself and my late grandfather tattooed on me for the rest of my days as a symbol of my love for him and as a tribute and my own way of saying goodbye as that was an opportunity i never had. it's took me a long time to reach this decision and im still researching it but i know that im going to make sure i have something that i adore for the rest of my life. i would feel that i was doing my grandfather and injustice if i didn't so researching it thouroughly is my way of being absolutely certain.

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17. 0

    Onusonusposted 13 years ago

    My last Tat took two, three hour sessions, during the last hour my skin began to reject the ink, the artist exclaimed, "Woah that isn't good." I looked back at my arm and it was purple and bloated all over the place. I thought that he might want to stop but he wanted to keep going for five more minutes.
    
    I drove home, sat on my couch sweating and shaking for about an hour, and drank a beer while admiring my new monster tat.
    
    In my opinion geting a tattoo is like jerking off, you will just keep wanting to do it and nothing will get accomplished.

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