A little while ago, I posted this picture on Instagram of me in my loafers. I’d watermarked it with the site logo and didn’t think much of it until Jess and Connie commented that they thought I’d gotten a tattoo on my leg.
Its not obvious in a larger photo but on a small screen, it did rather look like a tattoo. And a very vain one too, if I had actually gotten a tattoo of my site logo on my leg LOL! But I was thinking about it recently and wondered a little about tattoos.
Would you get a tattoo or do you already have a tattoo? What prompted you to get it done and have you any regrets? Reckon I’ve got any? 😉
The answer is no. I don’t have any tattoos for a couple of simple reasons – nothing has ever really driven me to want to ink something permanent on my skin, I don’t have anything I am particularly passionate or interested in to have it drawn on my skin and I am afraid of pain. Ok lets just say that its the pain factor LOL!
I guess I’m just not all that driven either. I suppose it would be cool to have a tattoo and if I did, I’d be one of those with the really large ones because what’s the point, if no one can see it. That’s my motto anyway. If I’m going through with it, I’ll go large or go home LOL! 😛
Do you have a tattoo and if you do, what is it? Have you ever thought about getting one?
I toyed with the idea a little while ago but then I realised I didn’t know what to draw. Words are too permanent and I wasn’t keen on anything too abstract or dainty because I did not feel like I could identify with anything. In the end, the feeling passed 😛
Paris B
I just think the big artsy-fartsy ones all over arms and/or body looks, errmm, dirty. The small ones on ladies are nice and feminine, methinks. Personally, I think tatts are a bit too permanent. My husband got one when he was younger (and dumb!). It was an ugly tattoo that made him look like he was someone’s prison b!tch. Took him 6-7 mo’s to get it lasered off, all that blisters and gunk oozing out for weeks (and pain!) and not to mention a few thousand moolahs short. Not worth it.
Ouch! The removal process must have really hurt- it sounds painful anyway. I think large artsy ones that are well done are really nice, but not anything too scary. I do something think that large pieces are best appreciated when the body is seen as a whole. Sometimes, it looks a bit odd having just a portion peeping out of a t-shirt or something.
I don’t really have anything against tattoos but I definitely don’t like excessive and obstrusive ones. I’ve realized that the ones I do like tend to have a lot of negative space. I guess I just don’t like it when all the skin in an area is covered, it ruins the beauty of the human form for me. For example, a full sleeve just distracts from the form of the arm, which I don’t like, am I making sense?
I suppose it’s a little bit like my makeup aesthetic, I don’t like mask-like looks where you can’t even see a little bit of the skin. (Like those weird beauty pageant makeup that looks like photoshop, the horror! I want to see a human face!) Well, actually I can appreciate them, but I suppose it’s the impermanence of makeup that makes me more receptive to full-on looks compared to tattoos.
I wouldn’t personally get one myself, but I do like looking at well done ones on others. White space is key.
That was very interesting Leila, the negative space thing. I never thought about it that way but ow you mention it, it makes sense. I think I’d stick to makeup. If something goes wrong I can erase and start over. If my skin starts to sag with a tattoo, it’d be harder to do something about it lol!
I’ve seen a lot of beautiful tattoos — a flight of butterflies across a woman’s shoulder was one that I liked best.
But I’ve also seen some bad tattoos, and a cute little pixie on the abdomen that were altered due to c-sections (something the 18 year old never anticipated happening when she had a child years later), and tattoos so old and faded you can hardly tell what they are.
As a henna artist, I’m constantly drawing on people, doing fake tattoos or drawing around tattoos. I have come to believe that tattoos should be deeply personal statements and thought about for a year before committing. They are more permanent than marriages. And they also change and shift as the body changes and shifts. I tell my teen clients to look at their moms and grandmas before getting a tattoo somewhere that might sag. You may be skinny and tight at 18, but at 45, you end up looking like your Mom… it’s just destiny.
I don’t have any tattoos myself. I haven’t found anything that speaks to me on that level. Henna is good enough for my decoration desires. And when it fades, I just draw a new one in a different design…. can’t do that with tattoos!
The tattoo You described sounded amazing! It must have taken a lot of work. And you’re right. Location of the tattoo is very important as our bodies change, especially if its a decorative tattoo. I think henna is a great way to know if you’re one for tattoos. I had a henna decoration on my arm once, after a few days, I couldn’t wait to scrub it off 😛
While on a trip to Amsterdam, my friend a I dared each other to have a tattoo (you know, those young and carefree days). When we finally arrived at one tattoo parlour and saw some customers walked out, their dodgy appearances freaked me out so I chickened out. :p And good that I did, because my husband doesn’t like it. He was horrified when I told him about the tattoo dare… :p
Haha We do strange things when we’re young don’t we? Glad your senses caught up in time!
It has never crossed my mind that I want a tattoo…. Mainly due to the pain! >.< I cringe just thinking about the pain…. But having tattoos are fun, sort of like a naughty side of you…. I would perhaps opt for fake tattoos or tattoo stockings which have been rather populat lately….
Fake tattoos or henna is I think the best way to know if you are ready for a tattoo 🙂 Plus you get all the fun of a tattoo without the pain 😉 That said, I have been told its not that painful so maybe that’s true too!
Whoops late as usual..but yes i have 11 tattoos, and all of them are hidden, every single one of them have deep meanings that will last me forever. i did them at different milestones in my life, and i did all of them in very painful places because i believe that without the pain you wouldn’t remember them as well.
11! But I like the way you think 😀 I would probably do the same if I were to get tattooed. Get something that means something to me and make sure I remember it!
Yay only if you are getting it for the right reasons. I do have 3 tattoos on my upper and lower back. One huge piece and two medium-sized ones. I’ve had them for 6 years now and no regrets so far.
To me, a tattoo is something personal and should be taken very seriously. You have to be absolutely sure about it. Ask yourself why you want one and don’t rush into making a decision.
If you are thinking of getting one, you should do a lot of research first about what you really want. Educate yourself about the step by step process from picking a design to the healing process and after care. Find a good artist that you trust by asking some friends who may have gotten a tattoo before. Maybe you would also want to sit in a tattoo parlor first and watch how it’s done.
As for the pain, it does hurt. I am not gonna lie. It really depends actually. Different people have different pain tolerance. For me, the 1st hour of a tattoo session is okay. After that, I need to take a break every 10 minutes. (Yes, you are allowed to ask for break time from your tattoo artist!) Don’t play tough guy. If you think you can’t take the pain anymore, schedule a 2nd session.
Don’t get a tattoo just to impress someone else or because it would look cool. Do it for yourself. Tattoo or no tattoo you still are beautiful!