Tattoo or Tatteww?
In my group of friends, I’m one of the few people without any tattoos, not because I don’t want one, I do, but because I just can’t think of something I really care enough about to get scarred into my flesh for the rest of my life.
I can’t stomach the idea of having a cutesy fairy tattoo or, god forbid, a dolphin tattoo, and honestly I can’t understand why girls get tattoos like that in the first place.
I realize that tattoos have become sort of a rite-of-passage for teens when they come of age, right along with buying a pack of cigarettes and going into a porn shop. I get it, it’s about rebellion, or asserting one’s adulthood. I just fear that in everyone’s haste to use tattoos as a symbol of maturity, or badass-ity, or whatever, that they don’t really think about the lifelong implications of a tattoo and what said tattoo really says about it’s owner.
Don’t get me wrong, I think that if you want to weld a huge metal rhino horn to your forehead you should be able to, and you shouldn’t give two rhino sh*ts about what anything thinks of you. I just think that people shouldn’t rush into what is really a serious commitment, much in the same way that people shouldn’t rush into getting married or going to a Nickelback concert (which, I assure you, would cause some intense, lasting trauma).
Here is a small checklist of things to think about before you get inked:
1. Pick out what you want to get tattooed on your body very carefully. Ask yourself, will I still like this thing in five years? Ten? Twenty? Tomorrow? Does this really MEAN something to me? Will I want to show it to my grandchildren? Will I be able to explain it to my grandmother?…you get the idea
2. After you have picked our your fairy du jour, wait a month before you make it permanent. You can even ask someone, maybe your tattoo artist, to pen it on your skin so you can see how you like it for a few days or even get a henna tat that stays around for a few months.
3. Finally, now that you feel comfortable with your choice, do your research. I like this website. Do your research into tattoo artists, don’t just get a tattoo from that guy your cousin knows, because it will invariably suck. Again, I don’t have a tattoo but I’ve gone with tons of friends to get them and there is no more awkward moment than when your friend asks if you like her lovely new lizard tat and you just have do the silent, lips-pinched-into-a-smile nod.
When I get my first tattoo, and I will get one eventually, I would like to be proud of it, to have a story to tell about it, or have it really reflect an integral part of my personality. When tattoos are done right, they can be touching, or beautiful, or, in many cases, sexy as all get out.
But when they are done wrong, and too hastily, I don’t need to say that things can get, well, ugly.
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kim says:
Sun, 13th Apr 20087:17 am
good guide, at first i was like why is she writing a guide without any tattoos herself, but i must say you definitely are right. i rushed into my first tattoo when i turned 18 and now i have a stupid chinese symbol on my neck that i regret everyday. NEVER get flash art or anything just for the sake of getting a tattoo, now i have 10 tattoos but they all have special meaning. find a good artist and really take the time to think about it. don't get tribal or chinese symbols or stupid butterflies just cause, you'll regret it!
Bekah says:
Sun, 13th Apr 20088:12 am
great guide! i got my first tattoo when i was 16, and my newest just a month ago. i can honestly say that i don't regret either of them. the first is of a fairy (which to most is just a cutesy cheesy thing to do). the sketch was actually modeled after a small statue my grandmother gave me when i was young. the second i got after a very emotionally draining year. it's the cheshire cat from alice in wonderland.
my big advice to anyone getting a tattoo would be to make sure it means something to you, and get it somewhere that can be covered up. some occasions just aren't tattoo-friendly.
CC says:
Sun, 13th Apr 20088:51 am
I got my first tattoo at 16 with my mom. We both got small tribal designs on our lower backs, which some people love to call "tramp stamps" or "bullseye", but it's very significant to me. My mom and I are best friends and getting a tattoo together was a very cool experience. We made a trip out of it and got to spend a lot of time together, which was nice because we both get very busy and hardly are around the house. I never regretted getting it, and I never will. Plus I can cover it up if I need to.
I'm getting another one tomorrow-cherry blossoms on my foot for my friend that passed away last year. Just make sure you get something that holds meaning to you.
Happy Inking!
Janers says:
Sun, 13th Apr 20089:21 am
^^Bekah
Heck yeh! The Cheshire cat is awesome! =^_^=
kas227 says:
Sun, 13th Apr 20089:51 am
I got a fairy tattoo when I was 18 but it took almost a year to pick one I liked…no not tinkerbell or one exposing her chest. I found a tiny fairy that didn't have a face which was perfect because I was scared the face might come out weird so now years later I still like it and its somewhere that everybody and their mother would see. So yea I agree whatever you choose wait a few months and make sure you really have what you want.
herpe says:
Fri, 18th Apr 20084:07 am
most STD people at stdromance .. com have tattos
Alissa says:
Tue, 22nd Apr 20087:07 pm
I agree with you wholeheartedly here. I got a tattoo my freshman year of college. It's a black flower on my lower back, and while the symbol itself doesn't mean anything the process was very significant.
Getting the tattoo was the first time in my life that I committed to something and didn't back out because I was afraid. I have missed out on a lot of great opportunities in my life because I chickened out. Now I look at my tattoo and I know that I have the courage and commitment to do anything.
giz says:
Sun, 27th Apr 20087:35 pm
haha… you all keep getting them, please!
my tution comes from people like you all going to my dad to get them removed! LOL
Britt says:
Sun, 15th Jun 20088:39 am
There are other things to consider when getting tattooed. Yes, you want to make sure you get something that means something to you. And yes, you want to make sure you go to a good tattoo artist. BUT also consider PLACEMENT of your tattoo. Think about how it will look in ten years. There are quite a few girls that get tattoos on their boobs, thighs, hips, and near their pants line. Take into consideration that after you have a kid or two, those tattoos will stretch and become misshapen. However, if you don't plan on having kids, or have already had kids, go right ahead!