<p>S1 is Special Operations Officer in the U.S. Navy. Got his first tat in college (where he was on a full-ride scholarship). He now has several tats on his abdomen, one on the top of his foot and most recently a full leg piece that goes from his ankle to his thigh. He has none on his arms,neck or face. So when he has on pants and shirt, no tats are visible.</p>
<pre><code>I was a little taken aback by the full leg one but I’ve gotten used to it now. He’s almost 28 years old. It’s his life.
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<p>Also might add, he’s a pretty handsome guy…according to him the ladies don’t mind the tats! </p>
<p>Thank you all so much for your thoughtful replies!! I apologize for not knowing this was a frequent topic! I am on here a lot but haven’t hung out in the Cafe much (in fact I posted this on the regular Parents Forum and it got moved here… oops!) @Pizzagirl and @hyperJulie you’ve both confirmed my sense about the changing times, thank you.</p>
<p>My daughter has always been completely unphased by what others think. And always very creative and unafraid to express herself, so I know that its inevitable. She’s a biology major right now, so military or very conservative profession is probably not in the cards. She also has a tiny nose stud. I do see she’s going through a little bit of a phase right now of wanting to explore her identity and newfound adulthood, and, really I think my biggest concern is that she’s making this decision that she may regret later. She just got an extremely short, very cliche’d haircut, too, but of course that will soon grow out if she decides that isn’t really her.</p>
<p>Anyway - I do appreciate all the replies! It’s nice to have this community to bounce these things off. Thanks :)</p>
<p>In one of my jobs this summer, I went on retreat with high-powered government officials, attorneys, and doctors who all work in reproductive health/justice. We went swimming and wore shorts as it was in the middle of summer and on a lake. Trust me, tattoos were certainly not in short supply </p>
<p>I don’t care for tattoos, my H doesn’t like them and my teenagers do not like them either. I will qualify that and say we do not like them on “us”. If you met our family there is no way any of us could pull off a tattoo without it looking totally ridiculous or “forced.” </p>
<p>I have seen them well done and do not judge those who get them. Except when they go overboard. There is a woman at my gym who is tattooed from the waste up - stomach, arms and back - snakes, skulls and weird winged animals. She is definitely proud of them as she wears just a sports bra to work out. If I am on a machine and she is in my vicinity and I think she wants the machine, I get up - she scares me. Honestly, despite her having a near perfect body, I think she scares the guys too.</p>
<p>I have a younger friend who has “six pack” tattooed on her abs.
She does indeed have a six pack…for now.
I think they are so common now, that I really don’t think about them one way or the other unless one is particularly beautiful or hideous.</p>
<p>I’ve totally changed my mind about tattoos. I don’t like every tattoo I see, but I’ve come to like them and the more elaborate the better. I still think the scorpion on my brother’s forearm looks stupid. It’s badly placed IMO and it’s sort of fuzzy. I know a bunch of doctors and lawyers who have tattoos. My husband teaches at a med school and one of his students gets a new tattoo every time she goes to a conference.</p>
<p>I had an employee, in her 40s, who had numerous tattoos but in places where they could not be seen. Her most recent tattoo became infected and they were threatening her with a mastectomy if the infection could not be stopped. Just calling attention to a possible poor outcome scenario.</p>
<p>Here is a question I have ( and yes, I have joined in on the other threads about tattoos ) What is the point of getting tattoos that you have to place where they cannot be seen ? I get the concept of covering up for work , but doesn’t it defeat the purpose of decorating yourself ?</p>
<p>I always wonder how the tatt will look 20, 30, 40, or 50 years down the line. My body has sagged and skin has stretched in ways I never thought possible. (I’m in my sixties.) And I look at decorative art and jewelry and it amazes me how dated some of it looks and how my tastes have changed over the decades. I don’t think I would want to be stuck with something that permanent or that it might fade and stretch into something really hideous.</p>
<p>^I think people do things for their own and/ or partners enjoyment w/o needing others to see. </p>
<p>But I have to say that I do not like tattoos. I have hated many trends that have lasted that I have come to like or not be averse to. Multiple piercings, different extreme fashions,etc. but I still do not like tattoos. D1 has a small tattoo, niece has many all over her body and her mom, my older sis, also has one. </p>
<p>They have not grown on me (or been inked either, haha). Women in glamorous gowns with visible tattoos look to me like an oil rig off shore of a beautiful beach or electrical towers crossing the mountain side. The do not belong. Haha. But that is me. To each his own. </p>
<p>I think the fad will soon change. I believe this because teens need to rebell. If their parents have tattoos and piercings, they will do something different. And then tattoos will be associated with “middleagers”.</p>
<p>Well, my ritual contribution is that I hate all tattoos, and I do not care whether other people accept them or not. My dislike certainly has nothing to with conforming to the expectations of an employer. Thankfully, my S doesn’t seem to like tattoos either.</p>
<p>I also detest body piercing, other than a single piercing in each ear. I <em>do</em> like long hair and an ear piercing on guys. </p>
<p>S’s GF has tattoos and gauges. I do find myself wondering how she will feel about them in 20 or 30 years, but whatever. If that’s her thing, it’s her choice. Her dad hates them & makes her cover them up when his family/friends are around. I can’t say how I would feel if it were my D, but I would hope that I would act like I think I would act … let it be, because it is what it is. </p>
<p>I am 57, and aside from a few more moles and freckles/ age spots & a pouchier tummy, I can’t say I look that different from 30 years ago.
Don’t have a tattoo yet, but unless you are planning to put one on fatty tissue then gain and lose more than 20 lbs, I don’t think your skin and the supporting fascia and ligaments will change much.
Just stay hydrated and eat healthy.
In many areas, certainly my area, a reputable shop will not tattoo anyone under 18. It is illegal.
Tattoos are mainstream enough that they have left the boundaries of a " fad", just as pierced ears and noses have.</p>
<p>morrismm–I don’t think it will fade. These are not teenagers going tee-hee, Mom and Dad dont want me to grow my hair long!</p>
<p>These are being gotten by grown up 20, 30, 40-somethings. And this has been going on for a whole generation already.</p>
<p>Full disclosure–neither I or either of my kids have them, though my sister got one in her 30s and my BIL at 50. I have no dog in this fight, but I do think you’re dreaming if you think it’s a “fad” that the kidz will move on from.</p>
<p>My dad was 87 when he died. He had tattoos he got during WW2. They looked fine. And believe me, he was lots more,saggy than when he was a late teen.</p>
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