<p>A 20-something coworker recently got a tattoo on her lower abdomen. Another 40-something coworker and I looked at each other and laughed - it won’t be a pretty sight after pregnancy. </p>
<p>One of my good friends is a doctor, and she has some crazy tattoo stories, including one man who has the flag tattooed on his (ahem).</p>
<p>coureur - like the bumper sticker/Ferrari & grafitti/work of art analogies. My sentiments exactly.</p>
<p>DS2 has talked about getting a tatoo (he’s the artsy type) but I really hope the idea wears off. He’s just too beautiful to add something man-made. But again, jmho. He’s got his own ideas about everything.</p>
<p>Sometimes I think about what I would get if I ever DID get one - even though I know I won’t. It is kinda fun to think about tho’.</p>
<p>My niece has several tatoos, one on the back of her neck. At her wedding, while she was standing at the altar, her dad’s hand caught her veil as he was walking back to his seat & yanked it off revealing the VERY prominent tatoo. It was kinda sad because throughout the rest of the ceremony the tatoo became the dominant focal point. I know she would’ve preferred it to be covered, but… we all have to live with our decisios. The trick is to minimize the number of decisions which you might regret later.</p>
<p>A tatoo is one of those things that once it’s done, it’s done - no going back. If you don’t have a tatoo, you always have the option of getting one, but once you get it, you don’t really have the option of not having one.</p>
<p>Kinda like cutting off your long hair.</p>
<p>^^ Hair grows back, but I have no regrets about cutting mine. I tell my kids they can have all sorts of fun with their hair - as long as they don’t burn the scalp, it will be back, slowly but surely. A tattoo or a big hole in the face is a different story. There is no “undo” button for those.</p>
<p>Awesome way to get hepatitis c. Unless your high school dropout tattoo “artist” uses sterile methods. Nothing like starting adulthood with a chronic disease.</p>
<p>^^ ^ I guess it’s OK to stereotype about tattoo artists! The place where I had my tattoos done looked like a beauty salon and was one of three owned by a very successful young man with a college degree and a nice family. He was a commercial artist and does incredible original work.</p>
<p>re: post 44: hahaha!
But really, though… would think that might be a hard one not to regret at at least SOME point later on!</p>
<p>EK, to answer your original question, in the cities we’ve lived in, a tattoo is no longer unique, if it ever was. Nor is it a fad, as people have been getting tattoos for a long, long time. Three of my Ds have tattoos, small pretty ones on the ankle. We, like MOWC, chose a tattoo artist who had a beautiful, and safe, salon that came highly recommended. We know many, many people, from all walks of life, who have tattoos. Are there people who still make instant judgments about people who have tattoos? Obviously, as you can tell by some of the comments in this thread. My guess is that many of those individuals likely make instant judgments about people who don’t have tattoos, too! </p>
<p>Worrying about “old age” skin, or abdomens after pregnancy (something you likely don’t have to worry about!), etc., is probably not that big a concern. If you’re going to have “old age” skin, you’re going to have it and it’s not as though a tattoo is what is going to be likely to prevent you from wearing a bikini in old age, at least I hope not. Our bodies change with age, whether we have a tattoo or not.</p>
<p>It’s not like you’re considering getting tattooed from head to toe. A small, pretty tattoo that is meaningful to you and that you will feel good about, is a nice thing to do for yourself.</p>
<p>^^ Good post. In my mind there is a big difference between an attractive and tasteful tattoo and snakes wrapping around your upper body! </p>
<p>When I got mine, the shock to people wasn’t so much the tattoo, but that I endured NEEDLES to get it!! I actually thought the pain was very minimal and more like scratching then injections (I hate needles). My sister thought hers was pretty painful and she thinks I have a high pain threshhold. I just didn’t think it was that bad.</p>
<p>Re #13: I agree completely. (And I’ve noticed that I never agree with Barrons! 
)</p>
<p>I know it’s hard to imagine what we’re going to regret later. But most things can be undone. Tattoos are very hard to remove.</p>
<p>A young lady I know got a tattoo in her youth. On her shoulder blade. She got married this last Saturday. The dresses in style today are strapless. She tried covering it up with makeup but it could clearly be seen while she stood at the altar. Her mom tells us she is very sorry she did it.</p>
<p>Beware the tattoos on the lower back when those backless dresses are in style. It looks okay with jeans, not so good in an evening gown unless the colors coordinate. :)</p>
<p>A small tattoo on the ankle maybe. But otherwise, styles change, tastes change. Hair grows back.</p>
<p>My daughter is getting married in 3 weeks and her angel tattoo on her shoulder is very visible in her wedding dress. I guess the veil will obscure it a little, but none of us have the least bit of concern about the angel tattoo showing. </p>
<p>It’s clearly just a difference in taste. I, personally, would rather see someone with a tattoo than a lot of extra weight. And don’t even get me started on what I think about ANYONE who smokes! To each his or her own.</p>
<h1>45</h1>
<p>Awesome way to get hepatitis c. Unless your high school dropout tattoo “artist” uses sterile methods. Nothing like starting adulthood with a chronic disease.</p>
<p>I am very aware of risks of fluid transmitted diseases.
I was tested for Hep B when I gave birth to my youngest daughter. Three or four years later when I stopped nursing, I gave blood and I was turned down because of Hep B. I had no risk factors, no one else in my family had it and the most likely exposure involved going to the dentist, or possibly actually at the hospital where I had given birth because I had, had a heparin lock & an IV.</p>
<p>So while cautious behavior around needles is certainly warranted, being a young mom whose biggest excitement is going to a Raffi concert, isn’t a guarantee that you are going to stay disease free.</p>
<p>Also the shop that we are using ( where she got her nose pierced) has won national and local awards for over 10 years & is rated the best in the area.</p>
<p>I am probably going to have this woman do my tattoo as I am thinking of a tree peony from a japanese block print and Asian influenced art is one of her specialties.
</p>
<p>Several of the tattoo artists have university art degrees and have worked in graphic design/illustration. I can see that this would be a great way to get to work directly with the clientele, and have a more stable income than working in web design/advertising, which may not be as satisfying for some folks.</p>
<p>The artists charge $100 an hour ( the owner charges $175), so they can well afford to use disposable needles/sterilize properly.
But thanks for your concern & keep in mind that Hep stays longer on surfaces than HIV so it is a risk for anyone .</p>
<p>[The</a> Henna Page - Warnings](<a href=“http://www.hennapage.com/henna/warnings.html]The”>The Henna Page - Warnings)</p>
<p>[snopes.com:</a> Henna Tattoo Scarring](<a href=“http://www.snopes.com/horrors/vanities/henna.asp]snopes.com:”>Henna Tattoo Scarring | Snopes.com)</p>
<p>This is where I got my info re: black henna
the artists around here use regular henna for tattooing not black - what I have been told is the stuff that is black isn’t henna.</p>
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<p>No, getting a tattoo is much worse due to its permanence. In fact I’ve told my daughters that if they feel they must make some sort of extreme style “statement” that they should make it with their hair and not their skin. Regrettable haircuts or hair colors can be reversed. With a tattoo, you’re stuck.</p>
<p>oh but hair is such a PITA.
I have fine kinda wavy hair and I have never gotten it past my shoulders-
it usually is much shorter, because that makes it easier to deal with, I just want it long enough so I can pull it back when I am at the gym & short enough that it doesn’t take long to dry.</p>
<p>D had long hair to her waist ( D#2 has all the good hair genes in the family) for many years, it is now mid shoulder and she says when she goes to Africa in August she is cutting it so it barely brushes her shoulder because her hair was so gross when she was there in March.</p>
<p>I lean toward the tattoo for self expression, I am all about low maintenance
;)</p>
<p>EK-That’s very interesting…I didn’t know. Like I said, I’ve had black henna once before…but maybe it was just darker than orange henna and I didn’t know.</p>
<p>Anyway…I really don’t see what the problem is with a tattoo. If you don’t like them, don’t get one. Yes, you’ll occasionally have to look at someone else’s, but you’ll occasionally have to look at hairstyles you don’t like too. Cry me a river.</p>
<p>ek4 - i’ll go back and read this entire thread, but I had to say SHE PIERCED HER OWN EAR CARTLIDGE? WHEN SHE WAS 8? OMG! I have a <em>really</em> strong stomach and just the visual image could cause me to faint!</p>
<p>it made me queasy too.^^^^
She is on the aspie spectrum & has low touch, high pain tolerance.
She was at the most in 2nd grade & I was watching something on the news that I didn’t want her to see, when she came into the living room to watch a video so I asked her to go into her room.
She must have been looking for something to occupy her time with ( she already had her lobe pierced I think we let her do that for her 7th birthday), & her dad had gotten her a new pair of earrings so she had extra.</p>
<p>When the news was over, I told her she could come watch the tv, she sat down next to me & I noticed that she had the earrings in high up on the shell of her ear.
So I asked " are those the earrings Daddy got you?"
" Yes"
<p>( I made her take them out immediately and we cleaned the area and had the dr look at it- she had actually done a pretty good job, but I didn’t want it to set a precedent)</p>
<p>The fact is that there remains a significant portion of the population that views tattoos as trashy. As long as the tattoo can be covered in situations where such people are likely to have an impact on your life, it’s probably OK. But visible tattoos, especially on the neck, could have a negative impact on your employment options, etc. I will add that the lower back tattoo is also called a “tramp stamp” around here, and it often appears even when the owner probably thinks it’s covered.</p>