<p>H got a tatoo for his 40th birthday. It’s his own design, on the upper arm. I figured that was better than an expensive sports car or a new honey. </p>
<p>My D has an interesting take on tattoos for girls: there’s no good spot for one. For a guy, if he gets a tattoo on his upper arm, he will never have a situation where it’s inappropriate, i.e., if it’s appropriate to wear a tank top or be shirtless, then it’s certainly appropriate to show a tattoo. But for women, there are very few locations on the body where you can guarantee that you won’t regret it at some point. She doesn’t think it looks cool in a formal, low back dress, for example, to have some snake or whatever coming down your shoulder, etc. Works for me. DS doesn’t have any (yet?), so we’ll see how that goes…</p>
<p>My take is that until you are settled in your career and life, it’s probably better to err on the side of caution, and keep tatoos in easily hidden locations. What a shame it would be to lose important opportunities for the sake of a tattoo, despite NSM’s article. But if you’re all set in your career, do whatever you wish. Still, regarding employment, I think it’s true that whatever “stigma” will lessen drastically in the next 10 years.</p>
<p>I mostly just check in here now, but couldn’t resist today: Last winter we hired a young woman about the age of our Ds. I’m sure I’ve made disparaging comments about tatoos in the last few months and sure enough, as the weather has gotten hotter, more have appeared. I really like the girl, but it’s going to be tough to find a wedding dress that doesn’t show it all off and I know what the FIL’s Coast Guard tatoos looked like after almost 70 years…</p>
<p>On the flip side: sister is getting tatooed for radiation for pancreatic cancer next week. Can’t they do more than just dots? Spiders? Chicken feet? Targets? Connect the dots?</p>
<p>Amesie- I don’t think so. I am seeing a lot of my younger (and middle aged) running friends getting tattoos to celebrate running achievements (a marathon or a certain difficult race). I think tattoos are gaining in popularity among mainstream people. I am a little surprised, but that is what I am seeing.</p>
<p>I got mine 10 years ago when D (16 at the time) wanted a small tattoo. I was going to allow it, but in our state you had to be 18. I got interested, and found a place that was extremely upscale (sort of like a salon) and had great artwork. I got a religious symbol on my ankle and then a month or two later I asked the artist to design a mountain scene for me. It is gorgeous and the colors are still bright and vivid 10 years later. I get a lot of compliments on both of them and they aren’t ugly, distorted or large. I guess it is a means of self-expression that appealed to me. Occasionally I get tempted to get another one (running-related) but I seem to have gotten more cowardly about the whole needle-thing, even though I don’t think the tattoos were very painful at all.</p>
<p>I’m guessing that in a few decades, tattoos will be passe because they will be something that middle aged people have. Of course. by then most of us parents won’t still be around…</p>
<p>This I can understand. I know a couple of young ladies who qualified for and participated in the Olympics, and they now sport a small tattoo of the Olympic rings. Tattos of Ed Hardy-like kitsch and BF’s names - this I do not get or approve of. :)</p>
<p>It should be noted that there’s a difference between one small discreet tattoo, and tattooes that progressively spread over the body like a rash. Most of the employees in my department are 20-something women whose hobby seems to be adding to their tattoo collections. The body art is everywhere – wrists, backs of necks, ankles, behind ears, cleavage. Almost every Monday morning, someone is showing off their latest new tattoo. I find the proliferation a little disturbing; one of these women told me she has more than 20 of them, and plans to get more. She actually used the word “addiction.”</p>
<p>Our small business is in an industry which is image-conscious and conservative, and apparently it’s gotten to be too much for our 60-ish CEO. I’ve heard that a new policy is being considered which would ban visible tattooes. This means that most of our department is going to be wearing long sleeves and turtlenecks year-round. Young people need to understand that, like it or not, tats may negatively affect how they are viewed by potential employers. Acceptance is NOT universal, at least not yet.</p>
<p>I don’t make a value judgment, but I do make an aesthetic judgment. The idea of ink on skin just looks ugly to me, I don’t care if Michelangelo personally designed and drew your tattoo. And the worst are young women in pretty formal dresses who turn around and then you’ve got some huge rose or butterfly or whatever on the shoulder. Do they not realize how awful it looks?</p>
<p>I’m all ready seeing this start to happen. When our oldest son’s friends were turning 18 it was a rush to get tattooed. Most of his friends have one or two tattoos. Second son is now 18 and none of his friends are getting tattoos. And a couple years ago on our High School basketball team it was like watching an art gallery play. This year only one or two of the players had visible tattoos.</p>
<p>I thought “tramp stamp” referred to the tattoos that are right below the waistline on the lower back. </p>
<p>My son hates tattoos on girls his age and would never get one himself (although at 16 he was clamoring for a Nike swoosh), but thinks mine are OK. Go figure.</p>
<p>On cancer tattoos for radiation - from experience - generally, they can only do small dots. The staff that does this is not trained in anything else, nor do the hospitals, generally, have anything but one color (normally blue) of ink. You could, I imagine go to a tat place to have them enhance the dots. But, I should also note that the dots shift and fade over time. Mine are nearly gone now.</p>
<p>Based on my observation, it appears to me that male teenagers getting tattoos is sort of like smoking and male teenagers. The less intelligent the person, the more likely he is to smoke cigarettes and get a tattoo.</p>
<p>I went to a wedding where one of the bridesmaids had “sleeves.” The dresses were strapless, but this girl’s shoulders and arms were completely covered with ink, right down to the wrist. It looked awful to me, but I understand that taste can vary. But I felt sorry for the bride because I don’t think she realized that when she was lined up with her wedding party up there in front, every eye was drawn to the tattooes. I bet the same is true of the pictures.</p>
<p>Parents who get tattoos are wannabe rebels. lol They look dumb and anyone who tells u they look good is lying. They r trashy on everyone, even on people with good educations and good jobs. They’re “trash-toos”</p>
<p>I don’t think much one way or another about tattoos, but “trashy” is definitely in the eye of the beholder. I think “trashy” when I see a fake tan and a French manicure, but I just think “that must have hurt” when I see a tattoo.</p>
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