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I always wanted one. But could never think of anything I would always be happy with. I know I would currently hate anything that I would have gotten, say, after highschool or something. I change as a person a lot and getting something "meaningful" now would most likely be stupid to "me in 15 years"
I'm over 40. Got my first at 19 and 4 more since. I love my tattoos. 20 yrs ago they made the same arguments. I always said hey I'm the canvas this is their art. If no one chooses to be a canvas then how's the artist supposed to create?
Good or bad, tattoos are an artists expression of skill. A snapshot of their talent at the time. And with age, they honestly don't change that much. It's more our perspective of them that changes.
I'm not gonna demand people donor don't get tattooed. I just advocate for good research in the artist you opt to be a canvas for.
I share your philosophy, but henna. :-)
I just want someone to doodle randomly on my hand so I can wear it around for a month. I like doodles, I like watching different people do it, their approaches as they figure out which little curls or flowers seem right. And 4-6 weeks is a good space of time to appreciate one.
What are some good starter brands of henna for someone wanting to dip into it? I’ve gotten cheap henna before to experiment with and it just washed off within a week. (Granted this was during a hot sweaty summer with daily showers, but still)
So I always get it done by folks who are busking, or at festivals. I don't know what brands they use. But if you want to have it last longer in general, I find what works is to--
(1). Leave it on for as many hours as you \*possibly\* can after it dries before knocking the dried henna off. And when you do, don't wash it off, just rub/pick it off (although do make sure you get all of it off).
(2) Immediately after you take the dried henna off put moisturizer on your hand, moisturize thoroughly. You'll actually see the colors darken as soon as you do that. This seems to be the step that has the most impact, a henna artist recommended it to me.
(3) If you can sorta of avoid using that hand when you're washing your hair, so it's not getting a lot of shampoo and friction, that's good.
Me too, I like to leave previous epochs of my life behind me
Plus anything I could think of getting, meh. I can't get excited enough over any particular design to consider having it on me always.
I’m 33, same boat.
If I ever got any, I would get three little circles in a line on the front of my wrist. Two dots would be filled in with one just an outline.
Two kids, three pregnancies
I once asked a friend who has tattoos about this. They said it's like scars. It's something that's a part of your body and reminds you of something when you look at it. You don't regret it any more than you regret having a scar you got on a mountain trip. You may regret what happened on that trip or the person you were back then but the scar itself is just a scar.
They could... but did you read their comments? Why waste the time and money getting something if they assume they'll want it removed later? They could just... not get tattooed. And throwing out removal like it's no big deal is silly too.
- signed, someone with multiple large tattoos
True, I just mean that it seems like people are saying that they think they want a tattoo but they're worried that they might not like it later. Idk, I feel like even if you don't feel as attached to something in 20 years, it would still be nice to have a constant reminder of how important it once was to you.
Heavily tattood here. I've got some tattoos from when I first started that I regret, **but** I'd never get them removed or covered up. Regret might not even be the right word, i just wish i thought them through more throughly. I look at each of my tattoos as a memory of where I was in life though, kinda like a time line. We were all young and dumb at some point, I've just got my memories of it stuck on my leg. :)
I only have 3 tattoos. My first was the Bad Religion band logo. While I don't "regret" it, I'm definitely not going to get it touched up or anything now that it's faded as hell.
My other two tattoos are family or personal, so they're gold for me.
[This here](https://imgur.com/a/3VVXqUk) is the tattoo I'm talking about when it comes to "regrets". It was suppose to be a tattoo of my dog, but my artist changed plans literally the day before and asked what else I'd like instead the night before. I told him Bane from Batman. What I meant was comic book Bane, but he gave me Bane from the newest Batman movie at the time. I didn't have the voice to say it wasn't exactly what I wanted and just really wanted a tattoo at that point as I had to wait months for the appointment.
Many lessons learnt from that day, but I don't regret it. It's well done, just not my style of art anymore and is a really big piece. I wish I used that space for smaller tattoos instead of a big and bold one, but like I said, I would never get rid of it or change it.
I made this design that was a heartagram chained up to inside a metal ring that I was gonna get on my entire back when I was super into bam Margera related media back in the day. Hoooooly shit glad I didn’t have enough money
The only tattoo I’ve ever considered getting is a little triangle on the back of my hand. In math, delta (a little triangle) is the symbol for change— the only thing I’ve found to be constant in life. Thought it would be a nifty little reminder of change to always have that on my hand.
That being said, I give blood a lot. The idea of invalidating myself for a year based on getting a tattoo just doesn’t appeal to me. Much as I’d love to stop being on the Red Cross’s speed dial list, my blood is apparently real useful for cancer patients, so I’m gonna keep giving it until they stop calling.
You are right one of my tattoos is pretty stupid ( I got it when I was 18) but thankfully is in one of my butt cheek’s so people can’t see it unless you get to see me naked 🤣😂🤣.
Same here. Never been able to come up with something I'd even want in the heat of the moment. My ex had tattoos, she explained each having a meaning to her, but I never could imagine what I'd have that were equivalent.
The first tattoo I got was for my grandpa when he passed. He was my favorite person in the world. He was funny as hell, told tons of jokes he learned working on the railroad, and he used to laugh so hard sometimes his dentures would fall out of his mouth. So I got a tattoo of a set of dentures over my heart.
After that, I reserved my right forearm as a sleeve for things that I love that have some deeper meaning to me. On the surface, they look just like a bunch of nerdy things (R2D2, Zelda triforce, HP deathly hallows, Spider-man's hand doing a THWIP, etc), but when I look at them, I think about getting over my divorce, remembering other lost friends/family members, going through my cousin's cancer treatments, etc.
If you're not a tattoo person, that's totally fine. But don't worry about what others would think or what you'll think in XX years; if you have something you want to commemorate or celebrate, go for it.
I’m 49 and I just got my first (and very likely only ever) tattoo last November. I had thought about getting a tattoo but felt the same- I couldn’t think of anything that would stay meaningful. My tattoo is a seashell in ocean waves. It represents a special vacation spot that my extended family has gone to for 40+ years. 5 generations of our family have stayed in the same rental house; my grandparents met on the beach there. I’m pretty sure the memories with family going back to 1981 will still have meaning for the rest of my life. The fact that it took that long to commemorate for me is why I can’t see adding another.
My tattoo will be a skeletal view of a molecule but instead of different atoms, there will be things i like at the time. So that way even when i get old, i will see "insert thing" and be able to remember the good time i had with "insert thing" instead of cringing on a bad tattoo
I change my mind all the time. I know I'd regret it after a week hahahh
But they look so, so pretty and special... I love to see their bodies full of random stuff. Even when the whole bunch of tattoos doesn't look very coherent. It's so peculiar and personal. Just like each one of us is, I guess.
I was in the same boat for the longest time, couldn't think of something I wouldn't regret. I was also not in a good place mentally, and stuck in a field that was actively sabatoging my mental health as well. Wanted out, but never saw a way.
It took me moving halfway across the country on a whim, and applying to an unrelated job field on a whim (went from being a long-term art sub to banking) for me to pull myself out of that funk. Got a tattoo of the local mountains to help with the imposter syndrom/dreams where I wake back up in my parents ts' house in my old state. It's an inception/grounding thing for me, just a check that yes, you are here. You made it. It might be stupid in 10 years, but I needed it then, and I still need it now.
I just turned 33. I know what elements I want a tattoo to have, and even have some designs mocked up.
But I have no idea where I would want it. I can't visualize it anywhere.
I have a couple tattoos (maybe even just one, really) that I would maybe not get if I could do it over again, but I really loved having them for several years, so maybe I wouldn’t change them, really. It’s not like I hate them, I just no longer feel as strongly about them as I did.
Neither are visible unless my shirt is off or my shoes are off though, so it never really bothers me, and my partner still likes them. Plus they’re good conversation starters if I’m going swimming or something.
I’ve talked myself out of it, I’d get them again if I had to choose
edit: for clarity in that first sentence, I have 2 tattoos but I was saying there was one I’d maybe rethink getting.
I was actually in the same boat for a long time. That only recently changed after my best friend passed away a few months ago. Part of my healing/grieving process has been to work on a memorial tattoo. I’m just at the beginning stage of trying to figure out a design at this point but it’s been helping me by having a way to think about my friend without spiraling and falling apart every time. The thought of having a permanent way to keep the person I lost with me is comforting.
I got some stupid ones at 18 years old. Honestly it's a fun time machine for me, they bring up some memories every once in a while. I get them every so often and they usually mark an era in my life, whether I got them for a "reason" or not.
Look at it this way.
Get something meaningful now. In 15 years, it only represents you 15 years ago. Whether your views or tastes have changed, it never changes what you were.
I’m always trying to scrub dirt off my shoulder until I remember it’s a tattoo. Also in the summer I get confused why parents drag kids away from anywhere near me until I remember the tattoo that says “eat shit” with the second “t” as an upside-down cross…
It’s part of a memorial for a friend who OD’d on heroin. That was what he had crowds yell back to him on stage during his band’s tours. But nobody sees the rest of it unless I don’t have any sleeves or shirts on.
Zero judgement to others - I just literally can't think of anything so important to me that I feel the need to have a visible depiction if it permanently engraved in my flesh. Lots of things are important to me of course, but... flesh engraved? I just don't get it.
I watched ATLA for the first time during the pandemic, and Zuko and Iroh's relationship reminded me a *lot* of my dad and I. So when Zuko apologizes to Iroh, and Iroh gives him that huge fatherly embrace, I lost it about as hard as I've ever lost it. I'm still not ever sure if I'll get a tattoo, but if I do, at least I know it will be a white lotus tile.
That's awesome! I completely understand that... what I meant by "I don't get it" is that I have never felt that way personally. I don't even know what it's LIKE to feel that way. It's like hearing all about love, but never having been in love yourself.
For context, I was 45 when I first watch ATLA, so it took me a long time to get there. I have friends with sleeves and all that, but tattoos just never did anything for me. I don't get a lot of (positive) emotional responses from memories so there's not a whole lot to compel me to want to enshrine something like that. I'm kind of jealous of people who get that, but it's just not how I was wired so I carry on with what works for me.
The white lotus tile is small, not obvious and pretty on it's own. Plus it's a reference that people who understand know and will love, and you'd find immediate kindred spirits, but it wouldn't be overtly nerdy for people who don't know the reference either.
So you're in agreement that it's a perfect tramp stamp?
Seriously, though, figuring out where to get it is my larger problem. I figure inside of the arm/wrist most likely. Inconspicuous, seems incredibly appropriate for it to become most visible when gesturing "give," but also somewhere where I would normally see it, too. It would mostly be for myself, but I would absolutely enjoy sharing the fandom as well.
Fuck, now I just realized I could finish around the back with a wristband tattoo with a musical staff notating the main melody from the '90s X-Men cartoon. I'm starting to think this tattoo might happen.
A bunch of lotus tiles but making a traditional trampstamp? I dig it.
But really, the musical note part sounds like an awesome addition. If you have it around your wrist, the tile could face out, kind of like a watch, or face in hidden. If you need more music, either to make it wider or thicker, you could add 'leaves on the vine' as well, so you have the happiness of the xmen theme, but the seriousness of the avatar double reference
Or you could move it up your arm and have the tile where you would give blood so it's closer to your elbow, that could be cool too.
Either way, you'll have to post it to /r/atla when you get it! I'm looking forward to it
Leaves on the Vine is a brilliant idea. The X-Men theme popped in my head because a friend of mine who passed a few years ago used to sing it aloud all the time.
Gives me a great idea for a sleeve, though, weaving all my favorite songs into a vine growing up my arm. I think I'll just start with the tile for now, though. lol
Never wanted one. Then my father died.
His last words to me were “Thank you.” I drove up and stayed for a few days to help advocate for him in the hospital, and I was saying bye before heading back home to my kids. I told him I’d be back up that weekend, but he didn’t last that long.
Anyway, it wasn’t the sort of thanks when someone hands you a slice of pizza, but rather the kind where someone locks eyes with you, grips your hand, and really, genuinely means it. It stuck with me.
Shortly after he died, my mom sent me a box with some of his things. In it was a card he bought for my mom when I was born. In it, all he wrote was “Thank you. I love you.”
I found it so beautiful that the first thing he wrote to mom about my existence was thank you, and the last thing he said to me was thank you. The bookends to our relationship.
I have “Thank you” in his handwriting from that card on my wrist.
It’s like being in love—you’ll know when it’s right.
From someone who has a lot of tattoos;
I am a child sexual assault survivor. I had no autonomy from ages 3-15. I was highly dissociated from my own body until I got my first tattoo a few years ago. I suddenly LOVED that body part, for the first time in my life. It was mine, I could do whatever I wanted to it, this ink was physical visual proof to my little broken brain that I am in control now.
Tattoos since then have felt exhilarating and life changing. My confidence is through the roof, I feel beautiful every time I see them. It doesn’t actually seem to matter what I choose to put on my skin, I have a goblin trying to be cute, a triforce, my entire arm is convered in flowers. I will likely be covered chest to toes someday.
I do not care if someone else does not like my tattoos. My mental and physical well being is mine to manage, this is how I choose to manage it.
Yes! I also have this little ritual I do before I get a tattoo, where I take a nice bubble bath (because you’re not supposed to take a bath for a few weeks afterwards) and say “Goodbye to the skin that was hurt”. It’s very spiritually relieving to me, giving my naked skin one last thoughtful look before I am never able to see it that way again.
I’ve luckily never met someone IRL who has tried to give me the “But what will it look like when you’re older?”, maybe because people are respectful or because most people in my community have tattoos. But at the end of the day, the tattoos are for my CURRENT self, my future self feels more healed because of them than my past self. I feel more healed than I was 3 years ago, and that’s enough proof for me that this is good.
I feel like it’s a safe bet to assume that the person getting tattoos is already fully aware that it’s a permanent decision and nothing you say is going to change their mind.
In the words of Marge Simpson, "I just think they're neat". That's really all it has to be. I totally get that tattoos aren't for everyone, but I've gotten a bunch of fun/dorky tattoos on impulse and I don't regret any of them. Psychedelic ice cream bar? Frog on a stiletto? Sure, why the fuck not. It doesn't really have to mean anything as long as you like how it looks.
Sometimes I look at mine and I'm like "huh, what a weird concept" but then I just start thinking about what to get next lol
Totally respect those who don't though. I can see why people wouldn't want to
I'm the same way.
As a kid, of course I thought that tattoos were cool and I probably wanted some.
Then I got older, and your sentiment is essentially what became my thought process. Also, I've always heard people go on about their bodies are just a blank canvas (like for artwork)... I have never wanted "artwork on permanent display" on my body.
In more recent years, I also realized, that I can't be the only person that is ever distracted with tattoos and piercings;
I swear, I almost can't be in the presence of someone, with say a septim piercing, because I can't help but stare at it, and I'm conscious / aware of this, and always feel emberrassed that I'm staring at someone's nose.
The same thing happens with other people around me and their tattoos, I almost can never keep eye-contact, because their "artwork" is distracting.
I'm self-conscious, and do not want others to uncontrollably stare at certain spots / parts of my body, if I did have any tattoos.
Anyway, just my thoughts.
I mean, the tattoo might be the best looking part of me when I'm old. Older, I guess. I am almost 50.
Everything is going to be wrinkly or saggy. It would be pretty weird if the tattoo wasn't the same.
The thing people forget or just dont realize is that tattoos made 40 years ago are not the same as tattoos made now.
It's also up to you, the human, to take care of your tattoos.
The same way if you dont want your body to be failing at 70, you need to take care of it.
Your tattoos are in your skin. So you need to take care of your skin. We could get tattoos the same day and 50 years later, we may have different results based on a number of factors.
Got 7 tattoos and counting. I never understood the argument that it's gonna fade and age as I get older. Yeah so is the rest of me, and I guarantee the tattoos are still gonna look better than me when I'm old lol.
I'm not really the one to talk when it comes to financial decisions, but i have way too many friends, even an ex who spent their money on tatoos instead of getting a driver's license or paying for education. Tatoos can get really expensive after all.
I mean, it's your own money, you decide what you want to do with them, but there is a right time at a right place. Prioritize a bit more before jumping onto hobbies or personal interests.
I would say for tatoos as long as it isn't *too* much or *too* uhmm... not good... yeah no... but if it's some cool ass shit like a spongebeb with a gun then it's fine
Well that's not true. My uncles regret their tattoos and told me not to get any. I asked one "Why did you get it?" He said "Because I was stupid." It was a skull with wings on his arm. My other uncle had a pot leaf.
I got one. It was bad, so I got a coverup. The cover up is nice but… I wish I hadn’t done it in the first place. I estimated about 26 million jabs with a needle to get the coverup done. It was a long process…
I have a tattoo dedicated to my time spent in the Marine Corps. It's a fox head with tank rounds coming out of the bottom. Each round has a designation for a crew I was on. I love my tattoo haha.
I’ve got a few from when I was in the Corps too. Got USMC in block letters on my left arm and Semper Fi on my right.
Big ole American flag on my back shoulder
The best argument I've heard as a reply to 'But tattoos are permanent!' was 'So are your children, Monique' (specifically choosing that name because that's my aunt's name and she said she was worried I'd regret my tattoos)
I've got two tattoos and I've got a few ideas for new ones. All relatively small, I'm personally not a fan of big tats or sleeves, but obviously I've got no problem with other people having them.
I got mine last year, it’s the electronic on/off symbol nearish to my heart
Why? People kept asking if I had an off button so I made one
Now when I see it I giggle
Through my teenage years I saved all designs and concepts that I thought would look good as tattoos on my phone. Every year I deleted the ones I thought were dumb. When I turned 21, i had graduated a design course, and I had two tattoo ideas that were near a decade old that I now have on my arm
I had a quarter back piece on my left shoulder that I got for... reasons.
I forget it is there literally 99.9% of the time and freak out when I catch a glimpse in a mirror for about half a second.
I forget about my tattoo, I have just one that I got in my early 30s and it's on my ribs so I don't really see it too often. I love it though, I look at it and go "ooh hello".
whenever I make anything (from writing to kitbashing miniatures) I often redo everything due to a single flaw. IF I got a tattoo, I would never be satifsfed and be constantly tatooing over it..
Also needles
I used to be a body piercer yeaaarrrrsss ago. Well, when the guys got bored at the shop they'd give me free tattoos. I mean professional quality, all over my body.
I left the shop and industry behind, I kinda forget I have tattoos.
I was in Texas and some guy compliments my "sleeves" as I walk by. In my head I'm thinking "fucking idiot, I'm wearing a tank top." It wasn't until much later that day that I realized that the fucking idiot was, in fact, me.
I don't like tattoos. The vast majority I find ugly and I tend to associate them with trashy people. Which I know that part isn't really fair. But it's just something I've felt since childhood despite knowing that there are plenty of nice, good people with tattoos.
Yeah I've got a few and am planning on a lot more.
I do this exact same thing tho. I'll see a smudge on my wrist or shin out of the corner of my eye, go to wipe it off and feel surprise that it's there.
"Oh yeah... I got a giant cannabis leaf tattooed on my shin... fun."
There is nothing I was interested in 10 years ago that I would still want a tattoo of today. Rinse and repeat for the last 40 years. I don’t think I could ever get one.
Tattoos need to be meaningful, not 'cool'. What you think is cool at 19 is not going to wear well. If they mean something, no matter what the subject is, they will always matter to you and you're a lot less likely to regret them.
Tattoos need to be whatever the person who gets them needs them to be. I have some silly ones that I don’t regret at all and I get shit for having several video game tattoos despite those being pretty meaningful to me. It’s just a different school of thought for those of us who get a lot of tattoos
>Tattoos need to be meaningful, not 'cool'.
Do they though? Who is to judge that? Of my three, the one that had the most "meaning" is the one I would most likely get covered. Meanwhile the one I got on a whim, is the one I am the happiest with 10 years on.
This type of thing is usually said by someone who has <= 2 tattoos. I get why people feel this way, but the puritanical nature of the comment always makes my eyes roll.
I have multiple tattoos, including on my arms and neck. I also have a nose ring, bright color hair, etc.
I am 44 years old, I work as a sysAdmin/web developer. I pay my bills and taxes.
I still love my tattoos and want more. I admit my parents don’t love my hair and tattoos but since I live on another continent then them, there is not much they can do.
First tattoo I got my dad was so angry with me. “You know that’s permanent right?!” REALLY?????? Dad I had no idea that my $500, extremely painful tattoo was permanent :((((((
I don't really understand the comic. Why are they making a joke about forgetting their tattoo? When is it ever implied that you will forget that your tattoo exists? I understand that these arguments are dumb, but the argument is never "what if you forget you have a tattoo?" so the joke doesn't really make sense.
If anything forgetting your tattoo would just lead to feeling the cringe all over again when you remember you have some dumb fucking high school quote on your arm
Argument for *not* getting one seems dumb. Why should I defend not doing something to my own body that I don't care about?
I like a lot of tattoos, but have never seen one that I felt made sense for me. Never had the interest, but happy for people who do, it's a cool artistic piece of self.
I love my tattoos. I’m sure I’ll regret at least half of them at some point, but that’s not gonna stop me from getting more, even if I end up regretting those too. I mean, I know if I’d been able to get the tattoos I wanted in high school, I’d regret those now, and I know that I may change a lot over the years. But for now, my tattoos mean a lot to me, and I would hope that even if I do eventually come to regret them I’ll still be able to recognize that they’re a part of who I was once. Also, they look fucking sick and that’s good enough for me right now
I like art that fits a canvas. I like makeup on a face. I like neat clothes on a body. Tattoos always look like graffiti to me; it just looks like defacing an area not meant for ink.
In this thread are a bunch of people who don't understand why someone gets tattood. It isn't about liking the tattoo forever, it's about the moment in time and why you got a tattoo it's about the story. It's much like cave drawings you go through the pain and the time and the expense to etch that time into you.
It's not about liking your tattoos forever it's about what that tattoo means to you when you got it. It's a pain ritual. Or at least that's how I view it.
(op has 14 tattoos)
Ifl if you’re constantly developing as a person this isn’t true. I know a lot of adults in their 50s and beyond who stopped maturing at 16. They probably would be okay with having some dumb quote they thought was meaningful in high school on their arm, but the rest of us grow up.
Do you also forget every meaningful thing you've ever done in your life? It's like implying no one who likes tattoos develops which is the dumbest thing I've heard today and I work in politics.
I have this weird thing where I get nervous seeing people with tattoos, not small barely perceptible ones usually, but obvious coloured ones definitely. Couldn't tell you why and I try to ignore it, but if I don't know you and I see a tattoo my initial first reaction is one of distrust. My conscious thoughts are more power to you, you do you, but that initial reaction is a pain. The reason why I say this is because if I were to guess, people aren't worried that you won't like it, it's that they don't like tattoos.
I have two tattoos and while I wish I put more though into the design, I do not regretted them they still look good but part of the reason is they are hidden and you can’t see them unless I wear a very skimpy bikini .
Pretty sure it's more common to have at least one tattoo than to not have any, at least for millennials and zoomers. I'm one of two people under 40 who doesn't have any tattoos where I work, and I work at a bank.
I haven’t gotten a tattoo yet but when the time is right I’m gonna get a tramp stamp saying “pay your respects to the vultures, for they are your future” - I thought it would be funny when I was 14 and I still think it’d be funny almost 20 years later. So, I expect it’ll withstand the test of time
I've been thinking of getting a half sleeve or shoulder piece. Just something decorative really maybe with a couple lil references thrown in.
Nothing special I just like the way well designed tattoos look on people.
Do the tattoo. Since nothing lasts forever and you can't garantee there will be another life to do something without fear, do now.
Also, you can do tattoos removal procedures or another tattoo over that. Not a big problem in life.
Whenever I get a new tattoo, it takes me a while to adjust because out of the corner of my eye, if I was not paying attention, I would swear that there was a bug on me.
My dad's favorite reason to not get them was the, "what will people think of them when you get old and saggy?" Me: "I will tear someone apart if they have nothing better to do than make fun of the appearance of an old woman."
It’s not, depends on the organization but there is barely a deferral period anymore if you get one done at a reputable shop. Even in the old days at worst you’d sit out a year, same as traveling to certain countries
I know a lot of people with old tattoos they are like their owners not fresh 20 something year olds but pushing 60 lines are blurred colors are off etc and the themes are hopelessly outdated as well
Do Boomers just not understand you can get a tattoo lasered-off if you want? The procedure's only been around since the 90s, maybe earlier.
I'm a Millennial and I don't have a single tattoo, but even I get irritated by hearing the "You'll have that forever! What will it look like when you're old?"
STFU, I'm trying to have a pleasant day!
The first tattoo I got was for my grandpa when he passed. He was my favorite person in the world. He was funny as hell, told tons of jokes he learned working on the railroad, and he used to laugh so hard sometimes his dentures would fall out of his mouth. So I got a tattoo of a set of dentures over my heart.
After that, I reserved my right forearm as a sleeve for things that I love that have some deeper meaning to me. On the surface, they look just like a bunch of nerdy things (R2D2, Zelda triforce, HP deathly hallows, Spider-man's hand doing a THWIP, etc), but when I look at them, I think about getting over my divorce, remembering other lost friends/family members, going through my cousin's cancer treatments, etc.
If you're not a tattoo person, that's totally fine. But don't worry about what others would think or what you'll think in XX years; if you have something you want to commemorate or celebrate, go for it.
I love the "What'll it look like when you're older?" questions, because:
I'ma look like shit when I'm old anyway, little extra patina ain't gonna kill me.
I was in the Navy, but never got a tattoo for one simple reason. I only had enough money for a tattoo or video games, and guess which won out? No regrets, some of those games kicked ass.
My first tattoo was something meaningful, after that it’s been just stuff that I want. I still look in the mirror and smile cause my artist did a great job. A lot of them are animals cause animals are fucking awesome and I doubt I’ll ever get tired of seeing them.
I have none, and I already posted my thoughts in a comment / reply to someone else's comment here;
Basically I'm self-conscious, I don't want people to be looking or staring at certain spots or parts of my body, if I were to get any tattoos. I've been guilty of "easily distracted" when around other people, and tattoos and piercings are very distracting to me, I'm aware and conscious of when I'm looking at someone, and always feel emberrassed when I'm just staring at their nose / septim piercing, etc.
That being said, when I was a kid, I used to want the Triforce tattooed on the back of my left hand (or right hand, considering Link was left-handed). But, I never got it, and I don't care to ever get it.
I have a couple dumb tattoos, but I don't really think about them, even when I see them. They're like having a mole. It's there, it doesn't change, and it doesn't really matter either way.
I just got the same tattoo as my dad in the same spot and everything it was his first tattoo so it was mine as well now my older brother wants the same one as well.
I got it when I was 17 tho
I would totally get tattoos if they were like Scar's tattoos from fullmetal alchemist and actually let me do what is essentially magic. Otherwise, I don't really like the look of tattoos personally.
I like them in theory but never found anything i liked so much that i thought I'd be thrilled with it forever. I almost got one 10 years ago and I think about how glad i am now that i didnt so i think it's just not in the cards for me.
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I always wanted one. But could never think of anything I would always be happy with. I know I would currently hate anything that I would have gotten, say, after highschool or something. I change as a person a lot and getting something "meaningful" now would most likely be stupid to "me in 15 years"
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Yeah. I think it would be different if I was a "look where I came from" kinda guy. But I am a 100% forward kinda guy.
I'm over 40. Got my first at 19 and 4 more since. I love my tattoos. 20 yrs ago they made the same arguments. I always said hey I'm the canvas this is their art. If no one chooses to be a canvas then how's the artist supposed to create? Good or bad, tattoos are an artists expression of skill. A snapshot of their talent at the time. And with age, they honestly don't change that much. It's more our perspective of them that changes. I'm not gonna demand people donor don't get tattooed. I just advocate for good research in the artist you opt to be a canvas for.
I share your philosophy, but henna. :-) I just want someone to doodle randomly on my hand so I can wear it around for a month. I like doodles, I like watching different people do it, their approaches as they figure out which little curls or flowers seem right. And 4-6 weeks is a good space of time to appreciate one.
What are some good starter brands of henna for someone wanting to dip into it? I’ve gotten cheap henna before to experiment with and it just washed off within a week. (Granted this was during a hot sweaty summer with daily showers, but still)
So I always get it done by folks who are busking, or at festivals. I don't know what brands they use. But if you want to have it last longer in general, I find what works is to-- (1). Leave it on for as many hours as you \*possibly\* can after it dries before knocking the dried henna off. And when you do, don't wash it off, just rub/pick it off (although do make sure you get all of it off). (2) Immediately after you take the dried henna off put moisturizer on your hand, moisturize thoroughly. You'll actually see the colors darken as soon as you do that. This seems to be the step that has the most impact, a henna artist recommended it to me. (3) If you can sorta of avoid using that hand when you're washing your hair, so it's not getting a lot of shampoo and friction, that's good.
Me too, I like to leave previous epochs of my life behind me Plus anything I could think of getting, meh. I can't get excited enough over any particular design to consider having it on me always.
Ooh you should get a bunch of arrows on your sides pointing forward!
I’m 33, same boat. If I ever got any, I would get three little circles in a line on the front of my wrist. Two dots would be filled in with one just an outline. Two kids, three pregnancies
I'm 38 and just got my first one. Exactly because I wanted the same design for the last 4 years and now I think I'll get some more 😬
I once asked a friend who has tattoos about this. They said it's like scars. It's something that's a part of your body and reminds you of something when you look at it. You don't regret it any more than you regret having a scar you got on a mountain trip. You may regret what happened on that trip or the person you were back then but the scar itself is just a scar.
Not shading but I bet people getting tattoos of their favorite shows would cringe in a few years.
Hello Game of Thrones Fans and your permanent reminder of that ending.
Probably best to wait for the show to end at least.
I still love Magikarp Koi
Nah, bruh. I'm for sure getting a Erwin Smith "my soldiers rage" tattoo.
Same for me. Also had a lot of friends get a lot of shit tattoos that kinda scared me.
Ive wanted to get a game related one, on the back of my hand. I havent because that sound *painful.*
Y'all know you can get them removed, right?
They could... but did you read their comments? Why waste the time and money getting something if they assume they'll want it removed later? They could just... not get tattooed. And throwing out removal like it's no big deal is silly too. - signed, someone with multiple large tattoos
True, I just mean that it seems like people are saying that they think they want a tattoo but they're worried that they might not like it later. Idk, I feel like even if you don't feel as attached to something in 20 years, it would still be nice to have a constant reminder of how important it once was to you.
Heavily tattood here. I've got some tattoos from when I first started that I regret, **but** I'd never get them removed or covered up. Regret might not even be the right word, i just wish i thought them through more throughly. I look at each of my tattoos as a memory of where I was in life though, kinda like a time line. We were all young and dumb at some point, I've just got my memories of it stuck on my leg. :)
I only have 3 tattoos. My first was the Bad Religion band logo. While I don't "regret" it, I'm definitely not going to get it touched up or anything now that it's faded as hell. My other two tattoos are family or personal, so they're gold for me.
[This here](https://imgur.com/a/3VVXqUk) is the tattoo I'm talking about when it comes to "regrets". It was suppose to be a tattoo of my dog, but my artist changed plans literally the day before and asked what else I'd like instead the night before. I told him Bane from Batman. What I meant was comic book Bane, but he gave me Bane from the newest Batman movie at the time. I didn't have the voice to say it wasn't exactly what I wanted and just really wanted a tattoo at that point as I had to wait months for the appointment. Many lessons learnt from that day, but I don't regret it. It's well done, just not my style of art anymore and is a really big piece. I wish I used that space for smaller tattoos instead of a big and bold one, but like I said, I would never get rid of it or change it.
Same here. That's why I only got my first tatoo after my 30's. Even so, it's just the names of the people that are the most important to me.
I made this design that was a heartagram chained up to inside a metal ring that I was gonna get on my entire back when I was super into bam Margera related media back in the day. Hoooooly shit glad I didn’t have enough money
The only tattoo I’ve ever considered getting is a little triangle on the back of my hand. In math, delta (a little triangle) is the symbol for change— the only thing I’ve found to be constant in life. Thought it would be a nifty little reminder of change to always have that on my hand. That being said, I give blood a lot. The idea of invalidating myself for a year based on getting a tattoo just doesn’t appeal to me. Much as I’d love to stop being on the Red Cross’s speed dial list, my blood is apparently real useful for cancer patients, so I’m gonna keep giving it until they stop calling.
You are right one of my tattoos is pretty stupid ( I got it when I was 18) but thankfully is in one of my butt cheek’s so people can’t see it unless you get to see me naked 🤣😂🤣.
Same here. Never been able to come up with something I'd even want in the heat of the moment. My ex had tattoos, she explained each having a meaning to her, but I never could imagine what I'd have that were equivalent.
The first tattoo I got was for my grandpa when he passed. He was my favorite person in the world. He was funny as hell, told tons of jokes he learned working on the railroad, and he used to laugh so hard sometimes his dentures would fall out of his mouth. So I got a tattoo of a set of dentures over my heart. After that, I reserved my right forearm as a sleeve for things that I love that have some deeper meaning to me. On the surface, they look just like a bunch of nerdy things (R2D2, Zelda triforce, HP deathly hallows, Spider-man's hand doing a THWIP, etc), but when I look at them, I think about getting over my divorce, remembering other lost friends/family members, going through my cousin's cancer treatments, etc. If you're not a tattoo person, that's totally fine. But don't worry about what others would think or what you'll think in XX years; if you have something you want to commemorate or celebrate, go for it.
I’m 49 and I just got my first (and very likely only ever) tattoo last November. I had thought about getting a tattoo but felt the same- I couldn’t think of anything that would stay meaningful. My tattoo is a seashell in ocean waves. It represents a special vacation spot that my extended family has gone to for 40+ years. 5 generations of our family have stayed in the same rental house; my grandparents met on the beach there. I’m pretty sure the memories with family going back to 1981 will still have meaning for the rest of my life. The fact that it took that long to commemorate for me is why I can’t see adding another.
My tattoo will be a skeletal view of a molecule but instead of different atoms, there will be things i like at the time. So that way even when i get old, i will see "insert thing" and be able to remember the good time i had with "insert thing" instead of cringing on a bad tattoo
I change my mind all the time. I know I'd regret it after a week hahahh But they look so, so pretty and special... I love to see their bodies full of random stuff. Even when the whole bunch of tattoos doesn't look very coherent. It's so peculiar and personal. Just like each one of us is, I guess.
I was in the same boat for the longest time, couldn't think of something I wouldn't regret. I was also not in a good place mentally, and stuck in a field that was actively sabatoging my mental health as well. Wanted out, but never saw a way. It took me moving halfway across the country on a whim, and applying to an unrelated job field on a whim (went from being a long-term art sub to banking) for me to pull myself out of that funk. Got a tattoo of the local mountains to help with the imposter syndrom/dreams where I wake back up in my parents ts' house in my old state. It's an inception/grounding thing for me, just a check that yes, you are here. You made it. It might be stupid in 10 years, but I needed it then, and I still need it now.
I just turned 33. I know what elements I want a tattoo to have, and even have some designs mocked up. But I have no idea where I would want it. I can't visualize it anywhere.
I have a couple tattoos (maybe even just one, really) that I would maybe not get if I could do it over again, but I really loved having them for several years, so maybe I wouldn’t change them, really. It’s not like I hate them, I just no longer feel as strongly about them as I did. Neither are visible unless my shirt is off or my shoes are off though, so it never really bothers me, and my partner still likes them. Plus they’re good conversation starters if I’m going swimming or something. I’ve talked myself out of it, I’d get them again if I had to choose edit: for clarity in that first sentence, I have 2 tattoos but I was saying there was one I’d maybe rethink getting.
I was actually in the same boat for a long time. That only recently changed after my best friend passed away a few months ago. Part of my healing/grieving process has been to work on a memorial tattoo. I’m just at the beginning stage of trying to figure out a design at this point but it’s been helping me by having a way to think about my friend without spiraling and falling apart every time. The thought of having a permanent way to keep the person I lost with me is comforting.
Yeah, I can't even decide on a desktop background for my computer or phone. I pick something then 2 hours later it's nope I don't like that anymore.
I got some stupid ones at 18 years old. Honestly it's a fun time machine for me, they bring up some memories every once in a while. I get them every so often and they usually mark an era in my life, whether I got them for a "reason" or not.
Look at it this way. Get something meaningful now. In 15 years, it only represents you 15 years ago. Whether your views or tastes have changed, it never changes what you were.
F o r g o t t e d
forgor
💀
forgor grammar 💀
It’s not like the rest of me is gonna look any better when I’m old anyway lmao
If anything, old people with tattoos appear to have lived their lives.
Agreed
I’m always trying to scrub dirt off my shoulder until I remember it’s a tattoo. Also in the summer I get confused why parents drag kids away from anywhere near me until I remember the tattoo that says “eat shit” with the second “t” as an upside-down cross…
I have the Bad Religion crossbuster logo on my back. Always forget about it when I go to the beach and get weird looks.
Yeah, the giant guillotine on my side gets those looks at the beach.
I always get jealous when I see tattoos like this, because I haven't got the balls to get an "eat shit" tattoo.
It’s part of a memorial for a friend who OD’d on heroin. That was what he had crowds yell back to him on stage during his band’s tours. But nobody sees the rest of it unless I don’t have any sleeves or shirts on.
Zero judgement to others - I just literally can't think of anything so important to me that I feel the need to have a visible depiction if it permanently engraved in my flesh. Lots of things are important to me of course, but... flesh engraved? I just don't get it.
I watched ATLA for the first time during the pandemic, and Zuko and Iroh's relationship reminded me a *lot* of my dad and I. So when Zuko apologizes to Iroh, and Iroh gives him that huge fatherly embrace, I lost it about as hard as I've ever lost it. I'm still not ever sure if I'll get a tattoo, but if I do, at least I know it will be a white lotus tile.
That's awesome! I completely understand that... what I meant by "I don't get it" is that I have never felt that way personally. I don't even know what it's LIKE to feel that way. It's like hearing all about love, but never having been in love yourself.
For context, I was 45 when I first watch ATLA, so it took me a long time to get there. I have friends with sleeves and all that, but tattoos just never did anything for me. I don't get a lot of (positive) emotional responses from memories so there's not a whole lot to compel me to want to enshrine something like that. I'm kind of jealous of people who get that, but it's just not how I was wired so I carry on with what works for me.
The white lotus tile is small, not obvious and pretty on it's own. Plus it's a reference that people who understand know and will love, and you'd find immediate kindred spirits, but it wouldn't be overtly nerdy for people who don't know the reference either.
So you're in agreement that it's a perfect tramp stamp? Seriously, though, figuring out where to get it is my larger problem. I figure inside of the arm/wrist most likely. Inconspicuous, seems incredibly appropriate for it to become most visible when gesturing "give," but also somewhere where I would normally see it, too. It would mostly be for myself, but I would absolutely enjoy sharing the fandom as well. Fuck, now I just realized I could finish around the back with a wristband tattoo with a musical staff notating the main melody from the '90s X-Men cartoon. I'm starting to think this tattoo might happen.
A bunch of lotus tiles but making a traditional trampstamp? I dig it. But really, the musical note part sounds like an awesome addition. If you have it around your wrist, the tile could face out, kind of like a watch, or face in hidden. If you need more music, either to make it wider or thicker, you could add 'leaves on the vine' as well, so you have the happiness of the xmen theme, but the seriousness of the avatar double reference Or you could move it up your arm and have the tile where you would give blood so it's closer to your elbow, that could be cool too. Either way, you'll have to post it to /r/atla when you get it! I'm looking forward to it
Leaves on the Vine is a brilliant idea. The X-Men theme popped in my head because a friend of mine who passed a few years ago used to sing it aloud all the time. Gives me a great idea for a sleeve, though, weaving all my favorite songs into a vine growing up my arm. I think I'll just start with the tile for now, though. lol
I choke up every time I watch that scene.
Thanks for giving me some inspiration for my next one XD. Don't know why i didn't think of it i love ATLA
Never wanted one. Then my father died. His last words to me were “Thank you.” I drove up and stayed for a few days to help advocate for him in the hospital, and I was saying bye before heading back home to my kids. I told him I’d be back up that weekend, but he didn’t last that long. Anyway, it wasn’t the sort of thanks when someone hands you a slice of pizza, but rather the kind where someone locks eyes with you, grips your hand, and really, genuinely means it. It stuck with me. Shortly after he died, my mom sent me a box with some of his things. In it was a card he bought for my mom when I was born. In it, all he wrote was “Thank you. I love you.” I found it so beautiful that the first thing he wrote to mom about my existence was thank you, and the last thing he said to me was thank you. The bookends to our relationship. I have “Thank you” in his handwriting from that card on my wrist. It’s like being in love—you’ll know when it’s right.
From someone who has a lot of tattoos; I am a child sexual assault survivor. I had no autonomy from ages 3-15. I was highly dissociated from my own body until I got my first tattoo a few years ago. I suddenly LOVED that body part, for the first time in my life. It was mine, I could do whatever I wanted to it, this ink was physical visual proof to my little broken brain that I am in control now. Tattoos since then have felt exhilarating and life changing. My confidence is through the roof, I feel beautiful every time I see them. It doesn’t actually seem to matter what I choose to put on my skin, I have a goblin trying to be cute, a triforce, my entire arm is convered in flowers. I will likely be covered chest to toes someday. I do not care if someone else does not like my tattoos. My mental and physical well being is mine to manage, this is how I choose to manage it.
I've never heard of anything like this, but I'm a fan! It's a harmless and creative way to heal and that's pretty cool :)
Yes! I also have this little ritual I do before I get a tattoo, where I take a nice bubble bath (because you’re not supposed to take a bath for a few weeks afterwards) and say “Goodbye to the skin that was hurt”. It’s very spiritually relieving to me, giving my naked skin one last thoughtful look before I am never able to see it that way again. I’ve luckily never met someone IRL who has tried to give me the “But what will it look like when you’re older?”, maybe because people are respectful or because most people in my community have tattoos. But at the end of the day, the tattoos are for my CURRENT self, my future self feels more healed because of them than my past self. I feel more healed than I was 3 years ago, and that’s enough proof for me that this is good. I feel like it’s a safe bet to assume that the person getting tattoos is already fully aware that it’s a permanent decision and nothing you say is going to change their mind.
Best thing I have read all day. Great job surviving and thriving.
In the words of Marge Simpson, "I just think they're neat". That's really all it has to be. I totally get that tattoos aren't for everyone, but I've gotten a bunch of fun/dorky tattoos on impulse and I don't regret any of them. Psychedelic ice cream bar? Frog on a stiletto? Sure, why the fuck not. It doesn't really have to mean anything as long as you like how it looks.
Sometimes I look at mine and I'm like "huh, what a weird concept" but then I just start thinking about what to get next lol Totally respect those who don't though. I can see why people wouldn't want to
Doesn't have to be things that are important to you at all. Just has to look good to you. It's body modification; like getting a piercing.
I like to see tattoos on other people, because it looks cool. But yea there's nothing I want to see on myself every day.
Mmm. You should join a cult. Your flesh will be engraved meaningfully. I am thinking of starting one, for tax reasons. PM if you decide its for you.
I'm the same way. As a kid, of course I thought that tattoos were cool and I probably wanted some. Then I got older, and your sentiment is essentially what became my thought process. Also, I've always heard people go on about their bodies are just a blank canvas (like for artwork)... I have never wanted "artwork on permanent display" on my body. In more recent years, I also realized, that I can't be the only person that is ever distracted with tattoos and piercings; I swear, I almost can't be in the presence of someone, with say a septim piercing, because I can't help but stare at it, and I'm conscious / aware of this, and always feel emberrassed that I'm staring at someone's nose. The same thing happens with other people around me and their tattoos, I almost can never keep eye-contact, because their "artwork" is distracting. I'm self-conscious, and do not want others to uncontrollably stare at certain spots / parts of my body, if I did have any tattoos. Anyway, just my thoughts.
I forget I have tattoos until someone says "nice tattoo". Huh, well lookie there!
This is esp true for me, 3 of my 4 tattoos are on my back lol
Lmaooo she forgor 💀
Face tattoos are still too much imo
The Loading... icon is pretty funny though
I'd love a tattoo like that
Do old people really care if their tattoos don't look the best?
Doubt it. I am going to look gross when I am 80 anyway. I can't imagine tattoos could make me look worse.
I mean, the tattoo might be the best looking part of me when I'm old. Older, I guess. I am almost 50. Everything is going to be wrinkly or saggy. It would be pretty weird if the tattoo wasn't the same.
The thing people forget or just dont realize is that tattoos made 40 years ago are not the same as tattoos made now. It's also up to you, the human, to take care of your tattoos. The same way if you dont want your body to be failing at 70, you need to take care of it. Your tattoos are in your skin. So you need to take care of your skin. We could get tattoos the same day and 50 years later, we may have different results based on a number of factors.
Less cares are given in general as you age.
Got 7 tattoos and counting. I never understood the argument that it's gonna fade and age as I get older. Yeah so is the rest of me, and I guarantee the tattoos are still gonna look better than me when I'm old lol.
Haha I 7 tattoos as well and this is exactly how I feel about them. xD
Some of the coolest people i met had tattoos. That being said, I’ve met a lot more morons with tattoos.
I'm not really the one to talk when it comes to financial decisions, but i have way too many friends, even an ex who spent their money on tatoos instead of getting a driver's license or paying for education. Tatoos can get really expensive after all. I mean, it's your own money, you decide what you want to do with them, but there is a right time at a right place. Prioritize a bit more before jumping onto hobbies or personal interests.
for real, if they were free or if someone offered to pay, I'd be down for that. money is pretty much the only reason why I dont have one
When I start getting old I’m just gonna get tattoos to remind myself of things
I would say for tatoos as long as it isn't *too* much or *too* uhmm... not good... yeah no... but if it's some cool ass shit like a spongebeb with a gun then it's fine
Gangsta Spingebob
The only people saying why you shouldn’t get a tattoo, don’t have tattoos.
Well that's not true. My uncles regret their tattoos and told me not to get any. I asked one "Why did you get it?" He said "Because I was stupid." It was a skull with wings on his arm. My other uncle had a pot leaf.
That’s getting the wrong image tattooed and not the act of getting a tattoo itself.
They literally advised me not to get any tattoos. They didn't get any other ones. It's okay to admit people regret getting tattooed at all.
[sunk cost fallacy](https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_cost_fallacy)
I got one. It was bad, so I got a coverup. The cover up is nice but… I wish I hadn’t done it in the first place. I estimated about 26 million jabs with a needle to get the coverup done. It was a long process…
No and I don't plan too but I don't see a problem with getting one
 What happens when run out of skin:
I have a tattoo dedicated to my time spent in the Marine Corps. It's a fox head with tank rounds coming out of the bottom. Each round has a designation for a crew I was on. I love my tattoo haha.
I’ve got a few from when I was in the Corps too. Got USMC in block letters on my left arm and Semper Fi on my right. Big ole American flag on my back shoulder
The best argument I've heard as a reply to 'But tattoos are permanent!' was 'So are your children, Monique' (specifically choosing that name because that's my aunt's name and she said she was worried I'd regret my tattoos) I've got two tattoos and I've got a few ideas for new ones. All relatively small, I'm personally not a fan of big tats or sleeves, but obviously I've got no problem with other people having them.
I don't even like tattooes, i just do it cuz i like the needles
I love your artwork!!!! Weird pull, but it reminds me of Ramza from FF Tactics
I got mine last year, it’s the electronic on/off symbol nearish to my heart Why? People kept asking if I had an off button so I made one Now when I see it I giggle
I would probably only ever get tats thats in remembrance to a passed away family member
Through my teenage years I saved all designs and concepts that I thought would look good as tattoos on my phone. Every year I deleted the ones I thought were dumb. When I turned 21, i had graduated a design course, and I had two tattoo ideas that were near a decade old that I now have on my arm
Never got one myself, never felt the need to. I feel my scars are more interesting than any tattoo I could get.
They're just not worth the money.
I had a quarter back piece on my left shoulder that I got for... reasons. I forget it is there literally 99.9% of the time and freak out when I catch a glimpse in a mirror for about half a second.
I forget about my tattoo, I have just one that I got in my early 30s and it's on my ribs so I don't really see it too often. I love it though, I look at it and go "ooh hello".
whenever I make anything (from writing to kitbashing miniatures) I often redo everything due to a single flaw. IF I got a tattoo, I would never be satifsfed and be constantly tatooing over it.. Also needles
I used to be a body piercer yeaaarrrrsss ago. Well, when the guys got bored at the shop they'd give me free tattoos. I mean professional quality, all over my body. I left the shop and industry behind, I kinda forget I have tattoos. I was in Texas and some guy compliments my "sleeves" as I walk by. In my head I'm thinking "fucking idiot, I'm wearing a tank top." It wasn't until much later that day that I realized that the fucking idiot was, in fact, me.
This artist is hysterical
I don't like tattoos. The vast majority I find ugly and I tend to associate them with trashy people. Which I know that part isn't really fair. But it's just something I've felt since childhood despite knowing that there are plenty of nice, good people with tattoos.
Yeah I've got a few and am planning on a lot more. I do this exact same thing tho. I'll see a smudge on my wrist or shin out of the corner of my eye, go to wipe it off and feel surprise that it's there. "Oh yeah... I got a giant cannabis leaf tattooed on my shin... fun."
There is nothing I was interested in 10 years ago that I would still want a tattoo of today. Rinse and repeat for the last 40 years. I don’t think I could ever get one.
Tattoos need to be meaningful, not 'cool'. What you think is cool at 19 is not going to wear well. If they mean something, no matter what the subject is, they will always matter to you and you're a lot less likely to regret them.
I have a few fun tattoos, i'm 32 and quite sure i'll never regret them :) But i respect your opinion
It's also fine if the meaning is just "Thought it looked fun".
Sometimes the cool tattoos end up being your favorite. If not, Lazer or coverup
Tattoos need to be whatever the person who gets them needs them to be. I have some silly ones that I don’t regret at all and I get shit for having several video game tattoos despite those being pretty meaningful to me. It’s just a different school of thought for those of us who get a lot of tattoos
>Tattoos need to be meaningful, not 'cool'. Do they though? Who is to judge that? Of my three, the one that had the most "meaning" is the one I would most likely get covered. Meanwhile the one I got on a whim, is the one I am the happiest with 10 years on.
This type of thing is usually said by someone who has <= 2 tattoos. I get why people feel this way, but the puritanical nature of the comment always makes my eyes roll.
I agree. It seems to come from a place that isn’t malicious but just seems like they’re talking down to us because we like something
What! My Vanilla Ice tat has never been more relevant!
My landlady is 67 and has a ton of tattoos and they all look just fine. Get one if you want one!
Oh shit, I also forgot I have tattoos. Glad I'm not the only one.
Honestly it just becomes a 2nd skin, even before I got my one fixed I’d barely even remember it was there until I did
I have multiple tattoos, including on my arms and neck. I also have a nose ring, bright color hair, etc. I am 44 years old, I work as a sysAdmin/web developer. I pay my bills and taxes. I still love my tattoos and want more. I admit my parents don’t love my hair and tattoos but since I live on another continent then them, there is not much they can do.
First tattoo I got my dad was so angry with me. “You know that’s permanent right?!” REALLY?????? Dad I had no idea that my $500, extremely painful tattoo was permanent :((((((
I don't really understand the comic. Why are they making a joke about forgetting their tattoo? When is it ever implied that you will forget that your tattoo exists? I understand that these arguments are dumb, but the argument is never "what if you forget you have a tattoo?" so the joke doesn't really make sense.
I forget about mine all the time, and it becomes a pleasant surprise for me when I catch a glimpse of it
The comic is playing the surprise as a positive
I still get surprised by my forearm tattoo five years after I got it
If anything forgetting your tattoo would just lead to feeling the cringe all over again when you remember you have some dumb fucking high school quote on your arm
Wow. So much work on display here. Your expressions are so emotional. Thank you for sharing, op. I Loooooooove it ♡
Argument for *not* getting one seems dumb. Why should I defend not doing something to my own body that I don't care about? I like a lot of tattoos, but have never seen one that I felt made sense for me. Never had the interest, but happy for people who do, it's a cool artistic piece of self.
I always say that I don't want to mess with perfection.
I love my tattoos. I’m sure I’ll regret at least half of them at some point, but that’s not gonna stop me from getting more, even if I end up regretting those too. I mean, I know if I’d been able to get the tattoos I wanted in high school, I’d regret those now, and I know that I may change a lot over the years. But for now, my tattoos mean a lot to me, and I would hope that even if I do eventually come to regret them I’ll still be able to recognize that they’re a part of who I was once. Also, they look fucking sick and that’s good enough for me right now
I love mine. If you want them get them. Just think it through and make sure it’s what you want.
I like art that fits a canvas. I like makeup on a face. I like neat clothes on a body. Tattoos always look like graffiti to me; it just looks like defacing an area not meant for ink.
They're tacky and I don't want one, but I also don't give a shit if somebody else wants one.
I don’t have a tattoo because having a tattoo might alienate me from cultures who find them taboo
I’m getting a tattoo as I’m reading this comic. Very excited and nervous.
In this thread are a bunch of people who don't understand why someone gets tattood. It isn't about liking the tattoo forever, it's about the moment in time and why you got a tattoo it's about the story. It's much like cave drawings you go through the pain and the time and the expense to etch that time into you. It's not about liking your tattoos forever it's about what that tattoo means to you when you got it. It's a pain ritual. Or at least that's how I view it. (op has 14 tattoos)
Ifl if you’re constantly developing as a person this isn’t true. I know a lot of adults in their 50s and beyond who stopped maturing at 16. They probably would be okay with having some dumb quote they thought was meaningful in high school on their arm, but the rest of us grow up.
Do you also forget every meaningful thing you've ever done in your life? It's like implying no one who likes tattoos develops which is the dumbest thing I've heard today and I work in politics.
I never said that people who have tattoos are immature, I just said that immature people are well suited to getting tattoos
I have this weird thing where I get nervous seeing people with tattoos, not small barely perceptible ones usually, but obvious coloured ones definitely. Couldn't tell you why and I try to ignore it, but if I don't know you and I see a tattoo my initial first reaction is one of distrust. My conscious thoughts are more power to you, you do you, but that initial reaction is a pain. The reason why I say this is because if I were to guess, people aren't worried that you won't like it, it's that they don't like tattoos.
and this is why if you’re going to get tattooed, you should get e-ink tattoos!! https://youtu.be/QMBX6nFg0RE 😳
OK, that is pretty awesome.
How about don't get a tattoo cus it's crazy trendy now
I guess my memory is too good to get a tattoo?
I have two tattoos and while I wish I put more though into the design, I do not regretted them they still look good but part of the reason is they are hidden and you can’t see them unless I wear a very skimpy bikini .
I'm not old enough to get a tattoo yet, but I do plan on getting something one day
Pretty sure it's more common to have at least one tattoo than to not have any, at least for millennials and zoomers. I'm one of two people under 40 who doesn't have any tattoos where I work, and I work at a bank.
I haven’t gotten a tattoo yet but when the time is right I’m gonna get a tramp stamp saying “pay your respects to the vultures, for they are your future” - I thought it would be funny when I was 14 and I still think it’d be funny almost 20 years later. So, I expect it’ll withstand the test of time
i have plans of what i want my first tatoo to be the moment im legally able to
When I’m old I will impress my grandkids
I've been thinking of getting a half sleeve or shoulder piece. Just something decorative really maybe with a couple lil references thrown in. Nothing special I just like the way well designed tattoos look on people.
If they’re so easy to forget, seems like a waste of money.
Do the tattoo. Since nothing lasts forever and you can't garantee there will be another life to do something without fear, do now. Also, you can do tattoos removal procedures or another tattoo over that. Not a big problem in life.
I have three and I'm planning on getting a half sleeve. People have a lot to say about it but I was never the type to take it that seriously.
Lol old folks with tattoos usually are excited to show you them! It helps jog their memory I like ‘em
Whenever I get a new tattoo, it takes me a while to adjust because out of the corner of my eye, if I was not paying attention, I would swear that there was a bug on me. My dad's favorite reason to not get them was the, "what will people think of them when you get old and saggy?" Me: "I will tear someone apart if they have nothing better to do than make fun of the appearance of an old woman."
no because its more difficult to donate blood with a tatoo
It’s not, depends on the organization but there is barely a deferral period anymore if you get one done at a reputable shop. Even in the old days at worst you’d sit out a year, same as traveling to certain countries
Have you ever drawn on your walls and thought they are so cool, then years later, it became cringe? Yeah. Thank God I listened to my mom.
I know a lot of people with old tattoos they are like their owners not fresh 20 something year olds but pushing 60 lines are blurred colors are off etc and the themes are hopelessly outdated as well
Do Boomers just not understand you can get a tattoo lasered-off if you want? The procedure's only been around since the 90s, maybe earlier. I'm a Millennial and I don't have a single tattoo, but even I get irritated by hearing the "You'll have that forever! What will it look like when you're old?" STFU, I'm trying to have a pleasant day!
The more effort you spend on externalities, the less effort you will have to spend on your internal stuff. Polish your spirit.
Love the cats expressions in the last panel
Nice! Great work! I don't have any.
LOL The cats in the final panels 🤣
💀 forgotted 👻
The first tattoo I got was for my grandpa when he passed. He was my favorite person in the world. He was funny as hell, told tons of jokes he learned working on the railroad, and he used to laugh so hard sometimes his dentures would fall out of his mouth. So I got a tattoo of a set of dentures over my heart. After that, I reserved my right forearm as a sleeve for things that I love that have some deeper meaning to me. On the surface, they look just like a bunch of nerdy things (R2D2, Zelda triforce, HP deathly hallows, Spider-man's hand doing a THWIP, etc), but when I look at them, I think about getting over my divorce, remembering other lost friends/family members, going through my cousin's cancer treatments, etc. If you're not a tattoo person, that's totally fine. But don't worry about what others would think or what you'll think in XX years; if you have something you want to commemorate or celebrate, go for it.
I personally do want to get a tattoo, but I see no problem with it, it is not appeasing to me, but I dont choose whatever the hell people wanna do
I love the "What'll it look like when you're older?" questions, because: I'ma look like shit when I'm old anyway, little extra patina ain't gonna kill me.
I want a couple so bad, that I know I wouldn't regret. I hate needles and am just a big scaredy cat to get them.
I don’t understand the what if you get bored part
I was in the Navy, but never got a tattoo for one simple reason. I only had enough money for a tattoo or video games, and guess which won out? No regrets, some of those games kicked ass.
My first tattoo was something meaningful, after that it’s been just stuff that I want. I still look in the mirror and smile cause my artist did a great job. A lot of them are animals cause animals are fucking awesome and I doubt I’ll ever get tired of seeing them.
I have none, and I already posted my thoughts in a comment / reply to someone else's comment here; Basically I'm self-conscious, I don't want people to be looking or staring at certain spots or parts of my body, if I were to get any tattoos. I've been guilty of "easily distracted" when around other people, and tattoos and piercings are very distracting to me, I'm aware and conscious of when I'm looking at someone, and always feel emberrassed when I'm just staring at their nose / septim piercing, etc. That being said, when I was a kid, I used to want the Triforce tattooed on the back of my left hand (or right hand, considering Link was left-handed). But, I never got it, and I don't care to ever get it.
I have a couple dumb tattoos, but I don't really think about them, even when I see them. They're like having a mole. It's there, it doesn't change, and it doesn't really matter either way.
I just got the same tattoo as my dad in the same spot and everything it was his first tattoo so it was mine as well now my older brother wants the same one as well. I got it when I was 17 tho
I would totally get tattoos if they were like Scar's tattoos from fullmetal alchemist and actually let me do what is essentially magic. Otherwise, I don't really like the look of tattoos personally.
I really enjoy this.
I like them in theory but never found anything i liked so much that i thought I'd be thrilled with it forever. I almost got one 10 years ago and I think about how glad i am now that i didnt so i think it's just not in the cards for me.