Community Chat

[Yahooey]

My niece had something in latin written on her shoulder. She had another few words written on her inside lower arm (in the handwriting of her mother). She said each time, she would think about it for a year and placment where it would age well. She turned 21 last November. She also wears long sleeves so both her grandmothers have not seen it during family get togethers. She has multiple piercings in her ears.

I told her no more inspirational sayings or she is a walking hallmark card. Go for a picture if she wants another. No nose ring, I saw an ox in Asia led around with a nose ring. That's the image that pops in my head everytime I see it which seems to be en vogue now.

I have no tattoos and if I ever had one, it would be a tree of life. My niece, says go for it. I don't think so.

[KingstonsMom]

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@Plaid Pants2 wrote:

I got my first tatt on my 40th birthday.

It was a present to myself, for myself.

I took a whole year to really think long and hard of the pros and cons of getting a tattoo.

I have no regrets.

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@Plaid Pants2

I had my first in 1976 and my last less than a year ago. I'm approaching 64.

I always think long and hard too and I also have no regrets for any of mine, even the one from 1976..

[riley1]

@Shorty2U - my daughter (age 35) just got her first tat! She had the meaning of her daughters' names done on her ribs. I asked how bad did it hurt - she replied "no biggie". The guy who did it does a lot of cops in her area and he told her she was better than those big, built guys, lol.

She had to do it in a spot where it would not be noticeable due her profession.

I say go for it!!

[dmod nj]

Hi shorty,

I have not read this thread, so perhaps someone else suggested this.   Why not try a henna tatoo?  If you don't like it, or change or mind, it is not permanent.

Whatever you decide, good luck!   

[gewisse]

I went through this last summer.  I was preparing for hip replacement surgery so I thought I would either get a tatto or do something to my hair.  In my head I'm 19 but the rest of me is 64 and the whole process made me really feel old.... .  My hairdresser who has several tatts pushed me down the hair route and now I have a beautiful PURPLE stripe down one side of my brown hair. 

[KingstonsMom]

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@gewisse wrote:

I went through this last summer.  I was preparing for hip replacement surgery so I thought I would either get a tatto or do something to my hair.  In my head I'm 19 but the rest of me is 64 and the whole process made me really feel old.... .  My hairdresser who has several tatts pushed me down the hair route and now I have a beautiful PURPLE stripe down one side of my brown hair. 

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@gewisse

Good decision!

Tattoos are not for everyone and your purple stripe can be reversed easily if you tire of it or change your mind!

[lulu2]

@Shorty2U

If you have to ask, you must not be 100% sure you want one.  If it were me, and my husband didn't like tattoos, I wouldn't get one.

As for you and your granddaughter getting the same one, will your other GDs expect you to continue the tradition with them?

[jaxs mom]

Get what you want, regardless if it's popular or not. In this case, it has a special meaning to you. Also, work with the artist, he/she can probably draw something up that is unique to you but carries the same message. 

As far as the pain, it really depends on your pain threshold and the location. To me it does not feel like getting blood drawn, which makes me lightheaded. I've never had that feeling when getting tattooed. It's like getting scratched over and over again to me. I hate needles but the tattoo needles don't bother me, I do tend to look away though. And generally the artist is good at small talk to distract you. 

[jaxs mom]

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@sissel wrote:

Think you are a Benley car or some high end car that you own.

would you put a bumper sticker on the car? Do you really need someone to wriite on you? Do you have a short memory that you need to write on your body because you cant remember? Just think, really putting something on your body to remind you because you can't forget or whatever, it's a lifetime. Guys hate when girls do this, really do you need this?

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I've dated guys that weren't into tattoos, it didn't stop them from dating me. And if it did, then clearly they're too small minded to be a good match for me anyway. 

[ChynnaBlue]

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@Shorty2U wrote:

PS) I asked my son if they hurt. He said it feels like when you get your blood taken? Well anyway if I can deal with shots in my spine for pain I guess I can deal with a tat needle! lol.

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Hmmmmm. When they take your blood, they insert the needle once, maybe change the tube a few times, then the needle is removed. They do not repeatedly stick you with a needle thousands of times over a period of several minutes to hours. Comparing it to a blood draw doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

People experience pain differently and some locations hurt more than others, so those are also things to consider when you choose your tattoo location. I know some people who've said their first tattoos didn't hurt at all, but they got a third or a fifth and it hurt really badly. 

I've been considering getting one and asked some friends about this recently. Another thing they told me about that I hadn't considered was that tattoos will fade more quickly in some places than others. I'd say find a tattoo shop you feel comfortable with and ask an artist for some advice. Your artist should have seen a large variety of people experience getting a tattoo like the one you want and should have some good advice for you.

Let us know how it goes!