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Tattoos on older women

(288 Posts)
MT62 Thu 16-Jul-26 19:37:36

I know tattoos are a thing now, & I’ll probably be slated, but whilst on holiday, & walking round the seaside today, I noticed a lot of woman in their 60s/70s have tattoos.
I think they probably had them in the 90s as the tattoos looked blue & faded.
I know friends of mine had them done, especially around the belly button, shoulder & lower back.
Some regret getting them done, two have had them removed.

Now all the younger people seem to have full sleeves & full thighs, & lower legs, is this trend persuading the older generation to get one?
I know, each to their own, but personally I don’t care for tattoos.
Just wondering what other grans think of tattoos?
Do some grans have them & regret getting them done?

Cossy Sat 18-Jul-26 12:47:43

ViceVersa

keepcalmandcavachon
I never come across these damming judgements IRL, this thread is a revelation. (Not in a good waygrin)
It is indeed. Thankfully most of the people I know in real life are nowhere near as judgemental.

thanks 🙂 🌻🥀💐

Cossy Sat 18-Jul-26 12:46:58

Interesting topic, interesting read! I’ve been quite verbal on this thread, so will say no more! grin

ViceVersa Sat 18-Jul-26 12:42:55

keepcalmandcavachon

I never come across these damming judgements IRL, this thread is a revelation. (Not in a good waygrin)

It is indeed. Thankfully most of the people I know in real life are nowhere near as judgemental.

keepcalmandcavachon Sat 18-Jul-26 12:34:23

I never come across these damming judgements IRL, this thread is a revelation. (Not in a good waygrin)

Charleygirl5 Sat 18-Jul-26 11:37:48

A couple of years ago a young girl couldn't find a job anywhere because her entire face was covered with tattoos. I thought she looked horrific. Sh e was in the local newspaper. I have no idea what happened.

twiglet77 Sat 18-Jul-26 11:16:05

I think all tattoos look hideous on anyone, regardless of age or gender. Deliberate uglification (is that a word?) seems so utterly stupid. It upset me terribly that all my children, now in their 30s, started to get tattoos when they were 18 or so. DS has them on both arms and legs, and his back, he insists they are all meaningful but I detest them. As a teacher (overseas) he has to wear long sleeves and long trousers so at least they don’t impact his employment.

Both DDs got their first tattoos on holiday with friends, just as I’d especially advised against for fear of unsafe practices abroad. Theirs are more discreet than DS’s, on wrists and feet, and one has a butterfly tattoo on the small of her back, but just so very unattractive and silly. I did stress that getting them just because (at 18+) they had the autonomy to do so and it was to effectively stick two fingers up at me, was particularly stupid as it wasn’t me enduring the pain, nor was it me lumbered with ugly ink on my precious skin, nor me writhing in my old age that I hadn’t been such an idiot.

They all flirted briefly with cigarettes for much the same defiant reasons, but happily all got partners who don’t smoke and quickly gave up.

I know a single woman of nearly 50 who is very active on Facebook, and every time she gets her annual bonus she proudly displays yet another tattoo to add to the dozens she already has. Madness!

ViceVersa Sat 18-Jul-26 11:02:49

Veda

I can’t stand tattoos. I amazed at how the fashion has taken off. I also wonder what the body thinks of the foreign body named ink being pumped into the skin.

Well, given that tattoos have been around for hundreds of years - if not more - the human race seems to have survived.

Charleygirl5 Sat 18-Jul-26 10:54:13

Yuck

MissAdventure Sat 18-Jul-26 10:50:08

smile

MT62 Sat 18-Jul-26 10:43:58

I think it’s been a very interesting thread & enjoyed reading everyone’s posts. Some posters I’ve never heard of so that’s nice to see.

I posted as I was curious as to what older grans thought, would they be brave enough to get a tattoo, or totally against. Think half n half.

Three of my friends have them. Two are female teachers. One a female solicitor had hers done in the 90s DOB in block numbers across her foot.
We are bikers, funnily enough hardly any bike club members have tattoos.
Because of the cost of they would rather put the money into their bikes & equipment.

I say I am not keen, only for the fact that they are likely to be permanent, can look messy.

Would I rule out a tattoo for medical purposes like breast cancer, no probably wouldn’t.
Or eyebrows no, but now Bea had that problem with her MRI. Maybe not.
Back in the day I looked after an ex-sex worker, she had ‘mild & bitter’ tattoos on each breast, ‘pay on entry’ down below. I was young at the time, so didn’t exactly encourage me to rush out to get a tattoo 🤣
If I was in my twenties now would I have one, maybe. There is some fantastic niche tattoos out there.
Like I said each to their own.
To me this post is no different than asking what grans think about older grans, say in jeans. Only tattoos are a bit more permanent.
Thanks for the responses.

MT62 Sat 18-Jul-26 10:07:53

Bea65

On a medical note .. I had semi permanent eye brows @lashes 15yrs + and had t have upper chest x-ray .. within seconds f moving thru machine, my eyes started twitching …
Radiologist noticed and stopped scan ..
There were iron filaments in the dye used for eyebrows .. had never been cautioned before and neither had GP who ordered the MRI - this wax circa
2005
Last wk had pelvis MRI @ private hosp and was told my silver Tiffany band ok 😡 but machine made ring/finger vibrate for 20 mins 🙁
Was soo anxious but Team Lead sad 1 ring ok??? This is not ok to me ..

That’s interesting 🤔

Veda Sat 18-Jul-26 08:04:23

I can’t stand tattoos. I amazed at how the fashion has taken off. I also wonder what the body thinks of the foreign body named ink being pumped into the skin.

CocoPops Sat 18-Jul-26 07:28:19

My hairdresser has lots of tattoos with a recent addition of 2 huge colourful butterflies tattooed on her neck
My dentist has tattoos of teeth on his fingers!

Allsorts Sat 18-Jul-26 07:03:19

It's everyone's personal choice and no one should comment unless asked as we have on this forum. I think they are awful, most beautifully done and designs are atrractive but not permanently. Bea scary about the eye brows, I was almost tempted as I am bothered about my thinning ones but I will stick with pencil. I don't need a tattoo to be my ownperson I always have been. If that what it takes go for it as no one else is really interested I'm afraid. It's his ut she's you feel that matters.

sparkynan Sat 18-Jul-26 06:06:21

I’m with you there Tavi.

Tavi Sat 18-Jul-26 05:48:45

Thankfully at the age of almost 70 I don’t really care what other people think. I have a couple and will rock them as long as I live.
I also don’t judge others which is also freeing in so many ways

Poppyjo Sat 18-Jul-26 05:45:47

It’s not now they look awful, but sadly as our skin ages and sags.. Sadly they look awful when this happens

MaggsMcG Sat 18-Jul-26 05:28:54

I have one tattoo on ny rught ankle. Its Sixty-Five Rose's. Which is the way small children used to pronounce cystic fibrosis. My granddaughter has this disease and my tattoo is in support of this. I still love it. Was my 60th birthday present to myself. Im 74 now.

StoneofDestiny Sat 18-Jul-26 05:24:20

I cannot imagine ever having a tattoo. Seems odd when people tattoo their children’s names on or their deceased family members - can’t they remember them otherwise? Weird putting tattoos on your back when you can’t even see them. Of course it’s all a personal choice but disfiguring your skin permanently is a strange way to spend money.

sparkynan Sat 18-Jul-26 00:18:52

keepcalmandcavachon

I like your style Sparkynan, I think you also need to treat yourself to new wardrobe to go with itsunshine

I am planning on it, 🤣 I’m planning on going goth/rock old woman. I’ve decided to let my inner biker chick (biker crone) out.

FranA Fri 17-Jul-26 22:51:43

Oh dear. I obviously put this in the wrong place. Am I it illiterate enough to move it. I doubt it. …

FranA Fri 17-Jul-26 22:43:42

How independent are your children

I am married,second time around for both of us. My husband’s children talk to him frequently and ask how he is. They spare him the gory details of their everyday lives and tell him all the boring bits of how today’s job went. I hear most of the juicy bits through friends of friends of friends.
My children on the other hand phone me and tell me of all the drama in their lives. I go to sleep worrying about my kids. My husband goes to sleep blissfully unaware of the drama in his kids life. I just wonder if anyone else sees life as I do. Is there a difference if you are the mum or the dad?

orly Fri 17-Jul-26 21:34:19

avitorl

I hate tattoos on both men and women,young or old.

Me too. I wounder what makes them think it's a measure of who they are to let someone practice their art on them?

Eternaloptimist Fri 17-Jul-26 21:34:04

I do wonder if these tattoos young people have will look the same as the skin ages and wrinkles?

WithNobsOnIt Fri 17-Jul-26 21:13:22

Mmm.

Not a fan of any tattoos really on men or women

Tattoos. An interesting subject.
Back in the day. Tattoos were hardly ever seen on women. Possibly only ever seen on real hard case, long stay sentenced women in prisons.

You know when it was beyond the pale and judged as common to even see women smoking or eating in the street.

Even men with tattoos were generally judged as being immature or low life by my parents for being tattooed.

You know underage teenage lads who did it for a dare or lark when drunk. Then regretted it after a week.

United football supporters. The MUFCA lads. Army and Navy soldiers and sailors. Part of their masculine culture.

According to my Mother. Any other tattooed males probably belonged to Criminals, Foreigners, Gypsies, Fairground and Flee Circus People.
And should not be approached.

My, how times have changed.

I must say some of the newer tattoos are really well designed and artistic. They seem to use a lot of stencils, nicer more subtle colours and take a long time to do and probably cost a fortune

But beware of what nasty chemicals are in the inks that are usedm

However.
I have seen many people with awful tattoos who are nearly covered in them. From head to foit. Lets say they don't look flattering to say the least.

One heavily tattooed man who lives nearby to me,looks as though his arms and upper body has been defaced by injury or some kind of serious skin illness disease.

He thinks he is the Bees Knees

I have no idea what this tattooing phenomena is driven by. Leave that to the Social Scientists.

As a matter of interest. Have any GN's seen any tattooed children or animals!