Tattoo at 70?

Came back from New York recently and was struck by how many girls over there walking around in shorts with bare arms and legs without the ghastly tramp stamps that are so prolific here. They simply aren't edgy any more, in fact I'd say it's more unique not to have any, the number of women of a certain age with a butterfly on their shoulder, it's not as if you can see it yourself so why bother. As for getting one done on really wrinkly skin, horrible!

To those of you who've had one since turning 50/60/70 ... which areas of skin do you think withstand the aging process the best?
I know what I'd like, and I'm thinking of the inner forearm, as that skin seems more resistant to wrinkling (at the moment anyway!)
Any other suggestions?

Probably very painful to have one done there!

I had mine on my lower back just below the waist, it didn't hurt and it's not a place that will go wrinkly!
If it does I can't see it without looking in the mirror, so it won't bother me!

Hey Notsogrand - did it hurt much? I would really like a small dragonfly on my shoulder. I thought about it for my 60th and am now thinking about it again for my 65th. Just need the courage! (a sunflower sounds quite good too - now I'm confused)

Can someone please explain to me why people choose to have tattoos and piercings. I've tried to understand but it doesn't make any sense to me. I haven't seen one where I think 'oh, that makes them more attractive', in fact, quite the opposite.

Must agree with you flump I can not begin to understand why anyone would want to do that to their body. I know very young teenagers who have done it and if it was my child I would be furious. People who disfigure themselves must have a warped view of what is attractive.

I guess, like everything, it's simply a matter of personal opinion. I've seen many, many attractive tattoos, including the ones my daughters have

harrigran I so agree with you.

NannaAnna Of course it is a matter of personal opinion and choice. I'm trying to understand the psyche of the people involved in tattooing. I've seen some artistically competent tattoos but why don't the tattooists practice their art in some other way? Why do they feel the need to use skin as their canvas and why does someone have a permanent design put on them that IMHO does nothing to enhance their appearance?

Why do people use nail varnish, makeup, hair dye etc.?

Because they can.

People have been tattooing and cutting their skin as decoration for centuries.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Each to their own

Tattooists are providing a service, flump. I doubt that they feel the need to use skin as their canvas in some deviant way!

Ella46 Nail varnish, makeup etc can be removed easily, tattoos cannot. I realise some people consider it beautiful. And, yes, each to their own.

Anagram I know it's a service. There will always be someone to provide whatever someone else wants, whatever that may be. It's the way of the world.

I was just trying to get a better insight into the reason why some people consider it at all, from a sociological point of view. However, I guess I'm not going to get very far with that, so I'm off to have lunch with my DD. Just FYI, she's of the 'each to their own' opinion.

Flump I'm with you, one of my son's has four, hate them, hate them, hate them! Because they are so permanent, like you say nail varnish can be removed. I think it's such a shame when you see young people with wonderfully toned limbs with drawings all over themselves and it makes them look a bit dirty and tawdry. If you haven't got a perfect body then they only draw the eye in and personally I wouldn't want to draw attention to mine now I'm over 55. I also don't get "my little rebellion" cause I've reached 50, 60 or 70 in my opinion at best they look corny and cliched on an older woman and at worst they can look as rough as guts. However, we all hold different opinions so I must respect some see them as works of art.

As a matter of fact I think they are extremely unsightly too.

I just can't get hot under the collar about them, and as I said before, each to their own.

Can't stand them. My daughter has a small dolphin on her shoulder and is paying hundreds to have it gradually removed without it leavng a trace. It's taking months!

Anagram Edward VII.

I'd love a little pagan dragon on my foot but too scared of the pain.

Not a Christian dragon?

Thanks absent!

baNANA I had mine done as a little statement of who I am,and how I felt ,and for me to know that it is there if I WANT to show it and covered if I DON'T or it is inappropriate..I had another done last year at 58 in a place that isn't baggy or saggy and doesn't look tawdry..but it is my choice and my perogative to have that done,it can also be covered or shown depending on the situation,I suppose it is like body art and as someone else has said " beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and I see it like I see jewellery different things look good on different people some I like and some I don't.....having said that my daughter had tattoos and went too far and I hated them on her,and her nose piercing,my son has some that he would like removed....and has had piercings though they have now healed as he is older....I also argued with my daughter as a young single mum at 18 and a mixed race child in a council flat would have to work twice as hard to gain a good opinion of people and tattoos didn't help...my son has grown out of his....but I still love mine....I think it is an individual thing some people love'em and some people hate 'em but the important thing regardless is that we accept the person for who they are,and not how they are decorated....

No a pagan dragon. A proper Viking dragon not a wishy washy St George wimp lol.

I have never met a Christian dragon? How do their beliefs differ from the pagan dragons?
In fact, I have never had a long enough conversation with a dragon to discover their religion!
Have you! Even more

I think I'm going back to avatar land!

In fact, after today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's more believable than what I've heard?

Over 75 I want DNR tattoed on my forehead

stansgran That's a very good idea!

I've had a good laugh over some of these messages. I had always wanted to be tattooed: at the age of 40-plus I realised that there was nothing to stop me any more; my whole life had changed direction. So I got two tattoos done, one easily visible and one not!(immortalised in a poem). I'm now 74 and have never regretted having them done.
One amusing side-effect: my first design is a little bird on my shoulder. I found out some time later that in some circles this means that you've been imprisoned for something major; I finally understood why skinheads in the street and on the Underground kept giving me respect!
It's everybody's personal business how they ornament their faces and bodies: personally the very thought of having Botulinus toxin injected into my face makes me cringe, yet some people have it done regularly. There is, indeed, nowt as queer as folk!