Love or loathe Tattoos

DD works for the trade association that oversees regulations and safety for paint and inks. Tattoo ink is the only ink in the world that does not have any regulations regarding it's safety for use. Nobody in our family has a tattoo needless to say.

Missfoodlove, I hadn't heard the phrase "jobstoppers" before - this will be very true, I think, in some jobs. Personally I would never have a tattoo and I think many of them can look ugly, though I acknowledge that it's an individual's choice and preference. I have said before on GN that I see older people at the gym, with wrinkling tattoos - this is not an attractive look, IMO. (I predict that in the future, people who can undertake the effective removal of tattoos could make a very good living from this.)

I always remember my mum (who would have been the same age as the Queen) had an old boyfriend’s name tattooed on her arm during the war. As he wasn’t the man she eventually married she permanently wore a plaster over it. Thankfully it was small. She had it removed in later years but was left with scarring. It’s always put me off the idea. My DS has succumbed to it though. He has Poseidon on his chest and a lion (or tiger) on his back. Cost him a lot of money which, in my opinion could have gone towards something more sensible. Very painful too.

When I used to manage a care team one of our elderly Male clients had, in his youth, a rather private part of his anatomy covered in tattoos. It earned him the nickname “Black Dick.” Hope I haven’t offended anyone!

I absolutely hate them and I can’t understand why anyone would want to mutilate their body in such an awful way.

There is nothing nicer than clear, unadorned, healthy looking skin is there? Isn’t that what we all aspire to?

WHY would anyone want to change that?

On holiday a few years ago I saw a woman ahead of me wearing shorts with what looked like a couple of large blue/black bruises on her thighs. I thought the poor woman must have fallen over recently.

Once I got nearer I could see that they were two huge tattoos !

I also wonder how anyone could possibly know that they will still love the things in years to come, as removal of them is not always successful is it?

Generally I loathe tattoos, although I've seen some instances where they've been used to cover and obscure scars - especially breast cancer scars - and I might well consider that if I had to have such surgery. My knee replacement scar will however remain unadorned.

I'm not against Tattoos. Both my daughters have small discreet ones. Some of the artwork is so beautiful and detailed I have to admire it,but its not for me. I don't have any myself.

Loathe loathe loathe as my daughters would say mum would rather we came home pregnant than with a tattoo.

Not for me personally but no objection to people who do. I don’t believe it’s my place to pass judgement on anybody.

I have 7 tattoo's, however they are not visible unless I have backless or very low cut clothes, which I do not tend to wear. I have one just above my left ankle, one on the back of each shoulder and 4 on/just above my left breast, . i was actually on a TV programme tattoo disasters where they did a cover up job for me. I do not like them all over peoples face and ones that are not well done that are on public showing.

Ok when young, not so ok when you have to lift up your wrinkles to see them.

After my husband died I had his name and two entwined hearts containing our initials tattooed on the inside of my left wrist - people who see it think it’s lovely

They are so common nowadays the ‘edginess’ surrounding them has gone. I’m not fussed about them one way or the other. I’ve got used to seeing them so much now they’re like wallpaper!

That said, I wonder about their popularity long term with the inkers? If I like a poster or a print on my wall I can take it down when I’m bored with it ....

I wanted to have a tiny one when I reached seventy. (Just to feel that I’m not going to grow old gracefully!?) Unfortunately, I bruise so easily that it would end up as a purple blob. My DH was very relieved!

Don’t worry what they will look like when you are old and wrinkled - just be happy that you are fortunate enough to get there!! Enjoy the moment ??

One of my sons(eldest of four) has too many i think

They are fashionable. Sadly, unlike other fashions, you can't just take them off when they go out of favour. In the future there will be a lot of slightly older people with tattoos who will be the laughing stock of the following generation. Remember how we all felt about the 40+s who still wore mini skirts, bouffant hairdos, male ponytails and flares.

I have one tattoo- the only one i ever wanted, a little playboy bunny on top of my arm,back when playboy bunny wasnt so popular,(the 80's) in fact the tattooist didnt even have it up on his wall so i had to trace it for him onto paper first for him to copy!

At the age of 62 I am thinking of getting a couple that are for personal memories.
My son has 2, (one one each arm) that mean something to him.One of which is in memory of his much loved pappy (my dad)
It is each person's choice whether they have tattoos or piercings. Some of the artwork that I have seen is incredible.
Only thing I worry about is what they will look like when the wearer is old and wrinkled ?

I lost my eyebrows and lashes due to alopecia and I had new ones tattooed on! Very tastefully micro bladed and a tad higher than my natural ones were for a youthful look!
Going to look into semi-permanent eyeliner tattoo aka Kate Middleton eyes!
I know it’s not quite what you meant but tattoos have helped me to feel normal again!

Really dont like them- heaven knows what they will look like as people age. I do hope they dont think they are going to get them removed on the NHS.

I don't even like looking at them! I think the blue ink on the skin has an unnatural poisonous look. The red ones (especially if a large area) just look like the person had been in an accident and had their skin scraped off. It looks like a painful raw wound.

I must admit to disliking them. My Mum used to tell me that only Sailors and Prostitutes had such things. Know that is different now, but ......
Nearly thirty years ago, one of my daughters (19 yrs old), and finishing off her 'gap year' living at home asked me if I could help her with some research regarding pictures of Unicorns. In the days before google, this meant going to library and getting photocopies of any such pictures.
I just assumed it was for some sort of project (well, I suppose it was, but not the sort I meant). Anyway, dutiful Mum did this and passed over some piccies. Several weeks later she came to me one evening and said she needed some cream rubbed into an area she was having difficulty reaching. Again, I assumed!!! it was cream given by the GP, and asked what was wrong. 'Nothing', she told me, as turned her back on me and there - on her shoulder- was a picture of a Unicorn standing on a rock!!!!! Cream given by tattooist to rub in
Must say, I was upset, felt that I had spent nineteen years guarding her body, only for her to desicrate it in this way.
When she got married a few years later, she had a wedding dress that could be worn 'off the shoulder'. I remember, I kept pulling it back on her shoulder to hide that tattoo, as she pulled it down again telling me that one of the reasons for that dress was that it could shown off that piece of body art.
Do wonder how she would react these days if any of her children decided to have a tattoo, she tells me 'It is up to them', but do wonder..........!!!!!

Good for you Boheminam.
One mans meat is another mans poison and therefore no ones business.
I had my DH`s name tattooed on the top of my arm for his 50th birthday he welled up when I showed him and that made us both happy so we care nothing about what others think.

I have seen some beautiful tattoos on people as they come through my checkout, sometimes it is a topic of conversation whilst packing etc.

But...I have also seen awful tattoos that obviously the person had them when their skin was soft and taught, now they are saggy and wrinkled they look awful, almost like big coloured bruises on their arms.

Don't have a problem with them myself, although I wouldn't want to have one done.

I have seen very good and very bad tattoos but as long as the person who has them is happy who am I to judge