What do you reckon about tattoos?

Thank you Mollygo, as I said what anyone feels about them reflects taste and personal opinion.

I've posted my own personal experiences about my son, I would add that once he was in tattoo mode, he had several more done. At the age of 21 he and girlfriend of 3 or so years decided to embrace the hackneyed idea his and her tattoos, each others names for a Christmas present to each other. Swearing their undying love and a relationship they saw as a "forever" one. Time moved on and unfortunately she was 3 or 4 girlfriends ago, I say unfortunately because I really did like her a lot and they did have nearly 5 years together. However, in due course son had new girlfriend, at the time he had the cheek to ask whether we could pay to have ex girlfriend's name removed as a birthday present, a painful procedure both for wallet and body I gather, anyway our riposte" you have to live with your choices I'm afraid" It reminded me very much of a character Catherine Tate once portrayed "Young Lauren the schoolgirl", had boyfriend of the moment "Ryan" tattooed, broke up and then said to her mates further down the line "anyone know another Ryan?" I believe Jonny Depp when going out with Winona Rider ages ago had "Winona Forever" inked, but after the relationship broke up, changed that to "Wino Forever"

On a more serious note, and going back to being impetuous and not always feeling as you did once, as you continue down life's path, I'm thinking of my son here. He had the commemorative tattoo to late brother done aged 18, he's now in his 30s, a few years ago out with a new group of friends who didn't know his personal history, on a hot day in pub garden, he was wearing short sleeved t shirt, tattoo was visible, so someone in that group asked him about it. He confessed he didn't really want to talk about it at the time, and pondered about the wisdom of getting carried away in the moment.

People with tattoos will of course defend their choice, and if they’re happy with them then great!
But if asked what I think of them on an anonymous forum I’ll give my honest opinion - because in real life I wouldn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings face to face.
As we all know, in RL, quite often people tell you what you want to hear, because it’s rude to be negative about anyone’s appearance. But they’re lying.
Tattoos look awful on most women.
Why any woman wants to look like a masculine sailor god only knows but that’s life. If a friend or family member asked my thoughts on tattoos I’d say exactly what I’m saying here. But if they already had one and asked my thoughts ( not that they would ) I’d be a bit more discreet.

We are all entitled to our opinions which is what was the point of the thread.
No-one has had derogatory remarks about anyone here. It's just how we all personally feel.
Would you get so upset if I said I didn't like marmite?
It's just nice to know others points of view.

TerriBull that’s a good post.
Posters on GN express their own opinions and others read their posts and think them ‘good’, ‘stupid’, ‘fascinating’, ‘ill-informed’ ‘hateful’, ‘hurtful’,etc and post back their likes and dislikes and their own feelings on the matter or share what they feel is their expertise to try and correct what they see as lack of knowledge. What they write is often offensive to readers who hold different views!

On the other hand, many posts on GN threads definitely seem OTT to me and possibly some of mine seem OTT to others, but a stain on the soul? ‘Speck and beam.’

If posters stuck to ‘judge not that ye be not judged’ some threads would never get off the ground.

"rotten with hate and judgement" I think you are reading too much into what are personal opinions Cass.

My son got his first tattoo aged 18 to mark the death of his brother, who he undoubtedly loved. My husband, father to both sons was very saddened by his desire to permanently mark his body. I remember their conversation in the aftermath of him having that done, when he explained losing a child the greatest loss he'd ever experienced, but no way did it give him the impetus to commemorate such heartbreak with a tattoo because feelings don't go away and you don't have to make an outward display to the world about grief. However, we both understand our son comes from a generation that doesn't understand stoicism. Our son is someone who likes to make statements, along with many of his peer group. I know him inside out, he would also admit he is impetuous and sometimes lacks judgement. Our other son on the other hand would never contemplate having a tattoo, I'm not saying that makes either of them better or worse, just one is more prone to draw attention to himself, that is his nature.

When I grew up tattoos were socially unacceptable so possibly our attitudes are hard wired insomuch as many of us are of our time. I know my parents would have had ten pink fits if I'd have come home with one, but people didn't then, ear piercing was about as far as anyone went.

I will never like them in the same way as I don't like torn jeans it's simply a matter of opinion, both are pointless imo but the jeans will eventually be cast aside when that fashion fades into oblivion, the tattoo well it's there forever, and we don't continue along life's path always liking what we once thought was great.

Well said Cass64

TerriBull

I hardly think judging tattoos negatively is a stain on the soul, massively over the top imo My son has a few, we don't like them, I never will like tattoos per se. I don't feel the same about piercings, purple hair or any other such outward statement because those aren't permanent. Disliking tattoo is hardly tantamount to morphing into Hitler. Committing a mortal sin, which according to my catholic upbringing was doing something really, really bad. thus leaving a stain on one's soul.

Whether one likes them or not is a matter of taste and opinion, "what do you think of them" was the questioned posed in the OP. Tattoos as a subject matter will always present two sides, that's it really, neither good, not bad to like or dislike them!

Lizabeth Ann you raised a good point, I like others probably forget new members won't have realised that certain subjects have been raised many times before. Anyway welcome to you as a new member.

Im sorry you feel its over the top ..I actually feel that many of the really nasty , negative and totally judgemental comments are OTT So a stain on the soul.. ? Judge not... and all that.

I see these kinds of arbitury old fashioned narrow minded judgements as a stain on the soul in that its the deepest kind of discrimination , its unfair and its unnecssary yet just look at how many nasty petty comments this thread has bought up..
I bet most people wouldnt dare have the guts to say these things face to face.

So while the faces may be blemish fee and they may smile inside they are rotton with their hate and judgement.

I hardly think judging tattoos negatively is a stain on the soul, massively over the top imo My son has a few, we don't like them, I never will like tattoos per se. I don't feel the same about piercings, purple hair or any other such outward statement because those aren't permanent. Disliking tattoo is hardly tantamount to morphing into Hitler. Committing a mortal sin, which according to my catholic upbringing was doing something really, really bad. thus leaving a stain on one's soul.

Whether one likes them or not is a matter of taste and opinion, "what do you think of them" was the questioned posed in the OP. Tattoos as a subject matter will always present two sides, that's it really, neither good, not bad to like or dislike them!

Lizabeth Ann you raised a good point, I like others probably forget new members won't have realised that certain subjects have been raised many times before. Anyway welcome to you as a new member.

They can look okay on men I suppose, but on women they look very common, especially on older women.
The only women who can ( just about ) get away with tattoos are beautiful young art students.
Plus I rarely see a really nice one. Most tattooed arms/ backs / whatever/ look like the inside of a graffitied public lavatory.

A friend of mine referred to them as ‘Twattoos’ .
‘Nuff said !!

I know they're not but ... they always look dirty to me. Yuck! One of my sons has a couple. I was so disappointed but there y' go.

My granddaughter has her 2 babies’ names tattooed on her arm so I asked her if she thought she might forget them or something. Bizarre. Thanks for your earlier comment Lizbethann55 , I have only been here a short time so wasn’t aware this topic had been done before. There is obviously still interest even so. I know what you mean about ‘in’ sets, it’s the same the world over , whatever floats boats I suppose. It is nice when newbies are made welcome but it doesn’t always happen.

A dear friend of mine has " Barbara" tattooed on his arm. His adored wife of many years is called Christine!

My OH got tattoos as a young man in the Royal Navy. He regrets having them done and advises everyone against it. The beautiful multi coloured geisha girls on each arm now look mainly dark grey blue as the colour fades through time and the black ink spreads outwards. Rather stupid looking on a man in his 70s.
My daughter in law had a butterfly done on the small of her back when young and silly. As she got older she realised that she was being judged on it and had it lasered. It was not a success and now looks rather unsightly. She advises people not to have any.

I have never understood why some people would wish to tattoo, pierce or otherwise mutilate their bodies in any way whatsoever. I’m no picture postcard, but I have always been quite content to remain as God made me.

All I would say is if you are going to have one or more tattoes, make sure you can cover them up with clothes if its likely to affect your job. Can't see a bank employing someone who has a spiderweb on their neck, or HATE or LOVE tattoed across their fingers. My husband has a few and he regrets them - all below the age of 18. I've always fancied one but have never been able to decide on something I would be happy to have on my skin for the rest of my life.

I have my tattoo and I love it it represents me and the year I was born. I got it when I turned 40 when people around me were being negative about age telling me it was 'all downhill from here' etc.

For those who turn their noses up I wonder have any of you actually spoken to people who chose to ink their bodies? Do you know the stories behind the ink?
My son has tattoos, two are very special , one is a bird in shades of grey its a copy of one my brother had but when he took his own life my son had this 'shadow' tattoo made to remember him by, the other he has is an exact copy of a handwritten message from his late grandfather, he carries those words of love with him forever now.

The reasons for a tattoo are as varied as the people who get them, to those who see them merely as a stain on the skin I say, better the stain on the skin than the judgement that is the stain on your soul.

Someone will be able to articulate this better than me, I was strongly deterred about a decade or so ago, I recall a vet on the radio, he was working in the meat industry and spoke of the ink used on the ears to mark cattle, without exception he said, he found the ink being found in their brains - having migrated I think.

It put me off even considering that trend to have permanent inked eyeliner or lipliner.

Tattoos have been around since long before chavs were invented.

Does anyone here have one and now regrets it?

eazybee or the soldiers that have name, rank, number tattooed so that their body can be identified.

Permanent marking of the skin is quite thought provoking.

I was going to say 'never (have one in a million years)' and I suddenly thought of those people in the Concentration camps who had no choice.

I was always told they were 'common'! Two of my DC have them - my DD a nice one on her tummy of a butterfly (to remember her friend Sophie who died), 3 Chinese characters (she grew up in Hong Kong) and some bamboo

DSiL has a 'tribal' one on his shoulder - when they were getting married he was worried his gran would see it through his shirt so wore at T-shirt under. His Dad 'blew the gaff' the following year as he showed gran (his mum) photos of them all on the beach, tattoo very much on show!!!

I cant't see the point. especially of facial tatoos.
My first experience of someone with full facial tatoos was about 30 yearsago - frightened me almost to death.
Not so long ago, last year? comeone in front of me at the till in Tesco a man of middle age , had horns seemingly implanted in his head.
Why would he want to do this?

Firstly. Please do not criticise people for bringing up subjects that have been discussed before. It is unkind and off putting to people new to gransnet. It is hard enough to feel that we fit in without being made to feel that we are outsiders and not part of the "in crowd". Too many memories of not being accepted into the gang when at school.
As far as tattoos are concerned. They really aren't for me at all. Though little, pretty, discreet ones can look quite nice. I am from Manchester and it was absolutely the in thing to have a bee tattoo after the arena bombing. My elderly friend had one on her ankle . Her son, a GP went mad! I really dislike full sleeve ones or large ones on the chest , neck or back. I like watching wedding dress programmes and I have never yet seen a dress that looks better for the wearer having tattoos. And I think it is the permanence of them that is most horrifying. How many of us followed hair style or colours or makeup trends when we were younger thinking we looked absolutely amazing at the time that now make us cringe? Fortunately they could be changed. Even piercings can heal over. But a tattoo is for life.