Thoughts on Tattoos...

@lbinkley (1075)
United States
January 5, 2008 9:26am CST
Do you think that tattoos are a form or art and expression, or do you think that they are a form of self-mutilation? What are your thoughts on them in general? Do you have any? If you do, do you still like them, or regret them? If you don't, why don't you have one? Will you ever get one? I am curious to hear your thoughts... and please... BE NICE to each other!
4 people like this
16 responses
• Philippines
5 Jan 08
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I think they're cool as long as they don't cover up your whole body like those in jail LOL I don't have any but if ever I could have one, it would be just a little one on my back :)
3 people like this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
5 Jan 08
Thanks for the reply glitzypurple!
2 people like this
• United States
6 Jan 08
hmmmm...I have a bunch of tattoos yet have never served any jail time....I must head out now and commit a crime so that I can fit that outdated stereotype
1 person likes this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
I really don't see anything wrong with tons of tattoos... but really I just find em interesting.
• United States
5 Jan 08
I think its a form of self expression. I have two myself and would like to get one more and the one in between my shoulder blades fixed because its soo faded. I dont see anything wrong with tattoo's. I think people should keep them to their body and not on their face, but who am I to judge? I think that people are way to judgmental of people with tattoos and piercings. They always think that they are bad or have no direction. I know plenty of people with piercings and tatoos all over there body that are seriously the nicest people in the world. Granted I would never pierce anything but my nose, but thats my decision and what other people do to their bodies does not hurt me. Oh wait I have to admit that I did have my tounge pierced at one point but that was years ago and I would not get it redone. Okay Im babbling because I havent had enough coffee, but I think alot of that tattoo art people have is beautiful. And the most common complaint I have heard from people with them all over is that they dont want to look at it...Well then dont look at it..LOL...Its not burning your retina's or doing any bodily harm to you so just leave it alone and ignore it if you dont like! Who knows...it will be a debate that will go on forever..lol..Oh well :)
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
5 Jan 08
You never know, maybe someday the debate will end.... maybe. I don't know. Thanks for the reply though, you may have been babbling but I understood you loud and clear! LOL! Are you saying though, that you wouldn't even pierce your ears? Just your nose? Just curious...
2 people like this
@inked4life (4224)
• United States
6 Jan 08
I look at my body as a canvas and my tattoos are the art that fills the blank. I am close to being sleeved on both arms and have a bunch of smaller ones in vrious other parts of my body.
1 person likes this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
holy crap! That's a lot of time sitting there being worked on! I am not sure I would be able to be so patient! WOW!
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
Thanks for the reply! So... how long have you been working on the sleeves and how many times total have you been worked on? I always find it interesting to hear how long and how much work actually goes into sleeves. They're awesome to look at. So much detail! I am not sure I could sit still so often and so much! I just have 7 small ones.. lol
• United States
6 Jan 08
So far I have had 6 different sessions,working on the larger pieces (you can see some of them by going to my profile). It's usually around 6-7 hours each time (about 4.5-5 hours of actual tattoo time). Still have lots to do to fill in the gaps
1 person likes this
• Indonesia
5 Jan 08
I think tattoo is pretty cool. But I don't have one. Im quite moody. So Im afraid if I getting one, I can't get it erased when I get bored. I don't think of it as a self mutilation but I think I agree with the self expression. Self expressions through drawing..on your body. As long as people don't have tattoo all over their body coz it will lost its beauty..it's even turn out into scary and people can think that u're escaping from prison. Or criminal.
2 people like this
• Indonesia
5 Jan 08
Personally I have no objection with people having tattos. I even admire when I saw someone have one or two in them. Because it's like a lifetime commitment for me. And I don't think I don't have that kind of guts to have one. I completely realized that not all people in prison or criminals have tattos. And I didn't say that when someone have tattos means that they are a criminal or ex-prison. What I was trying to say is most of people still identified tattos with criminals.
2 people like this
@fairyanny (363)
• China
6 Jan 08
Not at the moment,but I donn't think I will have one in the future.Just because I am afraid of the pain.My old sister has one ,I asked whether it felt pain ,she smiled at me:not at all .But , I still cann't stand it.
1 person likes this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
Well everyone has a different tolerance for pain. I know people that can get one and don't even feel it, they say it tickles. Others, well, they never get the tattoo finished because they say it hurts too much. Just another way that illustrates how different everyone is! Thanks for the reply!
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
I feel the same way... more annoying... like a bad rash? LOL. The occassional little surge of almost pain but it's over just as soon as it starts. I think I might be able to fall asleep, depending on where on my body I was being worked on.
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
6 Jan 08
LOL my husband fell asleep when he was getting his done on his chest LOL I was floored..Tats don't hurt to me they're more of an annoiance than anything but theres no way I'd be able to fall asleep during one LOL
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Jan 08
It's definitely art and people have the right to do it no matter how many they have. A lot of tattoos have personal and sentimental meaning to them.
1 person likes this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
I agree with that. I have a very sentimental tattoo on my back in memory of my brother. I told my mom when I was 11 years old that I wanted to get it, and when I was 18 my mind hadn't changed. Now, almost 8 years later I still feel the same way.
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
I have my "in memory" tattoo on my lower back. I have a sun on my upper left back and a moon on my upper right back. I have a tribal design with purple roses around my right ankle. I have my zodiac sign on my left ankle. A frog, which kinda has it's own sentimental value on my left foot, and another small sun moon and heart design on my right foot. I like all of mine, don't regret any of the seven, and yet I can hide them all if I want to!
• United States
6 Jan 08
I think thats great, I also have a sentimental tattoo in memory of my grandmother. What kind of tattoos do you have?
1 person likes this
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
6 Jan 08
For the most part I am a firm believer that tats ARE in fact a form of art and expression..HOWEVER there are those few ppl who get them to be "cool" or "because so and so got one" which to be perfectly honest, drives me up the wall especially when a few yrs down the road they regret what they've done and whine about it AND take the position that tats are stupid, a mistake etc etc..LOL whatever I suppose.. I DO have tats, only two right now..had them for about 8 yrs or so and I WILL be getting more as soon as money allows :-D Do I still like them? Yes I do..Both are small and on my upper left arm..the ones I'll be getting in the future will be considerably larger and in various places on my body..The end result will be my body being my lifes storybook....
1 person likes this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
Well I think it's great that you are getting ones that you put a lot of thought into and you are still happy with. I think that is the point. I don't like those who just get them just to get them either!
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
6 Jan 08
I think there are some beautiful tattoos out there. However, I would never get one. I don't want to mark myself with a bunch of ink that is going to be on my body permanently. Nor would I want to go through the pain of getting one to begin with. And I hate wasting money on myself, so that would be another reason why I wouldn't get one. IF I were to get one, I would get the temporary type as those at least wash off. I've had a few of these and always liked the fact that I can change the tattoo any time I want and it hardly costs anything! I love it!
1 person likes this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
I agree there are definitely some beautiful ones out there. It's amazing how much detail goes into some of them... and to think they people with them had to sit there to get all of it done! It takes time! I used to get the temporary ones... those were fun! But once I got a real one I must say I was hooked! At any rate, a friend of mine had two of them that only show up under a black light. Interesting. You really had to STUDY his bare arm up close to tell there was anything there once it healed... but under a black light it was REALLY bright!
@Zelmarq (12607)
• Cebu City, Philippines
6 Jan 08
I am afraid of needles and surely tattoos wont be for me.
1 person likes this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
I am sorry about your fear of needles. That is never fun. Although I can tell you that it is different getting a tattoo than say, a piercing, or a shot. Everyone is different though. Thanks for the reply!
@eyewitness (1575)
• Netherlands
6 Jan 08
i have a tattoo, the chinese letter S on my "underbelly" i love it, i don't have it that long, like 4 months or so. but i still love it and i don't think i'll ever regret it. my bestfriend is making one for me, she's a real good artist and she knows how to draw so i'm letting her make one for me. it's gonna be a butterfly for on my enkle, it stands for freedom and love. i don't think tattoo's are a form of self-mutilation. i think it's something to make you body prettier. and if people want tattoo's, sure they have to think about it very good, but i think that it's there problem if they don't like it, and that if they want one, go for it. :)
1 person likes this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
Thanks for the reply! I feel the same way!
@eyewitness (1575)
• Netherlands
6 Jan 08
I think it depends on the person as an individual.Most people take tattoo's because they like them or because they want to have a symbol for their loved ones. But i don't know if you can call it self-mutilation for those who are depressed or actually are mutilating thereselves maybe it is self mutilation when they take tattoo's but i don't think there are lot of people who do that.
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
I don't think that people get them to purposefully "mutilate" themselves... I think that people without tattoos sometimes tend to judge people with tattoos and view it as self mutilation. I really don't agree with getting your significatn other's name tattooes on you. I feel it is bad luck... lol. But I am all for childrens names or in memory of tats.
@garnet80 (349)
• Australia
6 Jan 08
I'm not that big on tattoos. I don't mind looking at them and if any prefer the ones that are only black not the ones with colours in them as they fade from what I've seen. And the other thing is they look better on the body where you can cover them up if need be. But everyone to their own I think.
1 person likes this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
Yes, everyone has their own preferences I think. I know a lot of people, including a tattoo artist who doesn't think that any color should go into a tattoo, and she has been doing it for years. However, everyone is different. I do agree with you on having them somewhere that can be covered though... that is only because the profession I am in... you really need to be able to cover them.
@dianne17k (587)
• Philippines
5 Jan 08
i think tattoos are an artform, expressing one's individuality. I don't have any though I'd want one as soon as I come up with a unique and really cool design, something I won't regret being on me until I die. There are down points to having tattoos; you can't donate blood.
1 person likes this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
Yeah, I think it is important to be happy with the tattoo that you have, I definitely agree with that. I know too many people who get one just to get one, and even just a few years later they hate it and regret that they even got it in the first place. However, you can still donate blood with a tat. You just have to wait at least a year after you get it done.
1 person likes this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
Oh wow! I know here where I am it is only one year. I just hit the one year mark not long ago...
• Philippines
6 Jan 08
Here in the Philippines, you have to wait at least 5 years before donating blood. I know this because my friend got sick and needed a blood transfusion. Her Dad and sister had the same blood type but weren't allowed to donate even though their tattoos were done about 3 years prior to that.
1 person likes this
@mrsjbelle (1640)
• United States
6 Jan 08
I think tattoos are an art form. I like them. I have 2 and would like to get maybe 2 more. The last ones I got I was 18 so that was 13 yrs ago lol.
1 person likes this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
Thanks for the reply! Hopefully all goes well when you get your next two!
• United States
5 Jan 08
In response to what you asked earlier...of course I have my ears pierced also and would like a few more in my ears..LOL...I guess I dont consider my ears as a part of my face! :)
1 person likes this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
haha, well hey... I get that! Thanks for clearing that up! HAHA
• United States
5 Jan 08
i think they're alright but its going to be a little ridiculous in the near future when everyone's grandpa has full sleeves.
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
6 Jan 08
yeah, I have actually thought about that, and it will be kinda strange. And you watch, in the future tattoos are going to be just as outdated to future generations as... oh i don't know... stuff our parents did is to us!