I'm constantly talking about getting a tattoo, but I don't think I ever really will. I'm a chicken of the pain and I'm afraid I'll regret it years from now.

What do you think of tattoos? Art or self-mutiliation? Do you have one? Want one? What would you get and where?

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2000

Answers

I have 2 tattoos and I love them. I've never regretted them. The pain is really not that bad. Some areas will hurt more than others, but the places mine are (lower back and ankle) weren't bad at all.

The thing to beware of: tattoos are very addictive. If you get one you will want more.

One thing I've noticed is that people with tattoos always want to talk about them, so asking them about their tattoos is a good way to meet people.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2000

My roommate got one a couple of months ago and she loves it. However, when people ask her if it hurt, she's like,"Yeah, it hurt like hell." I personally never get one. I'm an actor, so it'd be like wearing the same hat as every character I played. Chances are, the hat's not going to work for every character. Nor would a tattoo.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2000

I like the idea of tattoos. The only thing that stops me from getting one, is that I always wonder how it will look when I'm eighty.

I did see this thing on The Learning Channel the other night on body art (tattoos, piercing, scarring). It was very interesting to watch, and most of the stuff was done very tastefully, I thought, but I couldn't help but get chills everytime I saw someone's skin getting penetrated.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2000

Joy, it took me eight years to decide about the tattoo issue. I just got mine two months ago, and I don't regret it at all. I made sure to put it somewhere that weight loss or gain wouldn't affect too much - my shoulder. It did hurt, but it was over quickly (only 15 minutes for a fairly complex but small design). Getting my lips waxed for the first time hurt much worse. While I don't regret it and I'm happy I finally got it, I could've lived the rest of my life just fine without it. I suppose I expected some earth-shattering transformation after I got it, but I'm still the same old me.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2000

I totally agree with the "once you start it's addictive" comment. I got my tattoo over two years ago, as a bonding experience with my two roommates, and I'm constantly thinking about where I could put another one. My dilemma is that I can't have it anywhere that might show at work (I'm a lawyer -- not all clients are receptive to tattooed lawyers), and I have a VERY LOW pain tolerance. The one I have now is on the lower right side of my back. There was enough fat/muscle to absorb most of the pain, but the closer the needle got to my side, the more it hurt. I don't think I could do one right over a bone (which supposedly hurts more). As for the pain, it really was more of a burning/stinging sensation. If you know your own tolerance, your gut will probably tell you if you can stand it or not just by watching someone else get done. As long as that someone else isn't a buffed out already much marked tough guy. Although, sometimes they too cry (hee-hee). As for regret, though, you just have to be careful of placement. Stomaches are out if you ever hope to have kids, as are breasts. Asses also tend to travel southward as the years go by. And, if in 30 or 40 years the tattoo doesn't look right, laser surgery can remove it (unless you get red ink, for some reason I just didn't understand when my tattoo artist tried to explain it -- hey, I'm not a science goddess).

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2000

I got a tattoo almost a year ago. No regrets, I love it.

I had been thinking about getting one for at least two years, but couldn't think of exactly what I wanted. Then, I had an epiphany one day of exactly what I wanted (a full bodied goddess figure with her arms held up to the sky) and still sat and thought on it for a year so I could know I was sure.

I went to a tattoo artist who had done all 5 of a friend's tattoos, took her a simple drawing, she refined it, and we did it that day.

It is on my right side, pretty much on my ribs. It hurt like hell. It is pretty close to the bone there. Even my tattoo artist who has them all over said she won't get one there because it hurts too bad. I must have a high tolerance for pain because it hurt pretty badly (I could feel the vibration all the way up my arm), but it wasn't unbearable.

And yes, they are addictive. I want another one, I just have to think of what I want.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2000

i got my first tattoo (and they did a really shitty job) when i was 18- right (back) shoulder. only last year did i design a new tatto and had it put over the old one. looks much better. in the in-between time, i got a rose on my hip (pun intended, or course), a cool little design on my ankle, and an indian arm band on my left bicep. there was also a belly button piercing (never healed, so i took it out), and a nose ring (which i adore, as i don't wear much jewelry).

it is a terribly addictive process. the pain is there, but it's a "good pain" (except for the belly button). my sisters have both gotten one (the younger one got a fake id to get hers on her ass), and for my dad's 50th birthday two years ago, we gave him a "hot stuff" little devil on his bicep- something he talked about forEVER, so we were all about putting his money where his mouth was. (i've never seen him look more out of place than a tattoo shop in tampa, fl. well, at the indigo girls concert i took him to, he was squirming. i didn't realize they were lesbians until we were at the concert. big mistake.)

i say go for it. you never know when you're going to get hit by a bus.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2000

I think that if you get a tatoo, or any permanent body altering stuff, you should really think about what you want. I know a guy who has all kinds of peircings (massive studs in his ears) and a bunch of really bad tatoos in really visible places-- one is a swastika near his right thumb. You have to think about what this will look like when you're older, or if you're trying to get a job. I've been thinking of a tatoo, too, because I've seen some very nice stuff out there-- my ex-roommate has this really cool butterfly on her ankle. When you look really close, you can see that the markings on the butterfly's wings make a tiger face. Really cool. If I did get one, I'd get something like that. But I'd make sure it was something that I would like when I was 80 and that it was somewhere that isn't going to sag someday.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2000

I have a pretty sizeable (watermelon sized) tattoo on my upper back. It's an elaborate tattoo and took about one year's worth of 2-3 hour sessions every two weeks. THe pain wasn't so awful except on the shoulder blades, which made my skull vibrate and I felt like I was going to go insane. I found that the more I could just relax and not tense up, the less it hurt.

I completed the tattoo about 8 months ago. Some days I love it, and some days I absolutely hate it - like when complete strangers (or the dentist, doctor, grocery clerk, etc.) come up to me and pull at the neck of my shirt to see the full picture. (the top of the tattoo shows above my t-shirt on my neck) They really do that, and most of them want to touch it too, for some reason. They never ask permission, either! It's very disturbing. I mean, they are looking down my shirt!! Can I have some personal space, please?

Kaela, I believe, mentioned that people with tattoos like to talk about them. I hate talking about the actual picture I have tattooed. I think it's because I picked such a personal piece. I wouldn't have it any other way, but I still don't like to have to explain it all the time. I think that part, also, was fun only for the first five months or so. Now, I don't want to talk about it. It's just a part of my body.

I do like to talk about the process of tattooing however, as I enjoy it very much. I even contemplated becoming a tattoo artist myself. They are very addicting, and I do want more but I doubt if I will actually get any. Not for awhile, at least. Otherwise I would most likely end up covered from head to toe. I have to pace myself.

I think it's interesting that everyone keeps mentioning what their tattoo will look like at 80 years old...When I'm 80 with grey hair and my tits sagging down to my knees, I highly doubt if I will give a f*ck about this tattoo on my back. Ya know? It'll be terribly faded by then anyway...

I'd like to stress the point that it is very important to do your research about the artist who is going to be tattooing you. Don't just walk into some random shop. Make sure the person really knows what they are doing. You'd be surprised how many incompetent tattoo artists there are out there.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2000

I decided this weekend to FINALLY get a tat.

I've been wanting one, but I'm such a ween.

My friend is here from Germany...her hubby is stationed there...and I think we're going to get one together.

We graduated high school with a guy that owns a shop in Wichita Falls....in Texas 'cause they aren't legal in Oklahoma, so he's going to do them for us.

I was thinking about getting a little daisy on my hip or maybe a little ladybug on my foot.

But now that someone mentioned the weight gain part and I do hope to have children some year, I dunno if the hip is such a wise decision.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2000

I adore tattoos, I have 3 so far, with several designs I'm working on. It wasn't that painful to me. I do have a high pain tolerance though. If you want one go for it. Just make sure the shop you use is a good one. Ask them about safety procedures, if they don't use an autoclave for sterilization walk away. Look over several artists portfolios.

Choose an artist who's style is similar to what you want. They should have pictures of past tattoos for you to look over. Look for crisp lines, proper shading, and complete coverage of ink.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2000

Attempts to govern and change personal appearance have always fascinated me. Regardless of form, be it clothes, cosmetics, adornments, or even stronger means like body building or altering appearance surgically, I find it interesting.

The interest may not be practical, as I have somehow, over the last decade, lost the art of wearing adornments. My hair and clothes are fair play, but nothing unnecessary, be it make up or anything more substantial, must be against my skin. I even do not wear my wedding ring any more.

I take out the bangles or necklaces occasionally, I feel tempted by the shells, animal fangs, bits of stone, wood or amber yet I cannot make myself to wear anything.

An impish accident led me into the topic above. I had asked my son to scan a photo for me and he, mumbling under his nose,

"You sure have a talent for lousy timing ! I am so busy right now!"

 pushed the button as soon as the picture touched the surface, so, to my surprise, scanning a picture of my palm along the smiling face of NestEgg.

The scar that makes my middle finger crooked can be noticed on the image of my right palm.

Funny, I do know it is there, it has been there since 1966,after all. I may even use the scar as a point of reference when agitated - I have never learned to tell my right hand without touching the scar or even turning my palms up before giving any directions like "Turn right on the next crossroad!" - yet I haven`t actually "seen" it for a long time.

And from that I smoothly reached into my attitude towards scars and tattoosand so on.

As I do love scars. Not the angry red ones or the ones surrounded with excess proud flesh yet even those have the appeal of the secret story attached. I like the way the scar tissue feels hard and smooth under my touch

Tattoos, from other side, leave me uninterested. And I blame Jules Verne!

"The children of captain Grant" was the very first book I read. And the paragraphs before the last one go like :

" Jacques Paganel had been tattooed from toes to shoulders by the Maoris during his three days captivity; on his chest he wore a picture of a kiwi bird with wings spread, pecking at his heart.

That was the only event of the journey Paganel never could find consolation from and which he never forgave to New Zealand. The many invitations and his own wishes notwithstanding, that was the reason he never returned to France. He was afraid he would make the whole Geographic Society look ridiculous, if the caricaturists and tabloids would choose the freshly tattooed secretary of the Society as target of their ridicule."

So I feel like it is not too great sin for me to be a bit prejudiced

Do you agree with me, that a cute scar can be an ornament, while a tattoo is just a misfortune?

Lelulugu

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2000

I agree that once you get one, you immediately start thinking about the next one. And once you get that one, you start thinking bigger..

I have scars on my body I didn't ask for, one from a botched-birthmark-removal, so no particular good stories around it. These are images I do ask for. I thought about them for along time before committing and I love them.

regarding how they'll look when you're 80. Damn, my whole BODY will be blurry by then, I can't afford to be worrying about that kind of thing. Tats age, you age, aging is natural. I'm looking forward to being a crazy ol' lady with tons of ink..

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2000

As long as it's something you'll want around forever...

As for me, my tastes change too much. It's not that I think getting a tattoo would be a horrible evil, but I know I'll end up disliking it later.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2000

I was thinking of getting one a while back until my wife axed the idea, saying that it would be a bad idea while the kids were still at that impressionable age and might do something stupid to be more like Dad.

I looked around on the web and found several good pages giving advice, the high points of which were, in no particular order:

Shop around. Visit several different shops. If a place seems creepy or grosses you out, that's not a place for you.

Ask to see a portfolio. If the artist isn't proud enough of his work to have one, leave.

Ask the artist what kind of work he loves to do. Ask what he hates to do.

See if the artist is willing to draw the outline on using permanent markers so you can get kind of an idea what it'll be like having the tattoo there.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2000

I'd say, if you've wanted a tattoo for a while, and you have weighed the pros and cons and are sure you won't change your mind, go for it. I have two -- one on my upper arm, and one on my ankle. The one on my arm didn't hurt at all -- it really just felt like someone was snapping me with a rubber band -- mildly annoying, that's all. The one on my ankle, however, really hurt. A lot. But then, the skin is thinner and more sensitive, the closer you get to the bone. If you really want one, and you have a design that you love, then it's more than worth it. Just make sure the tattoo artist is clean, and make him (or her) show you exactly how they sterilize their equipment, and make sure they open fresh needles and ink in front of you. And don't drink beforehand, or they will refuse to work with you (or should, if they're reputable.)

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2000

Can't really add anything else to this subject - all has been said already. Don't worry so much about the pain. You get used to it after the first 5 minutes. Note: Reputable tattoo parlors won't do the job if you've been drinking.

I think tattoos, in moderation, are pretty sexy. On the shoulder blade, belly, small of the back or near the cleavage, is real nice on women.

I've got two, 2x2 inches each, tattoos on my left arm, between the bicep & tricep. I don't regret it. One's a tribute to my grandfather, in fact.

I'd like to get another tattoo some day. Thinking of a dolphin or tiger. Maybe to go on my other arm or on my back.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2000

I keep thinking about it, but can't quite bring myself to do it. I'm Jewish, and while it's not exactly forbidden under Jewish law, it's _very_ taboo. I had back surgery at 15, and as a result I have a long thin scar down the middle of my back. It starts a few inches above my sacrum, and runs to a few inches below my neck, and I keep thinking how much fun it would be to have a zipper pull tattooed there. I can't bring myself to violate to the taboo though.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2000

i got a tattoo about two years ago, and i still love it. i had similair fears before i got mine - i worried about growing to dislike it when i got older, but after several years of thinking about it, i went with something i've always loved - fall leaves, because autumn has always been my favorite season and i've always loved the look of leaves. i don't think that's something that will ever change in me... i've loved them since i can remember.

they are addictive, i've wanted another since i got this one. it didn't hurt as much as i expected it would. mind is on my upper arm... some places are supposed to hurt more. next i would like one small of my back, but i've heard it will be worse. women do have a higher threshold of pain, however, so keep that in mind.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2000

I have had mine for 10 years now, and regret it not at all, ever. It is very tasteful and people comment on it all the time. No one from work even knows I have one. I always wear a dress or shirt to cover it up, besides deciding on what to get it is important to think about where you want it on your body. I am so happy that I didn't get one for the whole world to see, and whoever gets to see it loves it because I am the least likely person they would ever think would have one. Didn't hurt a bit.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2000

Why is everybody worried about forever?

People change as they grow older--most people lug around a few trinkets and a couple of tattered photographs to remind them of their past.

I have a tattoo.

The small, dollar-coin sized star I have near my left hip-bone is like a date-stamp. I remember the day I got it, I remember the friend I went with, I remember the smell of the parlour, I remember what it felt like--and I remember the person I was then.

If you look at it that way you'll never regret it. Everybody gets tired of their design eventually, no matter how much thought went into it. But you'll never tire of your memories or the endless reflections those memories can prompt about the journey you've taken to your present self.

And the pain? ... my tattoo artist described it perfectly. You ever been scratched by a cat? It's like a slow, smooth, cat-scratch.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2000

I'm definately addicted. I had a roomie who got a tattoo when he went to Australia, I guess because it was his first time in the southern hemisphere (I guess it was his version of the tradition of piercing the ear when one crosses the equator). He advised living with a design for at least a year before getting the tat. I didn't hang it on the wall where I'd see it everyday, but I thought about it for two years. I knew I wanted to get a yin yang, but I didn't want to get a plain one that anyone could walk in and get. I wanted something unique.

I finally decided to just do it and made an appointment. When I looked at the artists' books, the idea came into my head and I went home and did a really, really rough sketch. It's a panda bear with the yin yang incorporated into it's markings. It has always been my favorite animal because it's so cute & lazy and yet so big & fierce. I even named my dog Pando when I was five; he was a black and white husky. Some of the symbolism is obvious -- I'm black and white myself. I got it to symbolize balance, because that is what I was trying to find in my life at the time.

I took the sketch (plus the World Wildlife Foundation panda) back with my deposit and the receptionist asked around to see which artists were available the time and day I wanted. I heard a guy exclaim from the back, "that's a cool tattoo, I'd totally do it!" and I knew that was the one for me. I'd heard from a friend who had 7 that some artists didn't give a shit about you if you weren't getting full-color sleeves. Since this design meant a lot to me and would be on my body forever, I wanted an artist who would take it as seriously as I did. I had wanted a woman, since it was so close to my breast, but I didn't like the woman artist's portfolio.

I got lucky. I nearly backed out when I got there and heard the buzzing of the needles. I had asked a friend to meet me, but he didn't get there until it was nearly done; I'm glad, because it seemed like something I needed to face on my own (fear of pain). I felt like a real dipshit worrrying about pain when I met the artist, who face was burned badly. He was a tiny, energetic guy and looked like he just stepped off his skateboard. I almost wanted to card him.

He was really cool about redrawing/sizing the design over and over again, which was very cool. He explained the whole process to me, told me the most important thing was the breath and relax. If I seized up, it would hurt more. Also, he let me know I should tell him to take a break if I needed to. I didn't need to, the pain wasn't so bad, like going to the dentist -- once in a while there was a tender spot. He asked every few minutes if I was OK. He had really small hands and a very light touch. My much-tattooed friend told me some of the artists she'd gone to were very heavy-handed and dug in deeper than necessary. I didn't do any of the right things, but sort of fell into something good. Even the price was right, he didn't charge me over the $50 minimum I'd already paid for the deposit. I gave him a little extra and you'd think it was a $100 tip. He was just sweet.

Oddly enough, it was the day of the Chinese New Year parade and my friend and I got stuck in traffic on the way to DT (I lived in SF at the time).

I just got my second one in March. I was leaving NY and realized (a day after I had planned to leave and with my packing not going well) that I hadn't been tattooed in NY. After the first one, I did get addicted and decided to pace myself by only getting tats in each city I lived in. Just before my cross-country trip, I was telling my ex-boss this and he didn't let me finish the sentence and thought I meant every city I was about to travel to! His mouth dropped open.

The second one is also a design I've been swishing around in my brain for a while. One of the people posting on a fan site for my favorite movie (Harold & Maude) said her tattoo was of a sunflower and a daisy, which figure prominently in the movie. For me, this movie is really full of lessons and spirituality, so it's not a surprise I'd want something associated with the movie. Again, I didn't want to get just a regular sunflower that anyone could pick off the wall in the tattoo parlour or the exact one this woman had.

That extra day in New York it popped into my head how I wanted it. It is in the shape of a woman's symbol, with the center of the flower hollow and the leaves pointing straight out, like a cross. At the last minute, I added NYC and the date to the tat, which is my only regret. I would like to change the date (at the bottom) into a little daisy patch, since I'd like to incorporate daisies into the design anyway.

As for the artist, I went to the only studio I knew of for sure, I was in a rush. It was near where I first stayed when I was moving to NY, in the East Village. Perfect. He's really bright and was patient like the first. He asked who did the other one and not only did he know and respect the first artist, he wants to get a tat from him, but hasn't had the time when he's been in San Francisco. I like that the two tats were done by guys who know and respect each other, it makes them connected.

I realized after getting the sunflower, because it's multi-colored, that I haven't got anything with any red in it and it's my favorite color. I am thinking about getting a perfectly round, red balloon, just like in The Red Balloon, the movie. Anyone else remember that? I loved that film as a kid. Also, a friend of mine who got his yin yang with two dolphins said he had imagined my panda sitting on it's butt, with the yin yang on it's belly, so there's another I'd like to have, maybe with some bamboo in its paw. When I returned to my hometown and my mom's house, I discovered there's a tattoo parlour two blocks away, so I won't be resisting the urge for very long.

You can see both of my tats in this picture.

One thing I didn't realize when I got the panda is that it's like some Magic Eye thing. People either see the panda, or the yin yang, or the letters, PJ (definately not intentional, though they are my favorite cousin's initials). They turn their heads and try to figure it out. Their faces light up when they finally see the whole picture. I never intended that, but it's made it more fun. I chose that spot for the lack of stretching and ability to hide or show, but it turns out that I can also make the panda dance. : )

I apologize for being so long-winded, but this thread really made me reflect where I was then and am now. I agree that tattoos can be a way to mark passages. It's not for everyone. Even I have my doubts when I see people with cartoon characters (though I might consider Underdog myself). I saw this woman in the airport with Beavis and Butthead and I just can't imagine she'll be happy about that in a few years. I went out with a guy who had a tat, I can't remember what the genre is called, but it is made to look like his skin is peeled back, exposing a robotic skeleton of his hand. It's really well done, but he did regret getting it in a place where he couldn't hide it. I'm glad about where I placed mine -- I can cover or show them very easily. I wouldn't want one on my ass or anywhere I couldn't see it, because I got them for me.

Anyone else have pictures online?

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2000

I have two tattoos. one is a tiny (about 1" high) butterfly on the inside of my right ankle, and the other is a bigger (6" long) hummingbird with a long tail on the base of my spine. the butterfly didn't hurt, but the hummingbird hurt like hell. I was holding my boyfriend's hand at the time I got the bird done, and HE was practically in tears... guess I'm stronger than I thought. :) people don't expect me to have any tattoos, so they're usually quite shocked when they see my butterfly or the top of my bird from the edge of my pants.

make sure you want the design. I'm 19, and I thought about my tattoos for a while before I got them cause I don't want to be all saggy and gross when I'm older. the tattoo place I went to for both was clean and reputable, and I'm very satisfied with their work. if you don't trust the place, or the artist, go somewhere else!

Erica (I think?) asked for pictures...

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

oops. screwed up the bird.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

Erica, good move to ask for the pictures, yeah!
I'm thinking of getting one for as long as I can remember, say since I'm 8 or something.
I think I just discovered the design I want, it took me that long, and I'm still unsure about it.
I don't want to make any mistake, you see, as I know it is forever and all.. It is probably one of the attractive points of the tattoo to me: I've always loved rituals and symbolic stuff, full of meaning and all.
Also for a long time I was looking for anything that could have helped me to feel really unique and special [you can call me insecure, that's ok with me].

Anyway i haven't done it yet, ad like Erica i know for sure that I want them in a place I can look at, which eliminates the back and shoulders.
Maybe one of you can answer the question: Is it possible to get one on the inside of a hand?
I want something really tiny, probably not more than an inch square [or smaller], could I get that on the fat part of my palm, below the thumb?
I guess a professionnal could tell me, but since you know so much, I thought I could ask...

One day I'll make up my mind and go looking foe a cool parlor, probably in Amsterdam [they all look very clean and clinical and open] or Paris [that's MY town and the parlors there are appealing to me].
Anyway thanks for listening to me babble. If anyone has an answer to my thumb question... Thanks for sharing even more!

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

Anat:

Most tattoo artists in my hometown (in Canada) won't do hands at all. They cite a couple of reasons, one being that they are impossible to hide there and two, that the art degrades very quickly there.

I know a couple of people who've got them on their hands (they had tattoo artist wannabe friends) and they start to look bad about a year after they're done. Fingers, the inside of the hand, the thumb... anything that moves that much and stretches so often is BAD (feet can be a bad idea for the same reason). Your wrist, on the other hand, could be an option -- if you're not thinking you'll want to hide it from other people later in your life...

Mine is on the side of my tummy, near my left hip bone. I can show it off if I'm wearing low-riding pants, I can see it whenever I want, but I can hide it easily, too. Plus, a friend of mine has one there, and when she was pregnant it did't stretch.

Good luck.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

I've seen some remarkable skin art, but it's not for me.

Same reasons most people cite (except that I'm not squicked by the prospect of pain at all):

1. My body will change, and if I, for example, got a butterfly on my ass, I want it to stay there, and not end up somewhere on the back of my thigh when I'm 60.

1.a. I've seen older people with tattoos and it ain't that pretty at all.

1.b. When I was younger, there were several types of people who got tattoos: felons / juvies, hardcore bikers, some military personnel and (albeit involuntary) Holocaust survivors. I don't associate tattoos with my current lifestyle, despite their trendiness. Anything that limits my options in life in some way is not for me.

1.c. Did I say "trendiness"? Well, yeah, I confess that I still think they're trendy and since it's still prohibitively expensive to reverse the process (and it might scar, to boot), I'm not up for it.

2. My tastes evolve and change and so there's no design I'd pick that I'd stay happy with. Screw regrets. If I want a design on my body, I'll henna it on or something. Generally, though, I've tired even of henna designs before they wear off. I just don't like being restricted, even by the art on my body. That's a quirk of personality, I suppose, that I see it as limiting my self-expression.

2.a. I'm an artist myself, so I'd feel compelled to design my own, and there's no way the artist would match my work well enough to please me. Also, I wouldn't know how to design a design that would work best on skin rather than paper and am not interested in delving that deeply into it since I don't plan to follow through and get one.

3. I have no issues with hair art or most piercings. They are (mostly) reversible. (Huge plugs in lips and earlobes that stretch the skin = ucky (IMHO) and I know tongue piercing is 'hot' and 'hip', but your tongue is trying to tell you it doesn't want stuff in there when it impedes normal functions like talking, eating, etc.--and it is also trying to tell you something when it heals up almost instantly after you take a stud out too long: Mr. Tongue no like metal bolt going through him.) I can see myself getting pierced like a pincushion (but I'm not prone to keloids or thick scars, and I'd be leery of piercings if I were) and doing funky shit to my hair (it grows back, usually), but I can't see getting a tattoo. Go figure.

3.a. Note that I'm not using the obnoxious argument that "if G-d had intended us to have holes there, she'd have given us some" as I think it's a stupid argument and I don't truck with it. You want a hole, go for it. Hopefully it will heal up so you won't have a huge third nostril hole when you're eighty.

4. I've seen some bad tattoos. Those are 'self-mutilation'. I've also had more than one person tell me they regret such and such a piece of body art. An acquaintance got a huge four-leaf clover on her bicep and it looked awful...and it mocks her, because she's the original hard luck woman to a T, and a lot of her hard luck is due to bad decision making. Perhaps if I hadn't seen bad ones or heard so many horror stories, I'd be a tad more open to the concept for me.

4.a. I've also seen some incredibly beautiful body work, and that is 'art'. In the end, you have to do what you think you'll be least likely to feel bad about in the long run. If you're doing it for you, then go for it. I just suspect that it wouldn't occur to us to get body art for ourselves if we didn't see other people with it. As such, I have issues with how "original" it is, at times. If you'd do it even if no one but you would ever see it, that's important. If you're doing it because it's 'cool' and 'radical' and 'cutting edge', and/or because you want to impress other people in some way, then don't do it. I'll never think better or worse of you if you have body art, but I might question your ability to think for yourself if it isn't particularly stunning body art...like the Beavis & Butthead one cited above.

Your mileage will definitely vary, I'm sure, but you asked for opinions...

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

I got my first tattoo when I was 17 (back of left shoulder), and my second (large tribal sun around belly-button) at 19. I'm now 25, and oh so tired of them. I still get a lot of attention for the one on my stomach, people think it's really cool. I'm getting married next year, and I keep thinking about what it will look like when I get pregnant. I'm afraid to start thinking about what it will look like post-partum! I'm very small(24-inch waist) with a flat stomach, I think I'm definitely going to stretch. Removing them is really expensive, and may scar. Think it out thoroughly, make sure you're ok with having this mark for the rest of your life. At 17, I was immortal, I wasn't thinking about my body changing/having babies.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

I work with a lady that just got two tattoos. She is 48 years old. Looks very nice; takes care of herself. She has been asking people for months what they thought of her getting a tattoo. Most told her that she was nuts. She apparently thought they were nuts, and good for her. She loves them and I must admit they look fantastic. She got a chili pepper on her ass cheek, ~sizzle~ and a hummingbird on her pelvic bone placed so that the hummer was drawing nectar from her...flower. Understand? Very cool, and very colorful. I have seen many tats and I have never seen color like this. The artist used some fabulous colors and something that brought it all together that I had never seen before. White. I had no idea that white was used. I know..stupid, but I had just never seen it and it had not occured to me. The white just made the colors sooo vivid. I have been thinking of tattoo designs for awhile, and what I'd like to get. The white has inspired me. I think that I would like to get something painted in an exaggerated Hebrew script in white lettering with black outline. Yeah, that would look good.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

I finally got one tattoo three years ago, and I love it! It's a medieval dagger with a rose around it, and is located just above my left ankle. I got the design from a temporary tattoo I'd been wearing in that very location for several years. It just suddenly seemed like it was time to make it permanent! I definitly want another one, but I'm having a hard time deciding on design and location. I have a site dedicated to my single tattoo: inked : a tattoo odyssey, if you're interested.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

Milla,

My life has been so unbalanced of late, I'm afraid that dancing bear is mocking me, too. The trendy factor is another reason I waited to get my first tat. It was San Francisco in 1995, the tattoo thing had been done to death. I do think I got mine partly a result of seeing other people with them, but I didn't want to just jump on a bandwagon. It was the first time I saw artistic, colorful, beautiful tattoos and started thinking it might be something I'd like to do. It was a really radical notion for me to see something other than the camoflouge green of the aforementioned prison/sailor/Holocaust tattoos.

I forgot to mention the Beavis and Butthead were about 5-6 inches high and on her calf, so anytime she wears a skirt or shorts, everyone's reliving the early '90s. Also in the "Tattoos they'll never live down" department is my boss in college's daughter. She got 2 inch letters across her back. That's one thing and it's perfectly hideable, but the word was jealousy. That was before I moved to San Francisco or even thought of getting any tats, but I vowed then and there that if I ever did, I wouldn't get anything negative (except in balance with something positive, as with my pando). It just seems like something awful to carry around forever, like tempting fate.

I'm totally enjoying this thread. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories, photos and advice.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

I have a tattoo...and I love it! I got it when I was 18 (a butterfly on my hip), and I am planning on getting another one in a few weeks on my 22nd birthday. They are extremely addictive, and I have to put mine in places where they can't been seen by the rest of the world because of work, but I am very proud of my little tattoo and even more proud that I was brave enought to do it.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

i love tatoos. i have but one, and i thought about it for almost a year before i got it. it is one design of my own choosing, and though i did not design it i altered it to fit my tastes. it is a woman in profile with her arms raised holding a crescent moon, over which a pentagram hovers. very beautiful colors, but yes, it did hurt as i got it at the base of my spine...ow. when you do something as permenant as getting a tattoo, just really really REALLY think about it and what you're going to have on your body for the rest of your natural life and who will see it depending on where it is. i love the location of mine, because my super-catholic grandparents don't see it by accident, yet if i want to show it off, i can. i fully endorse tattoos if they have meaning for you.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

Everyone else has given much of the advice I would give so I'll just add on one little thing:

If you are thinking about putting your tattoo in a place that has the potential for exposure (arm, leg, stomach if you are one of those who wears the bare midriffs) I would suggest buying a couple of fake, rub- on tattoos and putting them where you are thinking about having your tattoo placed. I had initially planned on having a tattoo on my upper arm (very close to shoulder) but I did the fake tattoo thing and after about two weeks, I hated it where it was. So, I washed that one off and put another one by my ankle, on the inside of my leg and that spot worked out very well.

It will give you a good idea of possible concealment measures you might have to take and you will also know if you really like the spot or not.

If you get one, I totally agree with everyone else: they are very addictive. No, it doesn't hurt THAT bad (if you go into it thinking it is going to kill you, it definitely will). And think for a good while about your design before you do it. Know your tattoo artist and make sure you review the design before you start.

Enjoy!

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

I got a tattoo several years ago. It took me quite a while to find a design I actually liked - and if you're considering getting one, don't be afraid to find designs in unlikely places. I actually pulled mine off a bedsheet (go figure). They were free-form designs, and I flipped one around, stuffed them closer together, and then added the color. It took the woman about 2 hours to do.

Yeah, it hurt a bit, and the amount of pain also depends on *where* you get it done. I wanted it someplace that wouldn't be exposed when I was dressed 'normal'. As lovely as tattoos are, there is still a stigma attached to them, so you do need to bear that in mind when picking a place.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

Erica-- I think your panda is definitely in the category of "art". :)

I like the yin/yang incorporated into it, especially.

Yeah, ditto on the huge negative word inviting fate...not the best idea...

M

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

Alrighty Erica, you said you wanted to see tattoos so here's mine http://www.chromeohm.com/artists/marty/index.html I'm warning everyone though, that this page takes a few minutes to download. So if that is going to upset you then please don't go. The picture that says "photos" on it is of my back-piece. If you point at it all of the colors are revealed. It's of the goddess of compassion, Tara. I'm a proud momma. After about 24 total hours getting needles scraped across my back for this baby I have earned my bragging rights! :o)

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

Milla,

Thanks, I'm rather fond of Pando (that was my dog's name and also that tattoo's).

I forgot to mention that the jealousy girl was 15 or 16 at the time, so she shouldn't have been able to get a tattoo. I think a friend of a friend did it for her. Her mom was already having lots of teenage drama with her, but that made her cry.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2000

We used to go to tatoo conventions every year, get drunk, and watch all the artists and other freaks. I have a friend who is covered head to toe with tats, even inside his lip (it says fuck off). Ugh. I ended up getting one though, it is a Japanese characture (sp?) for Earth. Kinda cool, shitty job though. I keep meaning to get it covered with soemthing else.

I did get my nipple pierced at one of the shows. Not all that bad really, the hardest thing was the lady clamping the hemostats to my nipple so she could pull on it to insert the needle. So now I have a nice 12 gauge steel ring through my nipple, to this day it still freaks my wife out a bit, but I like it.

To me, tatoos are an individual expression of the being.

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2000

It's not the greatest picture in the world, but you can see my tattoo here.

And I'm hopefully going to check out a tattoo shop here in town tomorrow so that I can get another one done.

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2000

i suggest getting a tattoo for personal reasons only, and create your own- don't pick something off the wall or something you saw in a magazine. pain should not be a factor , the idea of it being on your body for the rest of your life as your body begins to swell and sag should be. yes it hurts, but will you still like it at 63?

for me my tattoos represent times in my life and the places i have gone. some seem a little silly now, but i do not regret any of them. as i said, for me tattoos are very personal, don't ask me about mine.

GOOD TATTOOS AREN'T CHEAP, CHEAP TATTOOS AREN'T GOOD.

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2000

I don't know if it's just me, my generation or the San Francisco influence, but I keep remembering more tattoo stories.

Shortly after I moved to SF, a roomie and I found a bag of money, probably belonging to a drug dealer (OK, maybe it was a tourist who just didn't happen to know any of their friends' last names to put in their phone book). It wasn't enough to make us rich, but as we were both broke from just paying the rent, we thought it was good for a splurge. We thought of getting tattoos, but decided we didn't want that money on our bodies forever, either. Again with the tempting fate. I can't remember what I got with the money, just a bunch of little, random stuff. My roomie got a Swatch with a musical alarm and everytime it went off, I thought of her. ... When I showed the now ex-boss my new tat, he started telling me tat stories (he was so amazed, because he's relatively straight-laced. My pink hair was the source of many questions, though he wasn't against it, per se). One friend of his didn't heed the warning to stay out of the sun. He now has a giant, black ball on the back of his shoulder. Youch.

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2000

I'd just like to mention again how it would probably be best if people got things that made them feel good, brightened their spirits, or something maybe that they've done... it gives you a sense of "one-ness" with your tattoo, because it's a part of you, both figuratively and physically...

i had always wanted to get a tattoo, but i was determined to only get something that i designed and thought represented me or a time in my life...

so, here's mine: http://www.rolereversal.com/pretense/bri_tat.jpg

that was taken about an hour after I had gotten it.. you can tell that it was still bleeding, and what not from where they were filling in the "white" part...

it's been a year and a half since then and i'm still in love with it..

it's on my ribcage area underneath and in between my breasts... it's nicely hidden, and only myself and the one i'm intimate with ever sees it unless someone asks me about it, and then i just hike up my shirt a bit, and show my world to people...

or something close to that.

anyhow...

-b.

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2000

You can see my tattoo here. Unfortunately, the image is huge and the tattoo is just a tiny little turtle.

The turtle is very symbolic for me. I got the tattoo two weeks (just enough time to recover form jet lag!) after I came home from living in Germany for four months. I was very depressed at the time and felt the need to "retreat into my shell." I've had the tattoo for six months now, and it still makes me smile when I catch a glimpse of it in the mirror. It doesn't remind me of being depressed at all - rather it reminds me of a feeling of home.

I definitely want another. Sometime this summer my mother and I are going down and getting the Kanji symbols for our names (our version of "matching" tattoos) - mine, "wisdom" (sonja is Norse for wisdom), on my lower back and hers, "joy" (her middle name) on her ankle. Yeah, tattoos are definitely addictive.

I can't say as the pain is really a factor for me. I've had surgery, and if I can handle post-surgical pain, I can handle a tattoo (which feels a lot like a bee sting).

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2000

Strippers, porn stars, prostitutes, criminals and self harmers. They are the people I know who have tatties and numerous piercings. I am not saying that they are the only ones or that all people who are into tattoo's and piercings are the afore mentioned, but unfortunatly that is my experience due to working in the justice system. I had even considered getting one myself(tattoo) and I have a pierced ear. But I cannot ignore my own unpleasent experiences with the owners/wearers/fans of piercing and tattoo's. On the other hand I have seen some really incredible work although one or two were on dead bodies.

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2000

Oh ya, and I am afraid that nobodys body needs to have work done on it to be original or for beautification. Nothing is more beautiful than someone comfortable with their own (and always very original) self.

"Be good to yourselves and those around you"

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2000

in the past six months i've gone from tattoo free to having two tattooes. i think i got them in some weird frantic attempt to reclaim my body as something i own, in the midst of a divorce. I think the most important thing is not to get something you sorta like, or just started to like....or that grabsyou all of a sudden. think hard about your design...make sure it's something you will *always* love. something you've maybe loved forever (perhaps a favorite flower?)... I designed mine with (i can't draw though) the artist who did them, and ..hell, i don't know, i might hate them ...but i dont' think so. they symbolize something...and the lower back hurt like hell and the upper back didn't hurt much at all. but i saw a woman getting a tattoo while i was getting mine, and she was taking a nap. so...there you have it! (i dunno what *it* is, but you got it!) mine are at http://www.venusburning.com/tattoos.html

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2000

My first tattoo was a birthday present from my stepfather when I turned 18. I got this beautiful dragon on my right shoulder blade and I don't think I will ever regret it. It is like a permenant accessory. The actually needle tattoo bit isn't painful, but I was stuck in the most uncomfortable position for an hour and a half, and that started to hurt quite a bit.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

Long ago a friend and I decided to get tattoos together. We went to the only tattoo parlor in our small town, looked through the books of designs and made appointments. Mine was the day after hers. She ended up getting this huge blue snake on her bicep - she was a beautiful girl, looked like Snow White, and now will never be able to wear short sleeves to a job interview. That was a pretty screwed-up time in her life, and I wonder, wherever she is, if she now regrets getting it. I went for my appointment the next day, still unsure of what design I wanted. The artist had written the time down wrong and was busy with someone else when I got there. I took it as an omen and didn't go back. 8 years later I finally got one as my 30th birthday present to myself. It's a little Krazy Kat (the old George Herriman cartoon, circa 1916) on the outside of my right ankle. It hurt - like hairs being pulled out - but only while the needle actually touched my skin, and not at all afterward. I'm still pleased with it, though it's blurred a bit now. The artist who did my second one knows the guy who did this one, and says he'd probably touch it up for free - so I may do that in a couple of months for my 35th birthday. I just got my second tattoo about a week and a half ago, as my present to myself for finally graduating from college. It's a Chinese transliteration of my family name, 3 characters, in the middle of my upper back (it hurt much less than the ankle - barely felt it at all). My father does a lot of business in China, and when he first went there, they assigned him these characters as his legal name. It's got several personal meanings for me. I took my husband's name when I got married, and this is a way to have my *own* name with me forever. Also, finishing college was very important to me, family- wise. And my dad is the person I admire most in the world - though he doesn't know about this tattoo yet. I don't think he'll disapprove; at least I hope not. I put a lot of thought into each of my tattoos - they're both variations of my name, so in a sense I feel that they're extensions of something that's always been a part of me and will be forever. For that reason, I can't see myself getting tired of them or regretting them. I think it's also important that they're in locations that can easily be either covered up or shown off. If I ever get another (and I might), it'll be to commemorate another personal occasion, but I don't have any plans for that right now.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

Brianna, I love that tattoo. Love it.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

Sonja,

Mother/daughter tattoos? We've come a long way, baby!

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

"Strippers, porn stars, prostitutes, criminals and self harmers". woah, Daniel, maybe you should get out more, or move into some other social circles.. that is, if you think all those people you listed are in some way bad.. No disrespect for sex workers (it's a tough job).. but how about: grad students, artists, musicians, union organizers, restaurant owners, bike messengers, parents, basketball players, professors, massage therapists, psychotherapists, let alone at least half the musicians in any band you might like (okay depending on your taste, maybe), sorority and fraternity members, track stars, djs, lawyers, emergency medical technicians.... or do all these people get defined into your above categories once they get decorated?

of course your body doesn't "need" them, neither does your house "need" pictures on the walls or a vase of flowers. neither do we need to wear anything except a grey sackcloth over our bodies (or maybe a couple if you live somewere cold)..

-trouble, thinking maybe she should lay off the double latte first thing in the morning jitter jitter blammo

http://i.am/troubleathome

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

as long as we're sharing pictures, here are mine:

here and here.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

My friend and I got matching tattoos, on a whim. It hurt a little, but the biggest problem was my laughing; I'm very ticklish, and every time the tattoo artist wiped excess ink from my skin, I giggled. No one can tell what my tattoo is supposed to be. It's supposed to be a tribal flower design, but no one can tell it's a flower. I may add more to the design to "fix" it. I wish I had planned this more carefully. So, I guess you could say I have some regret.

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2000