tattoos

[salixbabylon]

tellingasecret asked what my thoughts are on tattoos...

Conflicted. I like them overall. I especially like ones with some kind of meaning.

I'm not overly fond of the full-sleeves or other large pieces, but sometimes they can be interesting. Mostly I just wish the people getting tattoos would be more mindful of what they get inked and why. I think treating permanent body modification as jewelry is foolish, and since I live in a college town, I see an awful lot of that. I also have a friend who has gone through having a tattoo removed and one covered over, so I know that it's not a simple process to get rid of it later.

On the other hand, I love seeing ink that has a meaning and talking to people about why they got that design and what it means for them. I've heard some interesting stories that way, and people open up about personal things, that they would otherwise keep hidden.

I have one small tattoo, myself. I plan to get another one someday, when I meet my goal. ;)

Comments

[tellingasecret.livejournal.com]

I fully agree with everything. Tattoos are (mostly) forever, so get something meaningful. I'm sort of sick of the cliched sparrows, nautical stars, etc., especially if they have no meaning and you're getting them just to be "cool".

I'm still saving to get my first one, which will be small. I want to see if I can tolerate the pain before going for something bigger.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

My tat is about 2 inches by 1 inch and just line-art, a graphic symbol. It's on my upper thigh/hip and it didn't hurt a bit. Like, I was all ready for it to hurt, and it didn't and I was in fact a little disappointed.

My friends have said it's all about location and infill - bony or soft areas tend to hurt, as do "closed" designs. YMMV, of course. ;)

[tellingasecret.livejournal.com]

I knew bony areas hurt, but I didn't think soft areas did. I'm planning mine for my wrist, so I'm a little worried about the pain.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

It probably depends on the design and the artist and your own pain thresholds. To me, it felt like fingernails scratching an itch - not painful in any way at all, although I could see that repeatedly going over the same area might start to hurt. YMMV. ;)