Orrell Lad wrote:I would recommend you put some serious thought into exactly what you want and go for something unique. Make a note of it and then leave it for a year. If in a year's time it still sounds like a good idea, get it done.

Mintball wrote:– then enjoy the experience as well as as the result (drink a sugary drink before a session – it does help ).

Kelvin's Ferret wrote:Funny enough on holiday in Cornwall last week I was thinking about tattoos down at the swimming pool (it was amongst my less misanthropic thoughts). Partly due to how prevalent they are these days amongst both men and women, but particularly due to the number of heavily tattooed women with the sort of random ink that would once have been associated with crusty old sailors (think Amy Winehouse). I can actually appreciate the art in some well considered and highly personal examples, but some are more like 'body graffiti' than 'body art', and some appeared to have no more thought than the sticky on ones my kids like. Then of course there were the old smudgy ones, like a faded Tweety Pie that might have looked cute on an eighteen year old but looks a bit sad on a forty something. A friend of my wife has spent a fair bit having one removed quite recently, having a random cartoon dayglow fish on her arm obviously seemed cool twenty odd years ago, but now she's a head teacher and had to keep it covered if she wanted to convey gravitas and authority. Now, what people want to do with their bodies is their business not mine, but such permanent body modifications do say a lot about the person making them, so it's probably well worth following Minty's advice and putting some real thought into how it will work for you, rather than just going for something random, generic or something that's en vogue now but might date quite badly later.

LifeLongHKRFan wrote:Totally agree with this. Whenever I wanted a tattoo I always asked my self "Would I still want it in 10 Years?" If the answer was anything but a definite yes then I wouldn't get it. This has also led me to being in my forties and not a having a single tattoo.

DGM wrote:That's my thoughts on it too.

With tattoo's, you either get something personal & considered like Mintball speaks about, or something that's fashionable at the time.

My mate about 12 years ago went for the latter. A huge tribal design down one arm, shoulder and chest, when tribal/celtic designs were all the rage. Looks dreadful now. I remember lot's of girls getting the "deer antlers" at the bottom of their backs too.

These days its "sleeves", which I reckon in 5-10 years will look pretty naff too.

bren2k wrote:I can't help thinking that the 18-25 year olds who are covered in ink now as a fashion statement, will have some serious buyer's remorse when they enter the grown up world and want/need to be taken seriously.