Kids/ Tattoos - What Age is Acceptable
The fifteen year old girl I work with on Saturdays has just had a tattoo, fully sanctioned by her mother.
My problems with my co-worker's tattoo are as follows:
- It's illegal. She is 15 and the minimum age in the UK is 18. Her mother let her have it as she has wanted one "like, forever"
- It's a fairy. Cute on a teenager, but very much of the moment. She chose it from a book on the day she went in.
- It's on the back of her neck. So she believes she will always be able to hide it. Of course this counts on her always having longer than collar-length hair.
For the record I have a tattoo myself – I have nothing against them per se. But I made my decision slowly and carefully and from our conversation I conclude that she hasn't.
Am I right in thinking she might regret it and deserved better guidance from her mother, or am I just over-cautious and perhaps getting a bit old? Obviously she's had it now and it's not my place to approve or disapprove. It was my reaction to it that surprised me and I wonder if it's a slippery slope down into being an old woman who thinks the world is going to hell in a handbasket and saying the kids these days don't know they're born.
Fifteen, bad, unless the tat has some kind of family significance and was discussed by the whole family IMO.
How is a few years going to change things if this is something that they want permanently?
Neck, very bad. Can have work issues.
Biggest issue, that you were not consulted... I would have freaked... but that is just me.
I think 15 is pretty young, but then again, I think getting a tattoo at 15 is alot better than these girls at 16 getting their boobs done...sorry, touchy subject here at the moment.
As to whether she will regret it, well, the technology to get rid of them now is pretty good....its only going to get better, so if she does regret it, she will be able to do something about it pretty easily and effectively.
I had my first tattoo done when I was 18 and my second at 22, I would like one more along my lower back...but I'm not in a great hurry until I figure out exactly what I want.
When my Mother freaked out at my tattoo, I tried to explain that it was great value for money..not much else I could buy that would last for the rest of my life :)
I don't think any age is acceptable, but that's just me.
I would think, though, that one should be of legal age to enter into a business contract, which in most places is 18. Shouldn't happen before that even with parental consent. I know from experience that there are a lot of stupid children with dumber parents out there.
It's just skin, it's temporary.
I think 15 is pretty young, but then again, I think getting a tattoo at 15 is alot better than these girls at 16 getting their boobs done...sorry, touchy subject here at the moment.
As to whether she will regret it, well, the technology to get rid of them now is pretty good....its only going to get better, so if she does regret it, she will be able to do something about it pretty easily and effectively.
I had my first tattoo done when I was 18 and my second at 22, I would like one more along my lower back...but I'm not in a great hurry until I figure out exactly what I want.
When my Mother freaked out at my tattoo, I tried to explain that it was great value for money..not much else I could buy that would last for the rest of my life :)
So, what kind of tattoos were they. Or you could just post a picture.
So, what kind of tattoos were they. Or you could just post a picture.
Can do when I am home and take a picture of my boob and my back I guess :p
I have a wizard on my back and a marvin martian on my boob
I'm 21 now. I've been thinking about getting a tatto for about three or four years. By now, I know I want one and am fairly certain that I want it on my upper arm. The only thing I''m not completely sure of yet is what exactly. It's probably gonna be a pentacle but I don't know yet how big, and what decoration I want around the circle.
I think 15 is too young, the age limits are there for a reason. I hate it how parents go about breaking age laws/letting their kids break age laws like this one when it suits them yet complain about other age laws being broken (like underage drinking or whatnot).
I'm 21 now. I've been thinking about getting a tatto for about three or four years. By now, I know I want one and am fairly certain that I want it on my upper arm. The only thing I''m not completely sure of yet is what exactly. It's probably gonna be a pentacle but I don't know yet how big, and what decoration I want around the circle.
Where do you work right now? Do you intend to still be working that job when you're 40? Do you like wearing tank tops?
I like wearing tank tops. I study archaeology so presumably will continue working in that field. Which is quite a loose field to work in, no real bothering with things like tattoos.
It wouldn't be a huge one anyway, no more than a centimeter or 5 in diameter.
I think that one of the most misunderstood things about tattoos is that only in the simplest of senses are they are a permanent image on your body. More accurately, they are a permanent testament to a particular time, place, & mindset. Sundae's coworker will not grow up, look at her tattoo & think "oh, a faerie." She'll think of the little girl who got a tattoo of a faerie, & of the things that girl was thinking & doing at that point in her life. Done well, the tattoo tells a story of a good time or of a changing time, of something significant: not of a stupid time or a naive, youthful time. Time in the army, time in another country, time in another place.
In this sense, tattoos are more a collection of snapshots, or of postcards to yourself.
Excellent point Skunks, very true.
You also have to decide about whether you care what other people will assume about you from your choice of designs. ;)
Hmmm - I am sitting here pondering wtf Marvin says about me at 18 ?
[QUOTE=Skunks]Sundae's coworker will not grow up, look at her tattoo & think "oh, a faerie." She'll think of the little girl who got a tattoo of a faerie, & of the things that girl was thinking & doing at that point in her life.[QUOTE]
This helped me see things in a different way. I assumed that because my tastes & opinions changed dramatically from 15-25 that hers will as well. I felt she would be as embarrassed at permanent evidence of her tastes as I was embarrassed by my old diary. It may simply act as a postcard to her future self and I hope it does. But as Bruce says - will it still be the image she wants to project in future? It's a personal message to display after all.
Am glad that it's not just me that sees 15 as too young. Thanks to everyone for your opinions!
Tse Moana - wait another year with the image of the tattoo held in your mind. After all you'll have it for life (barring surgery). If you still want it after a year than go for it! This was the advice I was given, followed and made me confident I was right in my choice.
i think 15 is too young.
I have two tatts--one on my right shoulder blade and one on my left leg. I regret both, esp. the one on my leg.
Call me old fashioned, but I think tattoos should be reserved for sailors and bikers, those kinds of people. An anchor for the sailor, "Mom" for the biker, that kind of thing. This current craze involves many women, most of whom think that the tattoo makes them "hot" or "alternative." I think they're embarrassing, but that's just me. The ones on the small of the back are the worst.
I was born with a big birthmark on my neck, so I came with my own tattoo. It's not in the shape of anything, more like a DeKooning or Pollock painting.
That is a very out-dated way of looking at body art.
I'm outdated in many ways.
Anthropologically speaking, todays tattooing craze certainly deserves some analysis. It's very different than tribal cultures' tattooing, but also similar in some ways. All the black girls here in the ATL get tats, but they are so different than those the white girls get.
Whatev.
Tse Moana - wait another year with the image of the tattoo held in your mind. After all you'll have it for life (barring surgery). If you still want it after a year than go for it! This was the advice I was given, followed and made me confident I was right in my choice.
I was planning to do that :). Right now, the final image of what I want is not quite ready yet but when I do have the final image, I'll draw it and have it above my desk for a long time to see if I still like it after a while before taking the step of having it tattooed.
I, personally, have two: one on my shoulderblade and one high on my thigh, near my hipbone. I didn't get either until I was in my late 30's as I wanted to be sure I wouldn't regret my choice of design. Also, as an accountant, tattoo's aren't really considered acceptable conservative decoration :cool: . I love them both and plan to expand on the thigh one (it is a butterfly). Neither one can be seen unless I am wearing a swimsuit or naked (which I'm pretty sure won't happen at work). For me, these were symbols of freedom from an abusive marriage - the first I got as I was working on my escape plan and the second after I made it out (alive).
My former stepdaughter began begging for a tattoo and piercings at about age 13. Her dad and I said NO, NO and NO!!! Finally, at age 15, we told her she could get piercings done as long as they were not visible on her face. She got her tongue and belly button done at age 16. We insisted that she not get any tattoos until she was of legal age as she was too young to know what she would want to live with for the rest of her life. She just turned 24 and finally got her first tattoo (yeah Pangloss61, across the small of her back).
Nothing permanent (or visible) until they are of legal age, is my opinion.
Stormie
I got my ears pierced at 13. Does that count?
My former stepdaughter began begging for a tattoo and piercings at about age 13. Her dad and I said NO, NO and NO!!! Finally, at age 15, we told her she could get piercings done as long as they were not visible on her face. She got her tongue and belly button done at age 16.
I don't know, stormi, it all reminds me of that book about "raunch culture," or that movie
Thirteen. Why would a 13-year-old girl want a tongue stud? The answer to that question is probably more upsetting to me than the stud itself. I think a lot of women (and men) have forgotten how so many folks worked so hard to fight the objectification of women, the idea of women as "toys," and now it's all about that, and women are choosing it themselves. "That's the point" some say, that it's about freedom to do what you want, but that has consequences for our culture as a whole. I don't like the result, but I guess that's my problem, not your's or your daughter's. I see all these young girls and, yes, older women too, getting tattoos and piercings, reading any number of those useless "womens'" magazines,
Desperate Housewives and a ceaseless obsession with sex. Sex sex sex. Viagra, and now a new liquid for women for better sex (saw it last night). It's so hedonistic and narcissistic. I know I'm sounding really conservative right now (I'm actually fairly liberal), but why can't we all be more cerebral, more intellectual. Are tattoos and piercings just about sex? Not always, but I think that the implication is there, and often it's explicit. way.
But what's wrong with sex? As long as it isn't promiscuous or indescriminate and there are other interests and intellectual pursuits, that is. I'm certainly not young but I see nothing wrong with having a healthy sex life and celebrating my body (such as it is, sags and all).
I've always been fairly easy going with allowing my kids to find their own forms of expression and style, even when I thought it was horrendous or obnoxious. The less I fuss over it, the less likely they are to use such things as a form of rebellion. In middle school, she went through a sort of goth stage. She wore the largest, baggiest pants she could find (size 40's wrapped around her size 0 waist and dragging on the ground), mens work shirts, spiked dog collars and stiff-as-a-board hair. It was nasty, ugly and gross. I tolerated it. And sure enough, she grew out of it and began dressing like a young lady again when she started high school.
Why did she want her tongue pierced? Because most of her friends had theirs done, of course. I decided (yes me, her father refuses to be involved in parenting) that a piercing like that could be removed and the hole would heal up, if she ever decides to get rid of it as opposed to a tattoo or face piercing which would leave permanent disfigurement.
The good news is they've turned out great so far. No criminals, junkies, alcoholics, or gangsters. She and my 18 yr old are respectful, helpful, and well mannered. They've developed a more mainstream style as they've matured which I think is common if their experimentations are gently guided instead of suppressed.
Now, my 10 yr old may be another story.
Stormie
...that sounds reasonable now. I don't know why I'm so uptight about the tattoos and the piercings; I'm not uptight about sex. Wish I had more of it, actually. It's been about 6-months for me. My girlfriend lives in Brazil, so it's only about twice a year I get to see her. We've been "together" since 2001. Hard to fathom that we have not found another mate, because we agreed that if we did we would have to become "just friends" and we are both ok with that.
My girlfriend's 12-year old neighbor gives blowjobs in the pool bathroom.
Let me repeat.
She is 12. She sucks cocks in public bathrooms.
They've developed a more mainstream style as they've matured which I think is common if their experimentations are gently guided instead of suppressed.
But is mainstream all it's cracked up to be? What's so great about it?
Maybe mainstream isn't the word I should have used as I am a bit of a non-conformist myself. I meant that as a child matures, they need to be able to enter the workforce and if their style is TOO 'out there', they will be excluded from some professions. I want my children to be able to become anything they want. Also, I believe that a person with a strong sense of self esteem and solid level of confidence doesn't need to look bizarre in order to attract attention. A lot of the more outlandish 'looks' I see are a visual 'fuck you' from kids who don't much like themselves (or their world). I think that once they become more grounded they tend to want to stick out less and if the symbols of their rebellion and confusion are permanent, they are in a bit of a pickle, aren't they?
Stormie
She is 12. She sucks cocks in public bathrooms.
That is a child without parental supervision and who has probably been sexually molested at some point in her life.
It is very sad that a child was brought into the world and subjected to such a life. It is even sadder that someone would actually LET a 12 yr old suck them off.
Stormie
No, no history of molestation.. shes just, to be honest, a slut. Simple as that.
And you know why? It's society's fault. Society fucked her.
I have nothing against sex, but I firmly believe it should mean something.
This presents us with that slippery slope of causation. She sucks cocks in public bathrooms because "society" made her that way, because she was molested, or because she freely chooses to do so. I don't know.
I don't buy it.
I don't believe that a 12 yr old who has had decent parental supervision, has been taught right from wrong and to respect herself would do that without an abusive introduction to sex. My girls hadn't a clue what a cock was until sex ed class and they certainly had no idea how to give a blowjob. My oldest was 17 when she lost her virginity and my 18 yr old still hasn't lost his.
I think it is a cop-out to blame society because I've raised 3 children past the age of 18, have two on the way to 18, and none of them have behaved in such a manner. Sure it means you have to actually be home with your children instead of going out partying, you have to (gasp) talk to them, teach them, and spend time with them instead of parking them in front of the tv or pawning them off on a babysitter. Too many parents don't take the time to set limits and enforce them, get to know their children's friends and their families, or pay attention to signs that their child is in trouble.
I blame the parents. Parenting isn't optional after the child is born.
Stormie
Too many parents don't take the time to set limits and enforce them, get to know their children's friends and their families, or pay attention to signs that their child is in trouble.
I'm sure many "rents" would agree with you.
Not to discredit your hard work, but I've known parents that try their darndest to do everything right, everything like you said and advocate, yet their kids still become bad. Bad seeds. Bad brains (not the rock groups). Other kids grow up in the worst of circumstances and end up ethically sound and sexually healthy. It's probably a blend of nurture and nature, rather than one or the other.:neutral:
I agree actually. Maybe I just got lucky.
Yeah, we do get lucky sometimes. My mom force-fed religion to me and never ever even discussed sex. The latter was a bad place for her (Catholic with 6 kids). She's become more fanatical over time and now champions Dobson and Robertson. It's embarrassing.:sniff:
You must not know Maryland too well if you think they dont know... I know a girl who got fingered her first time and gave her first handjob at age 9. No joke. It's downright disgusting what goes on that parents never hear or want to hear about, some places.
Yeah, we do get lucky sometimes. My mom force-fed religion to me and never ever even discussed sex. The latter was a bad place for her (Catholic with 6 kids). She's become more fanatical over time and now champions Dobson and Robertson. It's embarrassing.:sniff:
We could have the same mother!!! Except mine is Seventh Day Adventist, not Catholic. Needless to say, we don't have much to do with each other.
Ibram, thats my point exactly. It is a parent's responsibility to know exactly what their kids are up to. I'm not saying that kids that age don't know these things, I'm sure there are. I just think it is sad that kids are left to their own devices and have the time and opportunity to get into trouble.
Since I started posting on this thread, I've been wracking my brain trying to think of a time when any one of my children may have in a situation where they weren't supervised by a trustworthy, responsible adult and I can't think of one. It does mean that I rarely hire babysitters and never leave them alone while I go out. It means we are nearly always together and I know precisely what they're doing. They're active kids in that they take Tai Kwon Do, dance, gymnastics, and art classes. They participate in paintball, console and pc gaming, as well science and crafts projects. We have a music room and all play various instruments. I have a hotrod that we're working on. My house is grand central because all their friends want to come here and hang out and that is exactly the way I want it. Supervision...Supervision...Supervision!! (Plus they're too busy to get bored and find trouble ;)
The acceptable age is the age that they do not have to have your written consent, in Oklahoma, a notarized statement. I did that for my son when he was 15 to get his tongue pierced, even then, we had to drive to Kansas to legally get his tongue pierced. I did that because he had been begging for a tatoo for a couple of years, and his 15 yr old best friend had just gotten a tatoo from his Mom for his 15th b-day. So I let him get his tongue pierced instead.
I told him that I did not ever want him asking me "Why did you let me do that?" He is now 19 1/2 years old and has not gotten a tatoo in the 18 months that he could legally have gotten one. (Kansas is only a 40 min. drive away for us).
No, no history of molestation.. shes just, to be honest, a slut. Simple as that.
And you know why? It's society's fault. Society fucked her.
How so ??
Because she is young ??
Because she is an under age girl ??
Because some body told her NO ???
Please young sir jump up on your soap box and tell us ALL why it is society's fault.
Yeah, I can't wait to hear how society made one person a slut but not everyone.
What I'd like to know is how a person can be so sure another has never been molested...or had any of the other numerous things happen which can cause these types of behaviours to be exhibited.
We teach our children to be secretive at a young age...even more so does this apply to children who have been abused in some way.
Oh, and about Tattooing, I reckon kids should be legal adults before they make these kinds of decisions. As has been noted previously, there are laws about these types of things for a reason.
For the record, I have two tattos and in the climate I live in, they're visible most of the time. If someone chooses to judge me for them, that's their problem not mine. They've never harmed my employment opportunities either. My partner doesn't have any tattoos, but he likes mine. I'll probably get more one day. Just deciding what I want for now.
And you know why? It's society's fault. Society fucked her.
Her parent's inability to parent does not make her "society's fault."
I did not cause her to have reprehensible personal habits and such a lack of self esteem that she seeks approval through sexual acting out.
And, incidentally, I think the sick fucks that are on the receiving end need to go down (sorry) for statutory rape. It takes two to tango, as the saying goes, and since she's not legally capable of consent, it falls on the recipient.
It may not be society's fault, but I blame society because I know too many people with near identical stories around maryland, and because around DC, if both parents dont work full time, you're too poor to afford a house, and this constant state of parents not being home... yeah.
I did not cause her to have reprehensible personal habits and such a lack of self esteem that she seeks approval through sexual acting out.
THAT is what I've been trying to put into words ever since I first read this...
And, incidentally, I think the sick fucks that are on the receiving end need to go down (sorry) for statutory rape. It takes two to tango, as the saying goes, and since she's not legally capable of consent, it falls on the recipient.
THAT TOO!!
Is she servicing males her own age? Older? [SIZE="1"]Younger? [/SIZE]:eek:
I have a miniature dot tattoo done on my left thumb . I did it myself in a boring maths lesson at the age of fifteen . Ink and a compass . Easy . I think girls should be encouraged to do their own tattoos . Cheaper for the parents , and empowering for the girl .
I offer this advice to give your daughters who want tattoos (hey, people can do what they want but I find them tacky) Just tell her to tell her pressuring peers "Tattoo? That would be like scribbling on the Mona Lisa. You just don't mess with a work of art."
You forget that the Mona Lisa only looks enigmatic because the canvas has buckled , Shawnee .
And loads of stuff behind her have been painted in and then out , and then in again .
I have a tiiiiny 'tattoo' on my arm, where I sharpened a mechanical pencil to a super fine point, then to see how sharp it was, tapped myself extremely lightly on the arm. The little gray spot is still there, two years later.
I hope you all know that the word 'tattoo' is Polynesian . I have a few interesting historical anecdotes about Polynesian tattoos and the theme of Polynesia / Europe .
It is recorded that a tattooed Polynesian sailor had a love affair with a working-class girl from London . A baby was born , and the mother was surprised to see that the baby did not have any tattoos ( usually they are worried about toes , not tattoos...) She thought they were genetic ( the t This story can be found in Peter Dillon's nineteenth century account of the search for La Pérouse .
woops , clumsy fingers . Sorry .
The other anecdote concerns the story of the Bounty mutineers , and another Peter . Peter Heywood . Peter Heywood did not go to Pitcairn with the other mutineers . He stayed in Tahiti , where at the age of eighteen he founded a young family with a Tahitian woman .
He underwent the full-scale buttock tattoo of the Tahitians . One can visualise the effect as being that of dark shorts .
The British Navy eventually got hold of him and dragged him off for a court marshal in Britain . He got off lightly due to his youth and the fact that he came from an influential Manx family .
He became a member of the British establishment , and he married an Englishwoman . There were no children , and he never went back to Tahiti .
Imagine . Every day of his life he saw those Tahitian tattoos on his body .
You forget that the Mona Lisa only looks enigmatic because the canvas has buckled , Shawnee .
And loads of stuff behind her have been painted in and then out , and then in again .
Luckily, I used the Mona Lisa as an example of art that young ladies will likely be familiar. The point is not looking like the Mona Lisa, but looking like a work of art.
Works of art are never static , Shawnee . If you want the young ladies to be static and without imagination , tell them to use pornography as a stimulus . Not art .
Please do not sully our Mona Lisa thus .
While working in screen printing & sculpting I always thought of the finished product as a by-product. Art is a verb, it was only art as I was creating it.
Must have been why I settled on acting?
Works of art are never static , Shawnee . If you want the young ladies to be static and without imagination , tell them to use pornography as a stimulus . Not art .
Please do not sully our Mona Lisa thus .
Because you are so adept at missing points entirely, I will only go so far as to say that I do believe young ladies should self-express. I don't believe the "bumper sticker" way of doing so shows any sort of the imagination you pretend to tout.
Imagination? I'm all for it. As a matter of fact, I am imagining you right now, as a child. Sitting in the back of the classroom, all pudgy and pock-faced, lacking all but the most rudimentary social graces. You had learned to hold a fork at mealtime but couldn't seem to control all the grunting and snorting involved as you tried to keep the embarrassing snot from rolling down your face. Spit wads flew in your direction, and you had been the recipient of more than one "wedgie."
Lacking the physical power at that time to retaliate, you swore you would get revenge. Luckily, you avoided going all Columbine, and have since found your power in your anonymous internet forum attacks. I bet if you ever worked in a restaurant, you would be the type to spit in people's food. Now, I'm sure your anger is manifested in whatever form food-spitting takes in your line of work. You sit there at your computer and attack anyone you hope will bow down and praise your supposed intelligence and class level. You forget that real class lies not in bringing others down, but in lifting others up. Because you have been so randomly abusive, I cannot offer you that quality of class in me I usually give so freely.
Attack away, at any one of us. I believe we can rise above it. I cringe not at your cries for attention. I welcome them, I revel in them.
...Pwned.
Thanks Ibram. I had to google that to know what it meant. If I say so myself, I agree! :)
You had to google "pwned"? That's sad, my friend.
I think it all depends on the person. I got my first tattoo when I was 16, and I never regret it. I got my second (the last one so far) when I was 17, and again, I never regret it. I had wanted them for a while however so I already knew that I would be happy with them for the rest of my life. I want more tattoos but for the time being they are too expensive. I have more important things to spend my money on (like college tuition).
There is a minimum age for a reason. There are very few people under the age of 18 that will be able to decide on something they can live with for the rest of their days. I happened to be one of them, at least in that aspect of my life. My tattoos help me remember things I do not want to forget and remind me of what my life use to be like. I have an iguana on my stomach surrounding my belly button (which is also pierced by the way) and a dragon on my lower back. No one except those that know me well will understand the significance of my tattoos, nor should they. But that doesn't make them any less important to me. I am 22.
On the subject of the 12 year old who gives blow jobs in the bathroom, I think there must be much that isn't known about her. I find it very difficult to fathom that she has not been abused in some way in order for her to choose those actions for herself. As was said before, children are very secretive about what happens when they are abused. The girl would not just volunteer that kind of information out to anyone who wanted to know.
I got my first tattoo when I was 16, and I never regret it. I got my second (the last one so far) when I was 17, and again, I never regret it... I am 22.
I hope they continue to be positive and important reminders for you... but it'll be a lot more significant if you still don't regret them when you're 40.
16 or 17 ought to have steadfast parental approval as to what and where the tattoo is, beyond that (18 +) I think the parents should strongly advise but not have the last word. Meaning going with them, persuading the kid not to get a flying dragon with pink unicorns on his/her chest, making sure they use disposable needles and get a fresh one, the joint isn't in a seedy part of town, etc.
Learning to live with your decisions (big mistakes included) is an essential part of entering adulthood in my book.
The best tattoo I ever saw was a pair of Achilles heels in the Madrid metro .
Stop pondering , and try to see .
The best tattoo I ever saw was a pair of Achilles heels in the Madrid metro .
Stop pondering , and try to see .
There was an arrow in them or what? How did you know they were Achilles heels?
the more recent of my two tattoos is 9 years old now. no regrets ever. i will most likely add to them, but I only trust one person to put ink in my skin and i don't see him but once every 3/4 years.
if you are getting a tattoo because it is cool or all your friends have them... you're screwed. if you want one because you want one and you know what you want before you get to the shop, you'll probably be just fine. if not, you can always have it redone/altered.
I got my first tattoo on my 18th birthday. I've always been a straight-A student, gotten along with my parents, and have never been in any real kind of trouble. I gave the design/idea for it months of thought, I told my parents I was getting it done, did not try to hide it from anyone. I do not regret it at all.
Tattoos are just another form of expression, much like art or music. If you don't like rap, you don't listen to it. If you don't like tattoos, don't get one. It's as simple as that.
I do believe that there is a too young age. Aside from the fact that the child will have to live with it for the rest of his/her life, have you considered the pain factor? A 15 year old going through the pain of a tattoo? Umm, no please. Thanks.
As an aside.....The difference between people that have tattoos and people that don't? The people that do, don't care that the people that don't, don't. ;)
I always screw that up when I try and say it Bruce.
Where I live, blood donations are not accepted from folks with tattoos.
Why not wait a few years, and help save a few lives donating blood first, then if the kid still can't stand being a good person, get all the tattoos the kid wants.
A disease free blood supply is more important than indelible body art, at least to me. Maybe if people with tattoos could not get transfusions, since they can't give them either. That would be a good trade off.
Where I live, blood donations are not accepted from folks with tattoos.
Where is that?
Why not wait a few years, and help save a few lives donating blood first, then if the kid still can't stand being a good person, get all the tattoos the kid wants.
Whoa, there. Tattoos make someone a bad person?
A disease free blood supply is more important than indelible body art, at least to me. Maybe if people with tattoos could not get transfusions, since they can't give them either. That would be a good trade off.
So you want to deny medical care to people with tattoos?
I'm not disputing the not being able to give blood where you live, because I don't know where that is. I would, however, suggest you move to somewhere, anywhere, the medical community has moved up to at least the 20th century and preferably the 21st, before you need their services. :bandaid:
Where I live, blood donations are not accepted from folks with tattoos.
Why not wait a few years, and help save a few lives donating blood first, then if the kid still can't stand being a good person, get all the tattoos the kid wants.
A disease free blood supply is more important than indelible body art, at least to me. Maybe if people with tattoos could not get transfusions, since they can't give them either. That would be a good trade off.
First of all, I
can't donate blood because I have pernicious anemia. So what does it matter if I get a tattoo? And second of all, we only have a 12 month limit on the no donating policy. What is one year of not donating? Many people who can donate don't anyway, so why single out the people that want tattoos? Are you going to say that the people that can't donate shouldn't be allowed transfusions as well? Because I am in both catagories (have a tattoo and can't donate for medical reasons). I think you should re-evaluate what you are saying. It sure sounds pretty closed-minded to me, but that is just my opinion. You don't know the circumstances behind every person's tattoos and reasons why they don't or can't donate.
Oh, and most tattoos do not cause diseases. It is only when you don't check out the place first that you can have problems. If they dispose of everything they use (including leftover ink, not just the needles) then there should not be any problem.
And I agree with Bruce, how does having a tattoo make you a bad person? Inquiring minds want to know.
He is three now, been hard to keep around... may be getting a tracking # tattooed on his instep and I'm looking into a GPS anklet.
unless they've changed, the Red Cross requires 2 years from the date of your last tattoo before they'll accept your donation. then again, i believe they require one year from the date you pierced your ears. what kind of an evil selfish person would pierce their ears thereby denying dying children the blood they need to make it one more day?:rolleyes:
I can see why they have people wait, they just can't afford to give everyone who donates a blood test.
One of the guys in my dorm block last year spent the better part of 4 months picking out his tattoo design, though not for any sentimental reason. Since he's an engineer he knew he'd have to keep it small, black and white, and on a part of his body he could keep covered easily.
The Red Cross tests every single donation. They can't afford not to test everyone who donates.
The Red Cross won't take my blood, because I spent too much time in Western Europe. Could have mad cow disease, you know.
Since he's an engineer he knew he'd have to keep it small, black and white, and on a part of his body he could keep covered easily.
Let me guess: Pepe Le Pew?
The Red Cross tests every single donation. They can't afford not to test everyone who donates.
From what I understand, that is why they make you wait. Some diseases (i.e. HIV or Hepititis) may not show up on their tests if you just recently contracted the disease. So if they make you wait they ensure that they will know whether or not you have any diseases.
Tatoos... Acceptable age?
I'm an old foogie.
Both my daughters wanted tatoos while in High School. Dear old Dad said "No Way!"
Of course I went into a long, drawn-out, repertoire of rhetoric that would have made a classic American Hero scream "uncle." And, my daughters, who learned the art of verbal self-defense at an early age firmly informed me they were going to "get a tatoo" whether I liked it or not. I laughed and told them they can become a "tatoo canvas" AFTER they graduate High School. Until then... pffft...
Both my daughters waited until they were in college to get their tatoos.
Should have seen their mouths drop when I told them I was thinking about getting one. :eek:
I'd say 18 is the magic age. You grow out of most of the tastes you had in high school, but tattoos can't be grown out of -- at least not without significant expense and pain.
Tattoos weren't cool for kids when I was in high school, but if they had been, there would be a lot of 30-somethings running around with the faces of the guys from Poison inked into their backs.
As a mother of 4, (19yr, 17yo, 16yo and 11yo) I have to say we have had this discussion a few times in our house. However I have told each of them the same thing. Tattoos are permanent, they fade, the skin may stretch over the years (depending on where the tat is. I suggested they wait until after they are done college, before they decide they *have to have one* No tattoos until after they are adults (one is, and she is not interested)
That being said, I have allowed ear piercing (2 holes, and one cartalige limit) and hair styles/dyes. The piercings you can take out and most likely they will grow over. No body piercings again, until they are over 18. As an esthetican, I have tried to show they the bad facial piercings I have seen. I show they what something cool may look like in 20 years. They have all said, ewww. The only facial piercing I would not gripe about (after they are of age) is a nose peircing. These can be quite nice.
They can grow or cut thier hair, dye it purple with pink stripes if they want. This gives them some creative espression/control and be *cool* with no after effects. (other than the goofy pictures mom can use as embarassment later!) I make them tell me what they are planning, and go with them to have it done. I figure 3 months of neon hair is much better than an impulsive body peirce or tattoo.
I had the colored hair along with the tattoo, and I loved it. I naturally stopped dying green and purple (among other colors) when I decided I wanted a job. It is difficult to find a job with green hair. My father actually was somewhat against me getting a job, mostly because he thought my grades would fail. I was always an honor student so that would have been bad. So the first semester I worked and went to school I got straight A's just to prove to him that I could do anything I set my mind to. I had never gotten straight A's before as there was usually one B (sometimes two) on there, but I still was on the honor roll.
Oh, and you can't very well tell a child that they can't get a tattoo until they are 19 or later because it is legal if they are 18. If they still live at home I guess you could threaten to kick them out, but most of the people I knew moved away from home as soon as they hit the 18th birthday so there isn't really anything you can do about it. And sometimes if you stifle them too much at a young age they will go completely crazy as soon as they are out of your sight. Moderation is the key! But that is just my humble opinion. :o
So not getting a tattoo. I'd regret any that I got within hours.
/fickle
The only facial piercing I would not gripe about (after they are of age) is a nose peircing. These can be quite nice.
We clearly have differing definitions of the word "nice."
I always think of the line from the movie, Fame, "Does that hurt, or is that ethinic?"
Of course, nose piercings were pretty much unheard of in 1980.
I have seen many, including my 79 year old client, with tiny barely noticable nose peircings. The tiny gem hit the light about an hour after I got there... or I would not have noticed it at all. I don't like those huge nose rings and things.. I meant a tiny stud.
Below is a pretty lame article by David Brooks from this week's NYT. He writes as if this popular culture trend is somehow more significant than those from the past.
At some point some guy wore a Derby hat; soon everyone was wearing them. Whatever.:neutral:
[COLOR="Navy"]Nonconformity Is Skin Deep
Published: August 27, 2006
We now have to work under the assumption that every American has a tattoo. Whether we are at a formal dinner, at a professional luncheon, at a sales conference or arguing before the Supreme Court, we have to assume that everyone in the room is fully tatted up — that under each suit, dress or blouse, there is at least a set of angel wings, a barbed wire armband, a Chinese character or maybe even a fully inked body suit. We have to assume that any casual antitattoo remark will cause offense, even to those we least suspect of self-marking.
Everybody who has been to the beach this summer has observed that tattoos are now everywhere. There are so many spider webs, dolphins, Celtic motifs and yin-yang images spread across the sands, it looks like a New Age symbology conference with love handles.
A study in The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology showed that about 24 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 50 have at least one tattoo, up from about 15 percent in 2003. Thirty-six percent of those between 18 and 29 have a tattoo. Pretty soon you’ll go to the beach and find that only the most hardened nonconformists will be unmarked. Everybody else will be decorated with gothic-lettered AARP logos and Katie Couric 4-EVER tributes, and Democrats will have their Kerry-Edwards bumper stickers scratched across their backs so even their morticians will know which way they voted.
The only person without one of those Pacific Northwest Indian tribal graphics scrawled across his shoulder will be a lone 13-year-old skater scoffing at all the bourgeois tattoo fogies.
Traditional religions have generally prohibited tattoos on the grounds they encourage superficial thinking (what’s on the surface is not what matters). But it turns out that tattoos are the perfect consumer items. They make people feel better about themselves. Just as Hummers make some people feel powerful, tattoo-wearers will talk (and talk and talk and talk) about how their tattoos make them feel strong, free, wild and unique.
In a forthcoming essay in The American Interest, David Kirby observes that there are essentially two types of tattoo narratives, the Record Book and the Canvas. Record Book tattoos commemorate the rites of passage in a life. Canvas tattoos are means of artistic expression.
So some people will have their kids’ faces tattooed across their backs, or the motorcycle that belonged to a now-dead friend, or a fraternity, brigade or company logo. In a world of pixelated flux, these tattoos are expressions of commitment — a way to say that as long as I live, this thing will matter to me. They don’t always work out — on the reality show “Miami Ink” a woman tried to have her “I will succeed thru Him” tattoo altered after she grew sick of religion — but the longing for permanence is admirable.
Other people are trying to unveil their wild side. They’re taking advantage of the fact that tattoos are associated with felons, bikers and gangstas. They’re trying to show that far from being the dull communications majors they appear to be, they are actually free spirits — sensual, independent, a little dangerous.
The problem is that middle-class types have been appropriating the symbols of marginalized outcasts since at least the 1830’s. This is no longer a way to express individuality; it’s a way to be part of the mob. Today, fashion trends may originate on Death Row, but it takes about a week and a half for baggy jeans, slut styles and tattoos to migrate from Death Row to Wal-Mart.
What you get is a culture of trompe l’oeil degeneracy. People adopt socially acceptable transgressions — like tattoos — to show they are edgy, but inside they are still middle class. You run into these candy-cane grunge types: people with piercings and inkings all over their bodies who look like Sid Vicious but talk like Barry Manilow. They’ve got the alienated look — just not the anger.
And that’s the most delightful thing about the whole tattoo fad. A cadre of fashion-forward types thought they were doing something to separate themselves from the vanilla middle classes but are now discovering that the signs etched into their skins are absolutely mainstream. They are at the beach looking across the acres of similar markings and learning there is nothing more conformist than displays of individuality, nothing more risk-free than rebellion, nothing more conservative than youth culture.
Another generation of hipsters, laid low by the ironies of consumerism. [/COLOR]
Cartoon from the late '60s (when I was a lad) --
"Why do you have long hair?" (addressed to a guy)
"Because I want proclaim my individuality. I want to be unique."
"Shouldn't you have short hair, then?"
The 40-something librarian at the local public library has one on her shoulder. I'm guessing they're on the way out.
I heard a news story teased while I was waking up a day or two ago about students complaining about the school dress code (presumably in Philadlephia) which bans items such as ripped jeans and facial piercings. The girl I heard interviewed was complaining on behalf of her friend who had gotten an eyebrow piercing over the summer, "It was like $70 and they're making her take it out."
I similarly hope that the young lady (giving her the benefit of the doubt) who was interviewed can have her "like" excised before the end of the school year.
[COLOR=navy]We now have to work under the assumption that every American has a tattoo.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Do we really?[/COLOR]
I mean, even if every single American
did have a tattoo, how many situations are there where you actually would have to work under that assumption, rather than just not caring?[COLOR=navy]
And that’s the most delightful thing about the whole tattoo fad. A cadre of fashion-forward types thought they were doing something to separate themselves from the vanilla middle classes but are now discovering that the signs etched into their skins are absolutely mainstream.
[/COLOR]Ha, ha! Let's laugh at all those people who got tattoos before they were mainstream! Because now other people are doing it, too! Take that, wierdos.
Weirdos? Everyone with a tattoo is a weirdo?
The article made it sound like people without are the weirdos.
Take that, you blank canvas, unfulfilled possibility, you. :p
You had to google "pwned"? That's sad, my friend.
Thanks...I had to look it up too. However, I dont think it's sad. I think it's sad that proper writing has gone to shit, whatever happened to using words that already exist instead of making up crappy words..?:)
I believe people should be waiting until 18yo before getting tatts or piercings, although piercings can be removed any time. By the time I was 16 I had a total of 5 piercings in each ear (now only have 2) and I had my first body piercing at age 16 (it is legal here at that age) but didn't have the sense to research first so ended up getting a dodgy naval piercing by a dodgy tattooist that shouldn't have been piercing at all! Years later I was forced to take it out, due to the poor way it was done, and decided to have it re-done properly. I got a tattoo at age 21 after getting my mum to do the design so that it would be personalised to me and still waited 2 years before having it done.
Years later I had my tongue pierced on a whim and have not regretted it and then thought for a good 7months before having a vaginal piercing.
My partner has multiple tattoos (back, shoulder and legs) and piercings (7 around his face as well as both nipples and penis). One tattoo was done to cover up a bad home job from when he was a teenager and he doesn't regret any that he has now (15 years after the first) he wants at least one more tattoo and another piercing at age 30.
On the other hand my brother had had his tiongue pierced twice by the time he was 14 years old and got his first tattoo with mum's permission at age 16. He is still not 17 and has a large tattoo of the grim reaper on his shoulder blade as well as a few other body piercings. I do think that he'll regret the grim reaper tattoo when he's older as it isn't something that represents him or his life (his first is chinese writing - love, honesty) and knowing my brother as well as I do I know he'll wish he never had that one done.
By no means are we bad people or 'horrible' looking. Only shallow minded people judge on first looks. :finger:
Thanks...I had to look it up too. However, I dont think it's sad. I think it's sad that proper writing has gone to shit, whatever happened to using words that already exist instead of making up crappy words..?:)
That time never existed. New words have been coined from the very beginning. It's what makes the language dynamic and why Oxford and the rest add new words to the dictionary on a regular basis.
Years later I had my tongue pierced on a whim and have not regretted it and then thought for a good 7months before having a vaginal piercing.
I was always too scared to get a vaginal piercing. I would think that would really hurt! Besides, I didn't like the idea of some strange person looking at my bits (other than my gynocologist). Do you like it? What part did you get pierced? I was just curious... I have been more fond of tattoos than piercings because I am allergic to all metal besides pure gold, which makes it expensive to get replacement jewelry. (the gold belly button ring I have now was $65, and that was the cheapest one!)
I had a bad experience before with piercings as well. I didn't think it would matter much when I got my belly button pierced and I didn't get pure gold. It remained unhealed and infected for a year and a half before I finally broke down and bought a gold ring. Since then I haven't had any problems. But now I know! Gold is the way to go!
I had clitoral hood done, it was just like getting belly done in way of pain and healing. It's a bit weird having to wash your vagina 2-3times daily tho. Hardest part was giving up sex for 2 weeks, I didn't really manage that one too well. If you have it done, go to someone who specialises in ONLY piercings, not tattoo's or cosmetics, they know exactly what they're doing and don't care what you look like naked cos that's what they see all day!
Believe me, I was scared shitless too but the lady who did it soon put me at ease.
I also am allergic to metal (mostly nickel) and have found I can use stainless/surgical steel and sterling silver. Have you tried those for your belly ring?
Only shallow minded people judge on first looks.
Depends on if that first look is all they have time for, I'm sure you take out the piercings and cover the tattoos for interviews. Even so, you can tell alot about a person by their physical appearence, not everything, but enough just the same to make a judgement call if you have to. We get all types through the doors at the local ER (I work there in the summer) and 9/10 first impressions are bang on.
I don't get why people think tats are a form of expression that sets them apart. Everybody and their dog is getting one...often some chinese characters incorrectly interpreted. They are "just like everyone else." Get a damn bumper sticker...tacky still but you can peel them off.
Everyone has some form of hairstyle - even people who just let it grow and hoick it behind their ears are saying something about themselves.
I love my tattoo - it's part of me. I didn't get it to be dangerous or "out there" (just as well seeing as so many people have them now!) It says as much about me as my watch, my shoes, my hairstyle except that it's less visible and far more personal. I'm glad it's permanent - I got it in full knowledge that this was the case.
Everyone has some form of hairstyle - even people who just let it grow and hoick it behind their ears are saying something about themselves.
I love my tattoo - it's part of me. I didn't get it to be dangerous or "out there" (just as well seeing as so many people have them now!) It says as much about me as my watch, my shoes, my hairstyle except that it's less visible and far more personal. I'm glad it's permanent - I got it in full knowledge that this was the case.
You made a good point, Sundae Girl. Thank you for your response. It seems the only way to get a response at the Cellar is to rile someone or totally kiss their ass...you show your class by responding but not biting.
When I think of it in form of hairstyle I see what you mean, except that most people have, or have had, hair! :) At any rate, how we choose to express ourselves often means more than the expression itself.
I have a birth mark on my neck and on my left arm. To this day, grown men and women I don't even know get this really concerned look on their face, come right up to me and ask "What's wrong with your neck?" or "What happened to you?" It's happened so much in the past that I just take it in stride, but it strikes me as kinda rude. I mean, if I see some guy with one leg in a wheelchair I don't say "What happened to you?" Though that might lead to a good story.:neutral:
I think my birthmark is a part of me more than any tattoo could ever be.
My son has lots of Thomas temp tats... looks awesome on him.
I've got this big 'ol birthmark that goes from my neck, down to my shoulder then splits, continuing down my arm to my elbow (which is completely covered by it) and also down my chest. It's slowly fading, though, and I think before long it'll be invisible.
I mean, if I see some guy with one leg in a wheelchair I don't say "What happened to you?" Though that might lead to a good story.:neutral:
Yeah, usually you put your whole body in a wheelchair, not just one leg!
....if I see some guy with one leg in a wheelchair I don't say "What happened to you?"
Yeah, usually you put your whole body in a wheelchair, not just one leg!
OMG, can't stop laughing - all I can picture is some poor guy hobbling down the street with one leg shoved into a wheelchair, trying not to fall over, while hopping along on the other leg!! LOL :lol: :lol:
I have a birth mark on my neck and on my left arm. To this day, grown men and women I don't even know get this really concerned look on their face, come right up to me and ask "What's wrong with your neck?" or "What happened to you?" It's happened so much in the past that I just take it in stride, but it strikes me as kinda rude.
Funny you should say that - I have a condition known as
ptosis which means my left eyelid droops slightly. It wasn't handled particularly well by my Mother when I was younger, to the extent I saw it as a deformity and my throat closed up every time eyes, eyelids etc were mentioned. The first boy I dated told me I had beautiful eyes and I ran off in tears and was completely unable to explain myself.
It took til I was in my 30's to accept it and accept I'm normal. I can now answer intrusive questions, "Oh! What's wrong with your eye?!" quite calmly. "It's called ptosis, I was born with it" and sometimes, if I'm feeling vicious, "I prefer not to talk about it, thanks"
Anyway - the turning point for me was when I was considering surgery, believing it would change my life because I would finally be normal. The boyfriend of a beautiful friend of mine sat up all night with me talking, gently explaining to me that my slightly flawed face made me more interesting to interesting people. He also said that it had formed my character and I should therefore wear it as a badge of honour (and lots more compliments like that). It broke the dam - we went for a long walk as the sun came up and I cried my eyes out sitting on the park swings.
I wouldn't change it now.
And Shawnee123 - you're welcome :)
To be honest, I have to say that a woman that has a slight imperfection of one of her eyes is really, really sexy. Have you ever seen Karen Black? Her eyes are just a slight bit "off." Damn that's alluring. You made the right decision, Sundae.:rolleyes:
I don't think I've come across her before. Oh - just looked her up and we have the same birthday!
The bottom line is you need to learn to love yourself. Bleurgh, but it's a cliche because it's true.
I rarely post full face pictures of myself though. I haven't learned to love my extra chin yet :)
"There is no exquisite beauty," says Bacon, Lord Verulam, speaking truly of all the forms and genera of beauty, "without some strangeness in the proportion."
Edgar Allen Poe, Ligeia
It's true, too...who wants to be the cookie-cutter beauty?
You rock, Sundae Girl!
I was wonderin' about the ages cuz I really want my eyebrow peirced and the tattoo I want to get for the Memory of my dad.
Holla At'cha Bwoi!!
Whts the age for getting tattoos? And piercings?
Holla At'cha Bwoi!!!
"Kids" and tattoos, indeed...
Funny you should say that - I have a condition known as ptosis which means my left eyelid droops slightly. --snip--
Like Forrest Whitaker?
I wouldn't change it now.
And Shawnee123 - you're welcome :)
Good for you!
Like Forrest Whitaker?
Yes. At least in appearance, I don't know if it is exactly the same condition. Also like Thom Yorke of Radiohead.
I have a pinky finger with no nail. Missing when I was born, Dr says the finger was probably caught in a placental mass and didn't develop properly. However, being interested in horses, breeding and genetics...it was enough to keep me from having children.
I didn't understand that it wasn't a genetic thing when I was younger, and I had already made the have-no-children decision and I couldn't get past my younger mind-set when I matured.
I want to get a tattoo for my b-day this year. I have the design picked out, it is small, but I am at odds as to where to place it. I'd like to put it at the back of my neck under my hairline...
...but I am such a wuss...
My mother is very negative about tattoos...and I don't know if I'm getting the tattoo to piss her off (place it in a very visual area) or getting it for me (place it in a personal area) or even if I'd be placing it in a personal area to prevent her from seeing it.
Why, oh why, at this age...is my mother still controlling my life?
Maybe THAT is why I'm getting this tattoo. I decided. Not her.
I want to get a tattoo for my b-day this year. I have the design picked out, it is small, but I am at odds as to where to place it. I'd like to put it at the back of my neck under my hairline..
Sorry to hear about your fingernail - I really hope it didn't cause you too many self-esteem issues growing up.
And pleased to hear you have decided to come out from under your Mum's judgement. From your photos and posts you're beautiful and individual - you know what you choose will be right for you. Go for it.
[CENTER]***[/CENTER]
An update on my original post. Over the last few months I have become much closer to the 15 year old co-worker I described. I still feel she (and her mother) were unwise re the tattoo issue, but I have come to see her as a person and not an age now.
Her father left them last year for another relationship, and times were hard at home due to a clever accountant "proving" this successful businessman could only pay £100 a month for child support for 4 children. She argued quite significantly with her father at Christmas last year and we had quite a few conversation where I gently tried to persuade her that even if she does hate her father now, he's still her father and always will be, and things will hopefully change as she matures.
He died unexpectedly 2 weeks ago following a routine operation.
She was back at work last Saturday, hurt, brave, aware, guilty and generally all-round making me want to cry for her. Which I would never do in front of someone coming to terms with the pain in her own life.
Sod getting tattoos underage. I'm glad I admired it when she showed me, so that she feels she has an adult outside her family she can talk to now.
Life, eh?
Great googley moogley. That poor girl was given a hard row to hoe. I am glad she feels she has an adult that is willing to accept her for who she is, on her terms, and not stuffed into a "proper box" of how a teenager should be. It is a hard age.
My finger doesn't bother me much and I didn't have much trouble with it growing up. When I was made aware of how 'differet' it was, it was easy to keep my fingers curled under and hidden. I didn't have to reveal it unless I wanted to. It really isn't that noticeable at a quick glance and I don't wear nailpolish so it doesn't stand out.
My beautiful (reminds me of Mariah Carey) best friend lost her right eye to cancer when she was 14. They had to remove part of the orbital socket and her eyelid so she must wear a prosthetic patch that goes into the eye socket and covers the eyelid area from eyebrow to cheekbone. She is a hoot to drive with...no depth perception and my right leg gets a phantom brake workout when I ride shotgun with her. :D
My fave story of hers...
She was 8.5 months pregnant and we entered a jewelry store to have our rings cleaned and checked and the handsome clerk asked about her eye...Kim told him she got in a fight with her boyfriend and he stabbed her in the face. He looked shocked and horrified as he looked between her missing eye and swollen belly and asked "What is going to happen now?" and Kim told him with a big smile and a cheerful voice that they had made up and were getting married!
Oh, we laughed so hard when we left the store....
*sigh* I miss her. I need to give her a call, or fly back to CA for a visit. She rejuvenates me, she is so full of life.
hh