Tattoos and piercings poll

[DocFrankenstein]

Do you regret getting a tattoo or piercing?

Have you been discriminated against because of it?

And also - why did you get it in the first place?

The first two earring piercings don't count for girls.

EDIT: ARG> I wanted a checkmark poll. Let's make a discussion out of it then.

EDIT2: The question I'm most interested in is the one of motivation.

Could you explain why you have gotten the first tattoo?
How did you go about picking the right one? Choosing the design?
How did you feel after the bandage was off?
What do you want to communicate to people with your tattoo?
Before you got them, how did you envision people react to them?

[-MasterChief-]

dont have a tattoo but i want to get one!

reason why i havent gotten one yet .... dont know what it is! i keep waiting for that vision to pop up in my head and it hasnt happened yet. :D

[Ronald S. Jr.]

How about me getting my ears pierced? I got mine done when I was just shy of 18. Not something I regret...I don't have to wear them. I'm still peeved, too...soon as I was able to wear "real" earrings, I went and bought myself a pair of princess cut diamonds...big suckers, nice too.

Lost 'em last year.

[Ronald S. Jr.]

Oh, and I have people pick on me here and there and hold back laughs. Oh well. They're my ears.

[cosworth]

I don't wear my piercing anymore. Regret? No. I regret the scars on my body from years of 2 wheeled mayhem though.

[Zilly]

wanna be branded they do it for the 4x world chapionships a couple of times and it looked realy kinda kool

think i might streach my ear as well nothing major just a couple of mm

[gardengirl13]

Ears pierced twice when I was young, holes still open but never wear anything in them.

As for tattoos I'm covered! I work in a library, have glasses wear my hair in a bun and am covered in tattoos. My left arm has a 1/4 sleeve, it's a chinese dragon (I'm the year of the dragon) with cherry blossoms and clouds and two characters. My right is a work in progress with two characters and will then have parchment paper clouds and blossoms to match the other arm. Oh yeah that's all in black, no color. I have 4 black signs on my lower back. A Celtic band around my right leg and a celtic knot above it. I have my left leg covered from ankle to knee with flowers, a butterfly and dragonflies. The ones on the legs are color. I have a scetch of my next tattoo which will end up on my left thigh. I also have a scetch of a back piece.

When I stop spending money on camera stuff I can save up for all these!

I'm very pale so they all stand out on my skin, so yeah I do attract attention. DH has his ears stretched to 8s (I think) and his arms have full sleeves, plus he is very broad chested, so between the two of us people either get out of our way, or offer us drugs. At work I do hide them some, but I work for a liberal college and they really don't care.

[gardengirl13]

Darn, now I'm dreaming of tattoos instead of canon stuff.

[blonde]

i have 6 and i love each one of them. i never regreted getting them done and i did them all with my own design and by myself. all of them can be covered easily with regular shirts/pants so no, i have never been discriminated against...

i also have 5 piercings but i never show them...

[ieatstars]

I started off with a little tattoo which meant the world to me, and then I ended up turning it into a larger piece. 98% of people have no idea I have it :) I also have a little smiley on my foot just as a reminder to always take a step back and smile even if it seems like there are a million things going wrong. I have a few ear piercings as well, again most of which people don't see. My hair has been affectionately nicknamed "helmet hair" :D

[rklepper]

I have an Eagle tatoo that I got when I was in the Air Force that is identical to the one my Dad got when he was in the Air Force. Never any regrets.

[Quad]

The only tattoo worth having is a ruler on a girls inside thigh. Something she can use with pride.

[KatmanDu]

I have three tattoos, and have never regretted them. I chose the particular designs (not from flash) because they reflected very personal aspects of my personality and beliefs. I don't really intend to communicate anything to others with them; again, I got them for me and for personal reasons. I've never been discriminated against because of them, although I've been careful to keep them non-visible with a uniform shirt on.

Now, the ear piercing was done when I and a number of friends were extremely intoxicated on my 20th birthday; I don't regret it, but it's closed over as I can't wear an earring at work.

[rhys]

Never had a tattoo and never wanted to and I still don't want to. I'm not keen on them anyway.

Piercings - had ear piercings but they got infected and closed up. One day I might get them redone.

[Lord_Malone]

Got both my ears pierced in high school. I don't wear earrings anymore and I don't think I've ever been discriminated for it. My mom and dad weren't too crazy about it though. Though I've got holes in my ears and I'm now a working professional, I hold no regrets.

I got my first and only tattoo when I was a young Private in the Army. Again, no regrets and no discrimination. I'm actually considering more tattoos in the future. Tasteful of course.

[Tapeman]

When I was younger, I could never think of anything I wanted tatooed on me. Now I'm too old for that sh!t and nobody is punching holes in me!

[Wazza]

Got my ear pierced when I was 15 or so. Then my eye pierced at 18 (took our my ear piercing).

Had it in for several months, before getting a new job, and took it out. No piercings since. Considering getting a tattoo around arm in future.

[GlennSter]

i got 2 piercings on my left ear..though i seldom wear earrings now that im getting older.

funny that my mom who didnt want me to get one when i was in high school ("DON'T YOU EVER ENTER MY HOUSE IF I SEE HOLES IN YOUR FREAKIN EARS!!!") was the one who suggested 2 piercings instead of just one, went with me to the shop, and paid for them when i was still in univ. herherhehrehr

i got a tattoo (my initials, stylized) one year ago on my left inner forearm...I requested WHITE INK thinking that it will glow under UV light....DAMN!T didnt...harhahrahr..looks like it was BRANDED.no regrets though! (but parents dont know it yet...im good in keeping secrets even if it's out in the open.)

will have a "real" tattoo maybe this coming fall...a big stylized cross at the centre of my upper back.

i design my own tattoos =)

[artemis]

I have had my ears pierced of over 30 years and never regreted it, then 4 days ago I got my first and only tattoo. I don't regret it , it took me about a year of thinking about it before I decided to do it and I took the time to come up with a design that really meant something to me. the tattoo is small (1 inch) I think it is tastefull and is high up on the back of my neck. It is like my little secret, I have long hair so no one knows I have it unless I choose to show them. LOl it makes me smile so I am happy I did it

[NickSimcheck]

Not a scratch on me.

Anyone who gets near me with a needle (of any kind) is in for it.

[Mark_Cohran]

I've got a US Navy Anchor on which sits a beautiful mermaid. In a circle around it are three adult dolphins and a baby dolphin. The anchor represents my 21 years of naval service, the mermaid signifies my wife of 29 years, the three dolphins symbolize my three children and the baby dolphin is for my granddaughter. The tattoo artist will add a new baby dolphin with each subsequent grandchild.

My daughter designed the tattoo for me and I'll never regret getting it.

Mark

[saravrose]

I have three tattoos. the first one I got on my eighteenth birthday cliche' yes but some friends of mine all went down to the local shop and got tattoos.. Mine was a red rose on my ankle. the second one I got about a year later complete boredom motivated.. I was getting ready to move away from home for the first time and was stretching my grown-up muscles.. It's a four leaf clover on my back.. The third is of a flower on my wrist and four of my cousins, my sister and I all got similar tattoos after our grandmother died.. I haven't regretted them but, they do get reactions sometimes mostly because I don't fit the 'profile' of someone who would be inked.. But, they are all easily covered up when I don't want them to show and I haven't regretted them..

sari

[-Pleiades-]

I only have one tatto so far. It's the southern cross (picture the stars on the australian flag) just to the right of my left hip. My reason for getting it was 2 fold. I'm proud to be an aussie and I love astronomy so I joined the two. The southern crossed was traced from the aussie flag.

I want to get "Adventes Fortuna Juvat" tattooed on the inside of my left wrist. It's my family motto and means fortune assists the daring. I guess it's a way to wear my family heritage with pride and something to remind me to step outside of my comfort zone. I just need to wait till I sell my business (I work in water) and I still haven't found the right font yet.

I also want to get a feminine tribal design that goes from between my boobs curling around my ribs, across my back and down to my hip or thigh. But that tattoo is going to be my weight loss reward. I need to loose some weight so that is my motivation. The reason for that is mainly just cause it looks good. I love the different tribal designs, so I think this will suit me.

I have my ears pierced and my tongue. I'd like to get a second piercing in my tongue and also get a VCH done. But once again I'm waiting till my businsess sells because with it have have to move around a lot and talk.

I can't wait to have all these done!

[Jamie Holladay]

I have two tattos. One is on my ankle - my fraternity letter - the other on my right arm - a celtic sun. I have never regretted getting either. I was smart enough to get both of the low/high enough that they would not be visable when dressed for work but would be for play. I plan on another sooner or later.

[JWright]

I've got a US Navy Anchor on which sits a beautiful mermaid. In a circle around it are three adult dolphins and a baby dolphin. The anchor represents my 21 years of naval service, the mermaid signifies my wife of 29 years, the three dolphins symbolize my three children and the baby dolphin is for my granddaughter. The tattoo artist will add a new baby dolphin with each subsequent grandchild.

My daughter designed the tattoo for me and I'll never regret getting it.

Mark


You got a picture? I'd like to see that...

I did 20 years in the Navy and no tattoos... And definitely no piercings! At my age I'm now too old for either...

[zacker]

THREE TATTS... NO PIERCINGS EXCEPT FOR MY LEFT EAR.. THREE HOLES BUT DONT WEAR ANYTHING ANYMORE. opps caps lock.. O used to have a hoop and two studs but it got old so i stopped... I dont regrett any of the tatts... in fact, if i wasnt broke id prolly get another.

[Mark_Cohran]

You got a picture? I'd like to see that...

I did 20 years in the Navy and no tattoos... And definitely no piercings! At my age I'm now too old for either...


It's not a very good photo - my daughter took it with her mom's point and shoot just after the artist was finished, but here you go:


165794

[PuR HART]

I wish I made more money to finish my arms and my rt leg I have half my arms done and my left lower leg done.
I have been judged prematurely about my ink but then they get to know me and are proven wrong and if not I just chalk it up as another closed minded person
but I never regret my ink mt stuff is a testimony of His goodness in my life and what He did for me.

[liza]

I pierced my own ears when I was a teenager. As for tattoos, I'll get one when I find someone who'll go with me and hold me down. Ouch! :cry:

And I can't get a visible tattoo, because I'm a teacher in a very small, close-minded community.

[Ronald S. Jr.]

In that case, Liza, I'm sure you have many many places on your body that your students would never ever see. :eek:

[JWright]

It's not a very good photo - my daughter took it with her mom's point and shoot just after the artist was finished, but here you go:


165794

Nice! I like it...

[liza]

In that case, Liza, I'm sure you have many many places on your body that your students would never ever see. :eek:

:o:o:o

That's for sure. If I were to get one, I'd have to make sure it was always completely covered by clothing. I've seen some women get small tattoos on their ankles, but I wouldn't be able to do that if I ever wanted to wear a dress to work.

[deadpass]

Could you explain why you have gotten the first tattoo?
I was already pretty heavily pierced at the time and I wanted to get into other types of body modification


How did you go about picking the right one? Choosing the design?
Unfortunately I wan't very educated about tattoos when I got my first one, but I found a design online on some random site and I liked it, so that's what I went with


How did you feel after the bandage was off?
it was sore but that's to be expected, altho my guess is you mean mentally, knowing that I can now marked myself for life. I felt great, I felt one step closer to being the person I wanted to be.


What do you want to communicate to people with your tattoo?

nothing really, I get my tattoos for myself, not for anyone else. Most of my mods don't have any huge meaning or anything, I just like how they look


Before you got them, how did you envision people react to them?

I didn't really care, anyone that would treat me poorly isn't really worth my time anyway.


hope that helps. If you have any other questions feel free to shoot me a PM.

[Gedanken]

I've got my Airborne wing tattooed on my left shoulder. It's high up enough so that even when I roll my sleeves up at the office it doesn't show, but on the other hand it's not hidden when I wear a sleeveless T-shirt. Never regretted it.

[bestfromnw]

got one, don't mind it still

[Ogrt48]

I have a few piercings.. I started off with a tongue ring.. then I got an eyebrow piercing..followed by an industrial in my left ear.. then I was drunk and did my earlobe.. latest one is a septum piercing.

[thekid24]

Do you regret getting a tattoo or piercing? Not so far. I love my tattoo. Very glad I got it.

Have you been discriminated against because of it?
Nope, either people dont care, I havent noticed a change in behavior, and my sleeve covers up 99% of it

And also - why did you get it in the first place?
It was a spare of the moment type of thing, for years people had tried to convince me to get one...always said "there isnt a tattoo in the world I couldnt draw"...for some reason it was just a form of showing off how well someone could draw...i was yung n dumb:p.

i woke up one morning and said to myself I want a tattoo...2 days later...i was in the chair gettin my ink.

Could you explain why you have gotten the first tattoo? Just wanted it.
How did you go about picking the right one? Mimic the design of a comic book villan "Carnage"
How did you feel after the bandage was off? I felt sore...other than that I was really into it....ready to get another before it even healed.
What do you want to communicate to people with your tattoo? Nothin other than it really looks good on my shoulder
Before you got them, how did you envision people react to them? honestly didnt care. Now that im going into a profession where it might be looked at in a different light....I wont have any that will show through my scrubs. Still...I got a lot of body area to work with. Plan is to either extend current one down chest...or get a dragon tattoo on left shoulder


dang i never saw this thread...BUMP!?lol answers all in red

also to add...im sorta addicted to the pain of getting one...or maybe the process...sittin in the chair...feeling the needle peirce my skin....feelin the swelling of the tattoo after its finished....the tingling later that night and into the next day.....on the other hand...not a fan of the peeling and itching during the healing process. definately not something i consider or think about when reminising about the experience:p

[PeteJaffa]

Do you regret getting a tattoo or piercing?
No

Have you been discriminated against because of it?
Don't think so.

Could you explain why you have gotten the first tattoo?
I was in Florida on my last family holiday (I was 16) and my Dad got a quick cover up of an old homemade tatt he had done about 25 years before. I looked at it and thought I've always wanted one, why not get it here. Next thing you know I have a big skull with a tribal design on my thigh.

How did you go about picking the right one? Choosing the design?
I only had one shop to choose from and a few boards of flash. I picked one that was a bit dark.

How did you feel after the bandage was off?
Great.


What do you want to communicate to people with your tattoo?
Not much, it's for me not them.

Before you got them, how did you envision people react to them?
Didn't really think about it. I knew my brothers & sisters would be a wee bit shocked because I was always the baby of the family but they love them all the same. Also, see above.

Piercings: I looked like an 11 year old Boy George. I removed it after one week.

Link to 3 of my 4 tattoos. http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=4964553#post4964553

[BrettRio]

I don't want one..

[thekid24]

kinda funny...since i found this thread it made me start thinkin of my next tattoo.....only bad thing is the slight torture in knowing right now i cant afford it....but with my madd skillz in photoshop...i can afford to get two different tattoos on the same shoulder and not have to worry about permanency:p

[DocFrankenstein]

kinda funny...since i found this thread it made me start thinkin of my next tattoo.....only bad thing is the slight torture in knowing right now i cant afford it....but with my madd skillz in photoshop...i can afford to get two different tattoos on the same shoulder and not have to worry about permanency:p
Why would you want to get a triad tattoo?
Are you a member of a triad? That's the kind of permanent mark that identifies you with a subcuture which you don't really belong?
Does it just seem cool?

[squashed]

I too Love my Tattoo's. I have three on my upper right arm and I would love to get more and turn it into a colorful collage of tattoo goodness... lol

[MDJAK]

Don't want to sound like the wimp I am, but a higher being put me on this earth with a limited number of holes and that's the same number I intend to flap off my mortal coil with.

As for ink, when I was a wee little tyke, an elderly gent was sitting in front of the building in the Bronx, N.Y. where I lived. When my Hi Bounce Spalding ball bounced his way and I went to get it, I laid my eyes on his forearm as he reached for the ball. It was the first time I'd ever seen a tattoo. It was a series of blurry, poorly executed numerals.

I asked him what it was and he told me they were numbers forcibly placed on his arm when he was a prisoner in Auschwitz, the concentration camp.

As silly as it may sound, it had such an impact on me that I have an aversion to tattoos ever since.
me

[Karl Johnston]

Why would you want to get a triad tattoo?
Are you a member of a triad? That's the kind of permanent mark that identifies you with a subcuture which you don't really belong?
Does it just seem cool?

Is it cool in toronto to have no comprehension skill?

That PP job is awesome thekid24, wow, had me fooled they look real.

[HSK]

My ears are pierced, which I don't regret...I did get my tongue pierced a couple of years ago, but It was pointless in the end, because i left the stud out and the hole closed up in no time at all. And i kinda started to dislike it anyways, but not so much a regret as everything went back to normal.

[nadtz]

Could you explain why you have gotten the first tattoo?
Hrmm, my first I got in H.S.with a then and still good friend, still have it, still love it. As for why, it was one of those group boy things. Call it a rite of passge maybe.

How did you go about picking the right one? Choosing the design?
The first was customised flash, everything since has been thought out by me and drawn by whatever artist was doing the work (with a few exceptions). I have enough that explaining the how and why would take too long, suffice it to say I take my time and come up with something I will be happy with.

How did you feel after the bandage was off?
I have loved all my work. I have tattoos, scarification, implants and have had piercings, though I've removed all the metal at this point (mostly due to laziness or problems with the areas).

What do you want to communicate to people with your tattoo?
Nothing, they arent for anyone else, they are for me.

Before you got them, how did you envision people react to them?
I don't care what anyone else thinks of them, but I do have to warn people about some of my work, but that's a discussion beyond the scope of a 'family' forum =) Because of what I do for a living most of my work isnt visible, but what is generally gets 'wow' type positive responses. The occasional 'why the hell would you do that to yourself' I sometimes try to answer, depending on my mood and what not.

[thekid24]

Why would you want to get a triad tattoo?
Are you a member of a triad? That's the kind of permanent mark that identifies you with a subcuture which you don't really belong?
Does it just seem cool?
yeah pretty much. i dont have deep meaning tattoos.....theyre for me:)

enlighten me on the subculture that i would be gettin myself into please

[nadtz]

As for ink, when I was a wee little tyke, an elderly gent was sitting in front of the building in the Bronx, N.Y. where I lived. When my Hi Bounce Spalding ball bounced his way and I went to get it, I laid my eyes on his forearm as he reached for the ball. It was the first time I'd ever seen a tattoo. It was a series of blurry, poorly executed numerals.

I asked him what it was and he told me they were numbers forcibly placed on his arm when he was a prisoner in Auschwitz, the concentration camp.

As silly as it may sound, it had such an impact on me that I have an aversion to tattoos ever since.
me

I grew up in the Bronx also, and met some older immigrant Jews who still had those tattoos, it is pretty humbling realizing who you are talking to when you meet someone like that.

For me though, those old guys sitting in the park with their military ink were more the inspiration than the survivors were an aversion. But then I'm into lots of 'edge' type stuff, it was all downhill after i read about Oh-Kee-Pah suspension in an old national geographic when I was a kid. I wonder if my mom ever regrets having those around considering she is still raising eyebrows at me when she hears about some of the stuff Im into. Heh.

[nadtz]

yeah pretty much. i dont have deep meaning tattoos.....theyre for me:)

enlighten me on the subculture that i would be gettin myself into please

Triads = asian organized crime/gang subculture. Similar to the Yakuza in japan. I think the tattoos have become so popular here they are not seen the same as they are elsewhere. I have a fairly large Asian inspired/themed piece myself, every so often during the summer I get funny looks when I go down to Chinatown here in Chicago so it is something to be aware of.

[DocFrankenstein]

yeah pretty much. i dont have deep meaning tattoos.....theyre for me:)

enlighten me on the subculture that i would be gettin myself into please
Organized crime subcultre.

Could you explain why they seem cool to you?

[thekid24]

Organized crime subcultre.

Could you explain why they seem cool to you?
the way it flows with the shape of my shoulders and back. same with my shoulder tattoo...it flows....goes with the grain so to speak. way better looking than anything else ive found....so why not go for it...only live once.bw!

[thekid24]

Triads = asian organized crime/gang subculture. Similar to the Yakuza in japan. I think the tattoos have become so popular here they are not seen the same as they are elsewhere. I have a fairly large Asian inspired/themed piece myself, every so often during the summer I get funny looks when I go down to Chinatown here in Chicago so it is something to be aware of.
luckily for me there is no China Town in Oklahoma....I think im pretty safe

especially south west OKC.:D;)