Tattoos

Tattoos

Tattoos seem to have came into the mainstream over the past couple of years. There are still people who feel that they only fit a couple of types of people, but when you look around it seems all types of people have some sort of body art. Then there is the fact that tattoo parlors are popping up everywhere.

My concern is not that people are getting tattoos, but at what age should this actually happen without regret. The legal aspect does not need to be changed and I am not advocating for that. I feel that with maturity there would be less tattoo regret. Unfortunately, not everyone matures at the same rate, some never do. Some people do not understand the concept of permanent art work and the fact that their life may change.

The first case of this is with names. I don’t mean a child’s name, but the name of a significant other. In today’s society divorce seems to be at its highest rate ever. Yet, young people with have the name of the one they love inked in. For some reason, forever does not seem that long when you are 22 or they are just naïve. A son or daughter’s name should be forever but we don’t see that as much. People don’t realize this is the only skin we get and some things are not as easy to have removed as they might think.

The next style of tattoo would be curse words. This is especially true on parts of the body that are visible for everyone else to see too. As you get older and your body shows signs of wear and tear, this is a time when you will find God. It is hard to talk to a man of the cloth with something obscene in plain sight. This could also affect the type of spouse you can attract in the future. Getting serious about God or a good Christian person can be a little more challenging with dirty words that you thought was cool, or dared to do, when life was all fun.

The removal is getting better but it can be painful and expensive. There can be scarring in the area of what use to be there. Plus, some skin types can absorb the ink better than others and the only way to remove it is to tattoo over it. This means probably a lot of black ink to cover what was once there, and depending on what was there the first time, what can be placed over it due to shape and size.

Then there is also your body itself. Being young helps with keep the body toned up. Gravity over time takes a toll on all of us. When the skin moves the tattoo can take on a whole new shape from what it once was. Being young you feel that it will be easy to keep that shape forever. Then again you also feel that forever will not be as long either.

Tattoos are great and if put in the open for people to see, expect them to look. When you react harsh to someone looking at a tattoo, keep in mind people will stare at them for the rest of your life. At one time you thought it was cool when someone asked about the tattoo. Will you still feel the same way in forty years, or will they be asking about that nasty scar and how you got it?

Tattoos tell a story. Some reflect just about that person. Others change meaning over time. These are all things to be considered before taking a seat. A little maturity can go a long way when it comes to getting a tattoo. What is hip now in 2009 will be forgotten in a few short years. If you have doubts about things being forgotten, just take a good look at your parents. You will be there one day too with your own children, and then what do you tell your kids?