Tattoo's

I have 8.

I had a little rose on my upper arm, thats now covered up with a large phoenix, I have tribal patterns on my other arm, one wrist, both calves and one ankle. I have plenty more on the drawing board - I usually sit with a design for at least 6 months before I get it inked.

Why? I have always been fascinated by tattoos, ever since I was very little and saw men with drawings on thier skin that didn't wash off when they went swimming. I started drawing on myself as soon as I was old enough to play with felt tip pens. My mother still thinks tattoos are for tarts and sailors.

I hate the misconception that you can't be 'professional' if you have tattoos. Having tattoos doesn't make you a different person or any less capable than someone without. I am a 'professional', I work with other professionals, last time someone said anything I told them they should be staring at my legs in the frist place, and that I found their bright pink lipstick just as distasteful as they thought my tats were.

I don't have any tattoo's and I don't want one either, I just don't get it. I worry what they would look like when I am an OAP and everything is wrinkly and sagging, let alone when I want to wear a really elegant dress and have to disguise it.

Are they addictive? I notice a few people I know want to keep adding more once they start.

Do you have one? If yes, how many and if no, do you want one? - Yes, I have One

Where and what is it? - Lower Back, Tribal Design

Also, why did you get it? I got it done to comemorate all the ones i've lost. it has a moon and a star in the middle of it.

?

This is the only one I have at the minute:

But I would really like this next as the theme for our wedding was peacock feathers:

No, dont have any, No dont want any, just dont like them, although have held several friends hands whilst they have had them done so I'm not "anti" tatoos just dont like the look of them.

I have 2. Not visible unless i want them to be. I dont regret them at all because i got them with meaning behind em, rather than something 'pretty'. Good job an all as i remember being 16 and wanting a red devil on my arm ? No offence to anyone that has, i just wouldnt have liked that on me now!

That peacock one is gorgeous!

I have 3. I have a pattern on my lower back which I got when I was 17. To me it symbolises independance. My parents had recently split up and I was working on getting myself a job and dealing with that etc. I love it.

I have chinese writing on my stomach/hip - It says Love and Friendship. At the time I had jsut got back in touch with an old friend and i had it to symbolise that - on my 20th bday. I like ot enough but I dont love it.

The final one is on my wrist. Its is a picture of three butterflies in the wind with some little flowers and dots etc. Its been made to look like they are on a wind current. the three butterflies are for my Mum, Dad and Brother...the wind is in an 'S' shape. My late grandad was called Sid - so he's there too and the reason I have butterflies is cos they remind me of my nan. I love it - its been done in greys and brushstroke so it looks delicate and the tattoo artist highlighted some of it with white so its dimensional.

I want another one - H and i will both have half of the chorus from our first dance, so when you put us togethe rit makes the whole chorus...and I would like tattoos to represent my step kids...I may well have their initials on the one on my wrist as it includes lots of family x

I have a few:

18 years old - 3 stars behind me ear, to represent three members of my family who have passed away - each one about 1.5cms

19 years old - a treble clef on my wrist, no good reason for this one, I saw someone else with the same tattoo and I thought it looked amazing! - about 1 inch long

19/20 years old - a butterfly on the back of my neck again no reason for this one - about 1.5cms

20 years old - two lightning bolts on my lower back - got these done on holiday in Florida, the tattooist was so mean, definitely the most painful one I've had! - each one about 2 inches long

21 years old - Mr R's initial on my other wrist, really wanted a tattoo but didn't know what to have, we hadn't been together that long when I got it done, luckily I haven't had to regret it! - about 1 inch long

I would really love more but i don't know what I'd have, or where, and i don't have the spare cash to get them done like I did when i was younger and mortgage-less!

Mr R doesn't have any tattoos nor does he want to have any. He doesn't have a problem with my tattoos, but I don't think he wants me to get any more.

I have 4, all done within about 18 months. The first is on my lower back and is a tribal design that me and my mum designed together. The second is a tiny tribal thing on my hip, that hasn't really coped well with being stretched in pregnancy. The 3rd is 3 small stars on my wrist and the last is a tribal design on my foot that my mum designed for me and i love. I don't regret any of them and have made sure that they are in places that aren't visable unless i want them to be.

I would like another one at some point, i've always wanted a butterfly somewhere, and would like one to represent my babies.

My H has one along his forearm. He also wants our sons name on him somewhere, i'm trying to convince him to have it somewhere different to where his other one is.

I have a butterfly on the left side of my chest which I HATE!!

I got it when I was about 20 and it was done in a beauty salon type place and was supposed to be one of these Temptoo things which are done just slightly under the skin and therefore fade away after 3-5 years. 15 years later its still there as dark as ever. Clearly they were a con. I NEVER EVER would have had that design in that place if I knew it would be permanent. I daydream about suing them for the cost of laser removal but they aren't there anymore

Miss T

I completely agree about there being a huge difference between a tattooist and a genuine tattoo artist. I have a small butterfly on my left leg where it meets my hip, it's only about an inch square, it was done by a rubbish tattooist who basically just stuck a transfer on my leg and went over it. I didn't get it done for any real reason, I just wanted a butterfly tattoo, I don't regret it either. What I do want is for it to be re-touched and the wings made bigger though. I had an appointment to get it done this summer but cancelled as needed the money for holiday spends.

I was close to getting a wrist one too this year but backed out. Glad I did because on reflection, much as I like tattoos, for me I don't always like them visible eg wearing an elegant dress for a posh night out, wedding day, professional appointments etc.

My brother has a beautiful maori tattoo on the ball of his shoulder and extended down to form almost a half sleeve. The woman who did was a true artist, the lines are fine, delicate, sleek, smooth and flawless.

Flow- I did this with MrMinis sleeve before he got it coloured in- whiled away an evening at least!

Wow lots of lovely stories, surprised not to see many flashes though!

Love the peacock one. ER- that is going to hurt when you get it filled in!!

I have quite a large angel on my back (pre David Beckham), which has a scroll wrapped round the legs.

I am not religeous however my grandfather was and it was where we could meet in the middle. we were very close and whilst I didn't believe in teh same as him, I always thought there was 'something' watching out for me.

The scroll I will have an inscription on at some point - have fluttered over 'shy bairns get nowt' for a while but still undecided.

Will probably have another tattoo, but it took 15 years to decide on what to have, it may take a while to decide on the next.

Flow - that is what C does. Takes ages to get it off.

I love the pain from tattoos, As soon as one is finished, I want another.

Got my first at 16, and was addicted.

This is interesting!

Not to be controversial (I haven't thought it through so it's a genuine question) but does an obsession with tattoos fall into a kind of body dysmorphia spectrum? I'm guessing it's not driven by an overt dislike of your body but I wonder if psychologists have tried to classify it as a transformation based on subconscious feelings of dislike?

I often wondered about those Temptoo ones. A friend of mine had one that was meant to glow up under UV club lights (and it did) but I don't know if it wore off as he moved abroad and we lost touch.

Interesting thought footlong- I do have a dislike of my body but dont see tattoos as a way of covering it up or overcompensating- I suppose I feel it makes me more interesting to look at- even though you will only be able to see them all when am in a bikini? I know they are there iykwim?

I like a lot of tattoo art if it is done well. Big tattoos are not for me though. Mr C wants a big piece all over one shoulder which goes down his back and across the front of one side of his chest. He is thinking quite a solid tribal type design but hasn't seen anything like he wants yet and I haven't got around to doodling for him!

I have always wanted one but knowing me I know I change my mind a lot, and so I would need to know that I love it on paper for at least a year before ink touches my skin.

I also have a thing about symmetry and so in certain places (front or back) it would need to be central somewhere on my body like this:

I also prefer a loose more relaxed script as opposed to the usual tattoo fonts like this:

I want to see more of your tattoos!!

Kochanski have you flahed your tattoo before or were you previously on H with a different user name?

I have defnitely seen that tattoo before. Odd.

ETA: Somebody's been using your picture then Kochanski!

https://www.hitched.co.uk/Chat/ forums/p/190784/1895575.aspx

I know my H got his full sleeves to cover scars from years and years of self harming. He saw the tats as a way of concentrating on the now, rather than the past.

Mine either mean something, or were just designs I liked.

Not sure why the pain from getting tattooed is addictive.

None of it for me has got anything to do with not liking my body etc, but it was for H in a way.

Here's some more of my tattoos

The eyes on my neck

Part of my memorial vine, without my angel babys addition

This is totally unfinished as the lines need to be "bulked out", and some lines re-done as I knocked the scabs during healing and took some of the colour off.

Trickers you need to be a detective!

If you read other threads, it's obvious why Trickers would remember the poster. I am intrigued to see where this is going...

Chavvy slapper ?

OUTED!!!!

Https://www.hitched.co.uk/chat/forums/t/215845.aspx?PageIndex=5

I remembered seeing the tattoo on here at some point; its quite distinctive so knew I had seen it before. That's why I asked if Kochaniski had been a previous member/changed her name.

Aaaaah interesting.

I am confused, I couldn't see the tattoo photo and cannot open the link at work!!!

What links am I missing??!!

This would scare the bejesus out of me if I saw it in a dusky light. I'd convince myself I couldn't have seen them and that I was going mad!