Tattoos

Mines potentially a bit NSFW so i'll link rather than post as a pic.

Pre colour, 10 hours in

Finished

It's a peacock that starts just below my armpit and covers my left side, down to my thigh. No special meaning, aside from the fact I like peacocks and big tattoos! I'd love the right side done too (and ideally full back) but good tattoos aren't cheap and we've a wedding to pay for at the moment!

Looking forward to seeing some more, I love a tattoo thread!

SL - I am in love with your peacock - stunning ❤️

This is my little devil that I got to celebrate my divorce from the ex-ba$tard!! He would never let me get a tattoo while we were married and he put me down all the time, so this was to remind me that I am worth something, that I am attractive and that I can be who I want to be - he may be tacky, but I love him ?

I won't flash all mine as we'll be here all day, but here are some.

Mockingbird on my right shoulder blade:

Vegan ambigram and cherry blossoms on my left upper arm (not a great pic - it's really hard to photograph your own inner arm!)

Serenity on my left lower outer arm:

Dharma initiative Swan hatch logo on my left lower inner arm:

Ace of spades on my right lower inner arm ;

Mermaid Bettie on my right shin:

R ussian doll on my right thigh (this is a composite of three photos to show how it looks all the way around)

Wow SL, I would love something like that! Gorgeous

Bekkijane, I love the reasoning behind your little fella!

Wow, ID, great snapshot! Particularly love your Russian doll

I can't flash mine, but here's the design (just on someone else - thank you, Google image search!). Mine's on my very lower back, though, just high enough to poke out over bikini bottoms or hipster jeans:

(Sorry about the size)

I have a few others that I want to get, but aren't sure about:

1) A raven in profile on each hip, with a derma-pierced red eye, and underneath one written "And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming" and under the other one just "Nevermore" (I'm a big Edgar Allen Poe fan);

2) A birdcage, with the door open and a bird ambiguously flying so it's not clear whether it's going towards or away from the cage;

3) Down my right ribs, a phrase from a song in Japanese which translates to "The reason why we are born alone is to meet each other. My friend, if that is to be our destiny, there is no more need for tears". In Japanese, it reads "ああ一人生まれて沸けはきっと二人出会うためだって。友よそれが定めだから波だ派網要らない". I'd have it written in four vertical lines, so it would take up at least the entirety of my ribs once it was enlarged to a size where the kanji are legible.

I've had all of the above ideas for years, I'm just not sure about how they'll look as I get older or if I have children (and I have no idea where I'd put the birdcage one). Plus, I don't want to have all of them, because I think that would just be a little too much for me, so I need to choose between them. The problem is, everyone I speak to about it thinks they're all really cool, and I think they're all really cool, so choosing between them is proving way too hard!

Ribs are supposed to HURT. Not that that would ever stop me from getting a tattoo, but worth considering. I have none on my chest or torso and I probably never will - too much investment for something nobody will ever see! I like to be able to show mine off, even if I do sometimes get negative reactions. The Russian doll on my thigh especially seems to get a lot of stares when it's visible.

II think my next one will be a teacup and saucer - my grandma collected Victoriana Rose crockery which I now have so I'd like a cup in that pattern. But I'm running out of space so I think it will have to go on the back of one of my arms, which is a bummer as I won't see it as much. But I really want my arms filled, so I'm gonna have to go onto the backs sometime!

ETA : maybe something like this design

Thank you inovermyhead and MrsShep.

The birdies in the teacups are cute ID!

I didn't find the ribs too bad to be honest. I had 3 hour sittings though, perhaps if it had been any longer it would have been less tolerable. I didn't enjoy the bum region being done much because it kept sending the area into spasms and it swelled up a fair bit, so sitting was uncomfy for a while. It also meant getting into some fairly unflattering positions ?

I'm the opposite to you ID in the sense that I prefer not to have mine on show. Having tattoos seems to give people a weird sense of entitlement to touch you (it). When my other one used to pop out of the bottom of my t-shirt, i'd literally have people walk up to me and lift my shirt up to see what it was. I think that may be what ultimately put me off getting more visible ones, as i've always wanted my full back done and a set of sleeves.

My other one (that provoked the shirt lifting!) It's a skin rip and people always say they hate it or that it makes them feel sick! I'm not in the least bit offended by that though, i'm know to have odd taste in most things! It's years old now and faded to buggery (wasn't done by a very good artist, I learned to do my research after getting this) But this is it when it was fresh.

ID, tbh I didn't find the one on the base of my spine hurt very much (the tattoo artist said anywhere bony will hurt like hell and I'd be in a lot of pain driving home, but I thought it was fine. A little sore for a day or two, but the worst bit was the itching when the scabs came off). I have quite a high pain tolerance, so the pain wouldn't really put me off. It's more the worrying about whether I'll regret getting them done if I get pregnant or when I get old and wrinkly. That's why I got my heart done on my lower back - that way, when I'm older, if it goes manky I don't have to see it ?. I also know that I tend to have a bit of an obsessive streak, and throw myself 100% into something for a few years then suddenly decide I'm not interested in it anymore and drop it overnight, so I worry about getting something that means a lot to me now, but might not mean that much in a decade or so.

SL, I'm like you, I prefer the idea of having my tattoos somewhere covered. I like my lower back one, because I can choose whether to show it off. I've never had a problem with people touching it, but I do a lot of theatre and having them on show would mean having to cover them up with makeup for each performance. Plus, it just feels a little more personal for some reason (but then, I am a very introverted person generally - I tend to dress to avoid standing out, so having visible tattoos which people might comment on would make me feel too exposed).

I've never had that touching thing - maybe I look too intimidating actually that was a major thing for me when I was single - I would get endless attention online (which doesn't say anything about my attractiveness, it's just that men will try to chat up any living human female from the safety of a computer screen) but never got approached in real life. I had bright red hair, a fair few piercings and a lot of big, prominent tattoos so I theorised that men found me intimidating - although I did realise that I might have been kidding myself and maybe I just wasn't particularly pretty! But it seemed ridiculous cos I'm the least intimidating person ever - my appearance belied my personality. I quite like that in a way though, cos I like to think that my tattoos make me look like a badass, when in fact I'm a big old geek. I dunno, I've rambled but the point is I like my tattoos on show sometimes cos they are big and not stereotypically feminine and I like being a contradiction. Or something.

Ah see I think I had the opposite kind of thing going on, but it does seem to come back to stereotypes. I was quite small and dainty back in the day, very girly most of the time appearance wise but I was into heavier music and not stereotypically female things, tattoos etc (still am). I'd have my little denim skirt on and my marily manson t-shirts and this "vomit inducing" tattoo sometimes poking out, I think I confused people more than anything. It got frustrating having the same conversations over and over about why I was wearing this t-shirt, or why I had this tattoo when I looked "normal" or like I should "listen to westlife" according to an old boss. I find it funny now, but it was infuriating at the time!

Yeah, I've never been small and dainty even when I was much thinner than I am now, I'm quite tall and have strong features. I used to get more attention from lesbians, which was interesting (and cool). Nobody has ever tried to suggest I should be listening to Westlife, thank God - I am actually a big pop music fan, but not Westlife.

Ooh, ID, I love the teacups and birds, lovely reason for it too.

These are my butterflies. These are the ones that people feel its ok to touch. On honeymoon one of the staff in the restaurant made it a running joke to try and pluck them off my skin! I do find that odd, but it is kind of a compliment as people say they almost look real enough to fly away (cringe )

I got my first one on my lower back (will try and get H to take a pic at some point) when I was a bit skinnier and used to wear tight tops that rode up if I bent over etc, and people used to comment all the time. One of the favourites was oh, Em, someone's drawn on your back. Funny the first time, got a bit old! Of the three the ankle definitely hurt the most.

My mum actually said to me when I got my second one that she's hoped I'd have got over that after I split up with my ex! Haha. My family really aren't keen. They're all girly though! I think she'd have been sick if I'd got your skin rip one SL

MadamRed, I love the ideas for yours, particularly the birdcage. I love the song, but I'd be tempted to get that put onto a scroll or canvas rather than my body, but that's because I'm a picture tattoo girl

I don't have a pic of mine - its just a swirly leafy pattern on my hip. And now I'm fat it doesn't look good. I may flash once I've lost weight.

I want to get this on my foot - I actually found a transfer and put that on as I want to make sure I'd like it once I get it. I just need to wait for a time when I have some money
!

Nice J9, as you can see I like a butterfly! Only little so shouldn't be too expensive

I've got a couple, but to be honest I haven't got any photos of majority of them.

My mum paid for my first one when I was 16, it's only a Chinese symbol, she thought id bottle out and not get it done, I don't know why shed think that, she paid for my belly button to be pierced when I was 15 and thought i'd bottle out of that and I didn't.

Apart from that one, ive got a pattern on my back, a butterfly on my inner arm, but oddly enough nobody really notices it as of the position, I got it, and judge me if you like, from this quote "some people are settling down, some people are settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies", and weirdly enough I got it the day I went on my first date with my OH ?

My last tattoo is one of a barcode....and it's on my bum! ha, I still think its funny all these years later. I went into town shopping one christmas eve, I finished the shopping early and had spare money so went and got it, ha!

My first one was a Chinese symbol too! I now think it's clichéd and possibly a bit culturally appropriative too, but I haven't had it covered up or anything. Yet.

I wouldnt get any of mine covered up, they each remind me of a different part of my life and growing up. One comment I hat hearing from people is "you'll regret it when your older", why would I regret it? It was something I wanted and they are part of who I am, ?

Urgh, yeah, I hate the you'll regret it when you're older crowd. Actually, I did my research, chose something I'll never go off, why will I regret it? I also get the it'll look awful when you get old. Again, all of mine are placed so they can be covered up, and they're on parts of your body that dont change a huge amount, so they won't just be wrinkly blotches, they may well just make me look like a cool old lady!

I have a pair of eyes on the back of my neck, a half sleeve filled with things I like (hello kitty, cupcakes, bats, sweets, jack skellington...), a memorial vine on my wrist, with a branch and heart for each person close to me, who has passed away. I also have a memorial tattoo for my angel baby. On my shoulder blade, I have a heart on a cross (i'm another whose Mum paid for it, when I was 16), and I have my eldest sons name under that.

I think tattoos are so common now, they won't look out of place when we're older, as they'll be so many people in the same boat, it'll be "the norm".

I actually get more comments about my stretched lobes, rather than my tattoos.

The mockingbird I posted is a cover-up of a manga fairy I had done when I was about 21. It commemorates a time of my life when I was an idiot and went to a terrible cheap tattooist cos I didn't do my research properly - I don't need to be reminded of that

Yeah, I must admit I'm not sure about the lobes.

Haha, ID I considered a fairy when I was younger, still love the faeries of the darker variety but kinda glad I didn't get one.

Just can't decide on my next one. Despite being one of the people who say you shouldn't get partners names etc I really would quite like one that links to H, but can't think of anything suitable

Interesting. I am the sort of girl who apparently doesn't look like she would like stretched ears according to the 22 year old boy who tried to chat me up last night.

I have one generic tattoo- it's not great quality if I'm honest but I got it done on a whim when I was 19 so it could be worse!

I also have one on my arm which are some of the lyrics to a biffy clyro song

I also really want the following;

Those pictures are coming out all in the wrong order- I hate posting from hitched on my phone!

I want all of the below:

Meh, don't listen to that nonsense. I got the tattoo of mine and H's initials when we'd been together 6 weeks! I say declare your love in big ways if you feel it. any one of us might get run over by a bus tomorrow.

My H got my name tattooed on his neck, after we'd been together 4 months. He was still married (but obvs separated) to his first wife at the time. Bet it peed her off that he never got her name tattooed *childish*

I've never seen you before Mini. If you don't mind me saying so, you're a good looking girl! And younger than I had pictured. Love the cat and the owl! Im a bit obsessed with owls.

ID, that's actually one of the big reasons I don't want one like that. What if H does get hit by a bus? If/when I decided I was ready to date again, how do you explain that tattoo? And how does anyone compare to your husband who died, how would someone new ever feel like he lives up? Morbid and really pessimistic but I can't help it. That's why I'd like one a but more obscure

I'm one of the 'regret it when you're older' crowd. But to be clear, that's the reason I don't have any tattoos of my own. Unlike you i can't think of anything i feel so passionately about that i want to permanently mark it on my body. I know I'm fairly fickle when it comes to hair colour/style, dress sense, i even am a bit dip-in dip out with my hobbies and interests so i can't imagine picking a tattoo and being happy with my choice for the rest of my life.

I have never said to anyone else, you'll regret it, and wouldn't dream of doing so (possible future exception being my own kids if i have any and i think they haven't fully thought it through).

I do often wonder whether people do hit their 50s and 60s and regret it. I know a couple of people, men and women who have tattoos that have faded badly and also 'warped' during the ageing process. I know its subjective, but i think they look awful in that state. Perhaps to the person the tattoo is a meaningful marker of their past and they still love it, i don't know any of them well enough to dare to be rude enough to ask whethber they have any regrets, but it's another factor that puts me off doing it personally.

ETA, I sometimes wonder whether I'm just not passionate enough about stuff.

Thanks! Everyone thinks I'm older on here than I am but then I also look younger than I am IRL- it's confusing!

Ive been around so long I forget that there might be people that don't know who I am.