BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Body Art Why DON'T you have tattoos?

I'm just curious if there are any other non-tatted people here, and if so, why don't you have tattoos?

I, personally, LOVE tattoos, I love the concept of using your body as a medium for great art, and I love seeing other people's tattoos and knowing the reasoning behind them. Lots of my friends are tatted, I've even been to the tattoo parlor as a one-person support group. I'm known as the "calm, sensible one" in my group of friends, so I'm often designated to be the voice of reason, making sure what's going on is what my friend wants, making sure that sanitary procedures are used, etc.

I have a couple of reasons for not getting tattoos myself. The most basic one is that I really don't like needles.... I was a very allergic child and had blood screenings done regularly.... I think I reached my lifetime quota on needles sometime around age 6. LOL.

Secondly, I'm fickle. My personal style changes dramatically every couple of years... it wasn't so long ago that I had dreadlocks and wore patchwork everything, now I dress more like a German film critic, maybe in 5 years I'll be a total yuppie, and then 5 years after that I'll be back to dreadlocks. I like the freedom to be able to totally change how I look, and I worry that tattoos would inhibit that.

Lastly, and most importantly, I want the option of being buried in a Jewish cemetery when I die. While I'm not much of a Jew these days (nor have I ever been, really), who knows how my religious beliefs will change as I get older? Jews are not allowed, by Jewish law, to be tattooed. That was one of the reasons that they tattooed the Jews with numbers at the concentration camps. I just don't want to find myself having made a major religious conversion later in life and hugely regret a decision I made when I was young.

Maybe when I'm in my 80s, and I'm pretty sure that Judaism isn't gonna happen for me, I'll get a tattoo. Plus, by the time I'm 80, I bet they'll have figured out some sort of needle-free way to tattoo people. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Megan,

That's so great that you know yourself. Tattooed or not, to me, that's a big part of making things work for yourself. I send out a lot of email that tells people if they have *any* doubts, then don't get the tattoo. My mom has a good friend who at the age of 70 got a butterfly tattooed on her ankle because that's when she felt ready for it. It's really cute too. And she'd broken that ankle in her 60s and had it pinned back together so it also became symbolic of her healing.

Religous reasons are one of the most major for why people don't get tattooed. I remember there was a progressive Jewish magazine in the Bay Area that ran a cover picture of a young woman who looked for all practical purposes just like a Suicide Girl model (technicolor hair and tattooed arms), wrapped in a prayer shawl. I'm sure it was as well-received as it was debated.

My father's family is Jewish (it is *Rachel* Schwarz btw) and quite frankly, except for my father's younger brother, not a single other relative on that side of the family has ever seen my tattoos. My parents know I am Pagan and that I'm tattooed (and a LOT of other stuff, LOL) and we all agreed with very little discussion that there were members of the extended family who would have a hard time understanding that. I don't mind at all dressing to cover my ink when around them and in fact, everyone is most comfortable, me included, that way.

Then, on my mom's side of the family is a great-uncle who lives just a few hours from Seattle, and Mom has sworn that the two of us shall never meet. She gives me the impression that she feels she must protect me. I know it's because of my tats and piercings that she's decided this. She's never done this with anyone else *ever* as far as I can tell in her entire life, not with any two other people. I don't know whether to be glad or horribly curious.

The old relatives can be tough.... My mom won't introduce my great-great aunt Mabel (age 97) to my S.O., because he has long hair and a beard. He's not "scruffy", by any means, he just looks like a jazz musician (which is what he is).... but Aunt Mabel cannot deal with men who are not buzz-cut and clean-shaven.

This is the same aunt who recently moved into a nursing home and MORTIFIED my birkenstock-wearing lesbian mother when she announced that there was a very nice "Darkie" who brought her dinner every night. My mother said "Mabel! It's not okay to say that word any more!" to which Mabel responded "Oh, I remember. We're supposed to call them Colored". I think my Mom just about passed out....

Thank God Mabel's pretty close to blind and my little sister's nosering is too small for her to see, otherwise I think she'd disown my Mother for letting her children turn into such "rebels".

LOL Megan. When I first introduced my husband to be to my parents my mother said to me afterwards how pleased they were with him because 1) He had short hair and although he does have a goatie, it's neat and presentable; 2) He didn't wear any of those silly earrings that some men think they must wear for some reason (well, cause it looks sooo hot, that's why); and 3) He didn't smoke.

Well, my folks still haven't been shown the photos of my hubby in his heavy-metal band days - with the long hair, earring, and a joint. They know he plays guitar, but they think it's accoustic. We haven't bothered to point out the electric one sitting in the corner of the room next to the massive sub-woofer.

Ah, well. It gives my friends a giggle.

Now, back to your original topic.

I'm much like you in that I love tattoos on other people. Love the idea, love the art of it. But I'm pretty sure I'd "grow out" of whatever design I chose at any point in my life. Like you I've done major style changes from 50's style flowing flowery long skirts (yuck!) to severe black pant-suits to goth to whatever I'm doing now (normal?!). I also think I might not always want a tattoo in the place I chose for it. So I think temporary tats are better for me. I'm forever drawing and painting on myself - Rae, I seem to remember you said you did that too?

I have a belly-piercing though, which I love. I had absolutely no hesitation doing that.

I guess I was always afraid it would hurt. Guess I need to visit the Body Art site and research. I always thought it would be fun to do a small butterful right above hip on lower back. Now, it would be cool to have a small tree to show the genealogy bug in me. This site is opening me up to new ideas! But, I'll have to research it first....

I'm with you, Elle, I love the temporary stuff, and the semi-temporary stuff.... I've had Henna designs that lasted for quite some time. I have a friend who's an extremely talented Henna artist, and she gave me this gorgeous embellished fiddle design on my back (the instrument I play), I had to wear halters and backless dresses for a month, I just wanted to show it off all the time! I also had her do a full sleeve once.... it took HOURS but it was so worth it....

I also, at any given time, usually have a phone number or grocery list written on the back of my hand, but I guess that doesn't count. I can't think of a single phone number that I'd want on the back of my hand forever. LOL.

Great topic Megan.
This seems to be a common answer. If I had gotten a tattoo in my 20s I would have changed it in my 30s, if not before. It would have changed again at 35, 40, 45, etc.
As a hairdresser, my hair usually changes with every haircut and every tint retouch, which is often since my hair grows really fast.

I have also noticed that many tattoos change on their own over the years and not for the better. I'm sure that it depends on where they are located. My husband, for instance has tattoos on his shoulder. Now when he was younger, he had large muscular shoulders. He doesn't now and he is also NOT over-weight(which would have helped). He showed me how I can see what his tattoo is of - when I take my fingers and stretch the skin. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

When my daughter talked about tattoos about 10 years ago, I told her to just remember that they will still be there when she is a grandmother so she should think about it for a long time. When I was her age, I had no idea how many times my views of life would change over the years. There are some things worth making a permanent life-long committment. Some things are not. We each have to make the choice.

For me the big thing is that I really really really really hate needles with an extreme passion. I can't even watch movies involving needles, I have to close my eyes. The Pulp Fiction scene nearly gave me a heart attack <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> So I wouldn't make it past the first ink dot <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I want to get a tattoo, I even have the design picked out. It's based on a lantern held by the "Angel of Hope"; one of the Willow Tree angels by Demdaco. After everything my family and I have been thru (and made it thru) it seems very appropriate.

But, I want to wait until I have lost my weight, because like Lynne pointed out; who'll be able to recognize it if I get it now and lose 100 lbs?

It's interesting to me how often I find myself telling folks without any tattoos that I think that's fine for them. I often get folks who want to take a look at mine, but then they seem really nervous and confess they don't have any of their own.