Being a tattooed person, I've heard so many things, good and bad, about how I have chosen to decorate my body. If you're tattooed, there's a good chance that you've heard at least some of this comments about your modifications.
1. Did your tattoo hurt?
Yes, it did. A needle injecting pigment into the skin isn't the most comfortable thing to experience. When people ask this, I am always honest with them, even if it an eye-roll inducing question. Keep in mind, though, that pain is relative from person to person, and what may be excruciating to one person is not for the other.
2. How much did that cost?
This is not so much an ignorant question as an invasive one. I find that most people that ask this question are ones that turn their noses up at the response. Tattoos are art, and you pay for what you get. A wise tattoo artist once told me, "good work isn't cheap and cheap work isn't good." No, I am not made of money; I save up for months for my tattoos. I am a walking art piece, and I want excellent art on my body just as much as I want excellent art to hang in my house.
3. Can I touch it?
If you really want to, I guess you can. Spoiler alert, healed tattoos feel just like regular skin. Thank you, though, for asking to touch instead of just grabbing me. Also, do NOT touch a healing tattoo. The tattooed area may be tender for days after, and no one wants your germs on their fresh tattoo.
4. I don't like tattoos on women.
No offense, but women do not get tattoos to please you. If people get tattooed to garner attention from someone, then they are doing it for the wrong reason. If you think that telling me this is going to make me change my mind about my body art, you are sadly mistaken. No woman wants to hear this, and it makes you look like a jerk.
5. What will it look like when you get old?
It will look like tattooed skin. Sure, the tattoo may fade or become slightly warped from age, but this doesn't diminish the meaning at all. I am in love with my tattoos now, and I will still be in love with them then. I actually look forward to telling my tattoo stories to the younger generations.
6. Do you have tattoos in any hidden places?
Not only is this question invasive, it is also incredibly rude. Tattooed people do not owe you a free pass to look at their body. If someone wishes to show you their tattoos, it is a privilege, not a right. Tattooed people aren't objects that you can undress with your eyes.
7. How will you ever get a job?
Times are changing. Many workplaces are becoming more open to individuals with tattoos. I have graduate students that teach some of my classes that are covered in visible tattoos, and they are not treated any differently than those who don't. Personally, all of mine can be covered upon request, so there is no real issue here for me.
8. What does it mean?
Unless you are willing to sit for the next several minutes and allow me to explain, do not ask. I am a sentimental person, so I tend to document my feelings and major life events with tattoos. While most of my tattoos are very personal, if I were to get a tattoo simply because I like it, there's nothing wrong with that either. Tattoos are not required to have some deep, personal meaning. Sometimes people get tattoos just because they like them
9. What does your mother think?
My mother has actually gone with me to get all of my tattoos. In fact, she loves them! She thinks they are wonderful, and she's not afraid to defend me having them.
10. But when you have kids, will you let them get a tattoo?
When my kids become adults and are old enough to decide for themselves, I have no say in the matter. I personally will not sign for my kid to get a tattoo if they are under 18, but once they are legally able to walk into a parlor and get tattooed of their own volition, I can do nothing about it. My only request is that they understand the gravity of permanently inking themselves.
Disliking tattoos is okay, but judging others for their personal decisions is not. Tattooed people aren't inherently deviant. When you allow for self-expression, it is amazing how people can bloom!
