Tattoos are an art form. Some are intricately detailed, which can take multiple hours and multiple sessions. Are tattoos for everyone? No, absolutely not, and that’s completely OK. Personally, my pieces make up who I am. As I continually learn and grow, I plan on adding to my collection. I’m 20 years old and I have 7 completed tattoos. Not everyone gets deep, meaningful tattoos and that is also completely OK. Guess what? It’s my body and if I want to make it even more beautiful, you bet your ass that is exactly what I’m going to do. People are always asking about my tattoos, so here are 10 things tattooed people want you to know.

1. Tattoos are rising in popularity, and fast. A study from 2012 shows that only around 21% of people have tattoos, whereas, in 2016, the number rose to about 40%.

Several people that I know, namely the older generation, has problems with my tattoos. Their main reason is that I’m going to look unprofessional when it comes time to get a job in the real world. Based on those studies, it’s fairly reasonable to assume that tattoos are becoming more widely accepted. Many places no longer require tattoos to be covered completely. Because of their rising popularity, tattoos in the workplace will be more and more common. Hit me up when you find a new reason to dislike my art, Becky.

2. Yes, most of my tattoos were expensive.

I prefer to go to a single place where I know the work will be exceptional every time. Quick shout out to Left Realm Tattoo Company! You cannot expect a tattoo artist to give you their best work if you’re unwilling to compensate them for their art and time. The work I’ve had done is beautiful and I don’t regret spending every dime of that nearly 600 dollars (yes, that is just one piece).

3. Your opinion of my art doesn’t faze me. Unless you love it, then your opinion is awesome.

I’ve heard so many people, most of which have been older, try to talk discreetly about how unprofessional I look while doing my job. I always laugh because the art I have on my body has absolutely no correlation to how well I serve you. If you don’t like my tattoos, I don’t care. If anything, it’s your loss for being close-minded about something you don’t even have on your body.

4. Tattooed people will not go out of their way to comment on non-tattooed skin.

If I’m not judging or berating you for your boring, untouched skin, why are you going out of your way to talk about my beautiful, tatted up skin? Okay, Brenda, how many times have you had a tatted person tell you that your non-tattooed skin is unprofessional and in poor taste? Oh yeah, never. If you don’t like my art, feel free to keep your mouth shut. J

5. Places all over the world view tattooing as religious or traditional.

I understand that we live in a modern, civilized country, but why should tattoos be seen as unprofessional if all over the world they’re seen as beautiful and necessary?

6. Yes, my tattoos will still be cool as hell when I’m older.

People change all the time. My skin will eventually wrinkle and change, but my art will always be beautiful to me. All of my art has meaning that only matters to me. What other people think of my art and my body doesn’t matter because it is MINE. I live with it every day. Your opinion is not needed, nor is it relevant. I respect others opinions to not get tattoos.They’re not for everyone. If you don’t like nor want tattoos, that’s great! You don’t have to have any. Just because I actively enjoy them doesn’t mean you have to by any means.

7. Tattoos don’t HAVE to have a meaning.

There is no law against getting a tattoo just because you want to. Not every tattoo has to be deep and profound. If you want to get an alien or a slice of pizza, you go right out and do it. Your body is your temple, and sometimes temples need to be decorated. Rock that alien tattoo, homegirl!

8. Sometimes they’re incredibly personal.

I have one specific tattoo that is very personal to me. I don’t like to talk about it because it symbolizes a hard time in my life. I keep it as a reminder that things do get better and to always have faith.

9. Stop asking what my tattoo means.

For the love of all things holy, stop asking tatted people what their art means. First of all, my art is none of your business. I didn’t get it for other people to admire, I got it for me. Secondly, do you really need to know what my tattoo means? I don’t think so. Thirdly, it doesn’t have to mean anything. Be gone with your irritating curiosity!

10. Please do not touch without my permission.

For the life of me, I have never understood why some people feel the need to touch my tattoos. Someone, please tell me why anyone even thinks this is acceptable. Don’t touch other people without permission. Not only is it rude, but it’s creepy. It’s a tattoo, not an animal. Please keep your hands off of the art.

Really, though, I love my art. Some more than others. If you have tattoos, awesome! Hit me up and let’s compare art. If not, awesome! Feel free to tell me why you don’t have any or don’t want any. At the end of the day, my art only matters to me. My tattoos make me uniquely me and I couldn’t ask for anything more.