Even in the modern world of 2015, there's still plenty of stigma around having tattoos. Tattoos mean you're a bad person. They mean you have no class. They mean you're a criminal.
Well, no. Not really, at least. Tattoos are becoming more and more common with each passing of a generation. They have become forms of expression and artwork that we as humans can carry around with us each day. That being said, there are people who see this and still aggressively hate them. If you have tattoos, you know what these people say. And, frankly, you're tired of hearing it.
1. "You're going to regret that."
I'm going to regret a lot of things in life. Putting a picture or a quote on my body is not going to be one of them.
2. "That's going to look bad when you get older."
Yes, this is true. But guess what? So will everything! My saggy skin will look better than yours at least because it will have some sick design on it.
3. "You paid how much? That's expensive."
Cheap price means cheap work. In the tattoo world, the more expensive means better quality. So yes, I did pay a lot but I know the tattoo will last.
4. "What does it mean?"
Tattoos do not have to have meaning. So please, don't ask this. If I wake up one day wanting to get a deer riding a lawn mower tattooed on my thigh, then I will get a deer riding a lawn mower tattooed on my thigh. It doesn't have to have some deep, sentimental value. Maybe I just really like deer and yard work.
5. "Did it hurt?"
I'm having a needle scrape through my epidermis to permanently leave ink there. Of course it hurt. The real question is "how long did it take?" because then you will know how long you're going to be in pain.
6. "That's going to prevent you from getting a job."
Sadly, this is true. But I knew that going into getting my tattoos. And if an employer doesn't want me for who I am, ink and all, then they don't really want me. Plus, as morbid as it sounds, the generation of hating tattoos is dying off, so soon enough there won't be that stigma in the professional field anymore.
7. "How unladylike."
I do not care what you think of me. If you think my ink is somehow a judgment of character, then you're not the kind of person I want to get to know. Plus, my mother raised me well and having a quote on my ribs isn't going to change the 17 years of life lessons I had before I got my first tattoo.
8. "That's going to fade."
Yes, color in tattoos lose their vibrancy over time just like the favorite T-shirt you keep throwing into the wash. It happens to everything. But with the right care, tattoos can stay the same color for years without any noticeable change.
9. "That spot is going to hurt!"
Unless you have tattoos, especially in that spot, please don't say this. You have no idea how much a tattoo will hurt or the person's pain tolerance. I fell asleep during my rib tattoo, which is said to be one of the most painful. It all varies by person. Don't scare someone away from a tattoo they really want!
10. "Hashtag tatted up!"
OK, no. Please don't. If you have one, small tattoo in an easily concealable spot, saying this just makes you look like an imbecile. It's okay to be proud and show off your tattoo(s), but saying this means you don't really know anything about tattoos.
11. "It's not art."
Beauty's in the eye of the beholder, OK? If you don't like it, don't look at it.
12. "Personally I don't like them but they look good on you"
This piece is permanently on my body. Saying this causes doubt about my choices. That's like saying you don't like brown eyes but they look good on me. So, thank you, I guess?
13. "Do you know how much laser removal costs?"
Yes. I wouldn't get the tattoos if I planned on getting them removed.
