Visible physical changes tend to prompt people to offer up their opinions, whether wanted or not. Tattoos are not an exception. As soon as you make the decision to alter the way your skin looks, unwanted questions and comments are bound to come your way. Here are some of the things that people say when they see your tattoos for the first time. While most of these usually aren’t an indication of any kind of malicious intent, they can still easily be taken the wrong way, not to mention be more annoying the tenth time you hear them.

“I could never get a tattoo”

This one sounds innocent enough (and as far as intent goes, I’m sure it is) but it can actually be perceived as a pretty rude remark. What will usually happen is that someone catches a glimpse of my tattoo and asks to see the whole thing, only to immediately follow up with all the reasons why they would never get a tattoo of their own. It’s a pretty clear indication of what they really think of the decision to get a tattoo, and in my opinion it’s not really something that’s necessary to share.

“Don’t you worry about finding a job?”

In an ideal world, there would be no discrimination against people with body art on the job market, but since that’s not the world we live in it’s necessary to be smart about it. Even if your employers approve, that doesn’t mean that customers will and you might have to cover up for the sake of the company’s image. Depending on your line of work, getting large tattoos on your arms means potentially committing to long sleeves for a long time to come, and it should definitely be taken into account before you make the decision to get a tattoo. However, you can leave that worry to the person with the tattoos, as they are a grown person capable of making their own decisions.

“What about when you get old?”

Why do you have to commit to being a watered-down, blander version of yourself your entire life based on the notion that old people can’t have or don’t look good with tattoos? Yes, your skin will age, but so will everyone else’s. And as with any other aspect of beauty, it is highly subjective.

“What do they mean?”

This one is probably more of a personal one, as tons of people do get tattoos with deep meanings and long backstories to them. For me, tattoos are more of a decorative thing and a form of art than a way to showcase the things I’ve lost or gained throughout my life, and I think it’s okay to get them just because I think they look good. When I tell people this, some seem to think that my tattoos were therefore an impulsive decision or that I’m irresponsible – neither of which are the case.

“Do you regret them?”

No, I don’t. But it sounds like you think I should?