Tattoos are very popular in this country. Around 41% of men and 59% of women have tattoos. I am in the inked population as are most of my friends and family. However, I did not take my trip to the tattoo parlor lightly. It took about three years and a big push from some friends to get me in but I'm very happy with my decision.
Getting a tattoo is a big decision. It can be expensive and it's going to be with you for the rest of your life. That's why it took me so long to decide what to get and where to get it. I didn't want to get something that I'd regret someplace on my body that would change a lot as I get old and fat. In the end I ended up getting my family crest tattooed on my arm. (See above)
If you are thinking about getting a tattoo, here are some things you may want to avoid permanently staining yourself with.
A Superhero or Cartoon - I love Batman and Mickey Mouse as much as the next guy. I have Batman and Mickey t-shirts but keeping something like that on you at all times is too much. It's too childish and too dorky. I would not want to be walking around when I'm 75 with a cartoon mouse on my arm. Instead a family crest or original drawing that you've done is a great alternative. They're much more personal and meaningful than the Dark Knight.
An Iconic Figure or Pop Culture Reference - If Che Guevara or Madonna is your hero you might think, what better way to show that than get their face tattooed on yourself. That's fine but often times your heroes face doesn't translate very well from the paper to your body. Plus as you sag so will the face. A great alternative for that is a symbol or some lyrics from your favorite artist.
Barbed Wire - This was really cool and original in the 80's...now not so much. Barbed wire tattoos basically say "I really wanted a tattoo but couldn't think of what to get." If you are all about the arm band ink, try doing a pattern of something that symbolizes what you do or your culture. You could also do an arm band of lyric like previously mentioned.
Chinese symbols - This is also a very popular tattoo and sure they look cool and might mean peace or freedom or something nice. But do you actually know Chinese, can you read Chinese? If not you might want to think about something else. For all you know it could say I'm a dirty pig butt.
Girlfriend/Wife's Name - You may love you girlfriend or wife more than anything in the world and it may last forever. But on the off chance it doesn't, do you really want to explain to your next girlfriend/wife why it says Samantha on your chest? No. If you love your girlfriend or wife, I don't think you need to be reminded with a tattoo. A good alternate to that would be your children’s names or maybe even your parents.
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