Why You Should Never Get A Tattoo
A tattoo can be an attractive and meaningful accessory for your body. Whether you opt for a colorful one or a more traditional, tribal one, with a tattoo you can bring your skin to life and make a statement at the same time.
But tattoos aren’t something you should approach lightly. Before you scar yourself permanently, you need to consider the long-term effects of getting inked and how it will affect your life.
In this blog post we’ll discuss 10 reasons why getting a tattoo is a bad idea.
1) They hurt
The reason why tattoos hurt is down to what it takes to get the ink under the skin.
How does tattooing work?
There are a few different ways to get a tattoo, but they all involve sharp needles!
Hand poke
The hand poke tattoo is the most traditional. A single needle is dipped into ink and pricked into the skin, usually several times to get the color to pop.
Electric rotary machine
This is a combination of several very small needles stuck together, moving rapidly as they inject the ink under the skin, making more precise punctures.
Though some outlets do offer numbing cream, most people don’t use it and are left to bear the entirety of the pain from the ink-soaked needle piercing their skin over and over again, sometimes for hours on end.
2) They’re permanent
When that ink is injected deep into your skin, it’s not going anywhere. This is troubling when you consider that it’s easy for tattoo artists to make mistakes (spelling mistakes especially), and quite easy for you to change your mind.
Yes, they fade over time (though not entirely), and laser treatments can remove them after several, painful procedures, but generally your stuck with that piece of art on your body forever.
3) Risk of infection
Due to the nature of the procedure – i.e. the insertion of a needle into the dermis, and the likelihood of drawing blood – there is a risk that you might get an infection.
If equipment isn’t sterilized properly, and tattoo artists don’t wear gloves, you could find yourself with an infection – possibly even a very serious disease like Hepatitis B, C, or even HIV.
Additionally, if you do not take care of the tattoo within the first few days of getting it, it could get infected.
4) People might make assumptions about you
Some tattoos are used to send a message about who you are, what groups you belong to, or what beliefs you hold.
Generally, tattoos are seen as edgy; and those who have them, seen as rebellious. This might lead people to assume certain negative things about you.
The sad truth is that people judge others by their appearance; it’s human nature. If people have preconceived notions about the types of individuals who have tattoos, they’ll wrongly associate you with them.
In addition to that, the wrong tattoo – those regularly associated with gang affiliation or allegiance to unpleasant groups – can be interpreted as an invitation for trouble.
5) They don’t look good on old skin
Tattoos might look great when you’re younger and your skin is tighter and more youthful, but as you age your skin becomes looser and wrinkled, which inevitably changes the appearance of the tattoo… and not for the better, either.
So you might start out with a slim goddess on your arm, but by the time you reach 80 and your skin has stretched, she’ll look overweight!
6) Your mood/circumstances will change
Many times, people get tattoos as symbols of their state of mind, feelings, and to represent the things that are most important to them at that present time.
But these can be fleeting emotions, and they’re likely to change over time, as you age and mature, or as your circumstances change.
For example, getting the name of a person you’re in love with tattooed onto your body wouldn’t be wise because many relationships don’t last; you could love someone one day and hate them the next, but that tattoo will remain.
Tattoo regret is a thing!
7) They could affect your career prospects
Some companies won’t hire people with tattoos. Think of customer-facing roles – hotel jobs and the service industry.
Employers might be concerned about their image, and the sight of you all tatted up might not be presentable enough for their line of business.
8) They won’t go with all of your outfits
When deciding what to wear, you’ll have to factor in the types of clothing that would look good with your tattoos. If you’re a woman who wants to wear a ballgown, for example, having a full sleeve of tattoos will look neither attractive nor feminine.
9) Removal is painful – physically and financially
Should you decide to have your tattoo removed, you’ll need to have laser surgery, which is going to set you back a fair amount of money, and will hurt like hell!
Laser removal usually requires several visits, none of which are cheap, before all traces of the tattoo are removed. According to Glamour magazine, the average cost of laser removal is a whopping $463! Bear in mind that the larger the tattoo, the more sessions you’ll need.
And then there’s the matter of scarring. This is a product of the blisters and scabs that arise after surgery. So although the procedure itself might not scar you, if you pick at your wounds, you’ll potentially leave scars.
10) You might get addicted to them
For some people, one tattoo simply isn’t enough. After your first, you might start to look at your body as a blank canvas waiting to be filled. Then before you know it you’ll be covered from head to toe in tattoos.
Now, if you still want a tattoo but are keen to avoid some of the hassles associated with them, there are a couple of things you could do:
Consider getting a temporary tattoo
How do temporary tattoos work?
In order to create a temporary tattoo, the artist only inserts the ink into the top layers of the skin, and doesn’t go as deep as they would with permanent ones. If you didn’t already know, depth plays a major part in how long the link stays in your body, and thus how long your tattoo will last before it starts to fade.
Temporary tattoos will last around 6 months to a year. These would be a great way to test out a design without committing to a life sentence with it.
Bear in mind, however, that many of the issues – like pain and the risk of infection – still exist.
Get a small, discreet tattoo
If you’re worried about things like pain, your career, or how you might be perceived, consider getting a small tattoo that doesn’t take long to complete, and is placed somewhere discreet that isn’t often visible to most people.
Get a t-shirt
If you have something to say, something you want the world to know, get a t-shirt!
No, seriously. That message you think is a good idea to have tattooed onto your skin for eternity would probably send an even stronger message on a t-shirt. Only this way you can remove it whenever you want.