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Original poster

Tattoos on hands - trashy or ok?

210 replies

CatsArePeopleToo · 11/09/2020 19:29

So long story short. I broke my wrist and will be needing a surgery. Will end up with a visible scar. I started contemplating getting a tattoo to cover it up. Please tell me - good idea or a bad idea?

OP posts:
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6
ghostmous3 · 12/09/2020 08:54

"I have tattoos. I'm supposed to cover them for work but they are each there for a reason, so I don't - no-one has dared to challenge me because they know why I have them.
I agree with others that scars are part of who you are, so don't necessarily need to be hidden - I have a skin condition which causes white patches. I used to be very conscious about them, but suddenly wondered why I was. I don't even think about them any more apart from when the buggers spread."

I think I have the same skin condition as you. Is it vitiligo?

I have pretty much lost all my pigment now but when my skin was transforming I had big white patches all over my skin and as I was olive skinned it meant it was quite noticeable. The horrible comments and stares I got from a lot of people in the street affected me that much I self harmed and wouldnt look in the mirror. I hated my body and my looks

I had tattoos on my wrists in a way to stop me from slashing them and then got others to cover some of the patches..they have helped me to learn to like myself again.

Each tattoo I've had represents something I've gone through in life and some of them are now ten to fifteen years old. Not one has faded and gone blue.

The snobbery on this thread is awful.

Bigkingdom · 12/09/2020 08:54

I like them. I’d do it, actually considering getting my hands tattooed but then i have my neck tattooed, as well as my arms, thighs, stomach and back. None look ‘trashy’ and people always compliment my tattoos as they are well done works of art.

Dancerinthemoonlight · 12/09/2020 09:08

@CatsArePeopleToo I have several wrist scars with one extending onto my hand aswell. These are from multiple wrist operations. They do fade in time, some people notice mine while others don't. I don't actively hide my scars but I also don't draw attention to them. If someone asks I just explain what happened as they are part of me and my journey through life.
I would suggest giving it a good 6 months to a year to see just how much it fades, sometimes they become practically invisible

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chunkyrun · 12/09/2020 09:15

I like them but sadly can't because of work

chunkyrun · 12/09/2020 09:16

I wouldn't care what they think because anyone who judges tattoos as "trashy" isn't someone I'd want to be friends with.

^^my sentiments

Ginfordinner · 12/09/2020 09:23

The snobbery on this thread is awful.

I am not a fan of tattoos, but I don't think less of people who have them (DD has three), nor do I think they are trashy. I just don't find them attractive.

BewilderedDoughnut · 12/09/2020 09:28

Just own the scar.

All tattoos are trashy.

Strugglingtodomybest · 12/09/2020 09:31

I don't really feel one way or the other about tattoos, it depends on the tattoo really. Some are art, some are crap. I do like scars though, although like is probably the wrong word! More that I respect the scar as a sign of you having gone through something that was probably traumatic and yet you survived it.

So on the whole, I think I'd prefer to see your scar. But it's not about me so you should do whatever you want and not worry about being judged because you know what the tattoo or scar means to you.

TrickyD · 12/09/2020 09:32

Some posters seem to act like tattoos are for the uneducated common 'under-class’

There are many posters claiming to have ‘professional’ jobs, few say what these are. One surgeon may be covered in tattoos, but the vast majority will not.

I worked in a prison for several years. It was rare to see a man without tattoos. There is a reason why they are associated with the uneducated underclass.

pooopypants · 12/09/2020 09:45

I'd rather have a scar on my wrist / hand than a tattoo. I speak as someone who has 6 tattoos and multiple scars on my hands.

IMO hand / wrist tattoos look good if you have a sleeve, not standalone.

Are people really that bothered about scars? I couldn't give a shiny shit about my scars, they're part of me and my life

Strawberrycreamsundae · 12/09/2020 09:56

I’m ambivalent about tattoos, I don’t have any and plan to stay that way.
I do have plenty of visible scars though which I barely acknowledge nowadays.

ptumbi · 12/09/2020 10:01

I'm really surprised at the number of people who are horrified by the sight of scars - has Princess Eugenie taught you nothing? She actively pursued a wedding dress that showed off the scar on her back - she could easily have hidden it. But she is proud of her journey, her scoliosis surgery, her body.

OP - you may be a noticable scar - so what. Own it, be proud of it, tell people it's a gangland gunshot wound (I wouldGrin) or get it tattooed. Your choice, but own it.

It's your body. Be proud.

rambleon1 · 12/09/2020 10:06

Two of my grown up children have small hand tattoos, It's never prevented either of them from getting a job.

Ginfordinner · 12/09/2020 10:06

I agree ptumbi. I have a scar behind one of my knees. It looks like a zip. I am proud of my "war wound".

LUZON · 12/09/2020 10:20

I'm really surprised at the number of people who are horrified by the sight of scars

🤷🏻‍♀️ I don’t see anyone being ‘horrified’ at the sight of scars. TBH I don’t think many posters are being that fussed about tattoos either. Saying you think they look trashy doesn’t mean you think they are the worst thing in the world either or that you are judging people that have them.
I don’t really like tattoos but I’m not actively bothered by them unless they are offensive ones.

ZZGirl · 12/09/2020 10:30

They can look great but they do fade quicker in that area

Bairnsmum05 · 12/09/2020 11:15

@jessstan2 stop being a bitch.

WingBingo · 12/09/2020 11:15

@TrickyD I am a senior service manager in the NHS (8b) I have a tattoo on my hand and two on my wrist.

Cissyandflora · 12/09/2020 11:22

I like it actually. I have a wrist tattoo. I had it done as a teen 40 years ago. I had asked for it on my hand but the tattooist refused to do it on my hand and I had on my wrist instead. I’m quite glad about that! I have some scarring and am tempted to get more on the wrist to cover it but feel I might be a bit old now.

mineofuselessinformation · 12/09/2020 11:39

Chemenger, we did eventually know her name, but before we did, that's how we referred to her.
At the time, we had slightly bigger fish to fry like, you know, the fact that my child could die.

morefun · 12/09/2020 11:48

Think if you like them that's the only thing that matters.

msbevvy · 12/09/2020 12:09

I wouldn't rush into it if I were you.

I broke my wrist last year and required surgery. 6 months down the line I needed more surgery with an even bigger scar extending across the palm of my hand because a nerve had become trapped in scar tissue causing a loss of sensation in my fingers.

I was warned this could happen again. If I'd had a tattoo covering up the first surgery it would have ended up looking a right mess

SionnachRua · 12/09/2020 12:18

Give it 6 months to a year to see how the scar looks, it may fade a lot. This is a good rule of thumb for your tattoo anyway, especially a first one - draw it up and make sure that you're not sick of looking at it after 6 months.

If you want the tattoo, go for it. Fuck the uptight snobs - your body, your choice.

SionnachRua · 12/09/2020 12:19

And to add - research your tattoo artist very, very carefully. Be prepared to pay quite a big chunk of change, go on a wait list or travel to an artist. It's a pain at the time but if you are putting something permanent on your body it's worth it.

tectonicplates · 12/09/2020 12:20

Hi OP. I know you're feeling self-conscious about the scar, but honestly it will fade with time. It sounds like you wouldn't have chosen a wrist tattoo otherwise, so I don't know if it's the right choice for you.

There are things you can do like scar treatments, and you can also wear camouflage makeup. There are actually specialist camouflage makeup artists who do consultations to help you use it most effectively. There are specialist brands that have far more pigment than the average concealer. Most of the makeup artists do private consultations, but just to show how seriously it's taken, there are actually a few NHS hospitals that offer this service to people with disfigurements and you can even get the makeup on prescription from your GP. I really think you should explore this first before getting a tattoo - and as several people have mentioned, tattooists won't tattoo over recent scars so you'd have to wait anyway.

I understand you wanting to cover the scar but it will fade a lot quicker than a tattoo would.