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Original poster

Why get lots of tattoos?

106 replies

NeedASolution · 29/07/2022 21:53

Why do people who have lots of tattoos get so many? I ask because I have a relative who gets them so often that it seems like an addiction. I don't know if she is happy and wonder if it's a bit of a coping mechanism for something. Or not, maybe she just likes it.

FWIW I have no tattoos myself and no strong feelings about them, just interested.

OP posts:

Athenajm80 · 01/08/2022 07:09

ZealAndArdour · 30/07/2022 10:35

I’ve got quite a lot of tattoos. I don’t get the thing about being bored of them, after so long you don’t even notice them anymore, they’re like looking at plain skin or a birth mark you’ve always had as you get desensitised to them. I forget they’re there.

I have a big back piece booked for September, with a Tattooer who has a long waiting list. I’m very excited as I’ve waited a long time. Interestingly, tattooing is a very lucrative profession these days. Based on this tattooers “full day rate” of £1000, and the amount of days of the week he works, he must be making about £1.2m a year, but he probably has a lot of overheads to cover as well as his studio is in Shoreditch and all that comes with it. I’m happy to pay his rates as his work is brilliant, and he able to tattoo incredibly quickly (very bold lines, florals/symmetry/mandala style things, no shading, no dense coverage), he can do a full back in a day, provided the customer is able to sit for it.

I’m less fixated on specific designs/drawings, etc these days. The guy I mentioned above, I absolutely love everything he’s ever done, he has a very specific style and I trust 100% in his creativity and competence, so I just said to his receptionist to book my slot and he can do whatever he wants, the first time I’ll see any stencils is when I arrive the morning of the tattoo.

I did the same for my chest, gave the Tattooer a rough idea for inspiration, and then left the rest up to her and let her crack on with applying the stencils.

Yes!!! This and what @Clairewentoverthemountain said is so true. If you go to a shitty tattooist who did a 5 minute apprenticeship, refers to the needle as a tattoo gun, and who can book you in next week for £50, you will end up with something that will fade, blur, drop out and generally look shit in quite a short space of time.

If you do your research and go to an artist, even if you have to travel, and then follow the aftercare instructions including wearing factor 50 suncream on it (admittedly I am not great at always doing this) then your tattoo will remain sharp and almost as good as new for many many years. It also won't fade into the green blob which is usually a sign of shit ink having been used as well as a poor artist.

Size also matters which is another reason to go to a good artist. If you want the entire lyrics to your favourite song tattooed on a space 2 inches x 2 inches (I may be exaggerating) then someone who knows what they're doing will tell you it won't work, and work with you to change the size or amount of words. Kai down the road who has been tattooing for 3 days with a kit he bought from eBay will get stuck in and do it, but very quickly the words will bleed and smudge and end up being unreadable.

Lacdepassy · 01/08/2022 07:22

I'm have neither positive or negative feelings to tattoos. I haven't got any though. The main reason is that I may dislike it or change my mind - and its there, forever on my skin and I won't be able to get away from it. A close relative has quite a large one done and bitterly regrets it.

I've met quite a lot of elderly people with them and the regret:like ration is about 80:20. This has probably made me feel like this.

My dh thinks he would look good with full sleeves (he would!) however, he thinks similarly to me and hasn't had any done either.

sunsetsandsandybeaches · 01/08/2022 07:25

Blanketpolicy · 30/07/2022 09:02

A fresh tattoo with sharp edges and done by one of the best is a true work of art.

Unfortunately most age in about 10 short years, the colour starts to fade, they lose their sharpness, lose/gain weight distorts them and they look terrible. If they stayed fresh and sharp looking and didnt breakdown into something which imo is really ugly I would have considered one.

My niece had a series of tiny black paw prints on her ankle/foot in memory of a lost pet that now, just 6 years on, look like blurry stained blue misshappen dots and she hates them. She also had black lettering on her wrist that is now an illegible blue fuzz.

Unfortunately this is what happens if you don't do your research and just go to any old tattoo parlour that does walk-ins for £20 a pop.

Research your artists. Look at all their work and their portfolios from years ago. Look at their own tattoos. Read their reviews and know their reputation.

The guy I went to travelled all over the world to work. He had excellent reviews and I had to pay a deposit and wait months to get on his books. The only reason I got in as quickly as I did was because he has a cancellation and I only wanted a small 2/3 hour piece so he could fit me in.

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ScarlettOHaraHamiltonKennedyButler · 01/08/2022 07:42

My DH has a lot of tatoos and still planning more.

I don't know for certain but my guess with him, at armchair psychology level, is that he has rebelled against his very controlling parents and then became addicted to both the tatoo process and their extreme disapproval.

bottleofbeer · 07/08/2022 20:13

If I make it to old age I reckon I'll just be happy to be alive and not give a shit about my tattoos because I imagine my skin isn't going to be magnificent anyway.

Sartre · 07/08/2022 20:15

Because people like them I suspect? It’s their body so their choice. To me it’s just the same as fake tan or fake eyelashes, I don’t wish to have either of those ever personally but do have a few tattoos because I like them.

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