To want a sleeve tattoo done on my arm?

[JellyDiamonds]

Ive been looking at getting another tattoo done for a while now but have been unsure on what to get done and where. Whilst looking online for inspiration I've seen some amazing sleeve tattoos and have decided that I want one of them, the designs and artistry are amazing. I think that if they are done properly by decent tattoo artists then they are like works of art.

The thing is that everyone I've told about it has looked at me like I'm going mad. My mum was absolutely horrified, said that they are "revolting" and that I'll look like a sailor. But I don't think I will, I saw a photo on Facebook of a friend of a friend and she had a floral sleeve on her arm and yet still managed to look feminine. Not that I'm particularly feminine and girly anyway, but the point I'm trying to make is that not all sleeve designs are for blokes who start fights in pubs which what my mum was clearly trying to get at.

Should I just bite the bullet and go for it?

I would also say think it over for five years. It's a lifetime commitment, after all, not something to rush into. If you still want one in five years time go ahead and get it. Use the time to come up with a fantastic design that you will absolutely love and couldn't ever possibly improve on.

If you want it I'm sure you will have it.

TBH I'm with your mum. I hate them and I don't understand them (generational issue?). For one thing, they don't 'go' with what you wear! I just think they're ugly. You won't look like a sailor, but when you hate tattoos you tend to really hate them. I don't like tattoos on men either.

But if people like them and want them, I have found (from personal experience!) they will just go ahead.

You're 32 years old and will have this thing on your arm for the rest of your life.

It's a very important and above all personal decision to make.

The fact you're asking random, anonymous people on the internet if you should do it, instead of asking people who really know you...tells me that you're nowhere near ready to do it.

Fairenuff's advice is good: sit on it. If you'll still want it in three years time then you'll still want it.

The need to cover it up will be there whatever. Even in a really relaxed industry, in 2025 no-one's going to want their staff to look 2014. You might not want to be pigeon holed either. Not regretting one tattoo is different from looking dated.

They can look stunning but they are so common!
I looked at a friend's wedding photos, gorgeous couple, beautiful dress, but the tats.... Not great!

For me personally, when I see a sleeve I just see a blur of ink.

Ok, I suppose if I knew the person and they showed it to me more closely, I could see the drawings for what they are.

But basically it's just a blur of ink when you're looking from a distance, and not an attractive look imo.

Whilst tattoo removal is costly and painful, with a small-ish one it is at least possible. A full sleeve is going to be there for life - there'll be no getting rid of it if you change your mind in future years.

Personally, I think they look like your arm is rotting. And small ones look like someone has doodled with an old biro. Sorry.

Getting a sleeve done has been around since forever. As has tattooing in general. A serious piece like this? I think most people will have given it some thought - DH has been thinking of his for years. You get the odd idiot and I know artists who have refused to do work to people who haven't thought it out.

If you want to do it then go for it. I didn't have the guts to get my tattoos done till I was well into my 30s and only wish I had started sooner.

I also got the sailor comment from my mum. I think it is a generation thing. She just pretends they are not there now as her coping mechanism Enjoy it, the whole process is great.

Interesting comment about how tattoos go or don't go with outfits, and one I had never thought of.

I'll be honest and admit that I don't like "in your face" tattoos, but that is just a personal opinion. I agree that a full sleeve does nothing for an elegant or dressy outfit. but again that is just my personal opinion.

If you want to go ahead you really need to choose something that is classic and won't look ridiculous and dated in 20 - 30 years time.

They are so getting so common could become the next Celtic band

I have a love hate relationship with tattoos. I have seen some that are amazing and some that just make the owner look rough as old boots. There was a rockabilly lady on TV a few months back who had a full arm sleeve and she looked the epitome of cool, I was waxing lyrical about her for ages after. But it was definitely her 'look', I'm not sure it would have looked so good if she was wearing tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt.

Now the other issue is that the skin on your arms does get looser as you get older. I started noticing it at about 37 (I'm 39 now) I've always had really toned arms through my work but now my arms are slightly crepey. So at 32 you won't have a huge amount of time to enjoy the look before it starts deteriorating on you

I think tattoos just show a distinct lack of imagination. Do you really think you'll want to look at the same (usually not very good) images every day for the rest of your life?

"They're very common nowadays, hardly sailor territory! If you fancy it then go for it."

Exactly. They're very common/popular "nowadays". It will look dated in five to ten years and you may regret it.

Look how dated the Chinese or Celtic symbols look now. Or those barbwire tattoos that lots of people have on the tops of their arms. Tattoo removal is big business now - there's a reason for that.

Fashion changes quickly and our own tastes change too so having something so large that you may one day hate doesn't seem a good idea to me.

I hadn't really thought about how dated they make people look, but it's a good point.

Similar to a woman wearing a rope chain, a belcher chain and a gate bracelet nowadays.

Or a man wearing a gold sovereign and a chunky gold ID bracelet.

It would definitely date them.

I think the main thing I don't like about tattoos is that they are permanent. You can change your hairstyle, buy new clothes, lose/gain weight, even have cosmetic surgery, but such a large tattoo is a massive commitment to the way you want to look.

" I do agree that celtic bands and tribal stuff is awful, and so 90's."

Yes, but back in the 90s when they were freshly done and it was the fashion they looked great. That's exactly the point!

Only go for it if you're absolutely as certain as you can be that you'll still love it in 20 years time.

In the 90's people got a tattoo of a dolphin on their hip, or the Chinese symbol for 'dead spiritual me' on their arm or whatever. With these tattoos you can go off them but easily cover them up and get on with your life.

Bit harder to ignore an armful of tattoos. Would be eye wateringly expensive to have removed.

You are young. You can become anything you want to be. Why brand yourself, permanently, with a tattoo? When you are 40 you probably won't want to wear the clothes you wore in your teens and early 20s. Why is it so difficult for you to believe you may not feel the same about the indelible fashion up your arms?

I want one too. The only thing stopping me is that I am off to uni soon to be a nurse.

I have a tattoo on my ear and one on my wrist but I am worried that a sleeve would cause issues, although I did see a paramedic the other day with a full sleeve.

Your arm, your choice.

Lots of comments about dated designs in a few years and faded tats after a few years, but as well as tattoo fashions designs and popularity improving in recent years the inks have also improved a lot

Nowadays a good tattoo artist using the best inks will give you something that will look good and stay bright for many years

Ultimately your choice but if you have thought it through properly then post some pics once it is done so we can see it, I really like full sleeves when they are bright well designed and not cluttered

I don't care about it going out of fashion, I never got tats to be fashionable.

I have a lot of of tattoos (although not a sleeve) and don't regret them. I don't think you can say having a sleeve is a passing trend as it's been done for years, and I'm sure people will continue to have them done in years to come.
I would say go for it if you want one, OP. I plan to get a half sleeve in the future. :)

Sleeves have been around for years but up to 5 years ago the only people who had them were genuinely alternative types. Nowadays they're so mainstream that every other footballer and every other bloke down your local pub has one too. Definitely trendy at the moment in my opinion.

Also want to add that you shouldn't let other people's opinions bother you. If people people think your tattoos look ugly/awful/unfashionable, that's their issue. If you're happy with it then it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

Maybe people don't get tatts to 'be fashionable' but they get tatts to reflect something else, either about themselves or about the zeitgeist. But people themselves change and so does that zeitgeist. Later they might not want to be branded with their think on X date.