Felt ashamed I should be getting a tattoo

[Shootin]

So I am 50 years old. When I was 42 I was involved in a RTA. Part of my left forearm is badly scarred. I have finally plucked up courage to have a tattoo. I want a pretty leaf tattoo. My family think it is a good idea. However, I told one of my colleagues and she looked shocked (she is covered in tattoos and in her 20s) and just said ‘you getting a tattoo’ followed by ‘just get a small one’. After this I felt deflated. I just can’t understand her reaction. After all one day she will be 50. Any positive opinions please?

She can fuck off.

Just because she’s got lots of tattoos she thinks she’s the tattoo gatekeeper? 😴

Also really insensitive considering I assume she will have seen your scar?

You enjoy your lovely tattoo 🍃. No reason at all to be ashamed, bless you.

Are you sure it was your age? Maybe she just didn't see you as the type? But people aren't always the same at work as at home so she doesn't know you well enough, but the fact you haven't considered getting tattooed til now maybe she's not far off the mark.
Anyway your skin do what you like! Just get someone with talent.

NemoanandDoris - Absolutely!! Thank you very much for your great comment.

Such a horrible response to you, absolutely no need! Please get your tattoo, and absolutely do not feel ashamed 💗

Perhaps she bitterly regrets her tattoos and doesn't want you feeling the same about yours?

She wants to be super dooper edgy and cool and special. If 50 yo women get them, she's pedestrian and the same as everyone else.

Yes. Her reaction sounds like she’s horrified that having tattoos doesn’t make you some sort of badass non-conformist. Putting people in neat little boxes and expecting them to stay in them doesn’t sound especially badass to me though.

My mum got her first tattoo for her 60th birthday. She has a design/pattern on her wrist. She loves it. Go a head

Maybe she just didn't see you as the type? But people aren't always the same at work as at home so she doesn't know you well enough, but the fact you haven't considered getting tattooed til now maybe she's not far off the mark.

There isn’t really a type, though is there? But even if you think there is, and it sounds like this colleague does think that, did she really need to voice her surprise / shock? Sounds an awful lot like she thought op was too dull and staid for tattoos. Which is plain rude and insulting.

Sounds an awful lot like she thought op was too dull and staid for tattoos.

Watch her now get some weird piercing or other edgier body mod to keep up.

Mermaid - thank you. Luckily I won’t be working with her much longer as she has been moved to a different area. Rest of my friends think she is a rude cow. 🤣

Go get your tattoo, show it off, please look after it....no picking scabs, keep clean whlst healing, and factor 50 in the sun, and lastly, make sure when it's done you post a pic for us all to admire!

Thank you for your comments and advice It’s really has made me feel better.

Funny thing is your tattoo will look better than hers will when she's older.

As people age the skin looses elasticity and retains less moisture so if you tattoo on older skin the final look of the tattoo won't change as much as you continue to age. When you tattoo on younger skin and then age the change is much more dramatic and can end up looking pretty different/ faded (or even distorted) unless you're vert rigorous with your whole body skin, moisture and sun protection care.

Pre-baby I worked with cosmetic and derma product creation so had to study a lot about skin 😅

I'm sure yours will look fantastic and she will have a little sulk about you joining her super special tattoo club 😂

🤣🤣🤣🤣-OP - weird piercing 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Medfly - love it!!!👏👏👏👏 thank you

When I was younger tattoos were pretty badass. A person getting a tattoo certainly wouldn't give a flying fuck what some random thought about it. Try to channel some of that energy!

Sorry love - thank you. 😘

Op - I will channel that energy. 🤪

Hahaha. The yuppie will get a shock when the rest of your colleagues are telling you how great it looks im sure!

Who cares what she thinks? She isn't the gatekeeper of tattoos!

Why do you give the tiniest shit what she says?? Do what you want and be proud. It's your body.

(I got my first tattoo this year at 51. I'm going to have more!)

Make a passing comment to someone in her vicinity saying how proud you are of having survived the accident and how you love having a tattoo that has meaning. So different from all these young people decorating themselves with the tattoo version of art from Homebase that has no meaning at all.

Oh, the cockiness of youth. Ignore her and get what you want. I'm older than you and have many tattoos of all shapes and sizes. I started getting them in my 40s.

She’s probably worried you’ll regret it

This. ^