What are Your Reasons for Getting a Tattoo?

Tattoos have been around for thousands of years! I have…ummmm… a few.  Hard to count because some are big pieces! So, we’ll say in hours…I’ve been poked about 30+ hours!

Despite their historical longevity, modern people have MIXED feelings on tattoos.  In the not too distant past, tattoos were associated with bikers, sailors, loose women and circus sideshows. Now? Believe me…I still get loooong stares when I am wearing shorts (my big pieces are on my legs). Some are judgmental stares and others nod with badass appreciation. So still mixed I’d say.  But it doesn’t matter to me…tattoos bring me joy, beauty, intense pain and pleasure…I’m one of those weirdos that LIKE to get tattooed. (And maybe I am a tiny bit sideshow freak in my soul.)

In the last 40 years or so, tattoos have become a mainstream part of our society, more common among all economic classes, all ages and men as well as women. Tattoos have become even more popular in recent years, with tattoo reality shows giving us a peek in to what was once a mysterious world. In the US, it seems that tattoos have shifted from a form of defiance to a form of expression—well maybe BOTH!  And the folks who now get them are as diverse as the styles and designs they choose. And some people who would never think of tattooing their bodies use permanent makeup – or cosmetic tattooing—to enhance their looks or correct skin issues.

My clients give a large variety of reasons for choosing their tattoos from spontaneous vacation tattoo to needing to go “under the needle” for a little pain therapy to a memorial for a loved one who has passed.

What are your reasons for getting a tattoo?

~S