soraya

I've been reading along and have both agreed and disagreed with various parts of everyone's posts. There are many good points made all around. But after reading this one, I've reached the point of diminishing returns on this thread.
Everyone has their own body image. It's been developed and grown and mangled and thrust upon them over time and circumstances. Body image is not something many people can completely control. Maybe guys handle it better than girls. IDK. Maybe guys don't see it as a big deal. Some do. Many girls do. But to tell someone else what level of importance their own body image should have is insensitive and uninformed, especially since it's not something that is completely under someone's control.
I could give some f'ed up examples of stuff that's happened to me that affect my body image in hard ways and I've worked on that over time. Some things will never go away. I'm now much less "sensitive" to certain things, especially things I now realize people say out of ignorance and not to be hurtful. Why do I "give a flying fuck" as you say, about what people think about my body? I wish I couldn't give a flying fuck, but the point is, it isn't completely under my control. I don't blame most people for being insensitive (unless they are just being a complete jackass) because I don't put out in public why I MIGHT be sensitive.
The point is, you don't *know* other people's stories. Someone's body image of themselves may mean nothing to you, but affects them in ways they may try very hard not to reveal. So don't challenge people on it.
$0.02.

Women go to extreme measures to force their bodies to fit some...whatever, some stupid image that mostly males have foisted upon us that we are less, we're unworthy, if we don't look like this specific ideal. Anorexia, bulimia, eating cotton balls, exercising for hours, surgeries, heck yeah body image is a big part of our lives. Our every day lives, it's all around us, constantly. Men telling us what we can/can't do to *our* bodies, actually trying to pass LAWS to govern what males feel we should and shouldn't do..you know what after a while it gets to be a little fricking old. We're told and it's pretty much beaten into us, from a young age, little girls in elementary school, how we don't fit in w/other girls, and it never quits. Until you've been a girl, a girl who doesn't have a "perfect" body, perfect clothes, perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect teeth, a girl who has looked in the mirror and wished she was dead b/c of how she looks and how others treat her, until you've had your body completely taken over and warped from having kids and nursing, I think maybe a person should just shut their pie hole about how women should and shouldn't feel and how body image is portrayed.

@Pete tattoo freak - I appreciate your explanation and clarification, and respect your point of view. - thanks.
I want to be clear that I did not intend to call you a rude tattoo hater. If my selection of wording or phrasing conveyed that, then I sincerely apologize, because it was not my intent to say that. My point was that your comment sounded similar to statements we often hear from untattooed folks who are just offering their uninvited negative point of view on tattooing.
I checked your profile because it seemed like a surprising statement to find on this website. I wondered if you were trolling, or if you were new, or if you had made many previous posts.
Now you have clarified your statement and I appreciate that you did that. I salute you for your IDGAF attitude, and admire your passion for tattoos. And in that area we may find some common ground. It is not a fad for me either, and it is a lifestyle thing for me, too, but on a more private level than for you, and not with the level of confidence that you have. We are all different. Some of us do give a f---.

@Pete tattoo freak - I appreciate your explanation and clarification, and respect your point of view. - thanks.
I want to be clear that I did not intend to call you a rude tattoo hater. If my selection of wording or phrasing conveyed that, then I sincerely apologize, because it was not my intent to say that. My point was that your comment sounded similar to statements we often hear from untattooed folks who are just offering their uninvited negative point of view on tattooing.
I checked your profile because it seemed like a surprising statement to find on this website. I wondered if you were trolling, or if you were new, or if you had made many previous posts.
Now you have clarified your statement and I appreciate that you did that. I salute you for your IDGAF attitude, and admire your passion for tattoos. And in that area we may find some common ground. It is not a fad for me either, and it is a lifestyle thing for me, too, but on a more private level than for you, and not with the level of confidence that you have. We are all different. Some of us do give a f---.

I love showing off my tattoos. Both of my arms are sleeved, my back is done, and I have several on my legs. I do keep mine covered up while I am at work for the most part. I do work in the medical field but I often roll up my sleeves when working on a patient. I always get positive feedback. I do cover up my tattoos when I go on interviews or have business meetings. My boss knows I'm covered and has no issue with it. I wish I could show my tattoos all the time but I realize they are considered unprofessional to some business people. Tattoos are beautiful!

ok to clear this up once and for all. my comment was a blanket statement. it wasn't directed at any one person. basically imo if you make the decision to get tattooed you will be judged by others period. so if being judged by others bothers you then imo you shouldn't get tattooed...simple. I personally dgaf how others feel about my tattoo's. stare all you want, make all the comments you want. I didn't get tattooed to get others approval. I got tattooed because its my passion. my house is filled with tattoo related stuff. paintings and prints etc. being tattooed to me is a lifestyle not a fad or fashion statement.
so being called a rude tattoo hater was absolute comedy to me. especially after that person looked at my profile and seen that I am heavily tattooed. so if my comment bothered some my bad. but I meant what I said and stand by it 100 percent.

I think it's safe to say EVERYONE has a different reason for getting tattooed and ALL are absolutely valid.
I've come from a different era of tattooing..... one where it was still pretty underground and unknown unless you were in the military or some type of deviant (prison/biker/punk/etc.). Unless you lived in a major population center on the east or west coast, most straight people didn't have a clue about tattoo culture other than the occasional Geraldo Rivera news report about gang violence or bikers. The general population treated tattoos with nervous stares or clutched their children/purses and mostly avoided you. It was rare to get ANY comments from people and if they did muster the courage, it was usually a derogatory remark like "were you in prison?"
I don't want to make this a "back in my day" rant but, things are certainly different these days, especially for women with tattoos. That is not to say that everything is A-OK and the general population doesn't still act foolish/rude.
I completely understood what @Pete tattoo freak said as I've lived 30 years being heavily tattooed and it has been somewhat of a mantra for me. Everyone who gets into tattoos has their own journey.....
Maybe a better, more forum friendly, way to say it would've been:
Do what you do - for YOU.... Don't worry about what ANYONE else thinks.
If your "thing" makes you happy/confident/proud etc, that's what matters the most. Remember-YOU are the only person that lives in your skin.

@soraya it's just baby steps, keep on keeping on and you'll get there and wonder what all the fuss was about ☺

@The Tig: Thanks! That paragraph that you liked just sort of flowed out of me in a stream of consciousness. After I posted it, I reread it and was kind of surprised. I realized that it really represented my true, from-the-heart feelings about being tattooed that I had never been able to put into words before. It felt kind of good!
Regarding vanity: I have on occasion pondered whether tattooing is an act of vanity. We know people get tattoos for many, many reasons, including some because they are discontented with their body, such as the writer that you quote. I agree that getting tattooed for that reason is the polar opposite of vanity.
But on the other end of the spectrum there are people (like me) that get tattooed in part because they like the way they look with tattoos. Your post made me wonder, “Am I vain?”
Definitions of vanity all seem to include the word excessive. “Excessive pride in, or admiration of one’s own appearance.” It is derived from the Latin vanus, which means “empty, without substance.” In Middle English, it meant “devoid of real worth.”
I suppose that some do get tattooed out of true vanity. But wanting to look good is not the same as vanity. Is it vain to wear makeup? Get a new hair style? Wear an expensive dress? Lose weight? Shave? I think not. Under most circumstances people who do these things do not take excessive pride in their appearance.
And where is the line between wanting to look nice, and vanity? When does caring about one’s appearance become excessive? I suppose you have to look at the individual person’s motivation, and perhaps consider their self image, self perception, or self confidence.
But I think if you get tattooed with the idea that it will suddenly make you “cool,” “hip,” or “hot,” then perhaps it is vanity. I guess the whole idea of wanting to be “cool” is a little vain in itself.
However I also think there is a difference between “feeling cool” and wanting to “be cool.” In my mind, “feeling cool” is internal, it is how you feel about yourself, I think it is a positive, and is not vain. However, wanting to “be cool,” is external, perhaps an effort to make other people see you in a certain way. In excess, it probably could be considered vanity.
For me, I felt good about my appearance and my body before I started getting tattooed. I was never a knockout, but I was always happy with the way I looked when I made even a little effort on a daily basis. I don’t think I fell into the category of vanity.
When I was pondering my first tattoo, I was concerned about how I would look with a tattoo on my body, and gave design and placement a lot of thought. When it was done, I really liked the way I looked with a tattoo there. It just seemed so natural, like it was supposed to be there. I don’t think it was any more vain than liking how I look with a new cool haircut.
As I added more, at some point I felt that I actually looked better with with tattoos than without. No different than thinking that I look better with makeup than without. I just felt cool inside. Not like, “Hey, see how cool and hip I am?” But more like just a private feeling of confidence and satisfaction.
@Breakme said:
@Breakme - That is so cool! I sort of know the feeling. I have felt that at tattoo conventions. But the difference is people stare, and its ok! :) Then I leave and come back to reality. :(
Its great that tattoos have made you feel good about your body. There is no way that can be considered "vanity!" I'm happy for you!
It is encouraging to me - being reluctant to show my tattoos in public - to hear that eventually you found it wasn't such a big deal. I'm working toward that.

I'm new to this forum, and pretty new to having tattoos (just 1 so far until a month from now when I get a second, already planned it with my artist). I'm 53 years and a lot of people, especially my birth family, which very much do not do tattoos, were really, really surprised. Nothing negative though. (More than 1/2 of my 7 kids (all adopted as teenagers) had tattoos before mom & dad got ours in May, the kids really love that we did this!)
I got/will get mine because I love attention, as well as having wanted tattoos since I was a kid. I definitely want it/them to show when wearing short sleeves. I love it when people ask me what it means, or comment on it. I get at least one comment or question a week, 2 today while eating lunch at a restaurant I frequent. I have trouble not staring at other people's tattoos and asking them questions, and have always had this trouble, I've always been fascinated. I am always worried that I'm being rude, but I don't want to be, I try not to too much.
Anyway, I just wanted to add my rambling 2 cents...

I don't dress to show off my tattoos on purpose, it just happens that I usually wear sleeveless dresses and tanks in summer as I don't like the feeling of my arms being restricted by sleeves. I will wear a thin cardi with sleeves though if I know I'll be out in the sun for a period of time as I hate to feel my skin burn.
Initially it was a huge step to leave the house with visible tattoos as I'm not someone who likes a lot of attention, however over time it became easier when I realised it wasn't as big a deal as I was thinking it was. And compliments from strangers certainly didn't hurt either.
My experiences at the gym lately have been interesting now that its warm enough to wear tank tops. I've had a couple of guys approach me and ask if I watch (insert whatever tattoo show here) which I don't mind too much as long as they are respectful and not interrupting me mid-set. I don't watch any of them so my answer is usually "nah" and that's that. I've also been asked to spot guys (big muscly guys with no tattoos) when there are other guys in the gym, so not quite sure the reason on that one. Maybe tattoos make you look stronger, ha!
I had a really great experience about a month ago, I went to a 3 day Hot Rod and Classic Car festival called Chopped in which we camped onsite for 2 nights with around 10,000 other people. I have never been in one place with so many tattooed people and have never felt so at home in my life. There was every kind of tattoo you could imagine on display, no one cared, no one stared, it was the most free I have felt and it was awesome.
- - - Updated - - -
@The Tig that's a really good point. I know that part of my reason for wanting to be tattooed stemmed from a lack of feeling comfortable with my body. I started with my thighs and realised not only did my new tattoos look awesome, but they do other amazing things like cover cellulite. :D I then moved onto my right arm because it was covered from shoulder to hand with broken capillaries and I was very self conscious of them. They are still visable on my hand, but it's not such a big deal for me anymore.

If you have read this thread, you know that I am very hesitant to display my ink in public for fear of reactions of others. This thread made me more willing to give it a try, so I thought I’d give you an update.
A couple of weeks ago I decided to test the waters at the local farm market. Normally in that situation I wear a long or 3/4 length sleeve and push it up just above my elbow. Since my half sleeve tattoos stop slightly above my elbows, nothing shows. But that day I picked out a longish short sleeve tee so about 1/3 of my tattoos showed. Not just peaking out, but about 3” of tattoo showing very clearly. As I was leaving the house I almost grabbed a sweater in case I chickened out, but then I thought “No, I'm going to do this without a safety net."
I got to the market and it was pretty crowded. I was a little nervous. I started shopping, talking to vendors, checking out produce and flowers, and started to fall into my usual routine.
Since I had tattoos on my mind, I noticed a few other ladies with tattoos, so I felt a little more at ease with my “sisters.” I got more comfortable and at one point I thought a lady next to me at stand was checking me out so I politely said “excuse me” and reached in front of her to pick up an item so my arm was right in front of her to see if she reacted. No reaction! Since she was a perfect stranger, I sort of secretly hoped she was shocked! That is a weird aspect of my reluctance to show pattern - I sort of like to shock strangers, but fear shocking people I know!
As I paid one of the vendors for a purchase — a woman I often buy from, and who has a tattoo herself — she said, “I never noticed your tattoos before. Very pretty!” I thanked her and said that I usually don’t let them show. She said “Oh, just let ‘em show!”. That was a good feeling.
All in all the whole situation went without incident. I really felt good, felt very free and alive, as if I was letting myself be me. A great first step for me.
The big test would be being somewhere where I see people I know. That could have happened at the farm market — I sometimes see friends and colleagues there. I saw a few “familiar” people who I know enough to say “Hi” to, but I don’t know their names, but no one whose judgement I fear. I’m still not sure how I’m going to feel when I see one of my co-workers or bosses.

If you have read this thread, you know that I am very hesitant to display my ink in public for fear of reactions of others. This thread made me more willing to give it a try, so I thought I’d give you an update.
A couple of weeks ago I decided to test the waters at the local farm market. Normally in that situation I wear a long or 3/4 length sleeve and push it up just above my elbow. Since my half sleeve tattoos stop slightly above my elbows, nothing shows. But that day I picked out a longish short sleeve tee so about 1/3 of my tattoos showed. Not just peaking out, but about 3” of tattoo showing very clearly. As I was leaving the house I almost grabbed a sweater in case I chickened out, but then I thought “No, I'm going to do this without a safety net."
I got to the market and it was pretty crowded. I was a little nervous. I started shopping, talking to vendors, checking out produce and flowers, and started to fall into my usual routine.
Since I had tattoos on my mind, I noticed a few other ladies with tattoos, so I felt a little more at ease with my “sisters.” I got more comfortable and at one point I thought a lady next to me at stand was checking me out so I politely said “excuse me” and reached in front of her to pick up an item so my arm was right in front of her to see if she reacted. No reaction! Since she was a perfect stranger, I sort of secretly hoped she was shocked! That is a weird aspect of my reluctance to show pattern - I sort of like to shock strangers, but fear shocking people I know!
As I paid one of the vendors for a purchase — a woman I often buy from, and who has a tattoo herself — she said, “I never noticed your tattoos before. Very pretty!” I thanked her and said that I usually don’t let them show. She said “Oh, just let ‘em show!”. That was a good feeling.
All in all the whole situation went without incident. I really felt good, felt very free and alive, as if I was letting myself be me. A great first step for me.
The big test would be being somewhere where I see people I know. That could have happened at the farm market — I sometimes see friends and colleagues there. I saw a few “familiar” people who I know enough to say “Hi” to, but I don’t know their names, but no one whose judgement I fear. I’m still not sure how I’m going to feel when I see one of my co-workers or bosses.

I thought a lot about if or how to respond to this comment. At first I drafted a nasty, sarcastic response, but I thought better of it and decided to be more charitable.
I can say with absolute certainty that I did not make the wrong decision to get tattooed.
I got tattooed because I wanted to, for my own reasons. I happen to absolutely love my tattoos. The only regret that I have is that I’m not totally covered.
When I first got tattooed, I had no idea what was ahead. I was going to get one tattoo, hidden, even when wearing a bathing suit, and that would be the end. It was to be a private thing. That was the way I wanted it, and I was happy with that. I never imagined that I would get more than one tattoo, much less several. And even as I got more tattoos, I intended to keep them private. The were to be for me and my husband. Even when I completed my half-sleeves, they were calculated to be coverable.
But I never imagined how much I would like being a tattooed person, I never anticipated how much I would come to love the way I looked with my tattoos. I never imagined how happy they would make me. And I never thought that I would love my tattoos so much that I would sometimes like to share them with the world.
This whole discussion would never have happened if I had decided to keep them private, so to suggest that I made the wrong decision simply because of my concern about what people would think is rather unfair and uninformed.
I’m not a person that is saying “Hey, I’m thinking about getting my first tattoo. I will cover my whole forearm and back of my hand. But I’m worried about the reaction of others.” in that case it might be appropriate to ask if the person if they are sure that they are making the right decision. But I am a person already happily tattooed and am now simply trying to become comfortable with letting them show in public.
I like LST because most people here are understanding and helpful. They are (usually) not judgmental of the tattoo decisions that others make. If a woman posts that she is getting a backpiece and want to wears something that will not be too revealing while the work is being done, you get dozens of helpful suggestions from women who have already dealt with the issue. No one says “If you are afraid of showing you body in the tattoo studio, then perhaps you shouldn’t get a tattoo.”
Quite honestly, the comment is exactly the kind that I might expect to hear from a rude person who is a tattoo hater.

I thought a lot about if or how to respond to this comment. At first I drafted a nasty, sarcastic response, but I thought better of it and decided to be more charitable.
I can say with absolute certainty that I did not make the wrong decision to get tattooed.
I got tattooed because I wanted to, for my own reasons. I happen to absolutely love my tattoos. The only regret that I have is that I’m not totally covered.
When I first got tattooed, I had no idea what was ahead. I was going to get one tattoo, hidden, even when wearing a bathing suit, and that would be the end. It was to be a private thing. That was the way I wanted it, and I was happy with that. I never imagined that I would get more than one tattoo, much less several. And even as I got more tattoos, I intended to keep them private. The were to be for me and my husband. Even when I completed my half-sleeves, they were calculated to be coverable.
But I never imagined how much I would like being a tattooed person, I never anticipated how much I would come to love the way I looked with my tattoos. I never imagined how happy they would make me. And I never thought that I would love my tattoos so much that I would sometimes like to share them with the world.
This whole discussion would never have happened if I had decided to keep them private, so to suggest that I made the wrong decision simply because of my concern about what people would think is rather unfair and uninformed.
I’m not a person that is saying “Hey, I’m thinking about getting my first tattoo. I will cover my whole forearm and back of my hand. But I’m worried about the reaction of others.” in that case it might be appropriate to ask if the person if they are sure that they are making the right decision. But I am a person already happily tattooed and am now simply trying to become comfortable with letting them show in public.
I like LST because most people here are understanding and helpful. They are (usually) not judgmental of the tattoo decisions that others make. If a woman posts that she is getting a backpiece and want to wears something that will not be too revealing while the work is being done, you get dozens of helpful suggestions from women who have already dealt with the issue. No one says “If you are afraid of showing you body in the tattoo studio, then perhaps you shouldn’t get a tattoo.”
Quite honestly, the comment is exactly the kind that I might expect to hear from a rude person who is a tattoo hater.

If you have read this thread, you know that I am very hesitant to display my ink in public for fear of reactions of others. This thread made me more willing to give it a try, so I thought I’d give you an update.
A couple of weeks ago I decided to test the waters at the local farm market. Normally in that situation I wear a long or 3/4 length sleeve and push it up just above my elbow. Since my half sleeve tattoos stop slightly above my elbows, nothing shows. But that day I picked out a longish short sleeve tee so about 1/3 of my tattoos showed. Not just peaking out, but about 3” of tattoo showing very clearly. As I was leaving the house I almost grabbed a sweater in case I chickened out, but then I thought “No, I'm going to do this without a safety net."
I got to the market and it was pretty crowded. I was a little nervous. I started shopping, talking to vendors, checking out produce and flowers, and started to fall into my usual routine.
Since I had tattoos on my mind, I noticed a few other ladies with tattoos, so I felt a little more at ease with my “sisters.” I got more comfortable and at one point I thought a lady next to me at stand was checking me out so I politely said “excuse me” and reached in front of her to pick up an item so my arm was right in front of her to see if she reacted. No reaction! Since she was a perfect stranger, I sort of secretly hoped she was shocked! That is a weird aspect of my reluctance to show pattern - I sort of like to shock strangers, but fear shocking people I know!
As I paid one of the vendors for a purchase — a woman I often buy from, and who has a tattoo herself — she said, “I never noticed your tattoos before. Very pretty!” I thanked her and said that I usually don’t let them show. She said “Oh, just let ‘em show!”. That was a good feeling.
All in all the whole situation went without incident. I really felt good, felt very free and alive, as if I was letting myself be me. A great first step for me.
The big test would be being somewhere where I see people I know. That could have happened at the farm market — I sometimes see friends and colleagues there. I saw a few “familiar” people who I know enough to say “Hi” to, but I don’t know their names, but no one whose judgement I fear. I’m still not sure how I’m going to feel when I see one of my co-workers or bosses.

Brilliant post, soraya! I think many here can relate, including men. For me, this paragraph in particular:


On a separate yet slightly related note, I just finished reading an article by a woman who was dealing with another woman (non-tattooed) who stated "tattoos are essentially down to vanity".
The writer said that the definition of "vanity" is in fact the opposite of how she and her friends feel about themselves. She went on to say that they were not entirely content about their appearance and lacked self confidence, which drove the desire for more ink.
"Rather than getting ink because I have a high opinion of my personal appearance, I get ink precisely because that high opinion is absent. ...I am still on a journey to become comfortable with my own body."
Skin Deep Nov. 2015 issue
I know this may not be how others feel, but I thought it was interesting and worthy of sharing with LST.

I thought a lot about if or how to respond to this comment. At first I drafted a nasty, sarcastic response, but I thought better of it and decided to be more charitable.
I can say with absolute certainty that I did not make the wrong decision to get tattooed.
I got tattooed because I wanted to, for my own reasons. I happen to absolutely love my tattoos. The only regret that I have is that I’m not totally covered.
When I first got tattooed, I had no idea what was ahead. I was going to get one tattoo, hidden, even when wearing a bathing suit, and that would be the end. It was to be a private thing. That was the way I wanted it, and I was happy with that. I never imagined that I would get more than one tattoo, much less several. And even as I got more tattoos, I intended to keep them private. The were to be for me and my husband. Even when I completed my half-sleeves, they were calculated to be coverable.
But I never imagined how much I would like being a tattooed person, I never anticipated how much I would come to love the way I looked with my tattoos. I never imagined how happy they would make me. And I never thought that I would love my tattoos so much that I would sometimes like to share them with the world.
This whole discussion would never have happened if I had decided to keep them private, so to suggest that I made the wrong decision simply because of my concern about what people would think is rather unfair and uninformed.
I’m not a person that is saying “Hey, I’m thinking about getting my first tattoo. I will cover my whole forearm and back of my hand. But I’m worried about the reaction of others.” in that case it might be appropriate to ask if the person if they are sure that they are making the right decision. But I am a person already happily tattooed and am now simply trying to become comfortable with letting them show in public.
I like LST because most people here are understanding and helpful. They are (usually) not judgmental of the tattoo decisions that others make. If a woman posts that she is getting a backpiece and want to wears something that will not be too revealing while the work is being done, you get dozens of helpful suggestions from women who have already dealt with the issue. No one says “If you are afraid of showing you body in the tattoo studio, then perhaps you shouldn’t get a tattoo.”
Quite honestly, the comment is exactly the kind that I might expect to hear from a rude person who is a tattoo hater.

I thought a lot about if or how to respond to this comment. At first I drafted a nasty, sarcastic response, but I thought better of it and decided to be more charitable.
I can say with absolute certainty that I did not make the wrong decision to get tattooed.
I got tattooed because I wanted to, for my own reasons. I happen to absolutely love my tattoos. The only regret that I have is that I’m not totally covered.
When I first got tattooed, I had no idea what was ahead. I was going to get one tattoo, hidden, even when wearing a bathing suit, and that would be the end. It was to be a private thing. That was the way I wanted it, and I was happy with that. I never imagined that I would get more than one tattoo, much less several. And even as I got more tattoos, I intended to keep them private. The were to be for me and my husband. Even when I completed my half-sleeves, they were calculated to be coverable.
But I never imagined how much I would like being a tattooed person, I never anticipated how much I would come to love the way I looked with my tattoos. I never imagined how happy they would make me. And I never thought that I would love my tattoos so much that I would sometimes like to share them with the world.
This whole discussion would never have happened if I had decided to keep them private, so to suggest that I made the wrong decision simply because of my concern about what people would think is rather unfair and uninformed.
I’m not a person that is saying “Hey, I’m thinking about getting my first tattoo. I will cover my whole forearm and back of my hand. But I’m worried about the reaction of others.” in that case it might be appropriate to ask if the person if they are sure that they are making the right decision. But I am a person already happily tattooed and am now simply trying to become comfortable with letting them show in public.
I like LST because most people here are understanding and helpful. They are (usually) not judgmental of the tattoo decisions that others make. If a woman posts that she is getting a backpiece and want to wears something that will not be too revealing while the work is being done, you get dozens of helpful suggestions from women who have already dealt with the issue. No one says “If you are afraid of showing you body in the tattoo studio, then perhaps you shouldn’t get a tattoo.”
Quite honestly, the comment is exactly the kind that I might expect to hear from a rude person who is a tattoo hater.

Hello everyone.
I love Traditional Japanese tattoos and in designing one for myself I've been learning about the strict rules that they follow. So far i haven't found much online, though i did see some links in previous threads but they aren't specific enough. If anyone can answer these questions, or knows where to find the answers, I'm grateful for their help.
Firstly, are there any masculine of feminine colors in tattoos? (I know that in general Japanese culture red is masculine, but I want to know about the tattoo symbolism specifically.)
Secondly, I've been told that the main focus of the traditional style is the season it is set in. What i want to do is have three different tattoos on my upper body and i want to join them so it looks like one big piece, I'm curious it if is appropriate to have a spring tattoo joined to a fall tattoo that's joined to a summer tattoo, or if it needs to be one whole piece with the same theme all around.
Aside from those specific questions i would love to hear any interesting rules or traditions of Japanese tattooing.
Thank you for any knowledge you may give me.

I thought a lot about if or how to respond to this comment. At first I drafted a nasty, sarcastic response, but I thought better of it and decided to be more charitable.
I can say with absolute certainty that I did not make the wrong decision to get tattooed.
I got tattooed because I wanted to, for my own reasons. I happen to absolutely love my tattoos. The only regret that I have is that I’m not totally covered.
When I first got tattooed, I had no idea what was ahead. I was going to get one tattoo, hidden, even when wearing a bathing suit, and that would be the end. It was to be a private thing. That was the way I wanted it, and I was happy with that. I never imagined that I would get more than one tattoo, much less several. And even as I got more tattoos, I intended to keep them private. The were to be for me and my husband. Even when I completed my half-sleeves, they were calculated to be coverable.
But I never imagined how much I would like being a tattooed person, I never anticipated how much I would come to love the way I looked with my tattoos. I never imagined how happy they would make me. And I never thought that I would love my tattoos so much that I would sometimes like to share them with the world.
This whole discussion would never have happened if I had decided to keep them private, so to suggest that I made the wrong decision simply because of my concern about what people would think is rather unfair and uninformed.
I’m not a person that is saying “Hey, I’m thinking about getting my first tattoo. I will cover my whole forearm and back of my hand. But I’m worried about the reaction of others.” in that case it might be appropriate to ask if the person if they are sure that they are making the right decision. But I am a person already happily tattooed and am now simply trying to become comfortable with letting them show in public.
I like LST because most people here are understanding and helpful. They are (usually) not judgmental of the tattoo decisions that others make. If a woman posts that she is getting a backpiece and want to wears something that will not be too revealing while the work is being done, you get dozens of helpful suggestions from women who have already dealt with the issue. No one says “If you are afraid of showing you body in the tattoo studio, then perhaps you shouldn’t get a tattoo.”
Quite honestly, the comment is exactly the kind that I might expect to hear from a rude person who is a tattoo hater.

I thought a lot about if or how to respond to this comment. At first I drafted a nasty, sarcastic response, but I thought better of it and decided to be more charitable.
I can say with absolute certainty that I did not make the wrong decision to get tattooed.
I got tattooed because I wanted to, for my own reasons. I happen to absolutely love my tattoos. The only regret that I have is that I’m not totally covered.
When I first got tattooed, I had no idea what was ahead. I was going to get one tattoo, hidden, even when wearing a bathing suit, and that would be the end. It was to be a private thing. That was the way I wanted it, and I was happy with that. I never imagined that I would get more than one tattoo, much less several. And even as I got more tattoos, I intended to keep them private. The were to be for me and my husband. Even when I completed my half-sleeves, they were calculated to be coverable.
But I never imagined how much I would like being a tattooed person, I never anticipated how much I would come to love the way I looked with my tattoos. I never imagined how happy they would make me. And I never thought that I would love my tattoos so much that I would sometimes like to share them with the world.
This whole discussion would never have happened if I had decided to keep them private, so to suggest that I made the wrong decision simply because of my concern about what people would think is rather unfair and uninformed.
I’m not a person that is saying “Hey, I’m thinking about getting my first tattoo. I will cover my whole forearm and back of my hand. But I’m worried about the reaction of others.” in that case it might be appropriate to ask if the person if they are sure that they are making the right decision. But I am a person already happily tattooed and am now simply trying to become comfortable with letting them show in public.
I like LST because most people here are understanding and helpful. They are (usually) not judgmental of the tattoo decisions that others make. If a woman posts that she is getting a backpiece and want to wears something that will not be too revealing while the work is being done, you get dozens of helpful suggestions from women who have already dealt with the issue. No one says “If you are afraid of showing you body in the tattoo studio, then perhaps you shouldn’t get a tattoo.”
Quite honestly, the comment is exactly the kind that I might expect to hear from a rude person who is a tattoo hater.

I thought a lot about if or how to respond to this comment. At first I drafted a nasty, sarcastic response, but I thought better of it and decided to be more charitable.
I can say with absolute certainty that I did not make the wrong decision to get tattooed.
I got tattooed because I wanted to, for my own reasons. I happen to absolutely love my tattoos. The only regret that I have is that I’m not totally covered.
When I first got tattooed, I had no idea what was ahead. I was going to get one tattoo, hidden, even when wearing a bathing suit, and that would be the end. It was to be a private thing. That was the way I wanted it, and I was happy with that. I never imagined that I would get more than one tattoo, much less several. And even as I got more tattoos, I intended to keep them private. The were to be for me and my husband. Even when I completed my half-sleeves, they were calculated to be coverable.
But I never imagined how much I would like being a tattooed person, I never anticipated how much I would come to love the way I looked with my tattoos. I never imagined how happy they would make me. And I never thought that I would love my tattoos so much that I would sometimes like to share them with the world.
This whole discussion would never have happened if I had decided to keep them private, so to suggest that I made the wrong decision simply because of my concern about what people would think is rather unfair and uninformed.
I’m not a person that is saying “Hey, I’m thinking about getting my first tattoo. I will cover my whole forearm and back of my hand. But I’m worried about the reaction of others.” in that case it might be appropriate to ask if the person if they are sure that they are making the right decision. But I am a person already happily tattooed and am now simply trying to become comfortable with letting them show in public.
I like LST because most people here are understanding and helpful. They are (usually) not judgmental of the tattoo decisions that others make. If a woman posts that she is getting a backpiece and want to wears something that will not be too revealing while the work is being done, you get dozens of helpful suggestions from women who have already dealt with the issue. No one says “If you are afraid of showing you body in the tattoo studio, then perhaps you shouldn’t get a tattoo.”
Quite honestly, the comment is exactly the kind that I might expect to hear from a rude person who is a tattoo hater.

I thought a lot about if or how to respond to this comment. At first I drafted a nasty, sarcastic response, but I thought better of it and decided to be more charitable.
I can say with absolute certainty that I did not make the wrong decision to get tattooed.
I got tattooed because I wanted to, for my own reasons. I happen to absolutely love my tattoos. The only regret that I have is that I’m not totally covered.
When I first got tattooed, I had no idea what was ahead. I was going to get one tattoo, hidden, even when wearing a bathing suit, and that would be the end. It was to be a private thing. That was the way I wanted it, and I was happy with that. I never imagined that I would get more than one tattoo, much less several. And even as I got more tattoos, I intended to keep them private. The were to be for me and my husband. Even when I completed my half-sleeves, they were calculated to be coverable.
But I never imagined how much I would like being a tattooed person, I never anticipated how much I would come to love the way I looked with my tattoos. I never imagined how happy they would make me. And I never thought that I would love my tattoos so much that I would sometimes like to share them with the world.
This whole discussion would never have happened if I had decided to keep them private, so to suggest that I made the wrong decision simply because of my concern about what people would think is rather unfair and uninformed.
I’m not a person that is saying “Hey, I’m thinking about getting my first tattoo. I will cover my whole forearm and back of my hand. But I’m worried about the reaction of others.” in that case it might be appropriate to ask if the person if they are sure that they are making the right decision. But I am a person already happily tattooed and am now simply trying to become comfortable with letting them show in public.
I like LST because most people here are understanding and helpful. They are (usually) not judgmental of the tattoo decisions that others make. If a woman posts that she is getting a backpiece and want to wears something that will not be too revealing while the work is being done, you get dozens of helpful suggestions from women who have already dealt with the issue. No one says “If you are afraid of showing you body in the tattoo studio, then perhaps you shouldn’t get a tattoo.”
Quite honestly, the comment is exactly the kind that I might expect to hear from a rude person who is a tattoo hater.

I thought a lot about if or how to respond to this comment. At first I drafted a nasty, sarcastic response, but I thought better of it and decided to be more charitable.
I can say with absolute certainty that I did not make the wrong decision to get tattooed.
I got tattooed because I wanted to, for my own reasons. I happen to absolutely love my tattoos. The only regret that I have is that I’m not totally covered.
When I first got tattooed, I had no idea what was ahead. I was going to get one tattoo, hidden, even when wearing a bathing suit, and that would be the end. It was to be a private thing. That was the way I wanted it, and I was happy with that. I never imagined that I would get more than one tattoo, much less several. And even as I got more tattoos, I intended to keep them private. The were to be for me and my husband. Even when I completed my half-sleeves, they were calculated to be coverable.
But I never imagined how much I would like being a tattooed person, I never anticipated how much I would come to love the way I looked with my tattoos. I never imagined how happy they would make me. And I never thought that I would love my tattoos so much that I would sometimes like to share them with the world.
This whole discussion would never have happened if I had decided to keep them private, so to suggest that I made the wrong decision simply because of my concern about what people would think is rather unfair and uninformed.
I’m not a person that is saying “Hey, I’m thinking about getting my first tattoo. I will cover my whole forearm and back of my hand. But I’m worried about the reaction of others.” in that case it might be appropriate to ask if the person if they are sure that they are making the right decision. But I am a person already happily tattooed and am now simply trying to become comfortable with letting them show in public.
I like LST because most people here are understanding and helpful. They are (usually) not judgmental of the tattoo decisions that others make. If a woman posts that she is getting a backpiece and want to wears something that will not be too revealing while the work is being done, you get dozens of helpful suggestions from women who have already dealt with the issue. No one says “If you are afraid of showing you body in the tattoo studio, then perhaps you shouldn’t get a tattoo.”
Quite honestly, the comment is exactly the kind that I might expect to hear from a rude person who is a tattoo hater.