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Student Days |
A lot of my friends are tattoo crazy and their ink means a lot to them. I can understand this but remain ink free myself to this day.
I always thought that as soon as I was eighteen, I would get a tattoo. It seemed to me that the only thing stopping me was the law and parental views.
I loved turning eighteen, living in Manchester and having my independence. Leading a busy life of studying, working and partying (not necessarily in that order!), I never seemed to have time to think about getting one done. I would have fleeting moments where I would consider getting a particular design, but a couple of doodles later and it was already forgotten about and I was onto my next adventure.
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Harry Potter Transfers and Henna were the nearest I got to a tattoo as a student! |
I know that if I had chosen a design when I was younger it would be different to what I would choose today (whatever that would have been…) and to me would now feel dated.
One of my tattooed friends (they do seem to outnumber the “non-tattooed” ones!) was quizzing me about my lack of tattoos. When I explained that I would change my mind and want different things all the time, she agreed that she feels that way too.
However, her solution to this is just to respect her past tattoos, as they are a part of her life and the person she was at the time and just to keep getting new ones. I think this is a great attitude to have but I would end up being one of those “most tattooed” women in the Guinness Book of Records and very, very poor!
Dave has lots of tattoos and the kids love them. They will trace them with their fingers and stare at them for ages-he does have quite intriguing ones! I know that he would have a lot more too if he had all the time and money he needed.
Many people assume that because he has tattoos, then I will too. He also has a beard but that doesn’t mean I would want to grow one myself! He says that he likes me being tattoo free, but that’s because it’s the way he has always seen me and it goes well with the Ying and Yang in the looks department thing we have going on (we really are polar opposites of each other apart from our blue eyes!).
The friends that really put me off having tattoos are the ones that end up with “mistakes”. Some get names of loved ones tattooed on them and then fall out of love! Others have started getting a tattoo and then found the pain too much so had to stop- ending up with an incomplete design- this would drive me crazy! Then you read stories in the news of spelling mistakes occurring which would be a nightmare! Thankfully nowadays you can get tattoos covered up or have tattoo laser removal.
I read that Tattoo Laser Removal is on the increase but I think that this is because there has definitely been an increase in the number of people getting tattoos done. I feel quite the original being tattoo free! You can read more on sk:ns Blog Here.
Lyrics from “Better than Cable” by The Wildhearts
So, will I ever get a tattoo? I really don’t know. I like them. I think they’re pretty, cool and have lots of meaning, but hand me some money and at the moment I can just think of better things for me to spend it on!
The one thing I do know is if I got a tattoo, I would make sure that I got it done by a reputable tattoo artist- word of mouth would be important to me if I had it done locally. If I needed to get a tattoo removed (after a particularly heavy night maybe?!) then I would definitely see a skin specialist for a free consultation before going ahead with the procedure.
Do you have a tattoo? Have you ever needed or wanted a tattoo removed?
Disclaimer: I was compensated for writing this post, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I have a fair few tattoos, and have never regretted a single one, they all tell a piece of my story, I can't imagine ever wanting them removed
That's the best attifude. Seeing yours in photos, they're the perfect example of when they're done well and for the right reason. Beautiful. 🙂 xxx
love that you had Harry Potter transfers! that's so cool, I want some! x
I have one at the top of my back that I would love to get removed! It's the 1st one I ever had and is some horrible pattern that I picked off the shelf. I also have two others, one of which being my little girl's footprints, it's on my foot and hurt like hell but I have to go back and have my little boy's done in a couple of weeks as I can't really have one and not the other!! x
ha love the bit about the beard! i have 4 tattoos and i love them all, and plan to get a couple more in the future. two of them i drew the design for myself, one is a drawing from a favourite artist, and another is a little heart on my rib. one thing i don't think i could ever do is get a name on me, no matter what. also totally agree that part of the reason laser removals are on the rise, is just that more people get tattoos! i think one of the most important things to do is go to a reputable tattooist, you are much more likely to regret it if you just go somewhere on a whim with no research. haha, essay over!
I'm no bearded lady! Haha! They sound lovely. Yes the name thing would be a total no no for me too and I suspect the reason for so many removals. So many people get them done on a whim on a night out in Blackpool etc, but mine would have to be well thought out. x
Oh no about the first tattoo! Good luck for the next one! That's the only thing if you have one for each of your kids, isn't it? I would have to have four-ouch! lol. They sound lovely though. 🙂 xxx
Yes! Even better, they used to come in a "Harry Potter Frog Biscuit" set- so I have a set of photos of a much younger me and Dave with Harry Potter Scars and transfers making and eating the frog biscuits! 🙂 x
A lovely and well written blog post 🙂 really enjoyed reading it and I know just what you mean about changing your mind all the time – I am like that. I also think it is so nice that Dave loves how you don't have any tattoos and it's also nice to hear the kids love his. John has two big ones each on each calf and even though I knew him before he had any I cannot imagine him without them now, they were an accumulation of years of deciding exactly what he wanted and I think because they were no rushed decisions is why they fit him so well. I do however agree with everything you have said and there is something lovely about never having a tattoo :)Laura x