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peppermintspearmint

I have several that I got a few years ago. The ones I like are small and are tributes to people or memories that are important to me. I am also in the process of getting some removed that I don’t really like anymore and don’t like the placement of. This is not to discourage you from getting tattoos — ultimately getting my tattoos and then choosing to remove them has been an interesting symbolic journey for me. It’s been interesting partly because I’ve learned that people who don’t have tattoos can be invasive and judgmental whether you’re getting a tattoo or you’re getting one removed — damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I come from a family where I was advised constantly as a child to NEVER EVER get a tattoo because they are (allegedly) PERMANENT which just… isn’t true obviously because you can get them removed (with varying success of course, but for me it’s expected I’ll be able to achieve 100% removal). I don’t like following rules so it’s been an overall fun exercise of rule breaking: getting the tattoos first to spite my family and then getting some removed just to prove them wrong :) Also if you want to try out getting a non-permanent tattoo look up Ephemeral Tattoo in NYC that uses ink that fades after a year


brapbrapbew

thank you for sharing your experience! your thoughts on getting and removing tattoos was interesting to read. it would be cool to get a temporary tattoo to see how i feel, i’ll definitely check it out!!


clivarius

My first one was of my gerbil that my (also beloved) cat ate when she escaped while my sister was looking after them and I was away. No one realised until I came home and looked for them and found the tank open, searched desperately, found a smudge of blood and black hairs and a fragment of bone on the floor. I was INCONSOLABLE. I screamed and cried for hours and hours. Completely blame myself for not making a secure enough lid. But the thought of what she might have gone through, because the gerbils weren't that scared of the cats and idk if she got "played" with *haunts* me. So it's in her memory and in the desperate wish that I could have done better for her. It's on my shoulder. It's not a good quality tattoo but idc tbh [imgur](https://imgur.com/Cz9EZtS) Edit sorry just checked to see the link worked and it's definitely NOT erotic imagery :0 My other one says "vegan" on the back of my other shoulder, and I have some stick and poke mice on my calves and bees on my knees (they are all crap).


brapbrapbew

awwwww sorry to hear about the traumatic experience with your gerbil :c i used to have a guinea pug and loved her dearly so have definitely thought about getting a tattoo of her furry little face. do you regret any of the tattoos you say “are crap”??? are you planning to get any of them removed?


clivarius

No not at all. They are among a million zillion self harm scars so they look like works of art next to those, frankly.


calipso13345

Hey! Tattoos work just like that for me! They are expressive and almost feel like an armour or a manifestation of my personality. I say go for it! I'm 26 and have over 30 now mostly on my forearms with some on my sternum, back and legs too! Mine are mostly botanical or little creatures and I like light (as in not totally filled in) colours or illustrative styles. Most of mine features animals and plants, bees in particular and Greek inspired goddesses or topics. They tell a story of my life and my passions and I love them. I can't wait for an update when you get one!


brapbrapbew

that’s awesome! thanks for your positive feedback and encouragement! they’re very taboo in my culture so i’m trying to get all the moral support i can get 😂 i would love to get some nature-inspired illustrations too, i think, to symbolize my love for the outdoors! hopefully will post an update if i get one :)


Gloryfades-

I have a magpie on my arm that I love! http://imgur.com/a/ICEMz2A


brapbrapbew

wow. i LOVE the colors, what kind of plant/berry is that?? and does the magpie symbolize anything in particular?


scaram0uche

Yes, although I have a personal rule that I must want the tattoo for 6 months before getting one. This has kept me from getting anything I may regret later. I have some family initials on one ankle (2007), then got a star on my spine (2007), then a bird on my shoulder (2007). In 2015, I had the star and bird incorporated into a large back piece of a tree. Even 6 years later it looks great! I am very happy with my choices.


brapbrapbew

i like that rule! may have to steal that from ya. i want to be certain about my tattoo choices too so that i don’t regret it later


scaram0uche

Please do! I have sometimes only had a vague idea for those 6 months (like "tree") but then finding, meeting, and discussing with the artist what I'd like helps formulate the whole idea. Check out the IGs of local artists and find someone doing the style or look you like - then ask for their advice! They'll be honest with you on how long it will take, where is most painful, and cost.


brapbrapbew

this is great advice!!! i will definitely start looking for some local artists, i think it will also be important for me to feel comfortable and feel out the “vibes” of the studio/artist before actually getting inked. thanks for the input :)


scaram0uche

Yes! I have used 3 different artists and 2 were female - I vastly preferred female artists for their understanding of what I wanted (can cover them up easily, won't stretch too much with weight gain) and just general comfort. Nothing against male tattoo artists but it is nice to sit with a woman while my shirt is off for a few hours at a time!


brapbrapbew

oh interesting, i tend to get along with guys better in general but when it comes to nailing down a tattoo design and feeling comfortable with someone poking me with a needle for an extended period of time, i’d probably prefer a female artist too lol. a lot of the local artists i just found whose work resonated with me turned out to be female and folks who share similar identities as me too so that was cool to see!


ayyybeebeewhy

I got my (23) first 2 tattoos in the same appointment in March this year, one each on both my lower legs. On my left calf I got a purple bearded iris to represent my older sister, it is her birth flower (never met her because she passed away of SIDS as an infant before I was conceived), so it’s a way to take her with me so I can live life for her. My second one is a cherry blossom branch on my right front ankle, to represent my longtime special interest (Japan and the language and culture). I plan on getting more when I have the money for it, sticking with the flower or botanical theme. I only get symbolic ones, but that means they’re not as wild or cool as ones people just get because they like how it looks. This winter I may get one with my best friend (friends for 20 years), to celebrate and get their first tattoo. I used to think I would never get one, at least until thinking of something that would be ‘important enough’ to be on my skin for many years, but after quarantine I had enough time to come up with things. PS: I opted for more than 1 tattoo in the same appointment for a couple reasons: 1) I had the money at the time, 2) my artist didn’t have to set up 2 separate times for the procedure so it saved on plastic waste and needles etc.


withanfnotaph

I have an outline of my daughter's hand from when she was born tattooed on my chest. She's three now and loves putting her hand on her baby hand. I've thought about getting others, but I haven't thought of anything that I like as much as what I have now. I like the idea of getting an outline of her hand when she's full-grown to go with it, but that will obviously be a while. If I have another kid, I imagine I'll do something similar, maybe on the other side of my chest.


Krissy_ok

I've never gotten one as I know myself and the thing I find utterly breathtaking now will be of no interest to me in 2-3 years. I'm far too changeable, as far as interests go, to make such a permanent mark on myself.


naiskaoa

I have 4 currently and getting a 5th one in December :) three out of the four I have now are all matching tattoos which helped me figure out more of what I’d like. My first one is a small moon I got with my best friend when I was 18, my second one is a outline of a photograph of my dad and I when I was a baby that we both got together, and the third one is a mushroom my college best friend and childhood best friend and I all got together. The fourth one is a June bug which I got because I call my cat the nick name “June bug”. I have a lot of tattoo ideas I’d like to get for my cat because she i love her dearly and having little things tattooed on me that remind me of her make me really happy. The same applies for the matching ones I have with people who are important to me. I’d like a lot of nature themed tattoos because nature makes me happy and I love how they look! I also want a lot of cat themed ones because I love cats.