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Tattoo Trends
updated: Aug 20, 2012, 9:45 AM

By Edhat Subscriber

What's the consensus on tattoos these days? Are they still popular? Do edhat readers have them? get them? want them? Or are fewer people getting them?

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 310315	2012-08-20 09:48 AM
Still, badges for the stupid!
EZ2	2012-08-20 09:52 AM
No No No
COMMENT 310319	2012-08-20 09:55 AM
I don't like them, and have never gotten one (even though I was in the Navy), but I think it's clear that the popularity of tattoos, as well as their social acceptance, is at an all-time high. I see more and more women getting tattoos everywhere on their body. To our chagrin, our grown son just got his second tattoo. Thankfully, both of his tats are easily covered up by clothing. I still can't get past my automatic reaction when I see someone with tats all over their head and/or neck. "What were they thinking" always pops into mind.
COMMENT 310321	2012-08-20 09:59 AM
Tats are now unpopular. Still, you need some advice and direction, so we will post the next popular thing on EdHat as soon as those of us in the vanguard of conspicuous style and trend-setting agree on what it is. Hang on until then.
COMMENT 310326	2012-08-20 10:06 AM
What's good for some isn't for others. I don't have any tattoos but I've seen some really interesting ones. I usually end up feeling sorry for those you have decided to "decorate" their entire arm/leg/neck etc. While on the subject, what is the deal with piercings ? That's just a nasty bad choice.... I guess that's the reaction most want.
COMMENT 310328	2012-08-20 10:08 AM
Envisioning 310321 walking down the road with white shorts, black socks pulled up to his knees, and sandals. Count the number of tattoo parlors in Santa Barbara. That number has increased over 1000% in the past 15 years. There's a reason for that, and it ain't that tattoos are unpopular.
COMMENT 310329	2012-08-20 10:09 AM
Tatoos will always be around. Some people will hate them, some will like small tats, and others will be obsessed & ink their entire body. To each their own. Piercings are removable, so I don't think that's really comparable. (with exception to the large gauge holes that some use...those are gross)
COMMENT 310332P	2012-08-20 10:12 AM
People with highly visible tats want to be looked at. For some, its just the current fashion. But it sure makes it easy to identify someone.
COMMENT 310335	2012-08-20 10:16 AM
I tend to notice my friends with tats are the ones starving for attention. They tend to be less educated as well. I'm not saying this about all people with tats, just the people I am friends with.
AQUAHOLIC	2012-08-20 10:20 AM
Tattoos, like any art, are highly personal and a matter of one's own taste and liking. I don't have one, but I confess to wanting one in my younger days. Now older and wiser, I have no regrets to live with regarding a fading, irrelevant or just plain stupid tattoo. We've discussed this at length with our teenage son, and he is free to do what he wants when of age. I saw 17 y/o Olympic swimmer and phenom Missy Franklin's Olympic rings tattoo, and remarked, "she has the coolest parents on earth". An Olympic rings tattoo is absolutely the coolest in my opinion...
COMMENT 310345	2012-08-20 10:27 AM
Can't be cool with out a full sleeve these days, lol. Not as unique as it once was. You can go in any bar downtown and find 10 people with full or half sleeves. 10 years ago, you might see one or two.
COMMENT 310348	2012-08-20 10:32 AM
I'm a 47-year-old professional woman with a master's degree in education (for those of you who think people with tattoos are less educated) and two tattoos. One is a colorful Celtic bracelet design around my wrist, always visible unless I'm wearing long sleeves. It was a gift from my husband on our 14th wedding anniversary. The main difference between tattoos and other forms of self-expression is that they're permanent. But everyone has his or her own personal style, including the way you dress, the jewelry you wear, your accessories, your eyeglass frames, the color and style of your hair, facial hair - even your car. It doesn't mean you're starved for attention if you happen to like purple bell bottoms or a handlebar mustache. My tattoos are two personal pieces of art I get to carry with me all the time. The designs also have personal significance related to my family background.
COMMENT 310350	2012-08-20 10:41 AM
348: Thanks. I don't have any tattoos, but I don't judge others based on something as dumb as the fact that they have tattoos. Some of the nicest people I know have tatts. And some of the most ignorant people I know judge other based on how they look.
COMMENT 310351	2012-08-20 10:45 AM
They are really popular, probably in part to the reality tv shows "miami ink" and others. I got one when I was 40 but it was very personal and something I thought about for a long time, it's also in a spot I can easily hide it. But I think that tats are at an all time popular... they are more affordable these days, there is a plethora of artists and styles, and it has become more accepted to see on professional people.
COMMENT 310352P	2012-08-20 10:52 AM
I find it really helpful, on a first date, when a tatt is the operating instructions.
COMMENT 310353	2012-08-20 10:52 AM
I think for people under 40 they're really popular. Neither my boyfriend nor I have any, but we're about the only ones in our friend group who don't have any. It's more common to have them than not for people our age I think (we're in our late 20s). Also, SB seems to be more accepting of visible tattoos than other parts of the country.
COMMENT 310356	2012-08-20 10:58 AM
We're currently on vacation in Hawaii. I get the cultural background of tattoos and am not surprised to see most locals have a few. But what's pretty shocking is that the majority of tourists have one. Yes, many tattoos are in discrete locations. But when everyone is walking around in bikinis and shorts, it's obvious that tattoos are the norm rather than exception.
COMMENT 310357	2012-08-20 10:59 AM
To me it depends on the artwork. It says a lot about a persons judgement, or lack there of - when they have a ridiculously ugly and childlike artwork tattooed on their skin.
PURPLERIDER	2012-08-20 11:01 AM
No, no tats. I don't see the need to put ink into my skin just to be different(sic) or to make a statement.
COMMENT 310365	2012-08-20 11:10 AM
I am 52 , educated and a small business owner. I have a tattoo that I got on my 35th birthday. I have no regrets and still love seeing it and consider it a remembrance of my life. I am now a cancer survivor and I am considering another small tattoo. I did not get mine for attention or for any social reasons. I too consider my tattoo an example of my self expression.
COMMENT 310366	2012-08-20 11:11 AM
Not a tattoo fan, but to each his own. I must confess that I was thrilled when my now 29 yr. old told me not long ago that he was glad that I was so adamant that he couldn't get a tattoo in his younger days, because he know finds them to be very unattractive. Oh, I also get to hear how right I was all the time too. yay me! :>
COMMENT 310372	2012-08-20 11:29 AM
A tattoo is personal and to me i keep it personal and private. If someone thinks less of someone because they have a tattoo, that is simply because that person is ignorant, and I dont mean that in a negative way, but simply they do not understand, so should not judge something they do not understand.
SHORELINER	2012-08-20 11:50 AM
I grew up in my family's restaurant bsuiness and recall many of the customers who were WWII navy vets had tatoos. The longer they had the tats the worse they looked. The ink would seep and blur the images. Do all these younger folk realize what they are in for in a few decades as thier body art turns into unrecognizable blobs?
DILLYDALLY	2012-08-20 11:53 AM
Seems we have the opposite of a consensus. I would like one, I know what I want. I know I would like it for a long time but maybe not forever so I am un-inked.
COMMENT 310385	2012-08-20 11:54 AM
Tattoos, Permanent evidnece of temporary insanity.
COMMENT 310391	2012-08-20 12:14 PM
Comparing Navy tattoos (done with cheaper ink, less sophisticated equipment than we have today) to tattoos done even in the 60s is kind of cheap. There are plenty of people in their 60s now who got tattoos in the 60s and 70s whose ink looks just fine.
COMMENT 310395	2012-08-20 12:22 PM
310348 - I can't help but notice that the 47-yr-old Masters in Education (big deal...every school teacher must get one nowadays) woman described her one tattoo but failed to describe her second tattoo. 5 will getcha 10 it is a tramp stamp.
COMMENT 310398P	2012-08-20 12:25 PM
Tatoos are forever, and how many people like a fad now and continue to like it for a lifetime? It might be the coolest thing right now, but I doubt this fad will last another decade. Take care of your skin and skip the tatoos.
COMMENT 310399	2012-08-20 12:25 PM
@Aquaholic - I'm pretty sure those tattoos were temporary. Nearly every swimmer I saw had the same rings in one place or another. While some may have a real tat, I doubt Franklin's was real. That being said, if I participated in the Olympics, I would get the rings without a doubt. But not until after I completed my first olympics (I would think it would be presumptive to get it before you complete your first race).
COMMENT 310405P	2012-08-20 12:39 PM
I find them visually repulsive for the most part. It's personal taste. I didn't set out to dislike them so much. I just do. I particularly dislike sleeves and huge expanses of tatooed flesh. It looks dirty to me and aesthetically cluttered and boring. I can't fathom why someone would want a permanent mark on their body when life (and art) are about constant change. Also, at this point, getting a tattoo is so unoriginal. I can't wait until this fad is over. It's like when every girl had to show everything from just above her privates to just below her breasts. It seemed a pathetic attempt to get attention and go with the crowd, especially since most girls didn't have the figure to pull it off.
COMMENT 310407	2012-08-20 12:45 PM
Good guess, 395, but no, it's another Celtic knot design on my left shoulder. I'm not the one who brought up the education issue; I was only responding to the person who mentioned that people with tattoos are uneducated. I couldn't care less about trying to impress you with my education. On another note: I always wear sunscreen on my tattoos when they're exposed so they don't fade. And I got them on parts of my body that I knew wouldn't "expand" with age. I got my first one when I was 28, and my second when I was 38. I designed both of them myself and thought about and researched the designs for a long time. Some of us put a lot of thought into our tattoos.
COMMENT 310412	2012-08-20 12:51 PM
Personally I don't care for them. If you're going to get them that's your business, but when working in a business (restaurant, bank, dr's office, etc), I think they should be covered. What you show in your "off time" is up to you, but at work what you wear represents the business, as does your hair, hygiene, tattoos etc. Plus if you're going to get one, don't go cheap. I've seen some really bad art as well as bad ink. There are a lot of "DIY home tattoo rigs" people are trying. Hmm home tattoo... just spend the money and get it done right (safely). PS. Just know someone who got a huge one, wow is it ever ugly. Art was bad to start with and ink wasn't much better. Poor girl is going to have to live with that ugly thing (or huge scar from removal) now.
COMMENT 310415	2012-08-20 12:55 PM
I have 4 tattoos, none of which are visible unless I really want to show them off. They are an act of self expression and an art form (an expensive/painful art form!). They do not express my level of education, intelligence, religious or political beliefs. They are just part of who I am and how I want to look. Simple as that. I did not get them for attention. I merely like how they look on MY body. I do agree that many people get some reall stupid tattoos.. check out the website wtftattoos for some prime examples!
COMMENT 310427	2012-08-20 01:11 PM
@399, Missy Franklin's tattoo is a real one, not temporary. Her dad gave her permission to get it. Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte also have Olympic ring tattoos (as reported by the Associated Press).
COMMENT 310430	2012-08-20 01:12 PM
I don't have a tattoo and I use to think they were ugly on men and women then I started seeing some really beautiful body art. I don't mind them anymore as long as they're well done and creative. What I tend to see today is a lot of what I call "body doodling". That's what I call it when there are just a bunch of random tats everywhere rather than well thought out body art. Interestingly, I work in a professional office and 6 of the 60 people working here have tats and of those six, 5 are women who all have multiple tats. The one man has multiple tats as well. I think IMHO women tend to look worse with tats when they're trying to be more dressed up because tats can compete with a more dressy look and become distracting.
COMMENT 310431	2012-08-20 01:14 PM
It's your body to do with as you want and if you make a mistake, tattoo removal has advanced greatly in the last few years. Guess it cements the notion that nothing in life, no matter how good or how bad, is ever certain.
COMMENT 310434	2012-08-20 01:16 PM
I am a husband, father, business owner, home owner, tax payer and community volunteer. Growing up, I never fit in anywhere. I was the kid that was picked on for being different. I didn't know I was different or weird, but that is how I was branded. I like tattoos, though I sometimes forget I have them. I hate attention, but I found the greater lengths I went to hide from the public eye, the more attention I brought on myself. Once I got tattooed, I immediately became more comfortable with myself. I don't know why I torture myself by reading these hurtful comments when this topic is posted. Chances are you have seen me around town. I could be your neighbor. Our children could attend school together. Maybe we are already friends and you are using this anonymous terrain to let me know how you really feel about my appearance.
COMMENT 310448	2012-08-20 01:31 PM
whats the consensus on bottle blonds, do we like them....or is it overdone...these are the things i ponder.
COMMENT 310449	2012-08-20 01:31 PM
310424 wins the unfiltered irony award.
COMMENT 310450	2012-08-20 01:34 PM
I am slowly building up my acceptance of tattoos, as well as most piercings, but I draw the line at those huge rings in the stretched-out earlobes. The urge to reach out and yank those things is almost unbearable.
COMMENT 310454P	2012-08-20 01:49 PM
310399 - here's a fun little story related to your comment about preemptively tattooing the olympic rings on oneself. Jason Terry of the Dallas Mavericks got a tattoo of the Larry O'Brien NBA championship trophy in the 2010 offseason on the premise that they were going to win the 2011 championship, which they did against all odds. i am in no way, shape or form a mavericks fan but i did end up with my foot in my mouth after chastising his decision to get that tattoo all season. perhaps it gave him some personal motivation as a constant and permanent reminder of his goals.
COMMENT 310457	2012-08-20 01:53 PM
Asking edhat about tattoo popularity is a little like asking your Grandmother what her favorite DeadMau5 song is.
COMMENT 310467	2012-08-20 02:09 PM
@0449 the nanny just hasnt gotten around to it yet.. im sure its gonna get deleted.. From 0424
COMMENT 310475P	2012-08-20 02:28 PM
457, calling the electronic drivel that is deadmaus a song is a bit of a stretch, isn't it? i guess i just proved your point...
COMMENT 310480P	2012-08-20 02:45 PM
It'll be good when this fad is over - have seen a few too many around the neck, back, arms. FInally droopy pants as a fad is about over. What next for the masses. How about bringing back dressing up - it's overdue for its time in the fad scene.
COMMENT 310491	2012-08-20 03:12 PM
QUACK! Tatoos, just like excessive piercings are a clear sign of immaturity. As a business owner, I do consider these as negatives when interviewing someone for a job. When they grow up, become individuals, instead of following the pack and submitting to peer pressure, they may be considered as a candidate.
COMMENT 310494	2012-08-20 03:14 PM
So people who get tattoos later in life (say, 45+), do those people need to "grow up", 491? I love tattoo threads. They really bring the judgmental types out of the woodwork.
COMMENT 310498	2012-08-20 03:27 PM
I'm assuming most of those who are vehemently against tattoos are around baby boomer age since most people iny generation (I'm 26) have realized the social acceptance of body art in both professional and non professional settings. The art of tattooing is centuries old and is not a fad. We just aren't preoccupied with the religous notions of "purity" that were ingrained in prior generations. Even if it was a "trend", there are trends in your generations we wouldn't be caught dead in (Hawaiian shirts, hair scrunchies, bumper stickers about your kids honor roll- just to name a few), but it would be wrong to make judgement on your character because these too are forms of expression. On behalf of my tattood peers, I ask that you not make such harsh judgements. Why don't you ask the next person their personal reason for getting one, and you may learn something interesting.
COMMENT 310499	2012-08-20 03:28 PM
@ SY it only bring the judgement types because we dont know who they are.. Im sure if EDHAT posted names it would be way differant... I wonder if any of my clients are the ones ranting on this thread.. I bet you would be utterly suprised of you looked beneath my shirt & tie.
COMMENT 310501P	2012-08-20 03:31 PM
As a business investor I look for diversity. If the leadership of an organization is narrow minded or carries their prejudice into the hiring process then they are a high risk investment. Top talent is found in all forms. My guess is that people who have tattoos would be very unhappy if they did end up in that sort of organization. Your loss, not theirs.
ROGER DODGER	2012-08-20 03:52 PM
Got a few scars acouple womens names carved in my arm. I was a cutter when it wasn't popular..No tats though.
COMMENT 310520	2012-08-20 04:03 PM
Nearly all the negative posts here are entirely about judging a book by its cover...491 being one of the worst in my opinion...sigh Interesting note about Franklin and Terry. While I do think it's dumb to get it preemptively, that is there decision. I just think of myself in their situation, and I wouldn't dare jinx myself by doing it before the event, and I'm not supersticious at all.
COMMENT 310531	2012-08-20 04:24 PM
310454P - That's it....I'm going to get a tattoo of a $50M check from MegaMillions. I'll put it right next to the tattoo of Megan Fox in a bikini on my couch.
COMMENT 310554	2012-08-20 05:38 PM
Don't have them, don't want them, don't want to see them. Tattoos are for sheep.
COMMENT 310565	2012-08-20 06:54 PM
Unless you're a Maori or a Navy vet that's crossed the dateline, tattoos are pretty stupid. Celtic knots? Really? Suppose you think that white power tattoos would be an appropriate accutrement to a few years getting my Masters at San Quentin? Yeah, SY, judgemental is what we do best.
COMMENT 310594	2012-08-20 08:11 PM
I have been a nurse for many years, and have seen my share of tattoos....it used to just be the prison gang guys, but now it seems no young person is left un-inked. My favorite comment a few years ago, came from a rotund middle aged woman. I had to check her abdomen and was surprised to find a tattoo. To which she said, "it used to be a butterfly, now it's a moth!"
COMMENT 310599P	2012-08-20 08:43 PM
My daughter has a tramp stamp. Some foreign language not using English alphabet. She told me it supposedly says "peace." I told her I looked it up and it really says "pinch me hard."
COMMENT 310601	2012-08-20 08:51 PM
Common sense dictates that those who get their skin inked intentionally (when not drunk or drugged out) with more than a small and/or unobtrusive marking have low self-esteem. It is a ploy to make him/her stand out from the crowd. It is a cry for attention. Otherwise, why permanently disfigure your skin to such an extent? "Look at me!" it shouts. In my early 30s, I had a wonderful, smart and well-liked boyfriend. He had a small tattoo inked into his upper arm. (His beautiful skin . . .) He asked me why I wouldn't get a tattoo. I showed him my lovely sterling silver bracelet, which I had on at the time. I said to him, "I really really really love this bracelet. But, as much as I love it, I don't want to wear it for the rest of my life." I treasure my beautiful, healthy skin too much to poison it with ink.
COMMENT 310605	2012-08-20 08:59 PM
Thought: Like many fashion trends, tattoos became popular in mainstream society only after they became more prevalent in prison. I am not kidding. Examples...baggy white t-shirts, low slung pants, do rags, etc. It's funny, people can have their notion of why they think they like or want something like a tat, but then there is the larger social context and origin of what they are mimicking or being influenced to want.
COMMENT 310607	2012-08-20 08:59 PM
We say flock you , say sheep
SHOREBIRD	2012-08-20 09:01 PM
You would be surprised at how many people with Hep C, who claim no exposure risks,(no IV drug abuse, sex partner with Hep C etc.) have tattoos. If they don't use unopened, NEW needles and unopened, NEW ink your tat may give you a personal smouldering virus along with your personal "art."
COMMENT 310613	2012-08-20 09:22 PM
According to this thread, tattoos... • Are stupid. • Are unpopular. • Are better than piercings. • Are purely for attention. • Are purely personal and a matter of taste. • Are a respectable form of permanent self-expression. • Are not, in fact, unpopular. • Are the norm, not the exception. • Are evidence of someone being temporarily insane. • Are bad for your skin. • Are a fad. • Are a sign of immaturity. • Are for sheep(le?) • Are okay for ethnic individuals or Navy veterans. • Are either done when inebriated or by sober people with low self-esteem. • Are akin to baggy pants and other bad fashion trends. Talk about a thread with diverse opinions.
COMMENT 310638P	2012-08-21 07:12 AM
I think kids shouldn't be allowed to get them until they're through the teen phase, when kids try all kinds of stuff only to grow out of it. Some of the girls clearly don't appreciate what their tats will look like on an aging body in 30 or so years.
COMMENT 310645	2012-08-21 07:31 AM
Are we really supposed to believe that a tattoo is a more obvious sign of a desire for attention than an expensive luxury car or designer label clothing? Or wearing makeup, or working out? Everyone has their "thing" that means a lot to them... just because your taste is your own does not mean it's good or something anyone else should care about. In this life, the only important thing is how you treat others... and by the looks of it, a lot of these anti-tattoo people are the sort I'd rather not spend my precious time with.
COMMENT 310672	2012-08-21 08:16 AM
Edhat would never allow bigotry, anti-religious comments or gay bashing of any kind. How is it possibly OK to be calling people stupid, immature, lacking education or self-esteem, deemed appropriate?
ZIPPER101	2012-08-21 08:17 AM
629: Actually, it's _not_ a double negative and the phrase as used by the other poster is in fact correct. The alternative is a corruption of the original, or an American colloquialism at best.
COMMENT 310677	2012-08-21 08:22 AM
I waited until I was 60 to get my tat. It was a copy of one that an old friend had, who died of cancer. The tatoo artist checked my i.d. to make sure I was over 18. and made sure I hadn't been drinking. It was clean and sanitary, ,and very expensive ! It's a small one so I can't imagine what the full sleeves cost !
AQUAHOLIC	2012-08-21 08:59 AM
Well said 645...agree wholeheartedly, especially your last sentence.
COMMENT 310727P	2012-08-21 09:36 AM
haha, 531 for the win!
ABOMB	2012-08-21 11:01 AM
I'm with you, 434. I feel like this question was asked not too long ago on Edhat and the responses were the same. Edhat is the wrong place to get an accurate sense of how society as a whole views tattoos (or anything for that matter), because the people who comment don't represent the general population. I don't know why I read all of the comments either as it just makes me realize how ignorant and insensitive people can be. If you don't like tattoos, don't get one. Otherwise worry about yourself and don't judge other people's choices. I am a working mom with 2 master's degrees and have several tattoos. I won't bother explaining why or what they mean to me because this isn't a community I want to share that with. Some of the commenters are not people that deserve to know something so personal to me.
DRBUD	2012-08-21 02:58 PM
Just remember, tatoo and moron contain the same amount of letters. That's probably no accident.
COMMENT 310930	2012-08-21 03:11 PM
Thanks for the helpful tips about tattoos, DRBUD!
FLICKA	2012-08-21 04:45 PM
Thanks to the poster, and to edhat for putting the question to us. Glad to read so many other don't care for them either, thought maybe it was just me and the generation gap. "To each his own", but we can still have opinions. Fads come and go, tatoos will be kind of funny when the fad is over.
COMMENT 311037P	2012-08-21 06:52 PM
Personally I have less respect for those with tattoos than those without. I don't find them as attractive on men or women as I do clean healthy skin. When I see workers on a job site, I want their shirts on and their tats covered. It makes the site appear more professional. I tell my friends that tattoos are for people who can't handle scars. I once dated a girl with tattoos and she regularly complained that some customers wouldn't work with her because of them.

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