Your friends are doing it. Your significant other has your name inscribed on an arm, and there are SO many pretty designs.
Maybe you're part of a gang or wish to shout who you are to the world.
You'd better think again before running off to the nearest tattoo parlor, my friend.
There are many reasons why you should reconsider the decision to get your skin permantly inked; the #1 reason there are still connotations and stigmas attached to this form of body art. Don't you wonder why in the world people have body piercings in their ears with feathers hanging down and loads of other earrings? Are they confused as to who they are?
There are so many reasons not to get a tattoo today with the first reason being that most employers discourage or ban tattoos in the workplace. Why is this so? Tattoos indicate, most of all, rebellion, starting with gangs and bikers. Don't take my word for it; ask around and you'll find ample reasons for not inking yourself.
1. Most Employers HATE Tattoos: Call it discrimination, but it is what it is. Employers don't care for employees who tout sayings or symbols that could represent negativity. Just the tattoo alone brings along that stigma.
2. Tattoos make people wonder if you should be taken seriously. If you're not a celebrity who can get away with "skin advertisements," skip getting a tattoo.
3. The expense of tattoo removal is out of the realm of most people's pocketbooks. If you need to have your tattoo removed in order to get a job, you need to do some research on much it costs to cover up that tat or have it taken off.
4. Having a tattoo can age you. For example, do you really want the world to know that "life is groovy" with a peace sign and "flower power?"
5. Many consider someone having a tattoo as "cheap." Maybe it's because there is such a 'biker' association, but many people may wonder just who you are to want to go through the expense of inking your body.
6. Tattoos age along with your skin. I recently told a friend I was considering having a Christian dove in front of a cross tattooed on the back of one shoulder. Rethinking this I realized that as I got older, the skin could wrinkle, leaving a deflated cross and a dove that looked like it was flattened in a bad landing.
7. Many people consider tattooed people as "faddists." This means they go by their whims more than their heads (which potential employers also see and it's a strike against a tattooed person).
8. Being tattooed could be against a law. There are state, country, and religious laws that prohibit the "marking" of skin. Check with your clergy and/or look it up online. See our article on Tattoo laws
9. Some people use a tattoo as further identification. I considered that because I wear dentures so ID'ing me could pose a problem going by my dental records. I think I'll figure something else out...like wearing a ring that would be hard to remove.
10. Do you consider yourself a leader? Then why play "follow the leader" with getting a tattoo? Spend your money more wisely by showing your talents through other outlets. If you're an artist, pay the money for a booth at a show. If you're a writer, write. Think about it: when paying for a tattoo, does that money MOVE FORWARD?
