Why do some "Old Farts" (I'm one) get big, colorful tattoos that they wouldn't have considered for.....

[RussellCattle]

…..a minute in their youth? Trying to act/feel/look younger than they are? Or just appreciation of tattoos as art. My experiences at the men’s locker room at the YMCA tell me that most of the tattoos acquired after age 50 are pretty artless and ugly. And yes, I’m happy with my role here as arbiter of things aesthetic. Ugly is ugly.

[Ocelot II]

1. I don't understand tattoos at all, for any person at any age.

To each their own, of course; but I think they're ugly, even the ones that are well-drawn and not misspelled. And even if some designs might look OK on paper, I really wouldn't want to get some permanent decoration (especially one involving pain) that I might hate some time later. You can put on and take off jewelry, change your hair color, wear all manner of different clothes as styles and your tastes change - but tattoos don't go away without drastic procedures, and if you break up with the love of your life whose name is tattooed somewhere on you, that breakup is going to hurt in more ways than one. Also, as you get older and your skin starts to sag (and believe me, kiddos, it really does), that fancy flower will look wilted, and the snarling tiger will just look sad and droopy. Go for it if you want, but ugh.

[enid602]

2. Stickers

You don’t put bumper stickers on a Ferrari.

[hlthe2b]

3. Ditto here... I just don't....

Yes, of course, I treat those who have them with the same respect I hopefully treat everyone, or try, at least.

But, while I was used to the arm tattoos of men formerly serving in the military and the occasional "biker" type guy--when the trend exploded to everyone and especially the near-total body coverage type tattoos, I was caught really off-guard.

No. I don't get it.

[nuxvomica]

13. I think tattoos are a bid for permanence in one's life

They used to be most common among sailors, convicts and carny folk, all people that lacked a permanent station in life. Nowadays, of course, this impulse is clouded by fashionability but I still think their popularity is somewhat driven by the chaotic nature of our society.

[sop]

4. Tattoos have become too commonplace, the next cool thing will be body scarification.

Edgy grandmothers will all be rocking Māori facial cicatrization.

[cksmithy]

5. My sister got 2 or 3 tattoos in her late 50's,

to help her reclaim and heal from painful childhood memories. It was a way for her to show to herself that she was no longer the neglected/abused child that we were growing up. Her granddaughter, who is a great artist, (illustrated multiple children's book, obscure author) is now now a tattoo artist and doing quite well financially.
I used to think all tattoos were icky, but they can be very meaningful to the people who get them, just like my
souvenirs from places I've visited. Good tattoos are quite expensive, so my sister could not finish her design plan. I have autoimmune issues, so I will never get a tattoo for health issues.

[eppur_se_muova]

6. When I was a kid, tatoos were considered pretty low-class.

The cliche was they were only worn by sailors, but as I grew up I saw they were common with soldiers and ... prisoners.

What all have in common is that all might die far from home among strangers who don't speak their language, and their corpses might well be dismembered or badly damaged. Tatoos helped identify shipwreck victims and dead prisoners, so that searchers could identify the corpses years later by asking questions like, "Did he have an eagle tatooed on his chest ?" Even in illiterate societies, they could get a description of the victim(s). I guess if you're planning to die of a meth overdose in some dark alley, tatoos make sense. Not so much for the rest of us.

[AllaN01Bear]

8. """

Link to tweet

/photo/1

[RussellCattle]

9. Somehow the decals on a pink Ferrari make it better and worse at the same time.

[catbyte]

10. Years and years ago, a close friend of mine dated a tattoo artist and got a little goldfish

tattooed on her abdomen. A few years later, she got pregnant and by the 9th month, that little goldfish looked like Moby Dick.

[LogDog75]

11. Tatooos may be linked to increase in cancers

A recent study indicates there may be a link to the increase in cancers with tattoos.


[quote]Researchers at the University of South Denmark and the University of Helsinki have found tattoo ink may increase the risk of skin and lymphoma cancers.

The research team says this is because tattoo ink accumulates in the lymph nodes and does not just remain where it is injected.

The university researchers are concerned that tattoo ink may trigger an inflammation in the lymph nodes, which could lead to abnormal cell growth and an increased risk of cancer over time.

Having analysed tattoo patterns and cancer diagnoses, the study found higher occurrence of both skin and lymphoma cancers in those with tattoos.
https://news.sky.com/story/tattoos-may-be-linked-to-increased-risk-of-cancer-study-suggests-13321253[/quote]

I never had a tattoo and never will have on. I know when I was in the military a lot of guys got them because they thought it made them look tough or because it was a form of bonding to other members in their unit.

[a kennedy]

12. I have a ring tattoo on my right pinkie finger.....a bracelet tattoo on my right wrist, a Green Bay Packer tattoo

on my left lower forearm and a Shamrock tattoo on my right lower ankle. Proud of all of them and I’m 74.