“I do have a few little tattoos, but they were mostly done to cover scars because I’m so fair.”
Dolly Parton, Musician
Advantages & Disadvantages of Tattoos
Many people all over the world think about getting a tattoo.
In fact, people often love to share their passions and want to express themselves with body art.
While tattoos have become quite popular over the past decades, there are still some problems to them.
In this article, the pros and cons of tattoos are examined in detail.
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Contents
Advantages of Tattoos
- You can show what you like
- Tattoos can be a mirror of the soul
- Tattoos are attractive to women
- Big variety of designs to choose from
- You can become part of the tattoo community
- Tattoos are custom art
- Can help you to keep loved ones in your heart
- Tattoos can help to cover up parts of your body
- May increase your level of confidence
- You may be able to increase your overall level of motivation
- Having tattoos can lead to interesting conversations
- You can get tattoos on almost every part of your body
- Tattoo removal has become possible thanks to our modern technology
You can show what you like
One advantage of tattoos is that you can show people around you what you really like.
In fact, many people have tattoos related to their hobbies or also to their family members.
By getting tattoos that show your preferences and interests, you can not only show the world what you are interested in.
You can also attract people into your life who have similar interests since when those people see your tattoos, they will be quite likely to talk to you.
Hence, tattoos are a great way to express yourself and to show the world what’s really important to you.
Tattoos can be a mirror of the soul
Tattoos can also be a mirror of your soul. In fact, many people try to express their inner feelings with tattoos and often also try to deal with their emotional pain.
Often dramatic experiences, many people get tattoos to remind themselves that life goes on or that they have to push through those difficult periods of their lives.
Consequently, tattoos are not just a means to express yourself, they can also help you to deal with your emotions and to remind yourself of how beautiful life really is, even though it can be tough once in a while.
Tattoos are attractive to women
Another benefit of tattoos is that they are attractive to women.
Sure, everybody is different and not all women will like tattoos.
However, most women still like tattoos on men since tattoos are often associated with masculinity.
Therefore, if you currently struggle to attract enough female partners into your life, getting a tattoo may also improve your chances on the dating market.
However, please note that you should not get a tattoo just to get girls.
In fact, tattoos should be for you and for nobody else.
Thus, while you may have better chances on the dating market by getting a tattoo, this should not be the sole reason for getting a tattoo at all.
Big variety of designs to choose from
Another upside of tattoos is that you will also have a big variety of different designs from which you can choose from.
In fact, opportunities are almost endless and you can get exactly the tattoo you want.
You can also choose personalized designs instead of just the standard ones you see on the bodies of people rather often.
Thus, tattoos also provide you with the opportunity to express yourself in a unique way.
In fact, some tattoos are just masterpieces and can really be considered as sort of art rather than just body paint.
Therefore, if you currently consider getting a tattoo, make sure that you choose wisely regarding the motive and also make sure that you choose a motive with which you will be happy in the long run.
You can become part of the tattoo community
If you get a tattoo, you can also become part of the tattoo community.
In fact, tattoos are quite popular and many people love to show their attitude and preferences in life by getting a tattoo.
Hence, if you get a tattoo, you can also connect to many other people who also love the tattoo lifestyle.
In fact, it has become quite easy to connect to other tattoo lovers through social media platforms or forums where people share pictures of their latest tattoos and where you can also get help with several issues related to your tattoos.
Thus, if you currently also search for people with whom you can share your ideas, getting a tattoo may also help you in this regard.
Tattoos are custom art
Another upside of tattoos is that they are custom art.
In fact, you can get almost every customized design you want and you can even ask your local tattooist whether he or she will design a unique tattoo for you.
You will be surprised how many different ideas those tattooists will have for you and chances are that you will be quite happy when you finally got to choose your individual piece of body art.
Can help you to keep loved ones in your heart
Many people also get tattoos in order to keep their loved ones in their hearts.
In fact, letting loved ones go is always hard and many people are simply not able to deal with this in an emotionally healthy manner.
Thus, many people feel obliged to get a tattoo of their loved ones in order to think about them every day of their lives, which often gives those people quite a lot of mental strength to push through difficult periods.
Therefore, getting a tattoo of your loved ones can give you plenty of mental strengths and this can be crucial in order to overcome difficult periods of your life and it can also remind you about all the nice experiences you had together.
Tattoos can help to cover up parts of your body
Tattoos may also help you to cover up parts of your body which you don’t like at all.
In fact, some people have stretch marks or other things that alter the appearance of their bodies in an adverse manner and those people often look for ways to cover up those areas.
One way to make your body look nicer is to get a tattoo since tattoos can hide unpleasant spots of your body.
In turn, you may feel much better about yourself since you know that your visual shortcomings are hidden from other people.
May increase your level of confidence
In general, getting a tattoo may also greatly improve your overall level of confidence.
Especially for people who currently struggle with low confidence and who feel lost in life, tattoos can give them a great chance to improve their overall confidence level and to get back some drive.
In fact, if you get a tattoo with your life motto and you will see it every day of your life, chances are that you will be much more willing to push through difficult periods of your life and to increase your overall level of perseverance as well.
In turn, your overall chances for success will increase as well and with success also comes additional confidence.
You may be able to increase your overall level of motivation
Many people in our current state of the world also struggle with their motivation.
In fact, many people don’t see a reason to get up in the morning since they simply have no goals and no drive in life.
They just sleepwalk through life and will often not find any meaning.
However, in my opinion, this is a quite sad way of spending your life.
However, by getting a tattoo, you may be reminded of the goals you already had in childhood and may be much more eager to pursue those goals.
Thus, getting a tattoo may also get you some motivation back into your daily life.
Having tattoos can lead to interesting conversations
If you get a tattoo, chances are that you will also have many interesting conversations with other people.
Especially if your tattoos are quite interesting, many people will ask you about them and what the meaning behind your tattoos is.
This will also make it much easier for you to increase your number of social contacts.
Therefore, if you want to make many new social contacts and friends and also love the attention of other people, getting tattoos can also greatly help you in this regard.
You can get tattoos on almost every part of your body
Another advantage of getting a tattoo is that you will be rather flexible regarding where exactly you want to get it on your body.
In fact, there is almost no area of your body that will not be suitable for tattoos from a theoretical standpoint.
However, keep in mind that you want to choose the location of your tattoo wisely since tattoos will often last for a lifetime.
Tattoo removal has become possible thanks to our modern technology
While it has not been possible to remove tattoos just a few decades ago, it is now possible thanks to our modern technologies.
In fact, if you don’t like your tattoo anymore, you can get tattoo removal and get rid of it.
Thus, tattoos are no longer a lifetime commitment and this gives you a greater overall level of flexibility.
However, please note that those tattoo removals often don’t lead to perfect results and that your skin will not entirely look like it was before you got your tattoo.
Hence, make sure that you still choose wisely regarding the location and the design you want to get for your tattoo in order to avoid unpleasant consequences in the future.
Disadvantages of Tattoos
- Tattoos can be expensive
- Tattoos last for a lifetime
- May lead to infections
- Tattoos fade out over time
- You may choose the wrong design
- Feelings change but tattoos don’t
- Tattoos can be problematic in the corporate world
- Getting a tattoo can be painful
- Diseases may be transmitted through tattooing
- Allergies regarding tattoo ink can be a problem
- Tattoos may be considered as dodgy in some regions
- Quality of tattoos greatly varies
- Tattooists can make mistakes
- Be careful with the design of your tattoo
Tattoos can be expensive
Despite the fact that getting a tattoo can have many advantages, there are still some issues related to them.
For instance, one problem with tattoos is that getting a tattoo can be quite expensive.
In fact, depending on the size and the individuality of your design, the costs of your tattoo can add up to several thousands of dollars.
Thus, especially if you want to get a rather complex design, make sure that you have enough money available for this project.
Tattoos last for a lifetime
Thanks to our modern technologies and tattoo removal, tattoos in fact do no longer have to last for a lifetime.
However, tattoo removal can be quite painful and will often also be quite costly.
Moreover, the results of tattoo removal are often rather poor.
Thus, while there will be the possibility to remove your tattoo, chances are that you will still keep your tattoo for a lifetime.
Consequently, you should evaluate all the pros and cons of tattoos quite carefully in order to make the right decision in this regard based on your individual circumstances and also based on a long-term attitude.
May lead to infections
Another disadvantage of tattoos is that they can lead to serious infections.
In fact, if your tattooist does not know what he or she is doing and you also don’t take proper measures to protect your fresh tattoo, the risk for infections from tattooing is significant.
Hence, make sure that you choose a tattooist who really knows what he or she is doing and who can also give you tips on how to minimize the risk for infections.
Tattoos fade out over time
While tattoos will last for a lifetime, they will not always look new and nice like they did at the beginning.
In fact, due to sunlight and other external factors, tattoos will fade out over time and tattoos that looked nice may no longer look nice after many years.
Thus, also take into account that the optics of your tattoo may change over time and that you will have to carry around a tattoo that no longer looks good in the future.
You may choose the wrong design
Another downside of getting tattoos is that people are also often not sure which design they should choose.
However, this can be a quite big problem since tattoos usually are a long-term commitment and in case you choose the wrong design, chances are that you will regret it later on in your life.
Therefore, before you choose a design for your tattoo, make sure that this design really fits your preferences 100% in order not to regret your decision later on.
Feelings change but tattoos don’t
Everyone of us evolves over time and we will not be the same persons in the future.
In fact, we make so many new experiences over time and due to those experiences, chances are that also our feelings and preferences change as well.
In turn, chances are that also your preferences regarding your tattoos will change over time and if you choose certain messages for your tattoo, you may no longer want to represent those messages in the future.
However, your tattoo will still be there with you and you will have to live with those messages on your body, even though you might no longer advocate them.
Tattoos can be problematic in the corporate world
While many companies have become more tolerant towards tattoos over the past decades, some companies still do not want to employ people who have tattoos on visible parts of their bodies.
In fact, especially in the client service business, tattoos can greatly reduce your job opportunities.
Hence, if you consider working in those fields, you may also not want to get a tattoo in order to maximize your chances to get those jobs.
Getting a tattoo can be painful
Another issue with getting a tattoo is that it can be quite painful.
In fact, many people who already got tattoos report that the tattooing process can be extremely painful.
Especially at certain parts of your body, tattoos will be much more painful compared to other parts and you should consult your local tattoo studio in order to inform yourself about this topic.
Diseases may be transmitted through tattooing
Due to a lack of hygiene, tattooing may also lead to the transmission of serious diseases.
In fact, tattooing has the potential to infect you with serious diseases like HIV.
Thus, in case you decide for getting a tattoo, make sure that you choose a tattoo studio where you really trust tattooists in order to avoid any serious health issues later on in your life.
Allergies regarding tattoo ink can be a problem
Some people also suffer from allergic reactions from the ink that will be used in the tattooing process.
In fact, if you consider getting a tattoo, make sure that you are not allergic to the ingredients of the ink.
If you have any doubts, make sure to figure out what type of ink your local tattoo studio uses and consult your doctor to avoid any potential allergic reactions.
Tattoos may be considered as dodgy in some regions
While the overall social acceptance towards tattoos increased over the past years, many people still consider tattoos to be dodgy.
This is especially true for rather small villages in rural areas where people are often quite conservative and not too open for new things.
Hence, if you live in one of those regions, chances are that you will get many nasty comments and you may even get socially isolated due to your tattoos.
Consequently, before getting a tattoo, also make sure that you are willing to deal with the social stigma related to it.
Quality of tattoos greatly varies
Also the overall quality of tattoos greatly various across studios.
While some tattooists are quite good at what they are doing, others are rather poor and since your tattoo will often be a lifetime investment, you should make sure that you get the best tattooist possible, even though the good ones may be more expensive.
Tattooists can make mistakes
Everyone of us has a bad day from time to time and if you are unlucky, your tattooist may be in a pretty bad mood or will just not be able to focus on his or her work due to several reasons.
In turn, your tattooist may make serious mistakes and may mess up your tattoo quite a lot.
This may lead to a state where you will get a tattoo that looks pretty bad and that you have to keep for the rest of your life.
Be careful with the design of your tattoo
In general, you should also be pretty careful regarding the design you choose for your tattoo.
In fact, tattoos are meant for a lifetime and you should make sure that the message you send with your tattoo is timeless.
Moreover, also make sure that you don’t get designs that are too controversial if you are not ready to deal with comments and chatter from other people.
Top 10 Tattoos Pros & Cons – Summary List
| Tattoos Pros | Tattoos Cons |
|---|---|
| Tattoos can make you more attractive | Tattoos can be expensive |
| Can cover up your skin | Getting tattoos can be painful |
| Getting tattoos may increase your confidence | Tattoos will fade over time |
| Tattoos can help you remember loved ones | You may choose the wrong design |
| You can express yourself | Tattoos may hurt you in the corporate world |
| You can join the tattoo community | Some people still consider tattoos as dodgy |
| You can get a customized tattoo | Tattooists can make mistakes |
| You can show your political attitude | You may not like your tattoo in the future |
| Suitable for almost every body part | Quality of tattooists greatly varies |
| Tattoo removal is possible now | Tattoos are a long-term commitment |
Should You Get A Tattoo?
We can conclude from the previous discussion that there are many important advantages and disadvantages of tattoos.
In the end, you have to evaluate all the pros and cons of getting a tattoo for yourself in order to make a profound decision about whether tattoos are for you or not.
However, always keep in mind that tattoos are a long-term commitment and that you should choose designs that are really in line with your core values in order to be happy with your tattoos for a long time.
Sources
https://www.beardbrand.com/blogs/urbanbeardsman/first-tattoo
https://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-a-Tattoo
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/beauty-hair/a7369/tattoos-aftercare-95207/
About the author
My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people of all ages about our environmental problems and how everyone can make a contribution to mitigate these issues.
As I went to university and got my Master’s degree in Economics, I did plenty of research in the field of Development Economics.
After finishing university, I traveled around the world. From this time on, I wanted to make a contribution to ensure a livable future for the next generations in every part of our beautiful planet.
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