Are too many tatoos a deal breaker 4 U?

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-24-2004
Are too many tatoos a deal breaker 4 U?
13
Thu, 01-05-2006 - 1:08pm
I just saw the "Miami Ink" ad on the I-Village hime page. The guy in the poster has so many tatoos, I couldn't tell what the motifs were! I don't mind one or two tatoos on a guy, but they must be something artsy - no jailhouse tats please! Some designs are was so trendy, you can tell what year they got it. I also don't like tatoos on the neck and even worse, on the face! The lead singer of Godsmack had a tiny star on his cheek (I don't know if it was permanent or not) and I found even that to be a turnoff. What do you guys think? I'm interested in all opinions just for fun.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Thu, 01-05-2006 - 1:32pm
I don't like tattoos, it makes me think the wearer thinks he is some sort of outlaw.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Thu, 01-05-2006 - 7:33pm
I am not a fan of tatoos either. I don't know if that would be a "deal-breaker" though. It would depend on where the tatoos are and what they depict. I once saw a man with a naked woman tatooed on his forearm, and it must have been at least 6 inches long. He was a fat, slovenly middle-aged man. It was just so pathetic! That would definitely be a deal-breaker! Iri
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-10-2005
Thu, 01-05-2006 - 8:49pm

I like a guy with one or two tasteful tatoos...

I think anything above 3 is excessive.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-2005
Thu, 01-05-2006 - 8:52pm

All i know is men are absolutely fascinated by my tattoo......it's "me" and they know it and it's definitely the things that fantasies are made of. Its tasteful, definitely not nudist....but it's not wall art either. Personally designed to depict the reality of my world, and the fantasy that it is.

Erin
quickblade14@hotmail.com

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-01-2003
Fri, 01-06-2006 - 8:47am
I've gone out with several guys with tattoos and they're a definite turn-on for me. A couple with full back tattoos, one with a stomach and chest tatoos and a few others with just a couple of random tattoos here and there. One guy in particular had full sleeves and neck tattoos which was just too much for me and turned me off. All of these guys had artistic and tastefully done work though. However, from my dating experience I find that the more tattoos they have, the crazier they are in general. Maybe someone would disagree with me but I've run into enough guys with major issues with tattoos including complete jerks, liars, womanizers and yes, an ex-con. It's as if they try to cover up their deficiencies with artwork. So now I try to stay away from men with tattoos even though it is a turn-on for me.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-2005
Fri, 01-06-2006 - 10:19am

You'd have to go into a "quality" (as in medically clean like a dentists office, and one where they also design artwork personally) tattoo salon to get the full picture of the type of person who gets a tattoo.

There's flash art (or common depictions) available for lengthy review in the image books. Think hair salon where the stylists have the 15 books with a different style on every page and you try to find what you're trying to replicate - and you show them.

There's a ton of flash art out there. There's nothing wrong with flash art - but it's not personalized. The higher quality tattoo salons will be owned by, or at least employ one, a person who can design, draw and create the artwork of your choosing by a verbal sessions with some perfunctory sketches, or with you bringing in a picture with the general idea and them refining it in ways that you describe.

If you get flash art - you can walk in, choose, make an appointment for the tattoo - nd it's possible you could have it done within 24 hours or less. Depending on the condition of your skin and where you want, and their tattooists availability.

If you get custom art -you can plan on going in for at least 3 sessions of a few minutes or an hour each - to discuss and review the artwork, allow them to make whatever changes and you cme back and review it again. If the person who's designed the tattoo is not the tattooist going to do the work on you- you'd then have to schedule an appointment, but if the person designing the artwork is going to do the tattoo - as a rule you'll have discussed your timeframes about getting it done - as you review the artwork and make revisions.

If you can walk in - see flash art and stick your arm on a table and someone will do it "right now" with no option to get custom design, you're in a hole in the wall, and you might as well being having it done by an inmate in your cell with a needle and some dye. It MIGHT turn out 'okay" -and it surely might not.

From someone with a ton of experience in the business, who designs custom work and who did mine.......he says he almost ALWAYS knows from the time the potential customer walks thru the door -whether they'll be back for another tattoo. I thought that was interesting and since it took about 3 hours to get mine - I asked how he knew. He said people that choose flash art are attempting to make a statement to the world, and one tattoo is rarely enough to make hte "complete statement" the person wants to make over time.

but that people that either come in initially for a custom tattoo, or who've had a few smaller ones and then want a custom job...the second they get the custom job that is the last tattoo they get.

He explained why that is from the business aspect that nobody without a tattoo would even know to consider. For a tattoo to remain as brightly colored (not as well defined or outlined) as it is after the scabbing has healed over and it's "new" and fresh and beautiful......you have to go in every 5-7 years and have the color retouched. particularly depending on how much sun exposure you have, or the pigmentation in your skin.

Getting a tattoo isn't particularly painful, depending on where on your body it can be, but having it retouched is just as skin/nerve "uncomfortable" as getting the original tattoo. People with custom work - are proud of it as it is making the statement about themselves they wanted to make, and they tend to come in and retouch them to keep them as clean and beautiful as possible.

people with flash art tend to let it fade and discolor, and semi-disappear if the job was not done by a credible tattooist, becuase they're just going to have something new added - rather than retouch what they've got.

so you're talking about a fundamental personal issue when it comes to tattoos. someone willing to invest the time, money and effort into having a custom design done, and a custom tattoo applied - have thought this thru, it's not an impulse thing, and they're aware that this $500 expense in order to retain it's lustre is going to cost them more over the years in terms of time and money.

Someone who wants to "make a statement or follow a trend" has something they want "right now" - they walk in, choose flash art, want it as quick as possible and only depicts the priorities they have on their mind or in their life at that time. they want to spend minimal money ($200 is usually the most expensive smaller style flash art), they want to incur the least pain (they choose one color symbols or designs), and they want to spend the least amount of time in the tattoo salon - and out on the street to show it off.

When Trace did my tattoo........he said he KNEW it was the only one I'd ever get. And he said he knew I was an extremist when I got it. He'd never had someone with absolutely no experience in getting a tattoo........commit to something of that size, and of that many colors because he recognized the amount of time and discomfort to get it that it was going to involve and his laughing statment to me was "and you never asked, it didn't matter - you wanted this and you were going to have it." Of course, he pointed out when I said it had taken me 3 years to find someone who could depict what I wanted because this was "my life in one moment"...he knew he had to draw something beyond the scope of he norm...and man, did he ever.

Erin
quickblade14@hotmail.com

Avatar for phoenixmama
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Fri, 01-06-2006 - 12:02pm

Erin articulated my opinion really well!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-24-2004
Fri, 01-06-2006 - 1:02pm

You are so right Phoenixmama! After reading your post, I will probably never date a guy with flash art again. Some of the guys I know with flash art, or an adolescent motif, usually say "aw, I was YOUNG when I got that" or "I was going through something when I got that tatoo". I see tons of 30 something year old with celtic symbol bands around their upper arms. I could tell that they got them done in the early 90's when the celtic symbols were all the rage. Then in the latter 90's it seems all the American Indian designs were at the height of popularity and I see several 30-something year old guy who are very into the Red Hot Chili Peppers sporting those, because of Anthony Kiedis (sp?). But anyway, this is understandable to me and is not the biggest turn-off.

The biggest turn-off for me are guys with tatoos that demean women and tatoos that are "anti-social" (you know like hate symbols and tats that depict violence). Skulls are a big turn-off as well. I definately would be turned off by Mr. Hellbound!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-15-2003
Sun, 01-08-2006 - 8:39pm
Maybe one or two discreet ones, but after that - uggh!
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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Mon, 01-09-2006 - 9:27am
Why Hellbound? Because he is proudly bound for hell. It's sort of like a billboard that tells you about this man's goals. It's a big red flag that you see before you even talk to the guy, I'd say it makes life incredibly easy for us ladies, unless you don't know how to read.

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