There’s always a good and bad side to everything, tattoos included. Since tattooing has been associated with everything from high rankings in certain social statuses to a symbol of criminality, tattoos definitely have some serious pros and cons in modern times. Take a look at this list here to see the top ten pros and cons of having a tattoo. And remember, always think before you ink!
Pro: A tattoo is a form of self-expression
Tattoos are a great way to display your individuality without having to say a word. Tattoos are carried by their wearer and say something about that person, whether they choose to show them to the world or not. A tattoo is something for the wearer to hold on to and works as an artistic extension of the self.
This tattoo could have lots of meanings, an obvious one being that the person is an artistic individual and that they love jellyfish or the ocean.
Con: A tattoo may limit your career path
While society is becoming more open to tattoos each day, there is still a taboo with body art that could potentially affect the kind of job you get in life. Unfortunately, chances are likely that a white-collar office job will not hire someone with visible hand and face tattoos, even if the person is qualified.
This is a bad quality photo, but it’s pretty funny.
Pro: Tattoos can open a door to a whole new community
While you might not get that job on Wall Street, the tattoo community still has some amazing alternatives to explore. Whether it’s going to conventions or getting involved in the alternative art scene, there is an incredible community behind the tattoo scene that supports one another in times when mainstream society won’t.
Con: A tattoo can put your body on display for the rest of the world
There is nothing more annoying than being picked apart about each and every tattoo you have. When you start to get tattoos, be prepared for the constant bombarding of people asking you about them.
This girl on the other hand (literally) had her own solution to this problem.
Pro: You meet amazing people through your tattoos
Though some people may lose all social graces when they see your tattoos, others could be intrigued and may want to share their own with you. Two people having ink, or just meeting someone who is interested in tattoos, is a great way to simply start a conversation since it’s already an interest you both have in common.
Your tattoos age with you
Anyone who has tattoos or has ever talked about getting them has been scolded at one point or another about how “your tattoos are going to look horrible when you get older”. This is something that people have been saying to those in the tattooed community for a very long time.
The pros of aging with tattoos:
With proper care and the help of new and improved tattoo inks, your tattoos will look amazing for years to come! Despite how people think tattoos would look as you age, we all have recently discovered that tattoos actually just make you look badass when you’re older! Everyone’s bodies are shaped and sized differently, who’s to say that your tattoos will look bad just because your body changes? Expect your tattoos to change and age with you, but don’t ever let yourself think that your tattoos will look bad or make you any less attractive than you were before.
As you can see, both of these elderly people’s tattoos still do really look quite nice.
The cons of aging with tattoos:
Yes, our bodies wrinkle and sag as we get older, which means our tattoos will do the same. However, tattoos that were done over 50 ago were made with different pigments which eventually resulted in the tattoos fading, bleeding, and turning blue which is where people got the assumption that tattoos look bad as you age. So unless you had your tattoos done half a century ago, your tattoos will actually look the same minus the fact that they will be needing some touching up over the years. Besides needing to touch them up every now and then, there really is no con to having your tattoos age with you!
Pro: A tattoo is your own work of custom art
A picture says a thousand words and your tattoos are your life story, regardless of the individual meanings behind them. The type of tattoos you get reflect on who you are as a person, and the individual style that each artist has helped make your tattoos just that much more unique. Tattoos are literally a physical way to have your own personal and custom piece of art on your body that you get to have for the rest of your life!
Con: Getting a tattoo can be risky business
There are so many reasons that we emphasize getting art done by a certified tattoo artist and not going the cheap route, the two major reasons being health and quality. A certified artist, though more expensive than your friend tattooing you in a kitchen, can make sure that your tattoo is done in a hygienic fashion and up to all safety standards to make sure no bacteria or infections occur. A certified artist also helps to ensure the quality of the piece through its application, design and even healing.
Pro: Tattoos can stay with you forever
If you get tattoos for the right reasons, by the right artists, and with the care they need, then you get to wear an incredible and meaningful piece of artwork for the rest of your life.
