thinking of getting a tattoo

[lostgirl]

Hi, everyone. I'm thinking of getting a tattoo and I'm not sure of some things. Wondering if the :bowl has any advice for me! I've been planning on waiting until I lose some weight to get one because I'm afraid that a big alteration in my weight will change the way the tattoo looks. Has anyone had experience with this? I'm tired of waiting, but I don't want to spend the time and money if it won't look the same if my weight changes.

I'm also undecided about where I want to have it. I want either a sun or two footprints with my children's names above them. I've always wanted it on my ankle, but I hear it hurts like hell! Where do some of you have (or have seen) tattoos?

My last concern is my age. I'm thirty-four years old with two children. Will it look ridiculous for me to have a tattoo? I know I shouldn't care, but I guess I do!

Anyway, I've been thinking about this for a long time and I really would like to do it. Guess I'm just a little nervous to take the plunge! Thanks for your input!

Kelly

[lilsweetie]

:hugon lostgirl :hugoff
i don't think that you should wait to lose weight before getting a tattoo. I"m not sure what your ED is, but whatever it is, don't focus on weight. YOu should get a tattoo because it's what you want to do for yourself. THat also answers your other questions, if it's odd for you to have a tattoo at age thirty four. I don't think so. People who get tattoos when they are younger still have them when they are older. Tattoos are permanent. I think that if you want one and are doing it for your own satisfaction and you're sure what design you want, then go for it.

i have to run to class now, but i'll respond more to this later. ok?

[pooh bear fan]

hey there. i am twenty five and got my first tattoo just over a week ago...and i :love it! my darling :kitty was hit by a car about three weeks ago :cry so i got a cat to symbolise him :touched

i too was like you. i was going to wait until i'd lost the weight, but in the end i just thought *fuck it*. who cares, ya know. i got mine on my tummy....so went my weight goes down i told my boyfriend it would shrink to a rat, and if my weight goes up, it will be like a tiger :sarcasm see....there are always ways around it! so what i'm trying to say is that i reckon forget the weight factor and just do it!

and yep, i'm not gonna lie...it did hurt! but it was bearable.

choose your picture carefully...as it is something you will have for the rest of your life.

actually there was a post on tattoos when i got mine done, so i'll go find it and bump it up for ya.

good luck and keep us posted!

[sunray]

:hugon Kelly :hugoff

Don't think about weight ... I was warned not to get a tattoo around my navel until I'm over childbearing age ~ the place where I go wont do it ~ because if I decided to get pregnant in the future, the tattoo would stretch and shrink with the skin and it could potentially become distorted when returned to normal ... BUT with pregnancy we're talking a MAJOR and localised stretch on the skin directly where the tattoo is! The tattooist will put your mind at rest if you're not convinced! But if you think about it - if you got a tattoo on your ankle ... even if you did happen to lose some weight (for health I assume, and not the ED?!), it would be over your whole body, and therefore any shrink in the skin wouldn't be significant enough to a specific area to create a distortion. Obviously, I don't know you or what level your thinking of when you say about losing some weight ... but the tattooist will be able to tell you if you ask! I'm sure it's something they've heard plenty of times!!!!!!!

Yep - the ankle is pretty painful ... this is because there's hardly any flesh under the skin, just bone. Any boney areas, or areas with prominent artieries (ie: the wrists) will be more painful, than areas with some padding! BUT, it's bearable! I have mine on my arm and it hurt a bit initially, but after the initial shock it was a bearable pain. The tattooist was telling me that when your body experiences prolonged pain, it goes into protection mode or something, sending out endorphin thingies to help the body cope with the pain. The body feels pain more when it's tense ... so if your muscles are all tensed up, the tattoo will hurt more ... so sending these endorphin thingies doesn't take it away, but it just kinda helps your body accept that hey this is happening and it will be for a while, therefore it's pointless trying to fight it ... so it relaxes a bit ... I dunno if she was right ... but from my own experience, it seemed to be the case ... cus it hurt like hell for the first minute or so, cus I was nervous ... and then my body started to relax and loosen up and it got easier. The pain is bearable ... but we all have a different pain threshold! so what my hurt me, may not hurt you ... and vice versa!

As for age ... sod that! My aunt is fifty-five, and two years ago she got a big dragon done, stretching all down her upper arm ... and it looks great!!! A guy who was in there when I had mine done was in his sixties and had them all over his arms. It doesn't matter how old you are when you get it ... if you want it is all that counts ... and the fact is, we only get older, so regardless of whether you get it done now, ten years ago, or ten years later ... you'll still have it when you're old and wrinkly!!!!! (unless you pay lots of money to have it surgically removed :ugh) ... so you've also gotta think to yourself "will I still like this when I'm eighty" :cute

My advice? get some temporary ones and wear them for a few weeks ... or better still, go and have the tattoo you want but done in henna in the place you're thinking of having it ... it's lasts a while and it'll help you decide if it's what you want ... it's like with clothes, sometimes things can look great on the hanger, but not so great when we put them on ... you have to be certain you'll like your chosen design on you, and not just on paper or on someone else!

If you want it ... get it done ... if you're concerned about your age now (which you shouldn't be :cute), wont it become more of a concern the older you get? If we put things off because of our thoughts about age ... we'd only end up doing half of what we want in life!

I hope you go for it ... if it's what you want :love

[lostgirl]

:hugon lilsweetie, pooh & sunray :hugoff
Thanks so much for your replies. This is something I've thought about for probably eight years, so I know I want one. I'm not sure how I'll feel about it when I'm eighty, but I'm not going to let that stop me. I'm going to try a "live in the moment" attitude for a change!

Pooh, I read your post about your tattoo. I'm sorry about your cat! That's a neat way to memorialize him and keep him around for support. That's kind of why I want a sun. I read something about the meaning of the sun and it was very appropriate for me and my recovery. Plus, I am a sun worshipper! I lived in Florida for a while and really miss that South Florida sunshine. That's where I went into treatment for the ED and moved there to continue therapy. When I came back home, I kind of use memories of that time in Florida as a "safe place". It was either a palm tree (which everyone laughed at) or a sunshine. Anyway, I'm glad you went through with it. I'm just about to the point where I'm going to say fuck it, too, about the weight and do this for me. A big step for me, though, and I'm having a hard time taking the plunge.

Thanks for the replies. I love hearing other fishies' ideas.

Kelly

[lilsweetie]

:hugon kelly :hugoff
let me know what you decide to get done and where on your body.
I have a TINY heart that i drew myself. It's on my left hip area. It didn't hurt me. I laughed through it... i swear!

[Anonymous_Member002]

I got a tattoo of a chinese pictogram (for the word nothing) surrounded by the sacred space circle. I had it done last year (I'm twenty-eight :yay)... as a present to me for quitting with SI :grin Kind of like a rite of passage. (It worked too)

I had it done on my upper arm, and it didn't hurt. Plain black tattoos don't hurt as much, and they are also safer (usually if people react to the dyes, it's with the color.... esp red)

I am like sooooo addicted now, and I want to get at least one more done. (I don't want to end up a painted lady :sarcasm)

Let us know what you decide... (Oh and as for the weight thing... FUCK IT! As Sunray said, unless you plan on becoming pregnant, you can pretty much get one whereever you like :grin)

[pageling]

:hugon Kelly :hugoff

I have a tat of a daisy on my ankle and I :love it! I giggle every time I see it and I've had it for about seven years. Yep, it hurt, because it was so close to the bone. If you can, put the weight thing out of your mind. We have all given way too much to our respective ED's to let them keep us from doing what we want. Go for it!

I"m planning on getting another one too! I know what I want, but not where I want it. :muhaha As for the age thing, I really wouldn't worry about it. I'm thirty and don't care who sees mine. It makes me happy, and that's what's most important. Find what makes you happy, and go for it! Let us know what you decide and how it goes!

:love,
paige

[lostgirl]

Well, I've definitely decided to do it. My birthday is next month, so I think I'll do it as a birthday present to myself. I know for sure I want it on my ankle. I know it hurts more, but that's where I've always wanted it, so I'm gonna do it! Am still trying to decide whether I want the sun or footprints with my kids' names above them. I will let you all know when I finally do it! Thanks for your replies!

:love Kelly

[Millificent]

Kelly, I have a suggestion, since I have both my ankles tattooed. Bring something to squeeze in your hand - it helps a lot with the pain. The whole time I was getting my second ankle done, I wished I had one of those little stress balls to squeeze.

:dragon Millie

[Demonika]

You know what, go for it! I am a heavily tattooed/pierced chick and I feel so great about myself everytime I get another one. Each one is living art, its such a great experience. If you are worried about the tattoo looking different if you change your body weight, I wouldnt worry so much about that, your skin is amazing. I have a huge dragon on my back right where my love handle used to be, and now that I am smaller it looks smaller, but not warped or weird in any way. I also have a half sleeve as well as several others and none have changed in a major way even when my weight dones. Good luck!

[arance]

Go for it Kelly!

:happy

You always wanted one, so get one! Ankle sounds a good place, so just make the design and maybe as Millie suggest, stress balls could be a nice idea.

I have a tattoo on my low back, an apple. And i like it a lot. :happy