Am I alone?

[Hardline]

Greetings all,

I often find myself wondering if I am the only FTM who is not into tattoos,or piercings.It seems that everyone is into ink and I am odd man out.I am curious to hear from anyone,regardless of how you identify who is not into ink or piercings.

(This thread is not meant to provoke those that sport these sort of body modifications!)

[MadHatter]

Well I am not FTM, just a simple butch. And I am not into body piercings or ink. Piercing REALLY doesn't interest me. Ink I have though of getting on rare occasion. But it looks like crap when it gets old.
Seems to me it's a younger persons kinda thing and I am 42. But I have seen some older peeps with these things as well. My question is always, how do they get jobs with that stuff?

[jushapycampin]

I don't have any ink or piercings. I'm not into ornaments on my face and everywhere, hell I don't like the ornaments I was born with. I have considered ink a few times but have never done it. I have seen some really nice ink, and of course running with bikers I have seen my fair share of "jail house" ink too. Madhatter some people can't get good jobs because of their ink, also probably because of their record. I also know many professional people who have their tat's where they can be covered. I met a girl at a bike rally one year. She was way up in the banking world. When she went to change clothes she had on her business attire, when she came back she was "biker bitched" out in her dud's and she had a lot of very nice and tasteful tat's. So I guess some folks cover them up and some don't give a damn about their future and just put them where ever there is a space. I say to each his own. I might have one some day but it will be where I can cover it should I need to.

[treesx2]

Sporty femme here. I have piercings. One hole each ear, and nothing else. I have no tatts. I love a good sleeve with theme. But I also think, it needs to be cover-up-able. I know my employer will not even give you an interview if you have any tattoo's.(visable) You also sign a piece of paper as to what the acceptable dress code will be. It is Non negotiable. If you violate it, you are terminated. As for the earrings. On me they must be posts and never larger that the tip of a pencil eraser. Males. No earrings.

Should you tattoo after being employed. It must be covered. PERIOD.

I agree, it seems more the younger folks are going above the shoulders with the ink. I laugh, as they are the future of our world, and some day.......it's going to be 95 degrees outside, and they will be in the court room as an attorney, prosecuting a case, wearing a turtle neck!

[treesx2]

"biker bitched".


MMMM, JHC......where can I find one of those?:)

[Nille]

Treesx2: I agree with you on it possibly affecting your chances of getting work later on - visible tattoos just aren't that well-recieved.
However; you give the example of people with visible tattoos perhaps becoming lawyers and I see your point, but I can't help but think: what if society and our culture towards/with tattoos changes? Usually if enough people do it, society's mind tends to accept things as "the norm" - the norm usually being defined as what the majority does. What if the majority has visible tattoos and they like it on others too? Example: A man with no or non-visible tattoos gets a job at the top of a lawfirm and interviews two guys. They both graduated from the same school, same grades - every thing is the same. They're both completely equally capable to take the job. Only one has visible tattoos. Nowadays it is likely that an employer would see them and go "sorry, no good" and choose the other one. But what if this guy goes the other way? And chooses the guy with the visible tattoos? He turns out to be a fantastic lawyer and slowly more and more people with visible tattoos are accepted in this sort of job until one day it is completely acceptable. As acceptable as a woman wearing pants. :) I don't really mean this as a debate-post, just a trail of thoughts.

Just to clarify, no I don't have any piercings at all - not even in my ears :) I'm femme and I have one single tattoo - placed on my back, where it's always covered up unless I'm in my underwear or naked :)

[treesx2]

Nile....I know, I thought of things like that. I can't see it in my lifetime. I'm 52. However, that does not mean that I do not like Tatts.

My sister (10 years younger) and completely different than I, went thru a spell where she was into Tatts, she has three large ones, including the *Tramp Stamp* (hey, she told me what it has come to be dubbed, I had NO IDEA) she has moved her life and career into a completely different direction and those tattoos are her biggest regret. just saying. I thought about both sides.

[jushapycampin]

When I first read the OP, the first thing I thought of was sports. It seems any NCAA sport that you watch on TV you see these huge tatoos on the arms of the players. Certainly they are aware that not all of them are going into professional sports, most are going into the work force in some capacity and have all this visible ink on their arms and neck and so forth. Don't get me wrong I would still like to have a tatoo, but for me it would need to have a meaning, and also I hear from friends actually professional friends, that tats are addictive.

Quick story this same professional friend, went with me once to pick out a tat. I didn't see one I liked, she said she would never get one because her hubby would have a stroke. Fast forward several years she went with her mother in law for her 70th birthday to get a tat, and she ended up getting one too, and that one has led to 6 more. As I said she is a professional, I have never seen them and don't have a clue what they are.

Treesx2 Chuckling....where can you find one of what?

[treesx2]

Treesx2 Chuckling....where can you find one of what?

The uppity up in banking, uber tattooed Biker Bicth.....(l)

when I first read what you wrote, I though it said way up there in SPANKING....(a)

[jushapycampin]

The uppity up in banking, uber tattooed Biker Bicth.....(l)

when I first read what you wrote, I though it said way up there in SPANKING....(a)

ROFLMAO @ spanking! as for the Biker Bitch I've never seen her again anywhere but she was HOT. Bitched up or Bankered up she was a beautiful woman.

[treesx2]

I appologize for the derail.....

[ace88]

im a free-lance tattoo artist
-but-
no evidence of ink and piercings:s

[red rose]

i don't have tattoo or any kind of body piercing,,,
(oh i forgot i have earings, lol!) (f)

[Hardline]

This thread died quickly as I suspected it would.It is my experience of Scandinavian culture,and North American culture that tattoos are indeed the norm where they were once relegated to a subculture of bikers,and rebellious anarchists.As I have no experience of cultures outside of Scandanavia,America,or Canada,I cannot answer for them.People of all ages and economic backgrounds proudly sport them now (in the cultures I have experienced and previously mentioned).

When I was 15 a friend tattooed me on my hand.It was smaller than a dime but tormented the heck out of me for 20 yrs.After 5-6 laser treatments it was sucessfully removed.I knew they were not for me when a woman in Canada asked me if I had been in prison!!!!At 38 I cannot imagine anything being so meaningful to me that I would want a permanent ink marker on my body.(The technician at the laser clinic told me that the new inks are more difficult to remove,my tattoo had been indian-ink).

Thank you to all who answered,and to those who sport tattoos please do not take offense.I realize it is me who is in the minority.

Any femme of natural childbearing age sans tattoos PM me.We would have to be soul mates lol.The only two gen-xers without tattoos!

[Rhoda]

This thread died quickly as I suspected it would.It is my experience of Scandinavian culture,and North American culture that tattoos are indeed the norm where they were once relegated to a subculture of bikers,and rebellious anarchists.As I have no experience of cultures outside of Scandanavia,America,or Canada,I cannot answer for them.People of all ages and economic backgrounds proudly sport them now (in the cultures I have experienced and previously mentioned).

When I was 15 a friend tattooed me on my hand.It was smaller than a dime but tormented the heck out of me for 20 yrs.After 5-6 laser treatments it was sucessfully removed.I knew they were not for me when a woman in Canada asked me if I had been in prison!!!!At 38 I cannot imagine anything being so meaningful to me that I would want a permanent ink marker on my body.(The technician at the laser clinic told me that the new inks are more difficult to remove,my tattoo had been indian-ink).

Thank you to all who answered,and to those who sport tattoos please do not take offense.I realize it is me who is in the minority.

Any femme of natural childbearing age sans tattoos PM me.We would have to be soul mates lol.The only two gen-xers without tattoos!

Tattooing is practiced in many cultures around the world, and each one has it's own world view of why they practice this ancient art form.

My experience with tattoos is as a health aide working in nursing homes. Back in the 70's the elderly women i had charge of who sported tattoos were considered "bad girls" in their heydays, and trust me when i tell you that tattoos are NOT a pretty sight after your skin is no longer youthful, firm and tight.

Remember that before you indulge my friends..... just sayin'....:)

Myself, i have no tattoos, and the only piercings i have are one in each earlobe to hold my earrings. I have toyed with the idea of receiving a tattoo to represent my grandchildren, but the image of wrinkled old skin always stops me, lol. My view is that the body is a temple, but we ultimately decide how that temple will be decorated or not.

I have known folks who tattoo as part of the spiritual path they are on, i admire the artistic quality of many tattoos, however it's not for me. Truth be told it's probably the threat of pain that stops me cold.

My first introduction to body piercings was as an art student, the nude male model's genitalia was pierced multiple times.... it was hard to focus on drawing him when the only thought running through my head was "ouch ouch ouch ouch,....." lol

[Perkitty]

I am not FTM but I am not into Tattoos or Piercings. If I see a couple on someone it doesn't bother as much as when I see the "sleeves" and a person is totally covered in Tattoos and the piercings that are under the skin and bulge out bother me to look at. If they enjoy its their body but I am not into it.

[O'queery]

im a free-lance tattoo artist
-but-
no evidence of ink and piercings:s

Im a freelance tattoo artists billboard..hehehe.
i have noticed though that some artists don't have a lot of ink.

I have asked them about this and the response is usually this:

"I could tattoo a person
all day and not make enough money to pay another artist to give ME a tattoo."

[Rook]

I think a Nun in a movie said it best...
"You don't have to eat the doughnut to know it's Sweet"
True, she was discussing Sex, but still....y'know? :cheesy-grin:

I don't have a single mark of Ink on my body, but I love to see 'em, and oftentimes ponder possibles{I refuse to consider any tat w/o having some Symbolism to it, spiritual or Memorable, didn't care what deh homies said as a Teen, don't care now, I won't do it w/o significance}..
I do have piercings, almost all in my Ears, they're closing as I type, I think...I let my eyebrow piercing go almost a decade ago....
My doctor told me I could have Ink, but in the same breath he happily told me how "odd" tattoos look on old folks...
Bastard.

Btw, thanks for the anecdote on piercings / art class....I really really needed a good chuckle.
:espresso: