Do You Feel Tattoos Are a Generational Thing?

fureverywhere

fureverywhere

beloved friend who will always be with us in spiri
Location
Northern NJ, USA
I was just considering this question. I mean it's amusing. My mother never pierced her ears in her lifetime. She considered it "barbaric". Of course that led to many lost earrings as well. But really isn't it interesting how times have changed? It seems like body art and creative piercings have become completely mainstream.

I guess I first saw the body art appeal as a kid. There was a teacher...way old...he must have been 40:rolleyes: But he had a Navy anchor that really grabbed my attention. But really I was never alternative. I got my ears pierced at fourteen. In those days you didn't need parental permission. Yup My Mom was totally horrified.

My first tattoo stayed hidden for a good three years...even on my wrist.
 

I got my ears pierced when I was 21 by a girlfriend. She deadened my ears with ice and used a "huge needle" with a cork on the back side. They did not have ear piercings in the malls at that time. Heck, they did not even have malls back then! YIKES, I'm old! No tattoos either. My daughter has a couple of tattoos (not visible) and my 40 year old son has no piercings or tattoos. He thinks they are not professional looking.
 

maggiemae said:
I got my ears pierced when I was 21 by a girlfriend. She deadened my ears with ice and used a "huge needle" with a cork on the back side. They did not have ear piercings in the malls at that time. Heck, they did not even have malls back then! YIKES, I'm old! No tattoos either. My daughter has a couple of tattoos (not visible) and my 40 year old son has no piercings or tattoos. He thinks they are not professional looking.
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Maggie, my ears were pierced the very same way; ice cube, cork and needle! Wasn't that fun???
 
My sons faint changing band aids. No needles near them thank you very much. Oldest girl I have no idea, middle girl once took me to a place for a supposed tat. Turns out she was lying as usual. She had her tongue pierced. Great...possible nerve damage and you can chip your teeth or swallow the piece...not a good idea. But oy do they listen?

The youngest wants me to give permission at seventeen. She has two years to decide on a small body art design that is meaningful to her. If she wants larger and more detail in the future so be it. I mean I feel it's a personal choice but you are talking about a possible lifetime thing. It takes deep thought. I'll be there holding her hand though.
 
I waited until my daughter was old enough to decide if she wanted her ears pierced. This is just me, but I don't like seeing babies with their ears pierced. I think that should be a decision the individual should decide. Hope I don't open up a can of worms here!
 
No Maggie I totally agree. When my oldest daughter was a baby the in-law pressure was to pierce her ears. Then at two she would pull them out and swallow them. No harm done but my new rule became...if you are old enough to ask and take care of them yourself...then you have my blessings.
 
I was 19 when I had my ears pierced while I was home for the summer from college and hid them from my mom and dad (thank goodness for long hair) for days before they noticed. Pierced ears were a no-no at my house.....my grandmother would <sniff> and say "only Catholics and gypsies had pierced ears". It was my first big rebellion.

My daughter got the first tattoo in the family at 23. I got myself one for my 60th birthday (my late husband hated tattoos so I had to wait until I was on my own). My granddaughter wouldn't consider having a tattoo. Usually each generation gets more daring, but in this family they get less daring. I almost had my mom talked into a tiny one but she backed out at the last minute. I did get her to get her ears pierced at 89.
 
I didn't get my ears pierced or a tattoo until I was around 30. I never wore earrings much, and never got used to them, so it was pretty useless. If I really get dressed up, I have a couple pairs of earrings to wear, but I'm not one to dress up unless I absolutely have to. Never liked jewelry much either, necklaces always pulled my longer hair out and I was always having to pull hairs out of the links with a needle. My engagement ring stays in the safe most of the time, just wear my band.

Nobody in my family got their ears pierced at a young age, and my mother and oldest sister wore clip ons. My tattoo is lightly colored pastel and can only be seen if I wear a french cut bikini, haven't worn one of those since my 30s either, lol. None of the men or women in my family got tattoos, and my husband does not have one either.
 
My tattoo is 58 years old and fuzzy around the edges. I was in the Navy when I got it and they were common with sailors.

When I see young people with very large tattoos, I wonder what they will look like when they are as old as mine.
 
Manatee said:
My tattoo is 58 years old and fuzzy around the edges. I was in the Navy when I got it and they were common with sailors.

When I see young people with very large tattoos, I wonder what they will look like when they are as old as mine.
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Having been done initially in the 70's my full shoulder tiger face tattoo was faded pretty bad also but I had it completely redone a couple of months ago.......all it took was a few bucks and three hours in the chair and it looks good as new again.
 
Pierced ears in my twenties, nose stud---done with ice and a potato for my thirtieth birthday. Recently, the Japanese husband of a client gave me an awesome dragon amongst the chrysanthemums tattoo on my

derrière. Beautiful, painstaking work of art. For free! It would have been well above my pay grade, as he is a recognised tattoo master. Slept on my stomach for a week. Lol. Should my ship come in, I would like henna style tattoos on the bottoms of my feet, and palms of my hands. Lord, the price of painkillers alone.
 
No piercings for me, I want to leave this world with the same number of holes I had when I arrived!

I remember during my working years our company established a group to come up with a corporate policy concerning tattoos! That was at a time when tattoos were just coming out of the shadows and into the mainstream.

I see nothing wrong with them but they are definitely not for me.
 
I used to put on transfers as a kid (anybody remember those?) but I am still much of a physical coward to allow being punctured by needles. Further, I don't think that they add to someone's attractiveness, rather, they detract...
 
I enjoy looking at interesting tattoos on other people, but I would never do it (along with piercings), and I get this is a way some people like to express themselves. I liken it to bumper stickers which I've never put on my car. I prefer to express myself without a pain factor.
 
I do think its something the younger folks like to do.... it was never a thing when I was a teenager and its wasn't considered cool with my peer group as I got older. Tats didn't really go well with our long hair, tie dyes and bell bottoms of the 60s and later on who cares? But I had pierced ears since I was 12 years old. It was a family tradition.
 
I think in the 1970's teens still considered tattoos kind of hardcore. I hung out with some rough souls, but even among Cheech and Chong I was the first one with a real tat. I think the nose piercings can be attractive...just a small jewel or ring. The bull ring look is a bit much though. I see it a lot around here, but they do have clip on versions...seems like that might hurt a bit less.
 
It must be generational, to some extent. :confused: There is only one tattoo that I might have considered. They can tattoo a line on your eyelids to mimic mascara. Never could wear mascara, especially with contacts, never had the patience to apply it anyway. But it can make your eyes look prettier if you know how to do it.
 
I've seen that Nancy. They have it for eyebrows too. My brows are almost transparent so it would be a neat idea. I just don't know about needles around my eyes...eeeeep. Something I saw at one of the shops the other day. A young man with studs in his face. Level with where sideburns would be. So they wouldn't have like a back fastening right? They were somehow in his face. Well you see something new every day;)
 
I was never allowed to have my ears pierced. I pierced them myself when I was 12, got yelled at for doing it but it was done. I think the tattoo thing is just a personal preference thing these days. I've always thought the blank canvas of the human body is more beautiful unadorned, but that's just my opinion. I have no tattoos.
 
fureverywhere said:
I've seen that Nancy. They have it for eyebrows too. My brows are almost transparent so it would be a neat idea. I just don't know about needles around my eyes...eeeeep. ...
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Fur, I saw the literature about this in the eye surgeon's waiting room when I was getting cataract surgery. So maybe they put you to sleep when they do it there, IDK.
 

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