Tattoos: What Body Part(s) You Shouldn't Have Them On

The subject of tattoos or anything related to it (example: getting a tattoo) always draws mixed reactions. When I was a youngster, my catholic conservative parents would always tell me that tattoos are for "bad" people and they are very "dirty" to look at. Still, that didn't stop me from getting tattooed and pierced when I came of age. Go figure!

When one has a tattoo, he/she is bound to face some sort of stigma at one point or another. Sometimes, having a tattoo may give a negative impression while others may find it a beautiful form of self expression and art. It's one of those taboos. We all have our underlying reasons for having such opinions. It's really a matter of personal preference.

There are two types of tattoos you can get. The first is what we all know, tattoo by ink while the other is called scarification which is also a form of tattooing by means of burning or cutting the skin, causing it to form keloids, or deep scars thereby creating a permanent mark similar to that of a tattoo. The latter is considered more dangerous since there it carries a higher risk of infection.

When considering getting a tattoo, first of all, you have to know that it does hurt. How much? Well, I can't really say because it all depends on your pain threshold and how much pain you can withstand. Second, ensure that you go to a reputable tattoo parlor that uses quality ink and new needles only. It is very possible to contract blood-borne diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C, tetanus as well as tuberculosis through these needles if they have been previously used. Be mindful and know the risks. Some of the risks would include, blood-borne diseases as mentioned above, skin disorders and infection (reaction to the ink) and other allergic reactions.

When you have finally decided to get your body art, you have to pick a design. This, of course, is entirely up to your discretion but you have to carefully consider what you put on your body. Having a tattoo is something that you will carry to your grave. You may want to think twice if you're intending to get some offensive material tattooed on your body. After all, you will turn old and gray and it wouldn't be nice for your grand kids to see those things.

So which parts of the body are best to get tattooed? Personally, I think it's best to have them in places where they can be easily concealed like your back, chest, stomach and thigh area. Okay, so you may be thinking, then why get one in the first place if you don't show it off? Being female and having tattoos myself, I have had my ink done in some of the areas that I've mentioned because I work in a conservative field and environment. I work in an office and I interact with executives on a regular basis. There is a certain code of ethics we have to uphold to maintain a clean self image. Displaying tattoos; unfortunately, does not fit well into the category. My values may not be the same as others. That's just the way the world is.

So, when deciding which part of your body you want to get tattooed, consider your lifestyle and career. If it is acceptable in your line of work to have your tattoos displayed at anytime, then you can have your ink in parts of your body that are almost always exposed such as your arms, face, neck, etc. Otherwise, best get your ink in places where you can hide them when you need to.

For females, be mindful to avoid getting tattoos on your stomach or abdominal area. If you become pregnant, your skin stretches and this will affect the design of your tattoo and will result to distortions. There is nothing worse than having a permanent mark that looked as if it were drawn by a drunken tattoo artist. Weight gains and weight loss can do this to body art, whether you're male or female.

Since the act of tattooing is to literally break the skin and apply ink into it (with the exception of scarification), there are body parts that are more dangerous to get tattooed such as the eyes. This is called corneal tattooing. If you are not careful, you could suffer complications that could result to permanent blindness. It is only advisable to pursue this for medical reasons and under medical supervision. For example, if one has corneal scarring, this can be covered by a corneal tattoo, as recommended by medical professionals.

Having a tattoo can be good or bad - it depends on who you're asking and who's looking at you. It is also permanent. Although there are tattoo removal procedures, they still leave scars that cannot always be completely removed. Tattoo removals are costly and I heard that they hurt ten times more than getting a tattoo. Beauty comes with a price and sometimes it may hurt to be beautiful. Because of this, it would be wise to consider the above before pursuing your desire to get yourself tattooed.