[simon0707]

Hello all

I hope I`m posting this in the right section

I'm 21 and have been thinking about getting a tattoo for about 4 years now.

Anyways, I think I'm finally gona do it soon.

I got a couple of questions:

-I wana get it on my inner forearm, but everyone keeps telling me that it's gona hinder my chances of getting a good job later on. Does anybody have any take or experience with that?

-Does it hurt a lot on the inner forearm? Should I get one on my leg first and then on my inner forearm later on in the future?

-I wana get either "It's a round world" or "the tigers have found me , and i do not care". which one do you like more? any other suggestions?


Please, any help would be greatly appreciated. and i'd appreciate it if nobody gave any smart-*** answers.

Thanks a lot.

[EricaH329]

Originally Posted by simon0707

Hello all

I hope I`m posting this in the right section

I'm 21 and have been thinking about getting a tattoo for about 4 years now.

Anyways, I think I'm finally gona do it soon.

I got a couple of questions:

-I wana get it on my inner forearm, but everyone keeps telling me that it's gona hinder my chances of getting a good job later on. Does anybody have any take or experience with that?

-Does it hurt a lot on the inner forearm? Should I get one on my leg first and then on my inner forearm later on in the future?

-I wana get either "It's a round world" or "the tigers have found me , and i do not care". which one do you like more? any other suggestions?


Please, any help would be greatly appreciated. and i'd appreciate it if nobody gave any smart-*** answers.

Thanks a lot.

I, personally, would never get a tattoo anywhere that can be seen with clothes on. I know that it's hard to get a serious job when you have tattoo's that can be seen.

Inner forearm would definitely hurt. At least to me. I have two, and they are both on my back, and they both hurt equally as much. Tattoo's don't feel good, unless you are the kind of person that enjoys pain. But it's only temporary pain.

As far as what you want to get tattooed, it's all about what you like better. Since, afterall, you are the only one that's going to have to live with it for the rest of your life. I would make sure that it's something you've given a lot of thought to, and sincerely want before getting it done. I, like an idiot, went out and got a tattoo when I was hungover as hell. Picked it out right there on the spot. Not much thinking involved. I regret getting it now, but since it's on my back I don't have to look at it so I try to forget it's even there .

[knaveman]

I have a tattoo that's about four inches long on my inner left forearm. It's the word "balance" in Sanskrit. I have worked construction for most of my life so I never really worried about job prospects with a tattoo. However, as luck would have it, I found my self unemployed recently and interviewed for an office job. It was computer drafting in a rather large company. My interviewer was very Mormon and infact most of the company was very Christian. I decided to not hide it and wore a t-shirt to my first interview, actually to all three interviews. I was never once asked about the tattoo even though everyone looked at it repeatedly. In the end I got the job. I also sabotaged myself two weeks later so I could get "let go" because I found out I hate office work.

I didn't find a visibly noticable tattoo a hinderance in any way. However, you have to decide if it's something that could hinder your career in any way. It depends on what career you choose, and remeber you career at 21 could very well be different from your career at 31 or 41. Keep that in mind.

As for the pain, it didn't bother me much at all. It feels exactly like a tiny needle going into your skin repeatedly. It does hurt, but it all depends on how you handle pain. Personally, I didn't mind it. If it wasn't for the girl in the next room getting her first tattoo on her hip and screaming like a banshee, I could have fallen asleep a couple of time.

As far as what to get that is entirely up to you. You may want to consult the tattoo artist on placement, size, font, etc. They are after all the artist.

[georgejungle]

just wear long sleeves. I know a guy who works at the dealership
and he looks very nice and neat, but has full tattooed sleeves. You'd
never know it because his work ethic speaks for itself and he always
wears long sleeves and looks neat and spiffy

i too have been wanting to get some ink, i'm closer to getting it done
than ever and I'm planning to just cover them up when at work, because
I want them on my forearms and wrists.

[mark982]

i got ink on my inner forearm,plus outter forearm. got them when i was a youngster like you. never hindered me in any jobs,BUT as i grew older i wish i had put them in places here where with short sleeves,they would'nt be seen. you values do change as you get older.

[simon0707]

I really appreciate all the replies. Thank you.

Yeah, I'm scared of regretting it later on. But I mean, it depends on what you get, no? I've wanted this quote for about 3 years now, so I'm guessing it'll stick with me my whole life.

Also, is it better to get tattooed when you're a bit tipsy? I heard you feel the pain less when you're under the influence? Is that true?

And yeah, I can always cover them up with long sleeves, but still, people judge all the time, and if they see it, I'm just scared it would hinder my career opportunities.

I wana ultimately work in TV, more specifically sports broadcasting. But I guess if I make it to TV, I'm gona have to wear long sleeves anyway.

Thanks again.

[mark982]

any "legit" tattoo shop will not ink you while you are tipsy! in fact there will probable be signs telling you this,if you need to have a few to tolerate the pain then you are'nt ready to have a tattoo.

[EricaH329]

If you are worried about the pain, don't be. Yeah it hurts... but it also depends on your pain tolerance. I have a very low pain tolerance and I managed to get two.

It's not unbearable. And it only lasts for a little while. Once you are done getting the tattoo the pain is over.

[Queen of Hearts]

I lost a job once, the day after my boss found out I had a tattoo. I was 19. I am 35 now. It is on my back, so it's not as though it is visible without clothes on.

Since then I have managed to complete an entire back piece. I would say I have about 30 hours put into it. That being said, I would never tattoo my arms, neck, or chest. I like the fact that people don't know I am tattooed. It is a very personal tattoo and people are extremely curious when they see hints of it when I wear a tank top.

Today, people are not as judgmental as they once were, but I still get comments that vary in range from awe to disgust. When I first started getting tattooed, it was something only bikers, thieves, and bad people did; not young 19 year old girls. Nowadays, there are TONS of 19 year olds with tattoos; so it’s not as bad.

It is a forever deal.

I would suggest you take a sharpie marker or mehndi/henna (a paste that contains the colorant lawsone and is applied to the skin which binds temporarily to the keratin in human skin – it cannot be washed off, but is worn off as the skin is sloughed) and draw it on yourself and see how you feel about it. Really consider what it means.

Side note/some advice:

Inks have changed considerably since I started getting tattooed. They are designed better so as to remain bright, and not fade or bleed.

I would suggest a custom artist. Do not go to a flash artist. They are generally the ones who are fresh out of apprenticeship. You want someone who has been doing this for at least a decade. If you cannot draw, you are going to have to pay the artist to do it for you. Do not pick something off of a wall. You want an artist who refuses to do flash. Realize this is an investment. You want the BEST artist; one who understands form and how things flow on human shape and design.

I would also suggest you go check out many different artists and request to see their portfolio. Shops that have piercing services are held to a higher standard of cleanliness than those that are strictly tattoo shops. The health departments of the state considers piercing to be a medical procedure which requires particular autoclave sanitation processes as well as how medical wastes are to be disposed. I am not saying that all tattoo-only shops are bad. My artist’s shop does not have a piercer, and he is very thorough and clean. I am just saying this as something to keep in mind. A clean shop is good.

If you cannot find a local artist, I would consider Googling some of the top artists in your region. As it is an investment, and if you have the means, traveling to the artists might be entirely worth it. Also, look into tattoo conventions. This is a way to get in touch with those artists that are considered top-notch who live far from you. You can contact them ahead of time and make the appointment at the convention. I would attend a convention if you can beforehand, also. That way you can meet and see artwork and styles that you like so as to aid in research.

Good luck.

[Queen of Hearts]

one last suggestion...check out inkednation.com

[simon0707]

Thanks for all the advice.

Don't you think I can just go to a renowned tattoo parlor here and ask them for the most experienced artist? Isn't that how it works? You ask for the artist you want working on you, correct?

And my tattoo isn't exactly a hard one. All I want is a quote, so it's not a big drawing or anything. That's gona be later on in a couple of years or so.

I'll do the sharpie thing, just to see how it would feel.

My friend has been telling me NOT to get it on my inner forearm. His reasoning? If I ever get sick of it, there's no escaping it. He has one on his shoulder himself, and he says that sometimes he even forgets it's there, so he can't really get sick of it. I don't know whether I should trust him or not.

Again, thank you all for all the advice. I apologize if I'm making this a bigger deal than it has to be, I'm just a bit nervous.

[simon0707]

Well, I made the apointment today. Getting it monday.

SO nervous. SO scared. SO excited.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Well? Did you get it? How was your first time? Was it good for you?
C'mon, let's see a picture!!

[betamanlet]

Whenver I see visible tattoos at work, I think "how unprofessional". I also think about how low your self esteem has to be by defiling your body. The ink they use cannot be anything but bad for you since it's a foreign object, let alone whatever is toxic in it..

[JohnnyBlaze]

Strangely enough, betamanlet, that's the reaction that most people with visible ink hope for. A visible tattoo permanently takes out out of the norm; you can no longer completely blend in with the mainstream white-collar world. The reaction you gave (which is quite common) only reinforces the logic behind the decision.

I won't go into the whole "is it better to get one or not" debate because, not only has it been overdone as it is, but I've found that the yays will always like them and the nays will always hate them, and ne'er the twain shall meet. Arguing the subject between a yay and a nay is, more often than not, a futile effort in spinning one's wheel.