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oh_bugger · Tattoo addict Joined: 13 Sep 2006 Posts: 516

Life is cyclical and everything that we discuss has been discussed before and so it is with tattooing public skin and the question of how much ink is to much.

This topic has reared its head a lot of late, and i thought it would be interesting to gather some views and opinions.

So what is public skin is it just hands necks heads and faces or does it include lower arms and lower legs ?

Should we get tattooed on public skin and if you have what effect if any has it had on your life ?

And lastly where do people go from being lightly to heavily to excessively inked ?

caz · Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 3:43 am Post subject:

Interesting questions!

In my opinion if people don't like heavily tattoo'd skin they can always look away!

Saying that though i always worry that people will regret having too many tattoos or a tattoo done in an area of the body that's always on show. Unfortunately some employers do frown on tats on show and that is just another reason to think long and hard before getting inked.

I believe that tattoos make the human body for more interesting to look at, i can't imagine having bare skin anymore lol! i have a two year old son and sometimes i look at him with his perfect skin a total blank canvas and wonder if he will want to decorate his body when he's older. I certainly wouldn't react the same way my mother did - she blew her top lol!

Another thing i strongly believe is that badly planned - or unplanned - random tattoos don't always look great. In my opinion any time you get a tattoo you should consider if it will compliment your others or any tattoos you have in mind for the future. I also think it's best to wait a while between tattoos so you can be really sure it's want you want and you won't regret it later.

I think any amount of ink is acceptable as long as it is well thought out. I have only considered people to have gone too far if they are covered with mismatched tattoos that have just been placed anywhere there's a free piece of skin.

That's my views anyway - looking forward to reading other people's!
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seoed · Tattoo lover Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 34

[quote:7c4b0c85ca="oh_bugger"]
So what is public skin is it just hands necks heads and faces or does it include lower arms and lower legs ?
[/quote:7c4b0c85ca]

I presume it include lower arms and legs too, especially if you live in sunny place like Florida, California, etc.

[quote:7c4b0c85ca="oh_bugger"]
Should we get tattooed on public skin and if you have what effect if any has it had on your life ?
[/quote:7c4b0c85ca]

It's not an yes or not question! It will certainly affect your social life on many levels (job, people you meet, etc) and I will say it can give you more complications that benefits as tattoos are not seen as something positive by many people (especially by those that never had a tattoo).

oh_bugger · Tattoo addict Joined: 13 Sep 2006 Posts: 516

[quote:4ae8b061d9="seoed"][
It will certainly affect your social life on many levels (job, people you meet, etc) and I will say it can give you more complications that benefits as tattoos are not seen as something positive by many people (especially by those that never had a tattoo).[/quote:4ae8b061d9]

So by your rational tattoos are only for the wearer and should not be displayed lest they cause problems ?

seoed · Tattoo lover Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 34

[quote:be7082ef78="oh_bugger"]
So by your rational tattoos are only for the wearer and should not be displayed lest they cause problems ?[/quote:be7082ef78]

I will not say that tattoos 'should not be displayed'. What I want to say is you can expect some 'problems' if you do it.

kristv · Tattoo lover Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 6

I can give an example of a problem I had in Japan with my 'public' tattoos.

I stayed (with my wife and daughter) at a hotel in Kyoto that had access to a pool that was part of a fitness center attached to the same building. When I went down to have a swim with my daughter, they would not allow me to enter the pool with my tattoos showing. This was a bit of a problem, because I have tattoos on both of my shoulders and calves. In Japan, tattoos are associated with the Yakuza (kind of like the mafia), so they don't want to scare or offend people by allowing tattood folk to enter their gyms/pools.

On the flip-side, we went to a Buddhist ceremony in Kamakura (45 min. south of Tokyo), and all the Japanese tourists at the temple wanted to take pictures of my tattoos and my wife's tattoos! Very strange, how it's a bit taboo in some areas and very acceptable in others.

In my opinion, tattoos are a way of expressing yourself without having to say a word. You should not be ashamed of your tattoos or where you have them. If others have a problem with it, so be it. But it should not deter you from getting them where you want them. Smile

SilverSurfer · Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 4:51 pm Post subject:

I have met / worked with people who like myself are heavily tattooed, and yet can wear a shirt and trousers and hide the lot. It's a personal thing.

kristv. I was in the middle east for a while, and the local men kept wanting to wrestle me (for some strange reason) when I was just in my shorts, so my extensive tattooing was on show.

luckily they are generally small races so I could chuck them about.

made the wife and kids a bit scared though.

come to think of it, done my head in a bit too.