Painted ladies - they're everywhere !

[CelticRambler]

No, I don't mean the lepidopterous kind but wimmin with tats. There was nothing on the news about women rushing to tattoo parlours at the end of lockdown, but how else did so many get so many in such a short space of time? I spend many weekends in the company of the female of the species who expose to a greater or lesser extent their arms, legs, necks, shoulders and backs ... and at the most recent events, I've been astonished at the number of "new" tattoo-ees. Not just rebellious teens and young adults, either, but many a thirty- or forty-something too. The grand old dames tend keep themselves covered up, so I can't rule them out either!

I know getting a tattoo has become more common, but this seems like a very recent explosion. Or is it just coincidence - that someone willing to be repeatedly jabbed with a needle for decorative purposes won't be worried about a couple of spike proteins?

(Can't make the same comparison with respect to the men, as the current fashion is for maximum body coverage)

[Hairy-Joe]

When ever I see someone with a tattoo, I always wonder what it will look like when they are 60 or 70 years old. A tattoo on wrinkles, distorting the image doesn't look good.

On the few occasions I have been asked "what do you think of my new tattoo?" I always reply that I'm trying to imagine what it will look like in 30 or 40 years when the wearer is collecting their pension. It never goes down well....

[Banshee Bones]

When ever I see someone with a tattoo, I always wonder what it will look like when they are 60 or 70 years old. A tattoo on wrinkles, distorting the image doesn't look good.

On the few occasions I have been asked "what do you think of my new tattoo?" I always reply that I'm trying to imagine what it will look like in 30 or 40 years when the wearer is collecting their pension. It never goes down well....

What do you think your face going to look like at 60 or 70?

[Hairy-Joe]

What do you think your face going to look like at 60 or 70?

Worse than the back of the bus. I know I scare kids with my face

[Cyclepath]

I worked in Norn Iron for a few years and one of the office cleaners was a woman in her 60s. Age had not been kind to her and she spent half her shift sucking on smokes out the back. She had a weird blotchy black and red tattoo up the side of her neck that I couldn't identify until one of my co workers told me. It started out as the red hand of ulster with a wreath around it but had been completely warped out of shape in folds of loose wrinkly skin. It really did look like some sort of skin condition.

Her forearms also had various hard to identify, but apparently sectarian, tats that she rarely revealed. I'm not saying it's a reason to avoid tats but jesus some of them don't age well regardless of the content.

[CelticRambler]

Most of the ones I'm seeing would be relatively small and probably not visible when wearing normal workplace clothes - on the insides of forearms, on the shoulders, mid upper back - and rarely of any provocative design. It's the sheer number now that has me wondering what's going on.

And I still don't understand why you'd bother to get a tattoo on a part of your body that you can't see without looking in the mirror.

[CelticRambler]

In fairness to women, at least they don't go for the full sleeve stuff.

Oh, we get a few of those as well.

They're often amongst the best dancers too!

[CelticRambler]

Decisions, decisions ... There's a tattoo art(ist/try) convention this weekend, 500m from where I work ... or a dance night with the painted ladies, in a glorified barn 200km away.

Yeah, always more satisfying to see wildlife in it's natural environment, rather than penned up in an exhibition.

[Norman Breaks]

I think the argument of 'what what will is look like in your 60-70s' is weak at best. As someone else eluded to, not many are going to be looking their best in their 60s or 70s. I have zero tattoos so far but I know a great many people who do.
So, basically if people want to get tats in their 20s - 30s and enjoy them for 30 to 40 years before they get wrinkled, more power to them.
Sure, some people get them and regret them a few years later but laser removal has come a long way. That or retouches to change and cover up with something fresh.
I hate the begrudgery of people like the OP. "I don't like something for X,Y and Z reasons so no one should be able to enjoy it!"

Live and let live.

[CelticRambler]

I hate the begrudgery of people like the OP. "I don't like something for X,Y and Z reasons so no one should be able to enjoy it!"

What begrudgery? I never said anything about not liking them, never mind suggesting anyone should not be able to do what they wanted with their own skin. I was only asking if there was a reason for the sudden apparent increase in the numbers.

As it happens, at last Saturday's dance, I only saw one partial decoration peeping out from anyone's clothing (but it was again, as seems to be the rule now, a female skin).

[Norman Breaks]

What begrudgery? I never said anything about not liking them, never mind suggesting anyone should not be able to do what they wanted with their own skin. I was only asking if there was a reason for the sudden apparent increase in the numbers.

As it happens, at last Saturday's dance, I only saw one partial decoration peeping out from anyone's clothing (but it was again, as seems to be the rule now, a female skin).

My apologies, it was the poster below the OP. Carry on.