I personally think that tattoos and body piercings are disgusting (Hey, you asked!).

I am married, but if I were single I would never date a woman who had either a tattoo or any form of body piercing other than ONE ear stud.

To me, at least, tattoos and body piercings are a very accurate gauge of the class, intelligence level, and mental maturity of the person sporting such.

In addition, my wife is a medical professional and a corporate executive responsible for the hiring and training of thousands of medical associates. She will NOT hire a nurse or doctor with ANY visible tattoo(s) or body piercing.

Hypocrite.

"I personally think that tattoos and body piercings are disgusting"
but
"I would never date a woman who had either a tattoo or any form of body piercing other than ONE ear stud"

An ear stud (even one) is body piercing. Either it is disgusting or it isn't. Maybe you meant to say "significant body piercings are disgusting" or some other clarification.

As for my opinion, the common term for a lower back tattoo on a woman is a "tramp stamp".

Tattoos on women screams 'trailer trash.' I live in a county where just about every man and woman sports some sort of body decoration. (We have one used book store but about 6 tattoo parlors. Shows you where our County Commissioner's priorities are.) Some have their arms covered with them and God knows what's on the rest of their body. I'll have to agree with DocChuck. It's disgusting.

"To me, at least, tattoos and body piercings are a very accurate gauge of the class, intelligence level, and mental maturity of the person sporting such."

Wow - so I guess I need to give back my Master's Degree and half my paycheck - I must not have earned either of them due to my body art.

Pull your head out.

People who have tattoos all over their arms, legs, etc. show a lack of good judgement. But it does qualify them to work at 7 Eleven and Blockbuster Video.

Maybe if you didn't have the tats or piercings you'd be a PhD. Food for thought.

Years ago I worked with a guy who had lots of tattoos. Although his co-workers called him "Cartoon Arms," he was very proud of his body art. He reminded us frequently that each of his arms were worth at least $400. He finally shut up after I explained that my arms were more valuable than that without the ink.

The main difference between people who have tattoos and people who don't is that tattooed people generally don't care whether other people do. It says more about you than it does about me if my tattoos "disgust" you.

The only thing that would make me consider getting my ink removed would be if Richard Cohen were to write a column about how much he loves tattoos.

What disgusting judgment of something totally irrelevant to you. The tattoos piercings, etc, are not on your body. They are not forced on your body. They are expressions of an individual and in this country that is an individual's right. As is wearing seersucker, bow ties, or crocs, practices I find "disgusting". How about a column about that?
For the record, I'm a 27 yr old female, with no tattoos, piercings, etc and no intention of getting any.

And Anthro06, I know plenty of PhDs with ink. Get a clue, people, it's not just sailors and bikers anymore.

I'm with fiendwithoutaface.

I don't have tattoos, but if i did, part of the reason to get one would be to keep close-minded judgmental people away.

For the people who are "disgusted" by tattoos and think all that tattooed people can offer you is customer service at 7-11 - the joke's on you. Enjoy living in your box of limitations, restrictions, and conformity.

Well, either there are a lot of trolls commenting or a lot of conservative ignorance floating around here. I will now turn in my graduate degree, my well paying salary for the Govt., my house, and all the other things I have accomplished because I have my ear pierced and I am contemplating a tattoo. I will have to tell all my friends or various socio-economic and racial backgrounds that they are ignorant trailer trash. . . but at least they have open minds and are accepting of others interests and beliefs even if they aren't their own.

But to answer the question presented initially: I have no problem with women who have tattoos. I only wish more people who get them would take time to consider what art they are getting and where they are getting it applied.

"To me, at least, tattoos and body piercings are a very accurate gauge of the class, intelligence level, and mental maturity of the person sporting such."

I think that's a pretty blanket statement you're making. I've known plenty of capable, smart, and resourceful people who have tattoos (albeit usually hidden from plain view), and it's never hampered their abilities to do a job or find success.

You may decry body art as disgusting, but I think your attitude is becoming dated. It seems to me that more and more people are accepting of others' choices in this day and age.

I have twice considered, but never gotten, ink and piercings. Both times I wanted to celebrate a life event - firstly graduating from college, and then the birth of my first child. Both times my husband said, "Sure, as long as you do it in a part of your body where I can't see it." Since I still like having sex with my husband, I didn't get the tattoo or the eyebrow piercing. In the end, it turned out that the degree and the baby were all the commemoration I really needed. I'm glad I didn't saddle myself with something permanent that in the end wouldn't have had as much connection with the event as I'd originally hoped.

Also, tattoos just don't age well. By the time they're 50 years old, they look faded, saggy, and well, not much better than the skin they're on.

Reckon the Post will have to fire Liz Kelly, eh 'Doc Chuck'?

I'm with Anthro, guess I'll have to give back my MA, paycheck, and my better half her PhD...

No wonder DC has an uptight reputation

Are people still talking about this? Is Cohen looking for a new job? I seriously wish that tattoos were a distinguishing factor between upright citizens and untrustworthy delinquents. While I would not get a tattoo because I am too cheap (400 dollar arms? Please. You can't sell them. I would rather have a 400 dollar purse -- I could at least sell it later and recoup some of the money), I could care less if you do. Just don't ask me for a loan.

I cannot believe how ignorant some of the comments are. I am with Anthro06, it has nothing to do with class or intelligence. That attitude borders on racism/sexism because it says nothing about a person's abilities or status. I, too, have a Master's Degree and a prestigious job with the paycheck to match. You would never know that I had a tatoo if you met me in any attire. I got my tattoo in my 30s and I havent regretted it once, the significance of it will last a lifetime.

My dear friend who is in the Army and toured 3 times in Afghanistan has a tattoo. I wonder how he feels about protecting your freedom considering you have already pegged his character? I guess he wouldn't know, what with being stupid and all.

Maybe the tattoo makes some folks feel better about themselves or improves their self-esteem. I am comfortable in my own skin however and have none. To each his own.

Tattoos are a symbol of individualism, and not of personal worth or lack thereof. Holding prejudice for someone who elects to have a tattoo or piercing, is the same as judging someone for the car they drive or the sneakers they wear to the gym. Such prejudices are merely a result of one's own insecurities, as judgements stem from the rationalization of one's own worth when compared to others around them. Take a look at your own life and try to focus that predjucial energy on bettering yourself - instead of using mockery of other's self-awareness and expression as a band-aid for your own lack-luster confidence.

Good Lord, when did the Post change its mission to "stigmatize people with tattoos at every possible moment"?

Well, I'm halfway through my Master's program and strongly considering a PhD. And I have a tattoo. Maybe I should just give up on the idea of a PhD; it's clear that my tattoo will keep my from doing it. Heck, maybe I should drop out of my Master's program, too!

Jeez, do some of you realize how ridiculous you sound? Especially the (cough) gentleman who declared that "tattoos on women scream 'trailer trash'"? I get it; it's OK for men, but any woman who wants the pleasure of your obviously classy and intellectually superior company better stay away from the ink.

I've long considered a tattoo to cover a scar on my back... If I'm going to have a scar for the rest of my life, it should be a cool one, right? The reason I've never gotten one is I can't think of anything that I want badly enough to have on my body for the rest of my life. It's true a lot more people are getting tattoos, but in my experience as a Gen Xer is that a lot of folks are getting them to conform with their peer group rather than to stand out.

Also something to think about, a "tramp stamp" will sometimes cause an anesthesiologist to refuse to give you an epidural, since it is more difficult to see where the needle should go!

Wow...I checked out the comments & was pretty surprised by the reactions as my own experiences have been that people in general are much more accepting of tattoos than they used to be. I'm female and in my mid forties with a college degree & a good-paying and secure government administrative job and also heavily inked. I started collecting tattoos when I was 30 & now have a good portion of my body covered, I'd estimate about 70 hours worth of work at no small expense. I was careful to find very talented and experienced artists and some of my work has appeared in national tattoo publications.

At work I dress conservatively in a business-like fashion out of respect for the position and on my own time am proud to show off my work with shorts & a tank top. I feel one should dress appropriately for the situation at hand and if my co workers have seen bits peeking out at the edges they have not commented.

I see tattooing as a true art form that has evolved drastically in the last 20 years - many of the artists taking it up now have strong training in a fine arts background and there is some amazing work being done. I also collect original artwork & artisan designed and crafted jewelry and I view my body modifications as an extension of my total "environment" so to speak, another facet to my art collecting. I'm secure in my taste as they have not changed in many years and see no reason why I won't love the imagery of the tattoos I've carefully selected down the road any less than the paintings I have collected and enjoy on my walls.

When I got my sleeves tattooed on I was braced for more negative reactions from the general public but have received almost none; if anything I am flooded with compliments and inquiries as to where I got my work done & make sure to carry many business cards for my artist. I also realize that they work as an effective filter as anybody who would automatically dismiss me due to my ink is somebody I wouldn't care to socialize with anyway and reading this blog makes me grateful I won't be hanging out with quite a few of you!

All you yahoos with Masters degrees and tattoos did not raise the status of the tattoo -- you lowered the status of your degrees. If you're so chivalrous about being upstanding and educated citizens, you can't donate blood after getting a tattoo. That's one of the questions they use in screening donors. I'm proud of the fact I can donate blood. In fact the Red Cross calls me every 60 days, like clockwork.

I'm with Yourboss? with the friend in the Army. My brother is a Marine and was in Iraq fighting for the rest of us. He has two tattoos, neither of which are visible in his regular clothes. He is a network engineer and IT professional for the city he lives in. He's an amazing father and he's in college. But wait, can he pass those college classes with tattoos? He's probably contributed more to society than many people without tattoos.

As for me -- I love my non-visible tattoo. It's a part of me, though people can't see it. Should I give my bachelor's back and not get my master's? Because I had planned on it... but apparently I can't. Though I took my navel ring out, I still have my two sets of earrings and my nose ring. Which I also love. (Oh and my favorite professor, the one from India who also happens to have a nose ring, has a PhD AND she's an author.)

People with piercings and tattoos are definitely able to donate blood. If you have tattoos or piercings they only keep you from donating blood for one year after you get them.

To the person who said they don't allow people with tattoos to give blood - look things up before you write.

http://www.redcross.org/services
/biomed/0,1082,0_557_,00.html

Well, Anne -- being barred for a year (i.e., 6 donations) you aren't able to help 18 people. Each pint can help 3 people. Those 18 miss out due to your selfishness.

I don't know what all this talk is about the connection between education and tattoos is. Tattoos don't make you stupid and considering tattoos low-class doesn't make a person stupid either.

However, geting tattooed on your face, neck or hands IS stupid. Reputable tattoos artists won't do it anyway. But if you get a tattoo of a tarantula on your neck with its bloody fangs embedded in your jugular vein (my favorite real-life example), then you are certainly displaying a complete and utter lack of class and employability. Believe it or not, disregard for social norms (regardless of whether you subscribe to them personally) is a legitimate disqualifer for a responsible job.

Tattoos can be - and frequently are - grotesquely inappropriate in subject matter and location. Like it or not, it's the bad apples who spoil the barrel for all of you who have nice tasteful tattoos in tasteful locations. "Tarantula Neck Dude" will always have an impact on my opinion of tats and tatted people.

Sluggish logic and bewildering ignorance are quickly becoming the theme for the comments posted here about tattoos. It's lovely to see that the mighty free-nation has been infiltrated by close-minded judgementalists. Self-expression has obviously become incomprehensible. Such dimwittedness is the only thing that gets in the way of personal success and acceptance of others - not ink!

I was zoning out watching cable TV and came upon some show that had lots of pictures of people at the beach.

I think everybody who is thinking about a tattoo that will cover large portions of their body should watch it!

While the tattoo may look good when you are 25 and buff, they do not look nearly as good when you are 45 and softer.

As someone who is there -- even if you don't intent to get fat, you will get softer!

I don't have a problem with small tattoos, but a little goes a long way.

I too think tattoos are disgusting. Part of the reason is that they always look dirty, the color is not a clear hue. I've wondered if my opinion would change if the sophistication of the tattoos were better, but until then ......YUCK !!!!!!!!

Tattoos are cries for attention.

Why do other people's tattoos make some people so angry? It's almost like the people posting here who don't like them take it personally. It's not enough just to say, "it's not my style," so many are saying it's "disgusting," "trashy," etc....

How can you possibly decide those things just by seeing a tattoo on a person? I mean, maybe you don't like the way it looks but why make so many assumptions about the person based on that one thing?Is there something about it that people see as threatening? Because the remarks here seem to reflect a feeling of anger and disdain that some people have for something that on someone else seems like it shouldn't be such a big deal. Maybe it annoys people because they believe it is attention seeking behavior?

Whatever the case I have a few tattoos, about which I have a few regrets but for now I'm keeping them. I never care one way or another about someone else's tattoo. I *try* not to assume too much about a person just because they have one. I am not a Phd, but don't think it has anything to do with my tattoos.

It's...perplexing. To me, it's kind of an odd thing to have such strong feelings about.

And why does a cuppa joe cost more'n'a nickel?!?

In my own experience, i was taking graduate courses as an undergrad in the nation's top public university before i got inked. Afterwards, i went to a top law school on a scholarship! Someone better complain to the ABA.

Using the simple fact of having a tattoo--any tattoo--as a synecdoche for social undesirability is, well, really dumb. Idiots get idiotic tattoos; if they sharpen up, they'll have them removed (which, by the way, will only increase the GDP). Don't be so intellectually lazy, you across-the-board haters.

Also, at 30, i've had both my ears pierced for more than half of my life. The only employer who had a problem with that was at the butcher shop, where--not surprisingly--i was the only employee with a bachelor's, let alone any post-secondary education.

(And i do think that facial tattoos are MOSTLY awful; i make an exception for Maoris because i like keeping my teeth in my mouth.)

I don't wear the same piece of jewelry for years. Why would I want something permanent like a tattoo? But to each his/her own. If that's what floats your boat, fine. At least, however, have a decent design instead of something that looks like kindergarten artwork.

I'm not surprised at the double standard here--tramp stamp vs. what? Haven't seen any sort of phrase denigrating an inked male's sexuality. I don't think tattoos are an accurate refection of one's intellect, but they certainly speak to the long-term impact of the choices they make.

Lastly, as my teenage daughter pointed out--that sweet looking robin floating across your 21 year old chest is going to look like a terradactyl when you're 50. Gross.

"Nearly 70 percent of those seeking tattoo removal were women, compared to only 31 percent who were men, the researchers reported this week in the Archives of Dermatology."

I haven't taken a math class since high school, but I'm pretty sure those numbers don't add up - unless some of the women counted themselves as men, too (or vice versa).

I have no tattoos and don't intend on getting any. The thought of having a needle inject ink onto my skin disgusts me. I don't like needles and my skin is not a blank canvass. What another person does with his or her own skin and body is thier choice. Tatoos are certainly NOT for me.

On second glance, it does say "nearly 70 percent"...still, a casual reader (like me, apparently) might not catch that "nearly."

Checking the Archives of Dermatology Web site, it does say 69 percent.

Look, permanent changes happen to your body all the time, whether they're intentional or not. You've got that scar on your arm from when you fell off your first bicycle. That other one on your leg, from when you were on your first date with the person you eventually married and you slipped on the Metro escalator. Look at how profoundly the whole geography of your abdomen has changed since you had children. I think of tattoos as the same kind of thing, only on purpose. They're memories you wear on your body.

And of course your tats change as you grow older, just like the rest of you. That's just part of the deal. Your ink is only as permanent as your body is, and your body is going going to get old and die no matter what you do. I can see how some people would have a hard time with that. Maybe that's the reason for such violent reactions.

To A copy editor:

"nearly 70 percent" means less than but very close to 70% and considering that men made up 31% it's asafe to use your context clues/resonable deduction to conclude that it's most likely 69% women and 31% men who seek ways to remove thier tattoos.

I'm all for personal expression and I agree that we shouldn't make assumptions about peoples' education level, etc, if they have a tattoo.

Having said that, from a purely aesthetic point of view, I'm with Barbara. Tattoo ink seems to lose its vibrancy the moment it's soaked into human skin, and it only gets worse as time goes on. Reds fade to a dirty maroon, greens become murky blotches. When you see them from a distance, especially if they are asymmetrically placed, they tend to look like bruises. And again, this is purely an aesthetic argument--but I just can't find that attractive.

Still, to each their own.

"Well, Anne -- being barred for a year (i.e., 6 donations) you aren't able to help 18 people. Each pint can help 3 people. Those 18 miss out due to your selfishness."

"Selfishness?" Really? Dude, get over yourself.

What you choose to have on your body at 21 may not be what you want there when you are 40. Also, women who are ~21 and convinced they do not want to have children may become pleasantly surprised with a pregnancy but not so excited about their newly stretched tattoo (as I could imagine would be the case for the woman pictured above).

My daughter's friend just had a tattoo removed from her big toe. She finished paying for it before her last treatments, so her remaining visits weren't making the tattoo removal people any money. So she goes in and they double up on her laser treatments one day and burn the crap out of her toe.

Just a warning -- when you get to the tail end of the treatments, make sure they don't rush you...

Has there ever been a lawsuit by a tattooed person claiming job discrimination or retaliatory harassment based on his or her tattoos? Would it be a 1st Amendment freedom of speech claim?

What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives its self.....

Everyone in family has at least one tattoo. Some members of the family are blatantly open with their tattoos for all to view and some choose to hide theirs. This form of art is a part of my culture and has been for many centuries. Tattoos are a way of life for the people of the Pacific Ocean and more than ever this tradition continues. Hawaiians are very proud of their island heritage and this pride is equal for the native people of New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa and all of the other island nations of the South Pacific. New generations are finding their culture awareness through their personal choice of skin art. The tattoos that are on my body connect me to my past, and with optimism maintains this tradition for future generations. Who are you to say that I am disgusting? My grandparents including my adult children would beg to differ. By the way, I am a proud Hawaiian American with a PhD and the Vice President of a multinational world-wide company. Class, wealth, education and the color of my rubbish has nothing to do with it. Aloha nui loa.

My, my, my ....

First let me say that God made good looking enough, so I don't need any artifical embelishments such as tattoos (body art indeed) or piercings (ouch!).

There seems to be three different major attitudes expressed above. The first group includes those who are disguseted at the thought of tats. The second group are the ones who, for whatever reasons, have decided to adorne themselves with ink or heavy metal. The third group seems to seek that politically attractive (at least during the campaign season) center ground. And no one seems to understand the reactions of the other groups, so we all end up making statements that sound angry, or defensive, or misinformed, etc.

For many of us in the first group, tats are a decision made usually by someone who is younger and maybe not at the peak level of maturity. You can say what you want about the artistic value, the statement of free speech, or the commemoration of some important event. The fact of the matter is, your choice is offensive to others who don't agree with you. So you get the "trailer trash" comments, the mentally deficient aspersions kind of response if your "statement" is visible in public.

Talk about free speech infringement, in a forum such as this one where we are all annonymous, people tend to be more frank about their feelings concerning a social issue such as this one. So you read what people normally would not say to you in a face to face social environment. Keep in mind that our opinion of "body art" causes us to form unflattering attitudes towards the people who have chosen to offend us. And yes, many of the tatted group have tats that don't show up in public and have made more aesthetically pleasing choices. But we have all seen the trantualas sucking blood.

Now I have two Master's degrees and I hold a professional license as well as being Board Certified in my profession. I guess, based on the logic posted by some, that if I get a tat, I will become even more intelligent and will have even more success in life.

Tattoos are reserved for freaks, prison inmates, and human trash. Simple, no?

75 % of US prisoners have tattoos. The corrections officers take pictures of them in case there is a confusion over who is who-better than fingerprints. That says it all-it used to be bikers, longshoremen, and drunken sailors who had tattoos. Now it's trendy. I work in HR, and a women who shows a tattoo goes to the back of the line-with the aforementioned crew. That's where she'll end up anyway......

"Now I have two Master's degrees and I hold a professional license as well as being Board Certified in my profession. I guess, based on the logic posted by some, that if I get a tat, I will become even more intelligent and will have even more success in life."

No, if you followed the logic posted by some on this board, your degrees, professional license, and general awesomeness in life wouldn't be diminished at all by tattoos. Tattoos have nothing do with these things.

What's with all the hate directed towards people who have tattoos?

I guess because I have a few tattoos I'm now automatically considered low class. Forget the idea that I was the first in my immediate family to get my Bachelor's, went for my MBA, and am continuing my education to be study Emergency Medicine. Clearly, I'm completely stupid and a waste of life. I'll just go kill myself now.

Do we sit around and consider some people useless simply because they decided to dye their hair a different color? Or because we hate the band depicted on a t-shirt they happen to be wearing?

For those of you that do, go ahead and keep your heads buried under a rock. All it does is prove that you are completely ignorant.

Jumping to such ridiculous conclusions simply on the basis of a person having a tattoo is no different than the examples above.

Tattoo equals trailer trash. Add beer can and red neck, or substitute with piercings and track marks for that trendy urban freak look.
Exception: Military men, whose scar tissue and tats denote hard corps service the likes of which the party crowd will never know. A punk with a dragon tattoo makes me laugh. And a bimbo with a tramp stamp? Well, she's good for one thing. And when she's too old for that, her ever-spreading tat will let the world know forever.

On second glance, it does say "nearly 70 percent"...still, a casual reader (like me, apparently) might not catch that "nearly."

You call yourself a copy editor and you missed the key word "nearly." ;~)

I am a 50-ish white middle class women who just got my first tattoo. Trailer Trash, biker babe..... NOT
My tattoo will always be with me in honor of my daughter I lost to cancer.

I generally think a large tattoo on a woman is repulsive, though the one in the picture looks pretty good. Generally, if I see a man with a lot of tattoos, especially on the neck, I think "convict." If I see a woman with a tattoo on her hands or forearms, I think "stupid when she was in junior high school."

If I see a woman with a big greenish blue tattoo, or one I remember who had brightly-corored Disney cartoons, I think "stupid." Maybe she circulates in a social group where that is cool, and don't care what the others think.

That said, I wonder what the legal requirements are for doing removal of tattoos?

These are sheep people. They don't have originality nor independent mind. These are the same type of people who will fall victim to personality cult and idol worship.

I'm over 40 and fit the stereotype - I am repulsed by tatoos and more than one piercing per ear.

Although not all people under 40 have body art, they don't have the negative reation that I do. Maybe body art is where long hair on men was in 1965.

I feel compelled to correct my husband. I do wich he would consult me before he posts.

I am a nurse who hires medical professionals for correctional facilities. We DO NOT base our hiring decisions on whether or not an applicant has a visible tatoo.

I agree with my husband that they give the impression of cheapness and lack of taste and sophistication, but my (our) opinions on this are outside the realm of the employment situation.

For the record, I have in fact hired a number of medical professionals with tatoos to work in our facilities.

To docchuck:

I have a Nephew who is one a US MARINE; two IRISH, SWEDISH, GERMAN, WELSH/ENGLISH as well as ITALAIN; and has numerous tatoos. He is well educated and comes from intelligent family.

He is proud to show his heritage.

SEMPER FI.

It's funny how things change. When I was a kid at the community pool in the 1970s and 1980s, the only people sporting tatoos were the Navy and Marine vets of Korea and Vietnam. They had a globe and anchor or a snake and dagger or something like that on their arm and that was it.

Nowadays at the pools (and elsewhere), I see plenty of tatoos on the back (upper and lower), arms etc. No military designs,just decorative stuff like flowers or ethnic designs. A lot of women are spoting them, too, something unheard of back in the day.

I think that it's OK to have one, MAYBE two. But when you have more than that, yuck. It's is possible to go overboard on this...

I believe the Washington Post Magazine recently ran an article about a very respected sommelier who was also a metal fan with several tattoos, including a couple on his wrists. Ironic, no?
No, not all tattoos are "artistic personal expressions." That's easy enough to see by looking at any girl with a Playboy bunny on her lovehandles or any guy with barbed wire wrapped around his biceps. But there are many, many highly intelligent people - especially artists - who are mildy to heavily tattooed with some very original work. Likewise, there are many tattoo artists who are very accomplished, educated professionals; while inking the more-than-occasional Chinese character for God-knows-what comes with the job, they also have very impressive original work. Then there are the people in the middle, those who attribute little or know deep meaning to their tattoos but apply them tastefully as body adornment. (I fall into the latter group.)
Yes, the mark will remain for life (or cost quite a bit to remove). Yes, they do not look attractive after aging. But they are harmless reminders of youth (of course, excepting those done unsafely.)
Truthfully, a lack of open-mindedness is much more of a reliable indicator of low intelligence than a tattoo. A truly intelligent person would be able to judge in accordance with the way a person carries his or herself, rather than dismissing anyone with body adornment as "trash."
By the way, I am an art student with one tasteful design on my upper hip, which I created myself. I consider it as I do any clothing I would wear on my body.

To those of you who say taht tattoos are for "trailer trash".

Those comments show that you are obviously uneducated mindless bigots.

See how foolish generalizations are. It is comments like yours that actually are a true reflection on intellect, class and mental maturity (or lack thereof).

If you talk to many tatoo artists they will tell you that far more of their clientelle are professional, educated and getting older. The old demographic is no longer valid as society is divesting itself of old biases. Among other reasons, tt probably has to do with the implementation of more rigid sterilization protocols, improved inks avaiable, and more and more upscale tattoo establishments being opened.

As for the tattoos fading, the newer inks have less of a problem, but that is why many people are choosing black and grey tattos, as they are not as susecptable to that.

I know several dozen highly educated peole (Doctors, PhDs, Lawyers, Judges, Business Execs with advanced degrees) who all have tatoos. Some got them when they were young, some when they were old. Some of the tatoos are more visible that others None of them regret haivng them.

To the person who said that no being able to give blood for a year is selfish .... grow up.

Your comment demonstrates a clear sense of self-imporatnce and self-righteousness. It is also banal at best. Luckily, ignorance and foolishness are not transferred through blood or you would be barred for life.

There are plenty of people, like myself, who cannot give blood.

I'm a respectable middle aged lady raised in Chevy Chase and I have a tattoo. The Red Cross would not allow me to donate blood for twelve months after I got my tattoo in 1994 and I chose to put it on my shoulder so it would not show in work clothes and would not be subject to the sag factor. So now I'm a happy tattooed blood donor wondering who woke up all the neanderthal judgmental sexist males. Yikes! Is it 1958 all over again? The vet tech who looks after my birds is a young woman with multiple piercings and half sleeve tattoos visible, and while she might look out of place at the Republican convention, there's nobody else I would trust to take care of my babies. It's just another way of dressing to please oneself.

@ professord

"To those of you who say taht tattoos are for "trailer trash".

Those comments show that you are obviously uneducated mindless bigots."

My husband is very well educated, thank you very much.

Anyone who's willing to make those kinds of judgments on inked individuals is probably just as likely to judge those with different skin colors. They are quite simply prejudiced and strangely proud of it. Interesting.

Honestly, I don't know how I got a PhD with tattoos. There must have been some sort of tear in the spacetime continuum.

@ MrsDocChuck

Your husband might be a well-educated bigot but you might want to check out your own posting and then learn how to spell.

:)

First of all I would like to say F*ck You people that do not like or hate tattoos!Why give a damn about them on other peoples bodies??Mind your own damn self!I have Tattoos and I'm proud of them!!! No one looks good old and wrinkly with or without tattoos so you can snob somewhere else besides tattoos because i guarantee you 1,000 to one that tattoos are the future.We think that those people without tattoos (sure you have a career,job,etc.) are BORING PEOPLE.But people with them have careers, and been to collage...DocChuck you are seriously looking for an arguement waiting to happen.Tattoos will NEVER be out of style..Regardless rich snobs "I'm better than everyone"attitude to Tattooed Individuals "I got tattoos and piercings so f*ck what people think I'm me its my life" Now I know I spelled some things wrong on here but who cares?! To whoever "oh i'm so perfect i hate tattoos and piercings AND I HATE HOW MY NOSE LOOKS PFFT i should be president so i can be assasinated " pffftt I'd like you to say that sh*t to any Hells Angels gang members or anyone in California or Nevada..Trust me you are the loser.I have a career and a job..So get off peoples **S about this popular subject its only getting people to want more tattoos.This topic of course makes me angry.I AM PROUD OF THOSE WITH TATTOOS AND I LOVE TATTOOS THEY ARE SO SEXY ESPECIALLY ON A MAN!

My husband and I told our children that if they ever get a tattoo, we will never forgive them and they are not welcome to our home anymore! Tattoo defiles the body that God has given us. It is the ultimate white trash, scum of the earth people who dont deserve to be alive

I was a college student visiting Amsterdam and we got drunk and high one night. the tattoo parlor was across the street. as drunk and high as I was and tempted to get that tattoo, I thought about what my parents told me like what Monica from Florida has written above. Mom and Dad said the same thing to us while growing up: Tattoos? we "may as well keep on walking!" Now, I am a married man and physician with children....i'm glad i did not get it done! People eventually grow out of their tattoo over the years as they mature and regret getting it done. Most of them had it done impulsively. That says a lot about their mental status!!

MrsDocChuck,

"My husband is very well educated, thank you very much."

Well, his posts do not demonstrate that.

Ok, then remove the word "uneducated" from my comment. It still work for him.

Monica from Florida.

"Tattoo defiles the body that God has given us."

Actually is could be argued that they enhance that body. It is a matter of opinion.

"It is the ultimate white trash, scum of the earth people who dont deserve to be alive."

How very "god-loving" of you. You are aware how completely banal and mindless that commnet is. I would hope your children did not learn from you or else they might end up as a new generation of mindless fools.

@ ...

My husband may be a well educated bigot, but both he and I know how to spell. He holds several PhDs and I am a registered nurse, should that interest you.

Had you bothered to thoroughly examine the post you are criticising, you would see that the misspelling is included in a quote from another poster. It was professord's mistake, not mine. I graciously chose not to highlight this with a (sic).

I think I deserve an apology, don't you?

Mrs Docchuck,

Yes well typos do happen on blogs when one type quickly.

Unless they are obviously grammatical mistakes I do not make comments about them.

Given that vast majority of my posts used proper spelling, minor typos are unimportant.

But I agree that the poster who commented on your post having a spelling error (my typo, since I am quite capable of spelling things correctly when I am not typing too quickly) does owe you an apology.

I would wonder though how many of your husband's educated friends actually have tattoos themselves. He might be surprised.

Hopefully you will able to educate him.