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When content creator Ash Puttam made a TikTok highlighting her rejection at retail store TJ Maxx due to her excessive tattoos, a debate arose regarding whether this was fair — and how views of tattoos have changed in recent years.
Tattoos are all the rage nowadays and with Gen Z coming in hot to introduce new trends such as patchwork and fine line designs, the culture is shifting and rapidly changing. So much so that some people are even asking the question: are tattoos becoming uncool?
Highlights
- Tattoo culture is shifting with Gen Z, as they favor patchwork and fine line designs, which reflect changing self-expression trends.
- Tattoos aren't becoming uncool but evolving — their meaning varies individually and they continue to hold appeal for many.
- Social media heavily influences tattoo trends, encouraging smaller, aesthetic tattoos without deep personal stories.
As an artist in 2023 asked, “Is it the tattoo apocalypse or do I just suck now?”
RELATED:
Are tattoos seeing a decline?
Image credits: Serhii/Adobe Stock
One article by The Guardian states the buzzing of electric needles is slowly falling silent and tattoo shops are gradually emptying out. Momentum has been lost, and there are a few reasons why this may be happening.
The most glaring of them all falls to the economy. The cost of living is so high, while inflation-adjusted wages are declining or stubbornly the same, and tattoos, unsurprisingly, come after rent in terms of priority.
Image credits: cottonbro studio/Pexels
@ashxobrien I want to know who is also having a hard time finding a job right now! #jobs#jobmarket♬ original sound – Ash Putnam🖤
It was reported that even a short delay in getting one’s first tattoo sets them on a path to no tattoos at all.
But in an interview with Bored Panda, tattoo artist Lucy from Vancouver, Canada has shared some insight on how tattoos aren’t becoming “uncool” — they’re merely transforming.
“I personally think what is ‘cool/uncool’ is subjective to each individual and although it may be a factor in some individual’s choice in getting tattooed, I believe the audience will always be there,” she explained.
Tattoo trends are shifting and some artists believe they are becoming “uncool”
“Every individual has their own complex decision making process for their tattoo so even if deemed uncool by many in society, tattoos will always remain ‘cool’ in others’ eyes.”
For a while, tattoos always had a negative connotation surrounding it, as they may be a factor in influencing one’s ability to get a job or other important fields, especially very graphic designs in visible areas. Artists have warned that this choice means facing consequences, even if potentially unfair.
One artist said tattoos will always have at least one particular audience
Image credits: dudalozanotattoo
Image credits: tribal_baby_ink
“I do believe one day most professions will no longer discriminate against those with visible tattoos, but I do not expect that to be a quick change,” Lucy advised. “Certain niche occupations will likely hire those without tattoos over those with visible tattoos and it is the unfortunate reality.”
This isn’t “completely unfair” if we put things into perspective, especially if we look at occupations such as modeling or acting, where appearance matters most.
But in a way, tattoos have lost their “rebellious title” as stated by Lucy due to “the silver-lining of more acceptance” in our society. And what ranks higher than all should be “the desire of self-expression.”
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How has this form of self-expression changed? In recent years, trends such as angel numbers and fine line have been on the rise. Many are also sizing down their designs in order to make room for patchwork, which refers to a collection of individual and smaller tattoos that are placed together, but not necessarily belonging to one theme.
“If I had a dollar for every angel tattoo number request I’ve gotten, I think I’d be able to retire by now,” Lucy joked.
Over the years, trends such as fine line and tramp stamps have come into existence
Image credits: tattooist_uci
@justinvtattoos Hailey Bieber inspred tiny hand tattoos #finelinetattoo#tattooreveal#tattooideas#latattooartist#haileybieber#tinytattoo♬ 888 – 𝐶𝐴𝑆𝐻 ﾒ𝟶
But what’s obvious is the effect of social media. Platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have played a huge part in influencing the designs that people tend to gravitate towards, whether that be by celebrities or other people sharing their everyday inspirations.
“There’s been the trend of TikTok inspired tattoos that uses red or brown ink, fine line pieces that are not the most unique but definitely a fun vibe,” she said, noticing that tramp stamps — a tattoo situated around a woman’s lower back — “are also in again.”
Nowadays, these designs can simply be viewed as a light-hearted form of self-expression. Not every tattoo needs to have a deeper meaning, although this is still a popular motivator for many.
Image credits: tattooist_uci
As Lucy said, this form of art is all about chasing happiness.
She explained, “If someone wants it and it fits with their aesthetic, reasoning, and makes them feel good about it, I would say go for it. Not all tattoos need to be large-scale, life-time long decisions where you pour every aspect of your life into a backstory for a design.”
Of course it is more than okay for some people to stew on their designs for months or even years in hopes that it does show an important part of their lives, but nowadays, young audiences — especially Gen Z — have tattoos just for the sake of having them.
Image credits: tattooist_uci
On TikTok, content creators give brief tours of the ink on their arms, midsection, and legs and one of the most common reasons heard for having a specific tattoo is simple: because “it looked good.”
“I don’t believe tattoos need requirements to be deemed a worthy piece to get, I feel like that’s a gate-keepy, outdated way of thinking,” Lucy said. “Tattoos and all other body mods are your choice and everyone is entitled to that choice.”
Designs on social media are gaining traction
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What do you think ?
Kit Black 6 months ago
Of course tattoos are going to become uncool. Anything that becomes cool enough for the majority of an entire generation to move it mainstream is inevitably going to become uncool when their kids become teenagers...
CG 6 months ago (edited)
That's just the nature of things. Tattoos might not be unpopular right now with people from Gen Z and Alpha (I'm either a very late millennial or very early Gen Z, as sources are telling me different things for people born in 1995), but might become cool again with the next generation. Then again, Gen Alpha's are too young now to be legally tattooed, but when some become legal adults, who knows?
Load More Replies...
Emilu 6 months ago (edited)
Tattoos are for people lacking in IQ?? I don't particularly like tatts myself but some of the smartest people I know have tattoos. Of course they'll go in and out of fashion; everything does. Live and let live. For the record, my workplace (law, edit: but a casual law environment) has many people that have tatts; both visible and not. So tatts are not automatically a career-ender, no matter how much overprotective parents might like to say they are. Edit: I do love my workplace so I might be bias, but tatts, piercings etc; they don't care as long as you can do the job for which you were hired. I think more workplaces need to be like this.
CG 6 months ago (edited)
My boss does it best, in my opinion. One of our previous guys had two small tattoos on his hands, and he was fine with it. Before I got 3 out of 4 of the tattoos on my arms, I asked my boss if he'd be cool with it, and he had no issues with it when I explained what they are and what they're from. The last one was a spur of the moment tattoo at Comic Con, but it was an inoffensive Deadpool tattoo (just his symbol). The others are the Venom Spider-Man symbol, a Gundam's head, and Thorfinn's dagger from Vinland Saga, though broken and "bloodied". And I was never reprimanded for any of them. Hell, the 60 to 70 year old company president praised my tattoos, and if my boss and the company president are okay with it, I think I'll be fine.
Load More Replies...
Severus S 6 months ago
Tattoo's are fine but putting them on your face to that extreme and having the devil on your chest is going to make it more difficult to get a job.
CG 6 months ago (edited)
It's not a matter of having tattoos, but rather what you have, and where you get it that's the question. If they're inoffensive designs on your shoulders, you'll be fine. If you have a certain... symbol that was prominent in Germany from 1939 to 1945 on your forehead, that's a career ender.
Load More Replies...
Rick Seiden 6 months ago
If you have tattoos that you can't cover by a long sleeved shirt, you have to accept that you won't be accepted everywhere you go. I'm not saying it's right or wrong. I'm not saying that people have the right to reject you because you have tattoos you can't cover. I'm saying you have to expect there will be people who won't accept you and places that won't hire you. The woman in that video has tattoos that cover her face and her hands. There will be jobs that won't accept her, and she needs to expect that. Whether it's right or wrong, she needs to accept it.
Apatheist Account2 6 months ago
My friend was upset, so I let her colour in the line drawing on my arm and back. She just needed a shoulder to crayon.
Ejteh 6 months ago
It's such a weird thing to say that tats are not fashionable anymore when it's such a personal choice! I love my bold, beautiful, colorful old skool tattoo's. I spent my whole life gawking at pretty tattoo's, but feeling to unstable in taste (do not know correct translation, wispelturig in dutch). I got my first one at 36, almost a year ago, and the second two months later. I do plan on getting more. All pretty, timeless, colorful pieces. Not to be cool, but to be me.
Al Fun 6 months ago
Virtually everything that is "fashionable" is a personal choice, such as your clothes, your accessories, your haircut, where you eat, etc. Good for you if you don't care what others think. However, if other's opinions or fashion have even a little impact on you, then you should think really hard on what kind of tattoo you are getting. Anything that's fashionable now won't be in the future.
Load More Replies...
Hassel Davidhoff 6 months ago
Here are two facts: 1. I'm covered in tattoos. 2. This article is stupid.
Kira Okah 6 months ago
I have five, m bank balance limits extra rn, agree.
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Jan 6 months ago
Right before my 50th b'day I also hit the 2 year post chemo milestone. I had breast cancer and decided to get a pink ribbon tattoo right above the reconstruction. I also got a butterfly on my stomach as a symbol that the metamorphosis the cancer journey created could be beautiful. Both my tattoos are meaningful to me and I will never regret them but I did have them put in locations that would be private unless I decided to share them. IMO getting inked for the sake of fashion will cause future regret but if your art has meaning to you then who cares. It's just not something to be taken lightly.
Angelina 6 months ago
I’m just glad you won your battle❤️You definitely get to celebrate that any way you want!
Load More Replies... Tabitha 6 months ago (edited)
No, the only reason tattoos are in the decline isn’t personal choices or fashions have changed. But it IS the same reason a lot of non-essentials are on the decline. Money. Plain and simple. Specifically not enough of it to pay for the essentials AND non-essentials too. Good tattoos aren’t cheap, because they are a form of art, but if you’re struggling to pay rent and bills AND eat, then some things have to come off the budget. You have to eat and keep a roof over your head and the lights on. You do not have to have a new tat, fake nails, a new weave, etc, no matter how much fun they are or how good they make you feel, until prices start coming back down, or you get a raise or better-paying job. That’s just the reality for people, and it needs to be said. Constantly. Until someone in power finally f*****g LISTENS AND ACTUALLY HEARS US!!!
Gavin Johnson 6 months ago
All of my tattoos are easily covered by a shirt, I’d like tattoos / tattooing to be acceptable by all but I’m not that naive, people will discriminate whether we like it or not. Am I going to lose my dream interview / job because of a tattoo on my face / neck / hand? No, I’ll use some common sense and ensure that should I need to cover them I can. As for cool / uncool, I had them before they were cool, I’m definitely not cool, my tattoos won’t help either way, I got them for me and I still like them, if you don’t well that’s fine.
Mike F 6 months ago
It's all about choices. There is always a "price" for our choices and the price for the choice of covering ourselves in ink, whether it is "art" or some idea born of a several day bender, is the reactions of the people who see it.
Kira Okah 6 months ago (edited)
"Choices" and "price" in this situation goes both ways. Tbf, I don't care if someone dislikes my tattoos, and tats are hardly uncommon here with the number of students. The other people who see it can choose how they display their reaction, and acting like a pratt and insulting someone's appearance is likely going to get them a public dressing down by someone else walking by for not abiding by the social rule of mind your own business.
Load More Replies...
roddy 6 months ago
For the money, I'd rather buy a nice ring or something. You can't take off a tattoo or resell it when you're tired of it. And I know that what I think is cute now I would probably cringe over in a few years. I especially don't get people who pay huge amounts to get tattoos they can't even see.
Mari 6 months ago
I am also like this. I put everything I like (my favorite ideas/clothes/hairstyle/decoration) on pintrest. A few months later I don't like 50% of all those pins, a year later almost 90%. So a tattoo is not a great idea.
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Roberta Surprenant 6 months ago
WWII vets often had tats, usually anchors or hula dancers. For their children, tats were on bikers and rebels (guilty as charged), for our kids, they are a edgy fshion statement. Just wait until they see how ink looks on aging and wrinkled skin. IMO tats which can't be covered by clothing are dumb.
J. Maxx 6 months ago
One big reason for a "decline" in folks getting tattoos is the QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT. People no longer want to dish out a huge amount of money for mediocre work. I wish I had been more patient and waited to find the BEST artist for what I was looking for. I do have some pieces that are great, but I also have some that are not the best. Young folks have to work harder for their funds and want those artistic-looking pieces done by the best.
Nicky 6 months ago
The orange menace deported a gay makeup artist to an El Salvador prison for having a tat. In DonOLD's Amerikkka, a tat is a security risk.
Angelina 6 months ago
He didn’t even have that particular tattoo (a gang tattoo), it was photoshopped…
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Carole Martin 6 months ago
I always lower my opinion of someone who has lots of tattoos. The more tattoos, the lower the IQ.
LauraDragonWench 6 months ago
I currently have two tattoos that I got shortly after my mom died (along with a nose and 2nd cartilage piercing) as a way of, I guess, reaffirming my life? I've got the Pisces constellation on the inside of my right wrist and the Aries constellation on the outside base of my right thumb. The only thing I regret is the exëcutīon - they look more like prison tats than professional ones. I don't, however, regret the tattoos themselves. I'd love to get them retouched by a more talented artist and get a tattoo I've designed in memory of my mom. But if I couldn't afford to get the work done before now, there's no way in Hades I can get it now.
Spacey Stacey 6 months ago
Tat's have been around for thousands of years and I seriously doubt that people will stop getting them.
XenoMurph 6 months ago
Anyone else think it's hilarious the number of comments from people criticising other people's tattoos saying they aren;t cool, saying they should get cool tasteful ones, like they got.
CG 6 months ago
For all we know, this could be a cherry picked article only using the negative comments, but leaving out potentially positive comments.
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Mike T 6 months ago
I'm always skeptical of these types of articles because you don't know how much research they did before coming to their conclusions. In my travels I see tattoos frequently in all age brackets from young to seniors. Some are faded and some are fresh, but they seem to be popular as ever.
keyboardtek 6 months ago
There is a recent health study linking a particular cancer that mostly people with tattoos are getting. Who would have thought that injecting ink into a human might eventually have some long term health effects!
CG 6 months ago
At this rate, there's seemingly an article/health study every couple of weeks or months saying that doing something is going to give you cancer. And then there are also articles that debunk certain studies. I'm not saying there aren't risks to getting tattooed, but that it's not the only thing that's going to give you cancer, and some people might be doing more common things than tattooing that could increase your risk of getting cancer.
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Chris the Bobcat 6 months ago
I just came to say that the "stained glass" Eddie from Iron Maiden's "Somewhere In Time" era is seriously cool. The cover art on that album is some of Derek Riggs' best work. If you know, you know. That is all.
Roberta Surprenant 6 months ago
With apologies to Barbara Mandrell, "I had tattoos brfore tattoos were cool..." all done when decade started with a 7 or an 8. Growing up, father and uncles had tats gained during service during or pre WWII. Then there was the cousin who started tats as a bucket list item on her 50th birthday ~ don't think she realized that tats on "old" skin look.
C. S. M 6 months ago (edited)
Face/neck/forehead ink will always be skeevy to me, even if it's good work by a skilled artist. Why? Because I see it on a person who doesn't care what people think about the wearer. Like it ot not, it WILL have an effect on decisions of hiring you or a potential partner. Look at that 30-some-year-old mom who armed her teenager son to go full commando on his school, and tell me you'd trust her: Blue hair, face/neck ink, etc. And this is the stereotype people like her perpetuate.
PunchinelloTX 6 months ago
The world is different than it was when I was in college 30 years ago. One of my oncologists strutted in and had on a short sleeve scrubs shirt with a very visible, very large and elaborate tattoo. This is one of the top specialists in his field, incredibly successful and as fit as Men’s Health cover boy. He saw me glancing at it and I asked if I could see it and we chatted. He was thrilled to share and confessed many older patients become cold to him when they see it. This is a brilliant man and as kind as he is handsome. My point is, cool or uncool, people should do what they want to adorn themselves without having to answer to anyone or apologize for it especially to strangers. We were told when I was a youngster that it was terrible and trashy to get a tattoo. I don’t have any myself because it’s not my aesthetic, but, do whatever you want as long as you’re not hurting anyone.
jasper 6 months ago
Not all tattoos are "trashy". "For those lacking in IQ is an extremely ignorant/a*****e thing to say. That being said, I mean, just use some common sense when you get tattoos. Is that Ren and Stimpy tattoo gonna keep you from getting a job? Likely not, these days, unless it's on your face/neck. Face tattoos are still pretty much a no-no in polite society. That chick at the beginning of the article needs to understand what kinds of jobs would allow that. Personally, and I have a lot of tattoos, her face is a huge turn-off professionally. I mean, she has demonic looking tats, and the nose ring does her no favors either.
Rali Meyer 6 months ago
So they are permanent. This is as obvious as liquid water. However, I asked a friend: Does that come off when you shower? His response: How am I supposed to know? True story
CG 6 months ago
Literal answer is that they won't come off when you shower, but you do have to make some minor changes to your showering habits while its healing. You shouldn't soak a tattoo in water, but rather lightly dab water onto it. And rather than using scented soap on the tattooed area, use odorless soap/body wash.
Load More Replies... Limey 6 months ago
This whole thing is ridiculous. They may be LESS popular in future but there have always been people who like them and have many of them and there always will be. Hugely amusing that millennials think they invented this. I am in my 70s, have many tattoos and still love them. I just got another one last week. Oh and I have a 6 figure job. Because I have a “low IQ”.
dcrc86bqr4 6 months ago
Tattoos can be a way for someone to deal with body dysmorphic disorder.
Kris 6 months ago
Tattooing has been around for around 5000 years. Christianity will die out before tattoo's do.
Ineke Pronk 6 months ago
I would not say tattoo's are becoming uncool. There is now more than ever different types and styles. When I grew up all I really saw was black and white, some realistic, tribal, old school american, some c**p of untrained people. Now I see realistic floral, minimalist, watercolour, fine line. Now if you want a certain style, there are artists who can make it. For me, I went from I want a giant backpiece when I was a kid, to finding out my skin disease will make it impossible to, "I can get one, but I want to wear a concept version for at least 6 months using temp tattoo's to make sure I will still love it."
CG 6 months ago
I think it could be a mix of things. Like many services today, getting tattooed is expensive, depending on what you get. On the low end, you might be looking at $200 for a simpler, single colour (usually black) design for about and hour or two. And a lot people in Gen Z might not be getting tattoos right now because of both the economy, as well as trying to save up money for themselves.
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Crystalwitch60 6 months ago
Well here in the uk an awful lot of the police force have tattoos even the women !! And they have them on show ! I’ve got 17 , all with a story to tell , plus being a white with I have a pentagram on the back of my left hand and the tree of life on my right back of hand , these two plus three others inc a wolf on my left foot , I had done two yrs ago , and I’m now 60 !!! Also had the all seeing eye done on my left arm , plus another wolf on my inner arm on the left all beautiful tats all of mine are , n they have to have meaning ! I really dont know what all the fuss about them is 🤷♀️ although I do draw the line on face ones just no !! they really aren’t nice at all !! But rest of the body is cool , I mean if the police can have em and on show to ,also doctors do and nurses etc so it’s clearly NOT a job stopper now is it lol
Spacey Stacey 6 months ago
Y'all shouldn't down vote others just because you don't care for their opinions! To each their own and let them be.
CG 6 months ago
For now. Trends come and go as the years come along. It might not be popular with Gen Z at this moment in time, but when Gen Alpha are able to get tattooed, there might be another boom in tattoo popularity.
Load More Replies... Kit Black 6 months ago
Of course tattoos are going to become uncool. Anything that becomes cool enough for the majority of an entire generation to move it mainstream is inevitably going to become uncool when their kids become teenagers...
CG 6 months ago (edited)
That's just the nature of things. Tattoos might not be unpopular right now with people from Gen Z and Alpha (I'm either a very late millennial or very early Gen Z, as sources are telling me different things for people born in 1995), but might become cool again with the next generation. Then again, Gen Alpha's are too young now to be legally tattooed, but when some become legal adults, who knows?
Load More Replies... Emilu 6 months ago (edited)
Tattoos are for people lacking in IQ?? I don't particularly like tatts myself but some of the smartest people I know have tattoos. Of course they'll go in and out of fashion; everything does. Live and let live. For the record, my workplace (law, edit: but a casual law environment) has many people that have tatts; both visible and not. So tatts are not automatically a career-ender, no matter how much overprotective parents might like to say they are. Edit: I do love my workplace so I might be bias, but tatts, piercings etc; they don't care as long as you can do the job for which you were hired. I think more workplaces need to be like this.
CG 6 months ago (edited)
My boss does it best, in my opinion. One of our previous guys had two small tattoos on his hands, and he was fine with it. Before I got 3 out of 4 of the tattoos on my arms, I asked my boss if he'd be cool with it, and he had no issues with it when I explained what they are and what they're from. The last one was a spur of the moment tattoo at Comic Con, but it was an inoffensive Deadpool tattoo (just his symbol). The others are the Venom Spider-Man symbol, a Gundam's head, and Thorfinn's dagger from Vinland Saga, though broken and "bloodied". And I was never reprimanded for any of them. Hell, the 60 to 70 year old company president praised my tattoos, and if my boss and the company president are okay with it, I think I'll be fine.
Load More Replies... Severus S 6 months ago
Tattoo's are fine but putting them on your face to that extreme and having the devil on your chest is going to make it more difficult to get a job.
CG 6 months ago (edited)
It's not a matter of having tattoos, but rather what you have, and where you get it that's the question. If they're inoffensive designs on your shoulders, you'll be fine. If you have a certain... symbol that was prominent in Germany from 1939 to 1945 on your forehead, that's a career ender.
Load More Replies... Rick Seiden 6 months ago
If you have tattoos that you can't cover by a long sleeved shirt, you have to accept that you won't be accepted everywhere you go. I'm not saying it's right or wrong. I'm not saying that people have the right to reject you because you have tattoos you can't cover. I'm saying you have to expect there will be people who won't accept you and places that won't hire you. The woman in that video has tattoos that cover her face and her hands. There will be jobs that won't accept her, and she needs to expect that. Whether it's right or wrong, she needs to accept it.
Apatheist Account2 6 months ago
My friend was upset, so I let her colour in the line drawing on my arm and back. She just needed a shoulder to crayon.
Ejteh 6 months ago
It's such a weird thing to say that tats are not fashionable anymore when it's such a personal choice! I love my bold, beautiful, colorful old skool tattoo's. I spent my whole life gawking at pretty tattoo's, but feeling to unstable in taste (do not know correct translation, wispelturig in dutch). I got my first one at 36, almost a year ago, and the second two months later. I do plan on getting more. All pretty, timeless, colorful pieces. Not to be cool, but to be me.
Al Fun 6 months ago
Virtually everything that is "fashionable" is a personal choice, such as your clothes, your accessories, your haircut, where you eat, etc. Good for you if you don't care what others think. However, if other's opinions or fashion have even a little impact on you, then you should think really hard on what kind of tattoo you are getting. Anything that's fashionable now won't be in the future.
Load More Replies... Hassel Davidhoff 6 months ago
Here are two facts: 1. I'm covered in tattoos. 2. This article is stupid.
Kira Okah 6 months ago
I have five, m bank balance limits extra rn, agree.
Load More Replies... Jan 6 months ago
Right before my 50th b'day I also hit the 2 year post chemo milestone. I had breast cancer and decided to get a pink ribbon tattoo right above the reconstruction. I also got a butterfly on my stomach as a symbol that the metamorphosis the cancer journey created could be beautiful. Both my tattoos are meaningful to me and I will never regret them but I did have them put in locations that would be private unless I decided to share them. IMO getting inked for the sake of fashion will cause future regret but if your art has meaning to you then who cares. It's just not something to be taken lightly.
Angelina 6 months ago
I’m just glad you won your battle❤️You definitely get to celebrate that any way you want!
Load More Replies... Tabitha 6 months ago (edited)
No, the only reason tattoos are in the decline isn’t personal choices or fashions have changed. But it IS the same reason a lot of non-essentials are on the decline. Money. Plain and simple. Specifically not enough of it to pay for the essentials AND non-essentials too. Good tattoos aren’t cheap, because they are a form of art, but if you’re struggling to pay rent and bills AND eat, then some things have to come off the budget. You have to eat and keep a roof over your head and the lights on. You do not have to have a new tat, fake nails, a new weave, etc, no matter how much fun they are or how good they make you feel, until prices start coming back down, or you get a raise or better-paying job. That’s just the reality for people, and it needs to be said. Constantly. Until someone in power finally f*****g LISTENS AND ACTUALLY HEARS US!!!
Gavin Johnson 6 months ago
All of my tattoos are easily covered by a shirt, I’d like tattoos / tattooing to be acceptable by all but I’m not that naive, people will discriminate whether we like it or not. Am I going to lose my dream interview / job because of a tattoo on my face / neck / hand? No, I’ll use some common sense and ensure that should I need to cover them I can. As for cool / uncool, I had them before they were cool, I’m definitely not cool, my tattoos won’t help either way, I got them for me and I still like them, if you don’t well that’s fine.
Mike F 6 months ago
It's all about choices. There is always a "price" for our choices and the price for the choice of covering ourselves in ink, whether it is "art" or some idea born of a several day bender, is the reactions of the people who see it.
Kira Okah 6 months ago (edited)
"Choices" and "price" in this situation goes both ways. Tbf, I don't care if someone dislikes my tattoos, and tats are hardly uncommon here with the number of students. The other people who see it can choose how they display their reaction, and acting like a pratt and insulting someone's appearance is likely going to get them a public dressing down by someone else walking by for not abiding by the social rule of mind your own business.
Load More Replies... roddy 6 months ago
For the money, I'd rather buy a nice ring or something. You can't take off a tattoo or resell it when you're tired of it. And I know that what I think is cute now I would probably cringe over in a few years. I especially don't get people who pay huge amounts to get tattoos they can't even see.
Mari 6 months ago
I am also like this. I put everything I like (my favorite ideas/clothes/hairstyle/decoration) on pintrest. A few months later I don't like 50% of all those pins, a year later almost 90%. So a tattoo is not a great idea.
Load More Replies... Roberta Surprenant 6 months ago
WWII vets often had tats, usually anchors or hula dancers. For their children, tats were on bikers and rebels (guilty as charged), for our kids, they are a edgy fshion statement. Just wait until they see how ink looks on aging and wrinkled skin. IMO tats which can't be covered by clothing are dumb.
J. Maxx 6 months ago
One big reason for a "decline" in folks getting tattoos is the QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT. People no longer want to dish out a huge amount of money for mediocre work. I wish I had been more patient and waited to find the BEST artist for what I was looking for. I do have some pieces that are great, but I also have some that are not the best. Young folks have to work harder for their funds and want those artistic-looking pieces done by the best.
Nicky 6 months ago
The orange menace deported a gay makeup artist to an El Salvador prison for having a tat. In DonOLD's Amerikkka, a tat is a security risk.
Angelina 6 months ago
He didn’t even have that particular tattoo (a gang tattoo), it was photoshopped…
Load More Replies... Carole Martin 6 months ago
I always lower my opinion of someone who has lots of tattoos. The more tattoos, the lower the IQ.
LauraDragonWench 6 months ago
I currently have two tattoos that I got shortly after my mom died (along with a nose and 2nd cartilage piercing) as a way of, I guess, reaffirming my life? I've got the Pisces constellation on the inside of my right wrist and the Aries constellation on the outside base of my right thumb. The only thing I regret is the exëcutīon - they look more like prison tats than professional ones. I don't, however, regret the tattoos themselves. I'd love to get them retouched by a more talented artist and get a tattoo I've designed in memory of my mom. But if I couldn't afford to get the work done before now, there's no way in Hades I can get it now.
Spacey Stacey 6 months ago
Tat's have been around for thousands of years and I seriously doubt that people will stop getting them.
XenoMurph 6 months ago
Anyone else think it's hilarious the number of comments from people criticising other people's tattoos saying they aren;t cool, saying they should get cool tasteful ones, like they got.
CG 6 months ago
For all we know, this could be a cherry picked article only using the negative comments, but leaving out potentially positive comments.
Load More Replies... Mike T 6 months ago
I'm always skeptical of these types of articles because you don't know how much research they did before coming to their conclusions. In my travels I see tattoos frequently in all age brackets from young to seniors. Some are faded and some are fresh, but they seem to be popular as ever.
keyboardtek 6 months ago
There is a recent health study linking a particular cancer that mostly people with tattoos are getting. Who would have thought that injecting ink into a human might eventually have some long term health effects!
CG 6 months ago
At this rate, there's seemingly an article/health study every couple of weeks or months saying that doing something is going to give you cancer. And then there are also articles that debunk certain studies. I'm not saying there aren't risks to getting tattooed, but that it's not the only thing that's going to give you cancer, and some people might be doing more common things than tattooing that could increase your risk of getting cancer.
Load More Replies... Chris the Bobcat 6 months ago
I just came to say that the "stained glass" Eddie from Iron Maiden's "Somewhere In Time" era is seriously cool. The cover art on that album is some of Derek Riggs' best work. If you know, you know. That is all.
Roberta Surprenant 6 months ago
With apologies to Barbara Mandrell, "I had tattoos brfore tattoos were cool..." all done when decade started with a 7 or an 8. Growing up, father and uncles had tats gained during service during or pre WWII. Then there was the cousin who started tats as a bucket list item on her 50th birthday ~ don't think she realized that tats on "old" skin look.
C. S. M 6 months ago (edited)
Face/neck/forehead ink will always be skeevy to me, even if it's good work by a skilled artist. Why? Because I see it on a person who doesn't care what people think about the wearer. Like it ot not, it WILL have an effect on decisions of hiring you or a potential partner. Look at that 30-some-year-old mom who armed her teenager son to go full commando on his school, and tell me you'd trust her: Blue hair, face/neck ink, etc. And this is the stereotype people like her perpetuate.
PunchinelloTX 6 months ago
The world is different than it was when I was in college 30 years ago. One of my oncologists strutted in and had on a short sleeve scrubs shirt with a very visible, very large and elaborate tattoo. This is one of the top specialists in his field, incredibly successful and as fit as Men’s Health cover boy. He saw me glancing at it and I asked if I could see it and we chatted. He was thrilled to share and confessed many older patients become cold to him when they see it. This is a brilliant man and as kind as he is handsome. My point is, cool or uncool, people should do what they want to adorn themselves without having to answer to anyone or apologize for it especially to strangers. We were told when I was a youngster that it was terrible and trashy to get a tattoo. I don’t have any myself because it’s not my aesthetic, but, do whatever you want as long as you’re not hurting anyone.
jasper 6 months ago
Not all tattoos are "trashy". "For those lacking in IQ is an extremely ignorant/a*****e thing to say. That being said, I mean, just use some common sense when you get tattoos. Is that Ren and Stimpy tattoo gonna keep you from getting a job? Likely not, these days, unless it's on your face/neck. Face tattoos are still pretty much a no-no in polite society. That chick at the beginning of the article needs to understand what kinds of jobs would allow that. Personally, and I have a lot of tattoos, her face is a huge turn-off professionally. I mean, she has demonic looking tats, and the nose ring does her no favors either.
Rali Meyer 6 months ago
So they are permanent. This is as obvious as liquid water. However, I asked a friend: Does that come off when you shower? His response: How am I supposed to know? True story
CG 6 months ago
Literal answer is that they won't come off when you shower, but you do have to make some minor changes to your showering habits while its healing. You shouldn't soak a tattoo in water, but rather lightly dab water onto it. And rather than using scented soap on the tattooed area, use odorless soap/body wash.
Load More Replies... Limey 6 months ago
This whole thing is ridiculous. They may be LESS popular in future but there have always been people who like them and have many of them and there always will be. Hugely amusing that millennials think they invented this. I am in my 70s, have many tattoos and still love them. I just got another one last week. Oh and I have a 6 figure job. Because I have a “low IQ”.
dcrc86bqr4 6 months ago
Tattoos can be a way for someone to deal with body dysmorphic disorder.
Kris 6 months ago
Tattooing has been around for around 5000 years. Christianity will die out before tattoo's do.
Ineke Pronk 6 months ago
I would not say tattoo's are becoming uncool. There is now more than ever different types and styles. When I grew up all I really saw was black and white, some realistic, tribal, old school american, some c**p of untrained people. Now I see realistic floral, minimalist, watercolour, fine line. Now if you want a certain style, there are artists who can make it. For me, I went from I want a giant backpiece when I was a kid, to finding out my skin disease will make it impossible to, "I can get one, but I want to wear a concept version for at least 6 months using temp tattoo's to make sure I will still love it."
CG 6 months ago
I think it could be a mix of things. Like many services today, getting tattooed is expensive, depending on what you get. On the low end, you might be looking at $200 for a simpler, single colour (usually black) design for about and hour or two. And a lot people in Gen Z might not be getting tattoos right now because of both the economy, as well as trying to save up money for themselves.
Load More Replies... Crystalwitch60 6 months ago
Well here in the uk an awful lot of the police force have tattoos even the women !! And they have them on show ! I’ve got 17 , all with a story to tell , plus being a white with I have a pentagram on the back of my left hand and the tree of life on my right back of hand , these two plus three others inc a wolf on my left foot , I had done two yrs ago , and I’m now 60 !!! Also had the all seeing eye done on my left arm , plus another wolf on my inner arm on the left all beautiful tats all of mine are , n they have to have meaning ! I really dont know what all the fuss about them is 🤷♀️ although I do draw the line on face ones just no !! they really aren’t nice at all !! But rest of the body is cool , I mean if the police can have em and on show to ,also doctors do and nurses etc so it’s clearly NOT a job stopper now is it lol
Spacey Stacey 6 months ago
Y'all shouldn't down vote others just because you don't care for their opinions! To each their own and let them be.
CG 6 months ago
For now. Trends come and go as the years come along. It might not be popular with Gen Z at this moment in time, but when Gen Alpha are able to get tattooed, there might be another boom in tattoo popularity.
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