Tattoos and Piercings
 

Newsflash: Tattoos and piercings aren't cute. They aren't kool. They're just as ugly as graffiti on a wall. They hurt and scar for life. There is no point whatsoever. Tis just another attempt to show off and be unique. If you're truly unique, people would know it by getting to know you as a person, not by looking at you and seeing what self-mutilation you did.

Thinking you may be a criminal in the future? Not if you have tattoos. Police can identify you by your tattoo, no matter what hair and face changes you do. Of course you can always get it removed, but that's painful and costs money, just as getting it did to put it there in the first place. Why get a tattoo if you might remove it?

Piercings can get infected, and I don't even see a point to getting ears pierced; tis just as bad as any other piercing. There are tons of other kinds of jewelry you can wear without hurting yourself to do it. Piercing is just as bad as putting a bullet through your stomach and putting a pole through it. If that was the new style, would you do it?

In my culture, we are required to have a tattoo of a heart to show brave.
and pierceing are the same thing, its called freedom of expreesion, and even if they have it to the extreme and i don't ask why.
O well

I agree with Mario-Minamino. It may be true in youth culture in Westernized societies that tattoos are sometimes there just for the cool or wow factor - however, there are many cultures in which tattoos are considered an important cultural symbol or part of religious practice, and not just there for "fun".

Piercings I favor over tattoos because they are less permanent. Piercings will grow back in with little or no markings. That said, I don't like excessive piercing. Less is more here. I have four piercings in my left ear and three on my right, but I have no other piercings and I have no tattoos. And my mom is happy with it. (WOW)

NEWSFLASH: It's a matter of opinion.

If you want to post in the 'debate' forum then at least approach it from a point of view such as 'Tattoos: Ugly ass scars for life? or Beautiful works of art?' THEN state your opinion. Don't just go on a rant about how much you hate tattoos and piercings.

Now, about tattoos and piercings:
I like the way some tattoos look. I like the more flowing style, like plants, flowers, and stuff, rather than random tattoos all over the place. I don't have any tattoos yet. I say yet, because I would like to get one someday, but I don't currently know what to get. I want a tattoo that means something, that reminds me of a part of my life, or someone who influenced me...I don't want some random flower because it looks nice, I want it to have meaning.

I like having piercings. Currently, I have 8. 3 in each of my ears, one in my tongue, and one on my navel. I am planning on getting 2 more piercings on my navel, on the bottom, to form a sort of triangle. For me, piercings aren't the same as tattoos. They don't hold as much meaning. I generally get piercings on special days, like my birthday, graduation, etc. I like the pain of getting piercings, which is why I have a lot, and am getting more. I definitely don't see them as permanent, since you can take them out and they will close up.

Of course they're going to get infected if you don't take care of them. If you can't keep up the responsibility of cleaning and disinfecting your piercings, then maybe you shouldn't have them. In my opinion, they are not as bad as putting a bullet through your stomach. Come on. Use LOGIC. If you got shot in the stomach, you have a high chance of bleeding to death, and your internal organs have a high chance of being blown open, possibly causing death. A trip to the hospital and surgery are mandatory, and you would probably be taking high strength painkillers. On the other hand, if you went to get a piercing, all you're doing is poking a small hole with a sterilized needle through your skin. The fact that you don't need any painkillers to cope with the pain of getting a piercing pretty much says it all.

Edit: Now I have my nose pierced too.

Agreed padfootsy :) If you are going to debate a topic, please make it so it is clear what is to be debated. Not just "I hate tattoos". I'll allow this since some good debating could come from this but be mindful. If it gets ugly, it will get locked.

Re: Tattoos and Piercings
 

Alright, first, you're joking about the whole criminal thing right? You can't seriously expect people to believe that a good reason behind not gettin a tattoo or piercing is so a person can become a criminal. You say tattoos and piercings are so terrible but one of your supporting arguments is that it will limit what sort of illegal activities you can partake in?!
One other little thing before even touching the question at hand, a piercing is a controlled, relatively small and, if done properly, safe hole in a non-vital portion of tissue. A bullet wound to the stomach is an exceptionally unsafe, unsterile, dangerous and possibly fatal injury that in all probability would get infected, assuming the person didn't bleed to death first. No, one is not as bad as the other and the two are not comparable. Nice hyperbole there though.
Now, to the subject at hand, tattoos and piercings are one of the oldest forms of body art out there. Just like clothing and jewelry, they can have any number of meanings and interpretations. What is "cute" or "kool" or fashionable or desirable, is up to personal opinion. One of the typical reasons now that people get tattoos and piercings because it is what they want to look like, what they think looks good. That's personal preference and not really something that can be debated.
Piercings and even tattoos can get infected, but typically that only happens when they weren't done properly or the person with the body mod didn't take care of it properly. After having a baby, it is very easy to get infections and so there are a lot of things a woman must do for the next several weeks to prevent that. If she didn't have her baby in a clean place or doesn't follow the doctor's instructions afterwards, it's her own fault for getting the infection. That doesn't mean she shouldn't have had the kid or should have had a c-section (which really would only have changed which area was at risk for infection.) In the same sense, if a person is stupid enough to get a piercing or tattoo in an unclean place or not follow the aftercare procedures, then it's their fault for getting the infection, not the tattoo or piercing.
Other reasons behind gettign a tattoo or piercing have little to do with other people seeing them. My husband and three friends are getting a tattoo in honor of his best friend who died in a car accident. Those tattoos are for very personal and sentimental reasons that have little to do with what other people find to be attractive.
Some people get tattoos with their lover's name or as a symbol of their relationship. While in many cases, they end up regretting this (when the relationship ends) that is more of a reason to support people thinking through body modification before getting it, again, not an arguement against the modification itself.
Some get tattoos that represent their heritage and most seeing them would never even understand the significance but it means a lot to them personally.
Tattoos and piercings though are, by far, the mildest of body modifications that people do. Scarring is actually becoming more common, where individuals will actually have themselves cut on with a medical a scalpel to cause a patterned scar. Most people who do these sorts of things are actually far more interested in the process than the end result. While yes, it hurts, some people like that sort of thing. Pain causes a release of certain chemicals in the brain that for many causes a rush or even euphoria. That "release" is often why people will "subject" themselves to body modifications.
The biggest reason here though is that it's personal choice and personal freedom. If you don't like body modification, don't do it. But why try and stop people who do like and even enjoy them just because you don't find them attractive?

In my opinion tattoos should only be permitted to those criminal guys, because they do it inside jail, right? Sometimes it can be regarded as a work of art but don't you think it only makes you look dirty? Especially to girls who gets it all the way to they're butt, no offense but you're offerin a nice view of your backside to some stranger and still gets credit for it. And lastly it hurts like a thousand needles, not that i experienced it but i've seen it done. Are they a masochist or what?! :shock:

I love tattoos and piercings. It's so interesting to see someone who has completely altered their body to the way they want it. (and i dont mean plastic surgery)<gross> I mean the people who get their whole body done. there's also this guy I saw on t.v. who had his tongue forked and he got implants in his head that looked kinda liked horns. I'll admit it's not always pretty to see those kinds of things, but I think It shows people's individuality.
Not that you have to get a tattoo or piercing to be unique, it's just one of those interests that some people have that makes each person different from one another.
I would want to get piercings because I like them more than I like tattoos. I only say this because as your skin ages, so does the tattoo. its not always gonna be a beautiful piece of art. but of course you can always get it redone.
I always wanted to get a tattoo on my shoulder blades, I dont know what of yet, but I know where I want it at least.
I've also always wanted to have my tongue pierced. These are probably things I'll end up getting when I turn 18.
Oh yeah, one more thing. Tattoos are permanent, but you can always get them laser removed. It hurts just as much as the tattoo, but if you'd rather have a small scar, then go for it!

Well, some people.....
 

Some people have some intelligence about tattoos and piercings and they are not always ugly or a possible scar for life, it depends on how they are done. I myself used to have many piercings, more than 20 actually, but I have removed them all and have not suffered the consequences of horrible scars, in fact I don't have any noticeable scars on my face where I had many of mine. I currently have one tattoo, and that tattoo is hidden for the most part, it is on my back. That tattoo is unique as it was designed by a friend as it was designed as it was done, and will be added to in the same manner, all of the additions will be designed by close friends and will be, for the most part, hidden from view on a fairly regular basis, this is to show a kinship with my closest friends and relatives that I could not express any other way. And that, in my opinion is a beautiful thing.

Re: Tattoos and Piercings
 

Tattoos hurt for maybe a week, the pain is VERY mild, its like a sunburn, no worse. The pain is also part of the process, and when your actually having it done the pain is comparable to a heat spray, if you've ever pulled a muscle and used a heat spray, you'll understand what I mean, but its very mild. Then again it depends on the person, I found that the shoulder is the worst bit, but even then its just an uncomfortable stinging, very bearable.

Tattoos can be used to try and make yourself look unique, Ill grant you that. But theres many other reasons. For me personally, my three tattoos remind me of important things in my life, things Ive done, things I want to remember and multiple other reasons. They can be used to mark your heritage, they can show people your passions, they can mark your achievments or your goals. They arent just about looking cool, people get them for thier own reasons, and thats thier choice, whether you approve or not, people will always get tattoos, and tattooists will always make thier art (and yes, it is art).

Yes, the police can identify you by your tattoos. Its a bad choice for an arguement though... The police will only know of your tattoos if they CATCH you, meaning you'd have to be involved with activities of a criminal nature already.

As for piercings. Again, its a personal choice, I personally dont have a problem so long as your not staring at a person with more steal than robocop.

I have my tongue pierced. Why? Its for sexual reasons mostly, adds something different to the bedroom. And before I had it done, when id kiss girls with one, I always found it more enjoyable. Its part of who I am now, I enjoy having it in, I like playing with it, I like the shock people show me when I show them. Two years Ive had it and only one girl who got freaked out by it.

I want my eyebrow pierced, but thats it, other than the tongue Im not too keen.

In my opinion, tattoos can be unique and gorgeous. They might even tell you about the person that has them. As long as you are able to get the professionally done and keep up with the treatment afterwards. Although, too much of anything can take away from the overall expression. I find mass amounts of random pictures tattooed onto a single area on the body, unappealing.

My step-dad has a lot of tattoos, so I'm fairly used to the idea of people having them. And just because someone has them, does not mean that they are a potential criminal or lean towards the side of deviance. They can be quite the opposite, which I find extremely interesting.

As to piercings, I have never liked them that much. Maybe on the ears or nose. I do not remember when I got my ears pierced as I was still a baby when that happened.

Either way, it is the person's body and thus the person's choice to do what they want. A simple marking should not keep one from seeing the potential of a person.

I have seen some amazing tattoos. It's another art form. It's also a person's right to put whatever they want on their body even if you don't agree with it. I went all the way to california to have a guy who does one of a kind things, create a winged heart to put on my ankle because it holds a very special meaning for me. Just because you don't like something doesn't make it wrong.

i personally love tattoos and piercings. They are a wonderful form of self-expression. They are times that it doesn't look artistic, or pretty, but even then, if I looks good to the person that got it, if they think it is beautiful, then why does anything else matter?
Those aren't the only types of body modification. I love brandings. I don't know if they are common anywhere really, but the basics of it is : you make a design you want out of steel wire. you clean the area you want the brand, then you heat up the wire, until it's red-hot.Using a blow-torch works well. Let it cool for just a few seconds, then press it to your skin, making sure every part o the wire hits the skin. Pull the wire away after about 10 or 15 seconds. It looks really cool, and it barely hurts. Less than a piercing.
Then there is scarification. It is a little bit more of a commitment, but it looks really neat if done properly. You take a hollow-point needle, and dot a design in the skin, if you want, you can draw a design first. It's kinda like getting a very slow, inkless tattoo. You have to go back over it at least once a week for a month or so, or else it won't scar well. It's also a little more painful, and very time consuming, since it's all done by hand. Be prepared though, this body mod bleeds a bit.
Body modifications are beautiful in their own right, even if you wouldn't get one, no matter what it looks like to you, it's pretty to someone, and thats what matters.

I think your going a bit to the extreme in an unfair way. There is a difference between not likeing tattoos and peircings and totally bashing all the people who do. I myself dont like excess tattoos or peircings but I do have my ears peirced twice and one in the cartalidge and my belly button is peirced as well. I also have one tattoo on my back of angel wings on my shoulder blades......its engraved with the name of someone I once loved very dearly......he died in a car crash that I was in as well....I got lucky...he did not....sadly...

I have my tongue and left nipple pierced. I also have a tattoo on my back.

My first piercing other than my ears (which I got when I was younger) was my eyebrow. That got infected and I had to remove it. I have a scar.

I find getting a piercing to be an exhilarating experience and I got both of mine because I enjoy the pain. It might sound a little weird but it's true. I also like the feeling of bravery you get when you show it to people and they say 'I could never get that done!'. I don't do it to be original because I know it isn't. I do it because I enjoy getting pierced. I might even go so far as to say I am addicted.

My tattoo on the other hand was a different story. I thought I would take my 'addiction' to a new level to test myself. It took a lot of thought before I picked a picture I would be content with for my entire life. One that depicted my views and philosophies on life. One that I could identify with.

The pain wasn't nice. At all. D= I got it on my upper back so it was over my spine. One of the most painful places to get a tattoo. I had no breakfast before so the tattooist made me eat a Snickers bar and gulp down some Apple Tango. Towards the end of the session I felt sick and had to lie down. >.<

But I love it and YES I would get another one.

Here's a picture a day or so after I had it done.

http://a683.ac-images.myspacecdn.com...ce4c38f662.jpg