Is my friend ready to get a tattoo?

Question

i just got my first tattoo and it reali means alot to me cause its reminds me of my dad and all the tough times that i've been through and when i look at it i feel proud of myself for being me and nobody else.(i also went alone :) WOOT!) when i told my friend i got a tattoo she said she got 'inspired' to get one too and shes getting one this weekend. She wants me to go with her but i dont think she's ready to get one. First of all, she wanted ME to pick a design for HER...i couldnt do that cause its gonna be on HER skin for the rest of her life, also she claimed to hav wanted one since 6th grade and she knows everything there is to know about getting a tattoo. but she didnt even know you would get scabs after a tattoo! she also doesnt have permission from her parents and they're pretty against tattooing. is she ready to get a tattoo? what do i say to her if she isnt?!!!

Answer 1

yeah you are right tattoos are very personal and define a person.

tell your friend to sit down n rlly think about gettin one.

explain the pros and cons

if she still wants it then it is totally her decision.

Answer 2

tell her to wait and think about it beceause she is making a huge decision!  

Answer 3

It sounds like she waited til you got yours done and then felt she could cope as well (after you told her all about it).  I wouldn't say she is not ready, just that she is not prepared, you are right that it would be stupid to get you to choose her design, that's something she needs to do on her own.  She needs to think about it and then choose a design and then think about it some more.  Doing it on a whim like this could lead to regrets.

Answer 4

The hardest part about 16 year old friends is that when one friend gets something, another one feels obligated or psychologically pressured to get one. As much as your friend may think that she wants a tattoo, she probably just wants one to fit in.

You need to explain to her that a tattoo is a big commitment. They are painful, and there is no way to look back without a huge laser and painful scars as a reminder. A tattoo needs to be something important and meaningful to her, not something that she picks off of a wall, or considers having for two weeks and then decides to get it.

Honestly, I'd tell her exactly how you feel. Tell her that you won't go with her or pick out the design for her. It's her body, her tattoo.

By the way, if her parents won't go with her, what do you have to worry about? No reputable tattoo parlor will touch her.  

Answer 5

She really doesn't sound ready. She needs to do a lot of research about them, from the actual tattooing process to the healing, and she should be aware of complications.

She also needs to pick her own design. She has to realise that yes, they are pretty, but it is going to be on her skin for the rest of her life! It isn't something she can take off when she's bored of it.

The best thing is to sit down and have a talk. Help her do the research into the process. Get her to talk to her parents when she has all the information, because if she really wants one, she will have all the answers, and will be able to get her point across in an adult fashion.

If she doesn't want to do all this, then there's nothing else you can do, you'll just have to let her get on with it.  If you don't agree with her, then don't go with her.

Hope this helps a little.

Answer 6

shes not ready. honestly, she can do what ever she wants. but i wouldn't want my parents mad at me and the tattoo to not have any meaning.

Answer 7

Yeah it really sounds like this is just a spur of the moment thing...

Like, she's seen yours and now she just wants one because you do.

I'd try to talk her out of it...

but i spose its her choice at the end of the day!