Question:

Regarding women and tattoos: Why do they have them removed . . . (read on)?

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http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1219&u_sid=10388666

If you don't want to read it, here are the basics as I see them:

1) Women have tattoos removed at a greater rate than men.

2) 3x as many women as men blame "negative comments."

3) More women than men were surveyed, more than likely because (imho) there were more of them getting tats removed.

So . . . do people just give women a harder time about tats?

Are women more easily swayed by the opinions of others?

Are tatted women making more $$ than tatted men, making removal more affordable?

I know there are probably many other options, but what do y'all think?

Please no "tattoos are stupid" or variations thereof; I'm not discussing the choice to get them or not.

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9 ANSWERS


  1. EDIT: I agree ~ and I think those lower back tatts are often very gorgeous, a great friend of mine has a very intricate and difficult one which took a long time to get just right ... and she is nobody's 'p**n star'. I appreciate a good tattoo. It's a chance to view something from inside a person's head on the outside, plus lots of them are just beautiful. Like a living art gallery. And the tribal tatts, such as those done by the maori and samoan people are exquisite.

    ~*~*~*~

    Interesting. Wonder if there could be an age related thing here?

    In my generation (older) women with tatts were often considered to be 'low class' women, even those ladies with tribal tattoos from their cultural background.

    With many young women nowadays having tattoos, it's pretty obvious to anyone that it's just a decoration, not an 'indication', but there are still some nasty comments made.

    On this board the other day, someone referred to tattoos across a women's lower back as "p**n star tatts", so that person obviously still has a conservative attitude about it, or is just an idiot.

    My late husband had a heap of tatts, and he wished he could have had all but two or three removed, due to changes in life circumstances.

    The same with my bro. He has two very beautiful 'full sleeves', one of which was a wedding gift from his wife, real artwork. BUT, now he is older and in a white collar job, he has to wear long sleeves all the time, even in the hottest summer, because SOME people have negative thoughts on first impression.

    It's a stupid prejudice and a lot of people are getting over it, but unfortunately still hangs around.

    About girls getting tatts removed at a greater rate, one thing would be that they often don't have as much or as elaborate tatts, and also have them on the fleshy bits (t&a) where it's easier to get removed.

    I would say it would be way easier to get a cute little bluebird outline lasered off a t!t than to get a full colour 'live free with dagger' from off a scapular.

    Cheers :-)


  2. Men's clothing allow them to more easily cover up their tattoos than women's clothing. I like all of my tattoos, but one in particular I'd wish I hadn't gotten because it's on my shoulder/ arm and I can't wear certain clothes to the office. Also, I think that it might have to do with the fact that women are more influenced by fashion trends. Tattoos on the ankle were a big trend in the 90s for women, and now that these women work in offices and such they have to wear pants all year round. (A friend of mine works as a hostess where they have to wear skirts during the summer. She has to cover the tattoo on her leg with tons of costume makeup everyday.)

  3. I think women may "outgrow" this phase earlier or more so than men.  Once you have the responsibility of being a parent and having to explain all your past choices to your kids at some point when they want to do something you as a parent might consider questionable judgment or morally wrong, then all these things from the past become potential ammo for the kids to hurl back at you when you are attempting to be the wise voice of reason.

    This may be just another way of saying that women are more subject to the possible stigma, but I think women care more about how their kids turn out than what a stranger may think, so there is an added element here.

  4. I have 2 tats, got my first when I was 20. I think women are still looked down on sometimes because of the tats they have. A friend of mine who is about 9 years old has a arm band tattoo and when she takes her kids to school and goes to their class parties people think that she is some kind of wild rebel chick. Now a guy with an arm band tat people  wouldn't really notice as much. I am planing on getting more tats over the next couple of years but most of mine aren't really that visible unless I want to show them off. I have one on the back of my neck and one on my right shoulder blade.

  5. Tatoos still have a sigma about them, and now that woman are getting them the sigma is being passed on to them.

    I have a tatoo, (small on my inner ankle) and people talk to me because of it and one guy told me "I was a dirty w***e" because of it.

    I would never get it removed, its small and nice and mine.

    But it changes the way people see you.

    I love a tatooed man, but I know other people hate it. I am not will to explain to everyone about way I felt the need to have one.

    Men with tatoos used to be from the navy ect or bikers. And a women with a tatoo must be trouble, aka biker chick or jail bird. Women get tatoos removed to remove the sigma behind it.

  6. From what I have gathered, it seems that in the US they seem much more derogitary - I've only heard of the 'tramp stamp' from americans.

    I'd say a lot of people have tattoos just to look cool and don't really think about it, then may end up having it removed. But I've seen a lot of responses to questions about women ith tattos that state they are tacky, make them look like a w***e etc.

    I love tattoos, to me my tattoo is beautiful body art and has a deep spiritual connection. My next tattoo will be on my hand and my hubby said 'Are you sure you want to? ou know some people can be prejudiced about noticeable tattoos like in jobs?' but I said that's their problem is they are prejudice and discriminative.

  7. I can't say as I have none.  From my experience women get tattoos at younger ages than men (though this may be up for debate or more research), perhaps they regret them more as a result of poor choice making.  Also women's skin naturally goes through quite a few changes during pregnancy.  Perhaps the stretching and shrinking, sometimes multiple times...perhaps the tattoo is not what it once was after this.

    I am not sure why life would be difficult for you because of your tattoos.  They are pretty mainstream.  Not some rebellious thing they were perceived as 50 years ago....sounds like you may have problems with them.

  8. I think it has to do with a variety of factors.  First of all, I do think women are given a harder time when they get tattoos, especially in certian areas (i.e. lower back aka "tramp stamp").  

    I don't mean to sound sexist here, but I think women also are commonly more concerned with their looks.  They may go though a "rebellious" stage and get a tat when they are 20 and then seriously regret it ten years later, whereas a man would probably be more inclined to just live with the barbed wire ring on his bicep than bother to get it removed.  

    Quite a few women can be seriously affected by what others think of their personal appearance.  One or two snide comments from other women could cause a girl to question her tattoo.  While snide comments can affect men as well, men are more inclined to simply shrug off such things in my opinion.

    I don't think money is a serious factor here.

  9. The reason people get tattoos removed is because they are tired of them. What you liked when you were a young person might not be the same when you're about 20 years older.

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