I am constantly looked down upon. Why? Because I have tattoos. Tattoos are an art form that decorate your body with a needle and ink. As a result, it is a permanent type of art form. The problem is that tattoos are not fully socially acceptable therefore this definition might not be believed by many individuals. Tattoos could be looked down as a sin or as a form of ruining the pureness of your body. This makes tattoos a highly controversial topic. Older generations might believe that tattoos are grotesque while younger generations might consider tattoos as a part of themselves and a way to express who they are. Now, men with tattoos are more accepted than women with tattoos since it makes them look tougher or more masculine. Women are often judged more strictly for decorating their bodies with this art form.
Being a woman with tattoos, there are strangers that look at me negatively. There is a misconception that ALL women with tattoos are “easy”, promiscuous and that they have no respect towards their bodies. Women have always been portrayed as delicate and pure humans, but never as strong and assertive. When women started getting lower back tattoos in the early 2000’s, many individuals started calling this type of tattoo placement a “tramp stamp”. Men went ballistic calling women promiscuous for having such a “daring” tattoo. They were stereotyping women by saying that these women with tramp stamps who were nothing but party girls and that they were “easy” to get in bed. There were calling women terrible names just because they had a tattoo that was a part of who they were. A woman can have respect for her body while having a tattoo that has meaning to them. At the end of the day, we females are the ones who have permanent ink on our bodies that is a part of who we are; there just needs more acceptance and open-mindedness towards this controversial topic.
People with tattoos are criminals, wanting attention, are unable to get a “real” job or they will regret their tattoos are all part of the misconceptions of tattooed individuals. Yes, it is hard for tattooed individuals, both men and women, to find a job since many businesses do not allow that type of “image”. But just like there are business that do not allow tattoos, there are business who are open to this diversity. Tattoos do not make us any less, we can do the same thing a tattoo-less individual can do, and sometimes even better. When we decorate our bodies with this art form, not all of us are not asking for attention. Most of the tattooed individuals do not even regret their tattoos since it is something that they wanted at the time and they respect that part of their life. They are not running around paying for laser removal.
Tattoos are a permanent thing and should be properly thought of, if you are one afraid of commitments. Many individuals in your life will maybe not be onboard with the tattoo train but it is your body and you decide what you want to decorate it with. I am thankful for having my parents lecturing me about tattoos but at the same time for accepting the way I chose to decorate my body. Most of the ones I love are so accepting of my tattoos that I do not feel the need to hide my arms inside a cardigan. I cannot wait to live in a world were women, and even men, are not portrayed negatively because of the way we decorate our temple.