Are we getting too many tattoos too young?

I’m an avid collector of tattoos, although I choose my artists and designs carefully even I am worried that I am covering myself far too quickly. In the space of a year I have acquired numerous tattoos and blown my student loan. But should this matter? Are we desperately trying to be covered, to be a tattooed person that we lose sight of many of the reasons behind tattoos? Not every tattoo should have a meaning but getting tattooed for the sake of it is in many eyes foolish.

A girl I used to go to school with has recently had two complete arm sleeves done in a matter of months.  Has she thought enough about the designs, the placement or is she driven by a need to become tattooed in a fashionable and trendy way?

She has chosen one local studio and artists, which is a shame when there are so many incredibly talented and diverse tattooers around. You just have to join Instagram to be bombarded with amazing tattoos. This is where I find my artists and inspiration, I have a growing list of ideas and tattooists that I plan on getting at some point. Sadly it’s the money side of things that prevents many of us from being tattooed too often.

But are we getting tattooed too young? Should we be getting chest pieces at 18? Should we be covering ourselves in fashionable imagery? Should we be getting our hands tattooed way before anything else?

There is also the worry that we will run out of space, of skin; that other artists will come along who we cannot add to our collections. Or that our tastes will change as we age, we will want to document other experiences and add other artwork but simply will not have the gaps to do so. Yes there is lasering, but it’s a painful and expensive process. Should you have to sacrifice tattoos that you once loved just to get new ones?

16 Replies to “Are we getting too many tattoos too young?”

  1. Ive had the same thought, ive waited til now (im 32) to start on my sleeve (3 weeks to go, yay, and by a fab artist i dont need to travel too far for) and am getting a leg piece on thursday, ive got several already, all by different artists, i love the heavily tattooed look on men and women, but didnt want to fill up my skin space too soon. Too many young people today feel the need to get tats just to look cool, fair enough, but the novelty wears off soon enough that way imo (youve got some fab artwork btw, love the mermaid, and im having a lighthouse done this week lol)

    1. American here
      I got “weed life” across my knuckles at 20. I am 30. At least I been smoking weed since 14, and still do.

  2. I accept and respect that people get ink for whatever reason. Some images have meaning, some not so much, but I keep thinking, what happens in a decade? In two, three, etc? When something MASSIVE happens that you do want to commemorate. How much space will you have? Well you be forced into a smaller design in a difficult space because you took it all up so young? Again, I respect whatever people choose to do with their ink, I just prefer to look into the future with mine 😉

  3. This is an excellent point and one I have been thinking about. I am 44 and got my 1st tattoo at 23. But I didn’t get another one til I was 40. Now I have a shoulder piece, a hip piece, breast tattoos (mastectomy cover) and 2 full sleeves with a plan for both hips and lower back. I am glad I didn’t use up all my prime real estate when I was in my 20’s for a few reasons.
    1. my ideas were stupid. My first tattoo I had covered
    2. My new ink will look great even when I am sixty – start at 20 and your linework will be feathered and thick by the time your my age
    3.I can afford the best artists because I am more financially stable. One of my sleeves was done by Hannah Aitchison
    4. I KNOW I want all this ink. Zero regrets

    Now I’m not saying don’t get ink when you are young but maybe take it slow, be VERY picky and avoid tattoo trends. hello barbed wire arm bands!!

  4. Interesting article, especially in the face of the ‘Tramp Stamp’ article a few days ago. Personally I have tattooed at 16, 17, 20 and 2 years ago. The first one is beginning to fade and will be covered, mainly because techniques have moved on and this was a baptism for me, but its also not a big deal if I leave it, it echoes where I was at the time. For me, I have gradually got bigger and bolder with my ink but far be it for me to tell someone their ink journey. I would only say think about it, especially when committing to the latest trend.

  5. Such an interesting post. I was literally just having this conversation with my best friend the other night, who asked me what I would do if I ran out of space. I said that I don’t think I will. There are certain parts of my body I don’t think I’ll ever have tattooed. And although I have a lot of ideas for tattoos I want, from different artists, they aren’t enough to cover me.
    Personally I had my first tattoo at 18, and now have 9 at the age of 24, including a full sleeve. I’m making the most of the chance, right now, whilst I don’t have the responsibility and expense of children.
    But it’s all personal preference at the end of the day.

  6. Such a good article. I started getting tattoos when I was 19 after getting my first tattoo with my twin sister. Since then I have gotten 17 other tattoos and my sister has gotten 4. I feel like I still have a load of space and skin to cover and like you said – I am now slowing down and collecting specific artwork from amazing artists. I think u will be getting tattoos for the rest of my life, to mark memories and experiences. I don’t regret any. They represent me at a certain point in my life. I even lovely floral tramp stamp!

  7. I am 21 and have four tattoos.
    1. I got a big piece on my right thigh that represents my love of photography with the Latin phrase “In Omnia Paratus” which means ready for anything or prepared for all. It has 3 beautiful flowers and I love it.
    2. I am a gemini and got the duel personalities girls tattooed all black on my left foot. It was extremely painful but I am in love with it.
    3. I was 16 and my dad was willing to let me get a tattoo. I rushed the thought process and got a rebel flag butterfly with the words “southern girl” tattooed. I don’t want to say that I regret it, because I will never regret my tattoos. It represents a moment in my life. I was just young, dumb and never considered that I could offend others.
    4. I am getting ready to start a half sleeve tomorrow. It is a piece for my grandpa who recently passed away and my grandmother who he loved dearly. It will be a hummingbird feeding on a honeysuckle with some more floral design and a butterfly.

    I think 4 tattoos is a lot for a 21 year old. Especially a half sleeve. But I love each and every one of them. Aside from my butterfly, all of my tattoos are tasteful and mean something to me. They are all original designs drawn up by a reputable and amazing tattoo artist. I think I am going to stop after this one for a while and enjoy my ink until something huge happens in my life for me to document.

    I think as long as you have tasteful tattoos in tasteful places on your body, you can get as many as you want. 🙂

  8. Okay so I’m 18 and I have 12 tattoos. I got my 1st when I was 15 behind my moms back, so stupid. I got my 2nd and 3rd once I was 16. My mom eventually found out about those, I moved out when I was 17 and thats where I just got and got. By the time I was 18 I had 9 tattoos. Now it’s not poor artwork, some could be better but regardless I still get compliments. Now as I’m getting older I realize how stupid I was just 2, 3 years ago bc I never put thought into what I was getting. The last ones I’ve gotten are small ones bc I really want to leave space for big events I want to commemorate. I’ve even thought about stopping completely bc I have filled myself up pretty fast. Just wanted to give y’all a teenager’s story.

  9. At the age of 41, I have 40ish tattoos. My first was a couple of weeks before my 21st birthday, which was fairly small. I got a few smaller ones, and a larger upper back piece in my later 20s. I would say about 70% of my tattoos were done throughout my 30s. I had one major chest cover up piece done as a Christmas present from my husband. My hands, neck and throat were done in my mid and late 30s. Personally I’m glad I had fewer tattoos as a younger adult in my 20s, and waited until I was more established and what I truly wanted and desired.

  10. I’m 15 and have 14 tattoos. I know my youth may degrade my opinion in some people’s eyes, but I’d like to share it regardless. Tattoos are beautiful in every way. Even the stupid, meaningless ones convey a time in your life that you lived. All of mine are self-done, and I don’t regret one of them, nor will I when I get older. I get to look back and say, “this is where I was when I was _. This is how I felt.” And that, in itself, is a beautiful thing.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *