Has the ubiquity of these types of body adornment taken away their individuality?

of course.......................

No. The individuality is expressed in the tattoo's design, location and meaning to the person it adorns. Then again, I reckon most tattoo artists probably get a little tired of etching yet another fairy on the small of someone's back.

Not entirely sure about piercings. Eyebrow piercings, for example, are pretty ubquitous these days.

No. The individuality is expressed in the tattoo's design, location and meaning to the person it adorns.

I totally agree.

The hospital wards in so many years time are going to be full of old women called Britney with Tribal tattoo's talking about how indidvidual they are? The men will probaly still be eyeing them up under their baseball caps thinking about the good old days!

Has the ubiquity of these types of body adornment taken away their individuality?

Depends if your having them just to say "look at me, I'm individual/fashionable/wacky/different/a bit weird" or if your having them because you like the design.

No, because we're all born pretty much the same way - people then can choose where and what tattoo's/piercings they have, thus making them individual - like choosing what ringtone/facia you have on your phone.

What you're mistaking it with is just your dislike of them/the people that have them.

I think there are 2 issues here. Yes, people are stating their individuality by chosing their tattoos or piercings, especially if they design their own. However, there are an awful lot of people who will have something just because everyone else is.
I do not posess a mobile phone - does this make me an individual?

I do not posess a mobile phone - does this make me an individual?

neither do I, you're not individiual, your anti-social (or so I'm told)

I think there are 2 issues here. Yes, people are stating their individuality by chosing their tattoos or piercings, especially if they design their own. However, there are an awful lot of people who will have something just because everyone else is.
I do not posess a mobile phone - does this make me an individual?

To elaborate. .

If one gets a tattoo specifically because they want one of something dear or meaningful to them and no other reason, I'd say this is pretty individual.

If one gets a tattoo cos they've seen other people with em and they think it'll look good on them, or in fact any other reason than just the reason above, then this is the complete opposite.

I remember a sketch on Harry Enfields TV program from ages ago which was a parody of a modern band. The interviewer asked one of the members..

"I see you've got a tattoo around your neck, what does it say??"

"It says . . INDEVIDUAL!!!"

"and why did you have that done"

shruggs "cos me makes got one, ey!!"

I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that it's not really anyones business as to why someone might have them - people saying "that one's ok, they're having it because it means something dear to them" - like the person with the tattoo or piercing has to somehow justify their motives to on onlooker.

It matters not if they're following a trend or otherwise.

neither do I, you're not individiual, your anti-social (or so I'm told)
its not antisocial, just annoying for your mates to get in contact with you, ill walk about 4miles to my mates who hasnt got a phone, knock on his door and he wont be in, when i call round the week after ill find out he had just popped to shops and i could have waited

its not antisocial, just annoying for your mates to get in contact with you, ill walk about 4miles to my mates who hasnt got a phone, knock on his door and he wont be in, when i call round the week after ill find out he had just popped to shops and i could have waited

How did we ever manage without mobile phones? Life must of been so hard at times.

How did we ever manage without mobile phones? Life must of been so hard at times.

It was very quiet, I remember that much.

The hospital wards in so many years time are going to be full of old women called Britney with Tribal tattoo's talking about how indidvidual they are? The men will probaly still be eyeing them up under their baseball caps thinking about the good old days!

i cant wait for an old couple in a few years having 'their' song played and its

smack my b1tch up :hihi:

Never understood why anyone would want to deface their body with tattoos or piercings. Is it some kind of 'tribal' thing ?

Never understood why anyone would want to deface their body with tattoos or piercings. Is it some kind of 'tribal' thing ?

No it's more of a 'Were like Sheep' thing.

No it's more of a 'Were like Sheep' thing.

No, it's more like I really wanted one, it has meaning to me and no-one else. Just for the record most of my friends DON'T have tattoos.

i would say if you dont have a tattoo you are in the minority, but as mentioned by another poster, the individuality is displayed in the different style of tattoo. i personally have 2 tattoos that are individual and mean a lot to me.
i have a pair of interlocking wedding bands on my foot with mine and hubbies name in them and my daughters name on bottom of my back...i would never have a celtic design as they are too common and not very personal.

i would never have a celtic design as they are too common and not very personal.

They are if you draw your own, knotwork is very fiddly and makes your eyes go funny, but the basic principal is quite easy. Also, there is much, much more to Celtic art than just knotwork.

I find it quite funny that, amongst the sheep that follow the flock and get tattoos, there are those that claim they are being original but many others aren't. I imagine that everyone getting a tattoo thinks that they are being unique and imaginative but really they are all just following fashion and will look pretty sad in a few years and won't even be able to remove it.

No, the individual is showing their individuality by making either choice for themselves and not giving a **** how anyone else judges them. It's not about the piercings, tattoos or clothing it's about the attitude of the person.

but really they are all just following fashion and will look pretty sad in a few years and won't even be able to remove it.

But will they care ?

Who cares what you're body looks like when your 50, no-ones going to be looking at it.

Never understood why anyone would want to deface their body with tattoos or piercings. Is it some kind of 'tribal' thing ?


I dont understand how these people can pretend to be part of a Tribal thing? when there living in a city house or flat with all the mod cons, , driving everywere, talking on the latest mobile phone, downloading mp3s shopping at Asda, eating kebabs and so on?

it seems to me the more urbanised you are the more likely you are to have some daft tribal tattoo thing?:confused:

it seems to me the more urbanised you are the more likely you are to have some daft tribal tattoo thing?:confused:

Exactly : http://www.urbantribes.net/

Exactly : http://www.urbantribes.net/

Just seems to me to be about Rebelious Middle Class white kids pretending to be something their not?

I wonder how long this lifestyle would last without mummy or daddys bank account?

Just seems to me to be about Rebelious Middle Class white kids pretending to be something their not?

I wonder how long this lifestyle would last without mummy or daddys bank account?

Thats just one tribe though, there are others, people like to belong to a group, it makes them feel secure and that they are with people who feel the same way as them, be it a group of bikers, or rockers, or fashion victims.

There is nothing wrong with that.

I find it quite funny that, amongst the sheep that follow the flock and get tattoos, there are those that claim they are being original but many others aren't. I imagine that everyone getting a tattoo thinks that they are being unique and imaginative but really they are all just following fashion and will look pretty sad in a few years and won't even be able to remove it.

You really are generalising aren't you.

Please explain how I'm following fashion? I got a tattoo because I wanted one, not because I thought it was cool or trendy. I'm about 99.9% certain that you'll never guess what design my tattoo is. It's not tribal or anything like that, it's a design that means something to me it's not even somewhere anyone is likely to see it. I never claim that getting a tattoo is unique and individual.

Also why would a tattoo that is personal to me somehow become sad in a few years?

To be honest i'm not sure people are following the crowd, or being sheep when they have tattoos, the reason i'm thinking this is because they can be quite painful (some places more than others) and i'm not sure most people would put up with the pain "just because their friend has one". Same goes for piercings although this pain ends a lot quicker.
I find it slightly annoying that more and more people ave having tattoos and piercings but at the end of the day its still a personal thing!
I have a tribal tattoo on my foot, it was a complete spur of the moment decision and the desgin which both me and my tattoo artist came up with is beautiful, its also from a tribe (small island in the pacific) which isnt (at the moment) common. I have friends who have celtic and other tribal designs and if done well can look really good.

Having a tattoo or piercing is just another form of self-harm; it means that you're repulsed by your own body and want to deface it.
Maybe anyone thinking about having a tattoo done would be better served buying a book on how to boost their self-esteem.

Having a tattoo or piercing is just another form of self-harm;

Except you don't do it, someone else does, and you pay them to.

I have one tattoo - of an Egyptian Goddess. I got this because ancient Egyptian Culture fascinates me.

I have never, and would never, joined the armies of upper working class morons who think it is so well travelled and uber chic to have a Chinese symbol tattooed across your arse.

Lets get it straight here; the closest any of these fools have got to an appreciation of Chinese Culture is going for an all-you-can-eat buffet at Jumbos.

You really are generalising aren't you.

Please explain how I'm following fashion? I got a tattoo because I wanted one, not because I thought it was cool or trendy. I'm about 99.9% certain that you'll never guess what design my tattoo is. It's not tribal or anything like that, it's a design that means something to me it's not even somewhere anyone is likely to see it. I never claim that getting a tattoo is unique and individual.

Also why would a tattoo that is personal to me somehow become sad in a few years?


I have no doubt that if we ask everyone about their tattoos then they will all claim they didn't do it because of anyone else and that it is individual to them. If everyone starts having tattoos then this is because it is a fashion item and they are following the crowd, even if they don't even know they are doing it.

I have no doubt that if we ask everyone about their tattoos then they will all claim they didn't do it because of anyone else and that it is individual to them. If everyone starts having tattoos then this is because it is a fashion item and they are following the crowd, even if they don't even know they are doing it.

I agree, a lot of people have them as a fashion thing. Not everyone though. I know people who have tattoos but never show them off or talk about them. I'm planning to have two tattoos next year. Neither will be on public display.

Having a tattoo or piercing is just another form of self-harm; it means that you're repulsed by your own body and want to deface it.

Yeah I really hated that particular bit of my leg that I never see anyways :loopy:

I was thinking of having one on my hip, not everybody would see it unless I chose to show them, and it'd make me a little more individual from your average person.

I go through phases when I long to be 'different', but then back down a little when I get scared of having a permanent change on my body!

The majority of women have their ears pierced and we're not berating them for lack of individuality!

Having said that, if I meet someone with a tattoo they tend to go down in my estimation, especially if it's a chosen-off-the-parlour wall design.

Again, I find it hard to believe that anyone would go throught the pain of a tattoo just because -

Their friends have one
Their just trying to be cool
They are following fashion

Thats just one tribe though, there are others, people like to belong to a group, it makes them feel secure and that they are with people who feel the same way as them, be it a group of bikers, or rockers, or fashion victims.

There is nothing wrong with that.

hardly makes them INDIVIDUAL though does it?:confused:

hardly makes them INDIVIDUAL though does it?:confused:

Thats the point, whatever a person does someone else or even a group of other people will have done it or be doing it already, nothing is individual and unique realy (except the person), it's just a matter of numbers.

What do you do that makes you so individual for example ?

In my case, my faith prevents me from ever being tattooed...

I'm a devout coward and I faithfully believe that I don't like pain! ;)

i have no holes in my body where god didnt put one neither do i have a indelible mark or design on my body that wasnt there when i was born

Yadda, yadda, yadda... As several people have mentioned, the ubiquity of tattoos only really concerns people who got one 1.) because they thought it was unique and rebellious or 2.)to follow the fad.

Those people who got tattooed for personal symbolic or aesthetic reasons don't care how many other people have them. I certainly don't. My tattoos bring me joy every day. Their symbolism gives me mental and spiritual strength whenever I happen to glance at them.

For many people, a tattoo marks a life milestone, an emotional epiphany. The permanence and pain of tattoos are vital to the process, which in itself is transformative.

Perhaps many of the people who seemed to be "following the fad" were merely waiting until health laws caught up with the tattoo industry. Until recently in many US states, tattooing was illegal and considered "practicing medicine without a license." In the last decade, American health authorities have begun inspecting studios, setting cleanliness and sterilization standards and educating tattooists.

I'm always amused when I hear the vehemence of some people's arguments against tattoos. How does a tattoo on another person affect them in any way whatsoever?

Thats the point, whatever a person does someone else or even a group of other people will have done it or be doing it already, nothing is individual and unique realy (except the person), it's just a matter of numbers.

What do you do that makes you so individual for example ?

All these people who claim to be individuals when basically all there doing is what ever their mates do, Its like saying young chavs who wear baseball caps are individualistic? Thats not individuality in my opinion.

As for what I do what makes me individual, well thats easy I dont copy other people just for the sake of belonging to a certain group, if people like what i do then fine and if they dont i am not going to copy them, but my point is most people wouldn't have these tattoos done unless there mates have.

People use to get a tat when they were travelling round a new place, and that's when I tend to indulge in a bit of ink. Something to remember my travels by.

People use to get a tat when they were travelling round a new place, and that's when I tend to indulge in a bit of ink. Something to remember my travels by.

the first time i went to blackpool as an adult i got a memory that will never leave me luckily after a dose of anti-biotics the tangient 'mark' on my body disapeared :hihi: :hihi: :hihi:

All these people who claim to be individuals when basically all there doing is what ever their mates do

No, you can do the exact opposite of your mates, and everyone around you but, whatever you do, someone else will be doing it too, so nothing is realy individual.

If you buy your clothes from Next you're not individual, thousands of other people do, if you like the Arctic Monkeys you're not individual, thousands of people do, if you have short hair (or long hair) you're not individual, thousads of people do. They're not all copying each other, most of them independantly decided they like the Arctic Monkeys, Next jeans and short hair.

In a similar way people independantly decide they want a tattoo, some people might do it to be in a certain "group" but most don't.

Someone could argue that you haven't got a tattoo because most of your mates haven't got one and you don't want to be different to them ?

i love tattoos, not because theyre trendy, cool...whatever, but because a well thought out tattoo usually holds a story, as do mine.
mine are discrete and most people would not see them, one being on the bottom of my back and one on my foot...both are incredibly personal and mean a hell of a lot to me as they are dedicated to my family who i love so much so i have them perminantly inked on my being.
i have a tattoo of my daughters name which i had done just after she was born and i have mine and my hubbies name in wedding bands.
i am proud of my tattoos, and my beautiful family!!

one being on the bottom of my back
That type of tat is known affectionately as a 'tramp stamp', I'm told.

That type of tat is known affectionately as a 'tramp stamp', I'm told.
maybe so but i wanted a nice tattoo of my daughters name and would rather it there than on my legs, arms wrists etc.
love my tattoo there and what it means to me!! :)

No, you can do the exact opposite of your mates, and everyone around you but, whatever you do, someone else will be doing it too, so nothing is realy individual.

If you buy your clothes from Next you're not individual, thousands of other people do, if you like the Arctic Monkeys you're not individual, thousands of people do, if you have short hair (or long hair) you're not individual, thousads of people do. They're not all copying each other, most of them independantly decided they like the Arctic Monkeys, Next jeans and short hair.

In a similar way people independantly decide they want a tattoo, some people might do it to be in a certain "group" but most don't.

Someone could argue that you haven't got a tattoo because most of your mates haven't got one and you don't want to be different to them ?

It depends on the reasons as to why people get tattoo's done, but most of time it's simply because their mates have got tattoo's.

If these same people were brought up on a council estate I guarantee these same people would be wearing addidas clothes and baseball caps, but because there generally rebbelious middle class white kids who get tribal tattoo's they think their so individual, it's so easy to rebbeloius when theirs mummy & daddys bank account to fall back on.

It depends on the reasons as to why people get tattoo's done, but most of time it's simply because their mates have got tattoo's.

No, it's not.

but because there generally rebbelious middle class white kids who get tribal tattoo's they think their so individual, it's so easy to rebbeloius when theirs mummy & daddys bank account to fall back on.

I get the feeling you need to rebel a bit yourself, you seem a bit bitter about something, were you forced to wear Clarks shoes as a child ?

you need a tatoo to show your love for your family?lol


anyways i really at one point wanted to get one. Until i realised it was just a waste of time

No, it's not.



I get the feeling you need to rebel a bit yourself, you seem a bit bitter about something, were you forced to wear Clarks shoes as a child ?

Oh Yes it is!

Maybe a should get a tribal tattoo? would that be rebellious? & peer pressure made me wear clarks shoes as a child maybe if i would have got a tribal tattoo or piecing i would have been so individual

peer pressure made me wear clarks shoes as a child

I knew it.

I can't imagine anything worse than being forced to wear Clarks shoes, no wonder you're so angry.

Take note parents, Clarks shoes ruin lives !