how old do you think should you be before u get a tattoo?

Question

for my sweet sixteen pressy i want a tattoo of a butterfly on my right shoulder about 3cm in diametre.

Answer 1

at least 18. That way you are legally an adult in most countries and have the responsibility to take care of a tattoo as well as the awareness that the tattoo will last you a lifetime and is not just something "cute" and "fun" to get for all your friends to see. I made the mistake of getting my first tattoo as something "cute" when I was 16 (and had my parents sign for it). Two years later, when I turned 18, I had it covered up, because it was a stupid choice, made just because I thought it would look cool to my friends if I had a tattoo.

Yeah - two cherries in the small of my back was far from cute. it was stupid. It had a very obvious sexual innuendo that I was unaware of - "tramp stamp" plus it was of cherries...

I'd say go for it, but don't just get a butterfly cause its cute - get it for a reason that you really like. Remember, this will be on your body for the rest of your life - do you want a butterfly on your shoulder? Everytime your future kids cry on your shoulder, do you want them crying on a butterfly? Or something else that may mean more to you?

Answer 2

I don't think you should be any younger than 18. I'd been dieing to get a tat since I was 12, but the age limit is 21 in some states, including mine. I had all sorts of "cool" tattoo designs picked out since then, but by the time I was 18 I realized that most of them were meaningless and some would have made it difficult for me to get a job. At 19 I illegally got my first tattoo - it's meaningful & I love it. I am so thankful that I didn't take earlier opportunities to give into my impulses and get the "cool" tattoos. At 25 I still only have 2 tattoos, not because it's painful (the pain never bothered me) but because I cannot have any visible tattoos as an engineer and I want to make sure that each addition is separate and meaningful.

Answer 3

As an absolute minimum I think you should be of the legal age to have a tattoo done - which in most places is 18.

Think about it - if a tattoo artist tattoos you underage then they're breaking the law. And if they're prepared to break the law regarding your age, how do you know if they're respecting the law about sterilising equipment, or just not bothering with that one either?

I'm certainly not anti-tattoo - I have four, and used to work in a tattoo studio! But I do think that it's important your tattoo artist is respecting the law - which is probably going to mean waiting at least a couple of years.

Answer 4

of course age is important when getting a tattoo. i think because of the permanency of a tattoo you should one, get tattooed when you are a little more grown up (18+) and two, if you ARE in fact a little younger, (say 16), you should probably have a damn good reason to get a tattoo at that age. for example, say someone close to you died at 16...then i might let my kid get a memorial tattoo somewhere hideable, but just for a 16th birthday party and just something simple and as meaningless to you as a creature that serves no other purpose to you at all, i would truly not to do it. wait until you're a little bit older...i know you probably don't want to hear that, you can't get tattooed at 16 without parental consent anyways.

Answer 5

Old enough to decide that it is something you can live with the rest of your life, and not be sorry for what you chose or where you chose to put it years on down the line. Old enough to know that you should choose a tattoo parlor that is clean and sterile and uses every thing clean. Old enough to know that the person you chose to do your tattoo is experienced and knows the best method of taking care of your skin after the tattoo.

Answer 6

I would say 18 but i was in the shops at 16.

Answer 7

Eighteen because that is the legal age in most places. Anyone who will illegally tattoo a minor should be treated with scrutiny. Good tattoo artists don't need to tattoo illegally to pay their bills.

Answer 8

At least 18

Answer 9

I would say 16 is a good time, that's when a friend of mine had her first, but now she cant stop, she loves them! At 16 your old enough to understand that it will hurt and if you hate it it will still be there till you go through the extra pain to get it removed.

Answer 10

I think at age 15 it should be allowed with parental consent . Meaning that if the parent believes the child is mature enough to make the choice then they can get it. Fact is kids are having babies at 14 and 15 I dont see why a a person can have a baby yet not a tatttoo.