How do people decide what part of their body to get a tattoo on?

Question

It seems to go in cycles: arm, shoulder or lower back, etc. What makes people decide where to get one?

Answer 1

I decide based on the tattoo i am getting, i have one on my upper arm that everyone asks me why i got it there, well it wouldnt match the other one i have on my shoulder blade, i wouldnt want it to stretch on my stomach, it was too big for my ankle or foot it would lose detail if shrunk, i dont want a tattoo on my upper thigh and i just thought it looked best on my arm.
Some tattoos are designed for certain spots, full back, full sleeves, tramp stamps and the like.
Plus on some people it depends on whether or not you want to be able to cover it for work or formal occasions.
Its really personal choice and where it would look best.

Answer 2

For what I call peer pressure tattoos, it's what's fashionable. These are tattoos where it's done purely to be popular and for others. This is one of the (few) times when I wish the person in question hadn't gotten any ink.

For real art, it varies. Sometimes it's a matter of layout that only works on a given area of the body - large pieces might need the big canvas of the back, for example. Sometimes it's the kind of piece; it might look better/best on the arm, and would be out of place on, say, the thigh. I've seen a few sleeves that could technically been done elsewhere, but that artistically needed the wraparound look of the arms.

In the latter case, it's part artistic layout and part personal preference.

Answer 3

Today's women have the benefit of learning from the mistakes we made with our tattoos.

For instance, avoid tatts on your tummy if you are going to be a mother one day (think what happens to a balloon when you blow it up and then let all the air out)

Get your tattoo in a discrete place (so it can be hidden if need be) and somewhere you won't see it all the time (or you will get sick of it!).

Above all, DO NOT GET A TATTOO because it's fashionable. You will regret it, I promise. Do it for yourself and make up for your own mind.

Answer 4

It depends on what general shape the tattoo is, and just personal choice. I wanted a butterfly and it had to go on my right ankle. No real reason, other than that's where I felt it needed to be.
As far as placement as a trend in the general public, some of it may be due to what's more "in" at the time, and what people see in the media.

Answer 5

Try placing a sticker on the parts of your body where you are thinking of putting a tattoo. Helps to visualize. If you like it in one spot more than the other, then thats the spot you want your tattoo. Good luck!

Answer 6

i always pick a location first, then i decide WHAT i want to get. first it was my back because i needed to get a crappy tattoo covered up (i was young and dumb) so i decided where then i had to ponder what. i ended up getting a koi swimming up a waterfall with lotus flowers, lava rocks and a sea turtle. after that i decided i wanted a tattoo on my foot but what? a skull of course, in memory of my coach who was murdered. then i had to get my other foot tattooed because who can have one foot tattooed without the other? (not me) so then i knew where but what? a korean takeout box with a fortune cookie.
as you can see i find it best to think of a location first and then think of something that will go there.

Answer 7

I took my future occupation as my decision maker! I am studying to be a Lawyer so a neck tat or something on my legs would be out of the question! I have to be able to cover it when it is time to be professional no matter the weather. AND EXCUSE U OZZIE I GOT A BACK TAT AND I AM NOT A TRAMP AND MY HUSBAND LOVES IT BECAUSE IT WAS DONE FOR HIM? HOW DO FEEL ABOUT TATS ON THE BELLY OR BREAST, EVEN THE INNER THIGH THOSE R PROVOCATIVE PLACES TOO!

Answer 8

for me, placement seems to be what i think of last. after the get the initial idea for the tattoo, the placement sort comes natural. it's like the idea just "belongs" in a certain spot. i'm not sure if that makes sense but that's how it is for me.

Answer 9

personal preference...and where the type of tattoo they want fits best...the tattoo artist if a good one will tell you if the tattoo will look better ie arm or back etc...

Answer 10

well, because of what my tattoo is and what it represents, it's on my lower back on the side. (portrait of my daughter and it's in the same location her head was when i was pregnant)

I would think that placement of a tattoo would vary depending on what the tattoo was of...