Tattoos and Piercings @ Girl-Doll Fashion Gossip

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It’s becoming very popular to express yourself through your body. Tattoos and piercings have been getting more popular for years, and now they seem to be all over. Even television shows such as Miami Ink (and the new LA Ink) show the world what tattooing is all about. With tattoos and rings all around us, is there any reason we shouldn’t rush out and get one when we turn eighteen?

Like any major life decision, you need to think carefully before you rush out and get inked or pierced. Tattoos are permanent, unless you have major bucks to spend getting it removed, and piercing may be more permanent that you think. I’m all for expressing yourself, but here are a few things to think about before committing.

The Artist

The absolute first thing you have to decide, once you’re committed to moving ahead with your new emblem, is who is going to do it. As tempting as it may be, don’t let a friend pierce your ears or your belly button. That’s just asking for an infection or, at the very least, a crooked hole. No offense to any friends out there.

Tattoos and piercing involve needles in the skin, which means you need to think about where that needle and needle holder have been. Would you get a shot at the doctor’s office that wasn’t highly sterile administered by someone who knows exactly what he’s doing? So why is a tattoo any different?

Research who’s doing the work, find out where he’s doing it, and then make extra sure everything is completely sterilized. Worse things than infections have been passed on through tattoo and piercing equipment. Need I say more?

Oh, and one last thought. There are places out there that will tattoo you before it’s *technically* legal. If they’re willing to break the law, they are much more likely to break the laws of cleanliness. My advice? Wait until you can get your work done by an absolute professional.

The Placement

There are so many cute places on your body to get tattoos these days. There are, of course, many places to get pierced besides your ears. With either, think very carefully about your choice. A flower on the top of your foot may be the cutest thing you’ve ever seen, until you’re trying to land a corporate job someday.

Sure, tattoos express yourself and nobody can fire you for having one (unless its obscene or racist, etc...), but they can fire you for breaking their dress code. No, my friends, dress codes don’t stop with graduation.

Many offices and other places of business have dress codes that include things like “no visible tattoos or other markings.” That means you’ll be wearing a band-aid over your cute tattoo every day unless you happen to be wearing boots. Good luck covering one on your neck or hands.

You may think you’re off the hook with piercings, but many piercings can leave a mark. Your belly button looks cute pierced, but when you take that ring out someday, your belly button might be scarred. The same is true for your eyebrows, lips and nose. Who wants to go through life with a weird looking scar on their nose?

The Design

Finally, you get to think about the design or ring. Get something you can not only live with but enjoy for years. It’s hard to think about yourself as old, but imagine yourself sitting in a nursing home someday. Will you still be proud of your Supergirl emblem on your ankle or would you feel more comfortably with a daisy?

Plan ahead and then go ahead. It’s your body, and once it’s legal to do so, use it to express yourself. You’re obviously already doing so with your clothes or you wouldn’t be hanging out around the Doll Palace.