A friend of mine who did his national service in the Royal Navy told me a story of the time they were in an Eastern port with a US ship.... An unusual occurrence anyway, as they tried to keep the navy personnel apart when on shore leave.
However, two British matelots met a US sailor in a bar and were challenged to a drinking match which the two pommies won by a whisker when the American slid under the table, so they picked him up and took him to a tattooist in a comatose state and had the Union Jack tattooed on his chest and Britannia Rules the Waves on his back and dropped him off back at his ship! I can't imagine how he survived that little excursion.

Of course tattoo's are very much a personal thing I guess, but once there're 'incised' on, they're pretty well on. I note much younger people are being tattooed these days, and I think there's now a minimum age to be legally allowed to get them. Both for the Tattoo artist and his client ? When I was in the job it was 16 years minimum, unless a parent or official guardian accompanied the client to the 'studio'.

Those incised in gaol are generally quite crude, there're exceptions occasionally. Most though are downright hideous with descriptive words tattooed all over their body, genitals as well. Deriding and mocking the police, the judiciary, and anybody else they have a particularly dislike for ?

There's a general prohibition on marking, incising, or doing anything else to your body. Alternatively, have another person, mark you etc., in gaol ! But hey, it doesn't worry most of them, what are you going to do, lock 'em up !

Tattoos on the fairer sex, unless it's traditional or an ethic practice, or for a religious obligation, a female should never permit herself to be 'branded' for life, with a tattoo ! They look positively obscene (personal opinion only).

Anyone wishing to glimpse the effects, both physical and psychological of ill-advised, rash or injudicious tattoos, on a woman, need only spend an hour or two at the Mulawa women's prison at Silverwater ? There's some real beauties to be seen in that place.

Around the Coast the women (and men) who have 'ink' are usually quite predictable. It runs in families from the wrong side of the tracks. People and homes the police are regularly called upon to visit.

Although fashion has added many of the easily persuaded vain to swell the numbers.

What to do though when the fashion moves on? Which has already happened in tatts. For example, tribal is old hat, but all tatts will be in time and soon. Fashion is like that.

I've just discovered this discussion and I
can fully understand why so many people
are against tattoos (and body piercing) and
other forms of the so-called "decorative arts."
Much of it is over the top and neither beautiful
nor elegant nor decorative. There's programs on
television on this very subject - and much of what
people are doing to themselves is quite alarming -
especially things like changing parts of the body
(elf ears, horns on the head, et cetera).

Still I am in no position to criticise people too severely
as I happen to have a beautiful and elegant butterfly
tattoo, which my son paid for as a birthday
present to me a few years ago. It's on my ankle and
I am very fond of it. I have no intention of getting rid of
it.

My son took me to a famous tattoo artist here in Melbourne
and I had to sit and wait with some young guys having theirs
done. They showed me pictures of what they wanted done.
And I thought they'd laugh at me when I showed them the picture
of my butterfly tattoo. Mine looked sort of lame compared to
their massive ones. Anyway, they were lovely guys and friendly and
they cheered me on. We ended up having a beer with them
at the local pub after
it was all over. They rode away on their motor bikes, and
my son drove me home.

There you go.

Hi there FOXY...

There are some exceptions I guess. I've seen these quaint little butterflies some ladies have on their ankles, and I'll admit they look OK. I suppose as long as the Tattoo is small and elegant these no harm ? Still...?

G'day there ONTHEBEACH...

You're on the money once again. There are some amongst the criminal world who're fully 'inked' mainly etched in gaol. They're not all that bright, considering when a crook is 'descripted' his tatts are carefully described and enumerated, and they're an excellent secondary source for police and corrections to readily ID them, additional to their Prints. And with DNA, fingerprinting, photographs, and an assemblage of tattoos, some individuals truly do have the 'mark of Cain' upon them, in some cases all over them ?

Still amongst some criminals, tattoos are a form of intimidation, particularly the more menacing these 'inking's' are, the more threatening these men and women seem to be ? The truth or otherwise is still yet to be substantiated, one way or the other ?

To my mind, many of these fools are more 'theatre than fact' ? The really formidable and truly daunting criminal, would much rather NOT draw attention to himself, by covering his body with crude tatts. Most 'real' heavies do have a few, but the operative word is a few !

Dear O Sung Wu,

I suppose it is a question of doing things in
moderation and tastefully - because as has already been
pointed out - you may live to regret it later on.
I also don't really like the "weird" and the
"not so wonderful" and as Suse's
pointed out earlier - those "sleeve" tattoos that some men are
partial to and cover their entire arms - Or the full chest and backs. But then that's
just me - and of course - to each his/or her own.

We had a young waitress serve us recently in a restaurant
who had the most exquisite roses tattooed on one arm.
She was a delightful young lady and ever so proud of the
art work. Exquisite as the roses were - I would never
cover an entire arm as she had done. Still, she was a youngster
and I wasn't about to deflate her bubble.

For me, my ankle butterfly was done on a whim and at my son's
urging.
I love butterflies.
And it has retained its beauty, its colour, and I don't regret
having it done at all.

Although I must admit that I would not have another tattoo
done on my body. That one is more than enough for me.