I told my mom that for my 18th birthday we should get matching tattoos. After thinking about it for a while, she agreed. She told me to think about what I want and where I want it, so it doesn't affect my future chances of getting a job. So I did some research on other’s opinions and some reasons why they might not like them. I've found who has them, other’s opinions, health risks, and basic care, and after all that I've concluded my final opinion on tattoos.

Obviously there was somebody else wondering the same thing as me; I found a page on Yahoo Answers where a user asked people’s opinions on tattoos. About half of the
responses said they enjoyed tattoos and thought of them as a way of self expression, or even
art. The other half didn't care for them so much. They said that they were immature,
unprofessional, and trashy. Although not everyone may agree, they’re entitled to their
opinion and have a valid reason for it.

Some people see others with tattoos as “rebels,” or maybe even criminals. In reality though anybody could have a tattoo; your friends, your teacher, your mom could even have one. According to Statistic Brain, 14% of all Americans have at least one tattoo. This comes out to about about 45 million people. Annually, about 1.65 billion dollars are spent on tattoos. Out of these 45 million people, only about 17% of people regret their tattoo. 29% say it makes them feel rebellious. Maybe people don’t like them because they connect them to criminals, rebels, people below their status level.

Some people may find tattoos dangerous and unhealthy. Everything has risks, so it’s not surprising that there are health risks that can be serious. According to Mayo Clinic, some of the health risks include skin irritation, skin infections, and any blood borne diseases. There may also be some future complications, like swelling or burning around the tattooed area if someone with a tattoo receives an MRI. Some health issues may be prevented if the tattoo is properly taken care of. The tattooed area should always be kept clean and moisturized. Also, proper precautions should be taken on a day to day basis. This includes being sure not to wear tight clothing that could stick to the tattoo, to avoid swimming and major exposure to the sun, and any additional instructions given to by the tattoo artist. Anybody with a tattoo should be sure to follow these instructions until the tattoo heals completely, usually about two weeks.

Even though there are a decent amount of health risks I’m still willing to get one, at a reliable parlor of course.   Mainly because I, like many other people, find them to be artistic. Yes, there is an extent to my liking; I am not a fan of face tattoos or tattoos that would be inappropriate for a child to see. But if that’s what somebody truly wanted, I wouldn't think any less of them. If they aren't inappropriate, I don’t think it should interfere with any chances of getting a job. I see them as a part of the body, like freckles, birthmarks, or the color of hair and eyes. Not as blemishes, faults, or mistakes.

So all in all, some people have tattoos, and some don’t. No matter how many people find them offensive or unprofessional, they are becoming more and more popular among younger generations. Soon, they could be part of our everyday culture. Despite the  health risks, I will most likely go through with the tattoo with my mom. I’ll just make sure to choose an appropriate tattoo that means something to me.