Today was my appointment to meet with my selected artist who’s helping me design a sleeve tattoo with a totem pole motif. As I arrived, my artist and this other chap were sitting outside around back catching a smoke. I started chatting with my artist as he finished his cig, and the other guy, fully tattooed in sleeves extending to hands and knuckles, chimed in saying, “Be careful, man, I wish I never went below the elbow.” He said he’s tired of all the bullshit remarks from people about his ink everywhere he goes…
I’m sure my artist wanted to kill him right then and there, but he used his best P.R. skills and got the guy off topic. I followed him inside, we chatted for 30 minutes or so, and he said he’d start drawing the sleeve. I left completely stoked.
Long story short, for the first time since considering the sleeve, I’m wondering if smoking guy is right. Should I consider a half-sleeve instead? If you recall from other posts, I’m a high school teacher (where we have no policies against tattoos).
Have any of you regretted your sleeves? Regretted any of your tattoos?
Talk me down off the ledge here, fellas. I can’t believe this guy got into my head.
I certainly can’t relate a real life experience as my only tattoo is upper arm hidden by a short sleeved shirt.
I am getting ready to get a 2nd tattoo, and I’ve laid out ground rules. Those rules are a short sleeved shirt must be able to cover the tattoo. That could mean some bleed over onto the shoulder/pec, but I don’t know yet.
I’m a CPA living in a professional world. In that world I must deal with the perception of tattoos. They are still misunderstood. They are not taken for art by many, but still have a stigma attached to them. I choose not to deal with that. My tattoos are for me. That means I do not mind walking around with them covered only for me to see them at night. When the situation presents itself, my tattoo (soon to be 2 tattoos) comes out to play with a tank top.
The ultimate choice is yours. The fact that your school has no tattoo policy is irrelevent. “What if” you change jobs and the next one has a policy? Will you mind dealing with any potential comments about a full sleeve? I have several aspects of my life I need to balance – professional, social, family. I choose to keep tattoos out of my professional life, which means they must be positioned to be covered by my “uniform” – that being slacks and a long or short sleeved shirt. But that’s just me.
Like you I work in a professional environment. I have to wear long sleeves at work. I’m in the final throws of designing additions to make full sleeves. Well almost, my sleeves will stop just above my watch, so I guess they are almost full sleeves. I’m really happy with half sleeves, but I really really want full sleeves. Would I like my hands tattooed, you bet, however it will never happen. If you get sick of looks / comments well just go for long sleeve shirts when going to those high risk environments – Family get togethers for example. My biggest concern is having to shave my arms.
I hold professional licenses in seven states, I deal with fortune 500 customers as clients, I am fully sleeved, and pretty much fully covered, cant do neck, cant do hands, other that I will be covered,
all my ink can be covered in business clothes, so thats all that counts, no one knows I wear it unless I let them know
The ultimate choice is yours. The fact that your school has no tattoo policy is irrelevent. “What if” you change jobs and the next one has a policy? Will you mind dealing with any potential comments about a full sleeve? I have several aspects of my life I need to balance – professional, social, family. I choose to keep tattoos out of my professional life, which means they must be positioned to be covered by my “uniform” – that being slacks and a long or short sleeved shirt. But that’s just me.
Well put. One can argue that tattoos shouldn’t affect one’s ability to get/maintain a job, but the fact remains that they do in many professions. Personally, I’m not bothered by the comments from friends and family who may not approve of my tattoos, but I am most certainly concerned about any potential career limitations. I have an obligation to my family not to do anything that could jeopardize my hireability.
OP, the decision is ultimately yours, but I would be concerned that the next school district might not be so liberal. If you’re willing to wear long sleeves every day should that situation arise, then you really have nothing to be concerned about.
Hi
The simple answer is if you have the slightest of doubts don’t do it. You are the one who has to be comfortable with the choice you make for rest of your life.
There is plenty of skin to work with on your body and if the idea of wearing long sleeves is off putting then get tattooed elsewhere on the body.
Take care
Matthew
The simple answer is if you have the slightest of doubts don’t do it.
+1.
Another thing you can do is to test-drive the tat you are considering. When I was considering my wrist tat, I bought some tattoo paper and made my own temporary tattoos. The reason *I* was doing it was that I wanted to test drive different sizes and placements of the design till I knew EXACTLY how I wanted it to be….. but one could just as easily wear temps for a few weeks just to get an idea of what kind of reactions and responses you get from others.
Has that changed in 2012, or do we still have separate springs, or seats on the buss for that matter?
Goodness, Bert.
While I understand your premise, I don’t think the comparisons are the same. I am fully aware that choosing to get a sleeve will have consequences based on prejudices of some members of our society. I know that attitudes have changed vastly over the past two decades.
I have been a teacher for 14 years, and I have gauged ears at 00g. No other teacher (male, at least) has the same. I knew then and still know that it would be something I would have to deal as far as prejudices. No administator or parent has ever said a word, aye or nay about them. I did have an evaluation this year with my principal, who is retiring in May. I did ask him at the end of my eval why he never said anything about my plugs. His response was reassuring. “I already answered that,” he said. “You’re a damn good teacher.”
Honestly, I’m not worried at all about my professional credibility among those who know my abilities. I’m more concerned about the prejudices of people who don’t know me. The dude at the tattoo shop said he get’s “all kinds of bullshit,” and I want to know what that means.
It sounds like I’ve made up my mind, doesn’t it?
I guess that I’m way too liberal in this matter. Here in Norway tattoos and bodymods have been much more accepted by the public. Could be something cultural here, that we won’t find in the US. For example, we have a handfull of days with summer here, so being stuck with longsleeves at work isn’t an issue. 😉
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