“I’m 17” he tells me, ”I’m here with my dad looking to find an artist to do my first tattoo when I turn 18 later this year.”

Yes, 18 years old is old enough to make adult decisions for oneself.

Am I the only one getting weary of seeing tattoos on nearly everyone? Aesthetically, it's so "busy" - sleeve after sleeve after sleeve of visual complexity. It's nice to see the shape of a human arm and muscle definition - without distraction. It blows my mind that so many can decide on designs they'll be happy with for the rest of their lives. I have one tattoo and the process of deciding was a major headache. Never again.

Gross, lame, boring, overdone, basic. I bet you think septum piercings are "alternative" instead of gross, lame, boring, overdone, and basic too.

Hey look at me! I'm wearing my nonconformity uniform

Why are most Slog articles collapses so you can easily scroll through and click on ones you want to read (like a blog is supposed to work) but then every now then there’s long ass article like this and we have to scroll through the whole thing without even clicking onto it??

Needs a "Continue Reading" link

2: They'll be in horrors after they turn 60ish looking in the mirror

@1 the difference between someone being a 17 year old and an 18 year old is literally 60 seconds long.

There was a viral post a few years ago from someone that said something along the lines of "I went to the tattoo parlor when I was 17 to get a Limp Bizkit tattoo and they wouldn't let me do it because I was too young to make a life changing decision like that. A week later I signed paperwork for a $200,000 student loan that I'd have to pay back for the rest of my life."

@2: Hi! 62 years old and got my first tattoo at age 19 on my shoulder blade. Got my 2nd tattoo at age 32 on my hip and my 3rd tattoo at age 44 on my lower back. All areas that wear well and don't get a lot of sun. Also, as I told my Mother when she tried that same logic on me when I got my first one, I can't get tired of something I can't see. :)

Looking at the photos it begs the question; why is it only fat ugly people who get tats?
So sad...

@9: Awww so you don't understand correlation and causation! Also consider the bias of the author. xoxo

Gretchen, stop trying to make morbidly obese tattooed people happen! It's not going to happen!

Tattoos: how boring people try to look interesting.