Tattoo for men
Tattoo for men
Tattoos and body art have never been so popular. Millions of people between the ages of 18 and 80, from all walks of life, are coming around to the idea that tattoos large and small are a fun way to express your unique individuality, and long gone are the days when a tattoo meant allegiance to a biker gang or a naval career at sea. But what about a tattoo for men—are men still more likely than women to succumb to the lure of body art?
Once upon a time, it was mostly men who wore tattoos as a badge of style. In the early part of the century, tattoos were a mark of allegiance to a career in the military such as the navy or army, or they indicated membership of a gang, either in prison or outside it. But things have changed and tattoos take all kinds of different forms these days, from simple tattoos featuring a few inspirational words, to complex tribal inks covering half of the body.
Is there a tattoo for men to be avoided?
Although tattoos continue to remain very popular, there are always some styles of tattoos you should avoid if you are a man. Whilst it is possible to take the view that a tattoo does not need to be a permanent feature, tattoo removal is difficult, painful, and expensive, and therefore best avoided where possible, so always assume the tattoo you choose will be with you forever.
When it comes to tattoos you should avoid, many men make the classic mistake of having their girlfriend or wife’s name tattooed on a part of their body. It might seem oh so romantic at the time, but what happens if you and your love split up in a cloud of bitter recriminations?
My ex made that mistake. To the best of my knowledge, he still has my name tattooed on his butt, so I can only imagine how thrilled his new wife must be to see my name every single day. So the moral of the story is…do not go there! If you must have a name of a loved one inked on your body, at least choose your kids or dog’s name.
Another tattoo for men best avoided is anything cute, and by cute, I mean cartoon characters and mythical creatures. Tattoos of Snoopy, Goofy, or even a unicorn might look semi okay on a girl, but it just looks wrong on a strapping twenty stone bloke, so unless you want other men to view you with suspicion, stay away from the cute tattoo.
Chinese symbols are another tattoo for men that you should give careful thought to before popping down the local tattoo shop with your drawing. Whilst David Beckham manages to pull it off with aplomb, this type of tattoo has the potential to go very wrong. Any tattoo featuring a word or phrase in a different language might not say what you think it says: you may think your sexy new tattoo says something profound when in fact it says “chicken chow mein with egg fried rice”.
So how can you choose a great tattoo for men you can enjoy living with for the rest of your life?
Before choosing a design for a new tattoo, and this applies to both men and women, give it careful thought. Never rush into having a new tattoo inked on your body without being 100% sure you are happy with the design, and do not be pushed into having a design you suspect will not be right for you—you are the one who has to live with the finished result, not your best mate, girlfriend, or even the tattooist.
Where is the best place for a tattoo for men?
Just like women, different men have different ideas about the best place to have a tattoo inked on their body, the only difference being that men have more room on their chest for larger tattoos.
The back is a popular area of the body for a tattoo for men as it is generally large and suitable for wider and more complex tattoos. Men are also more likely to cover the more visible areas of their body with large tattoos, as there is less of a social stigma attached in a tattoo for men. Whereas women with large numbers of visible tattoos on their arms and legs are derided as ‘sluts’, men with such tattoos are perceived in a totally different light and much more likely to be treated with guarded respect.
Whilst men have more freedom to have tattoos anywhere they like, there are some areas of the body best avoided. For obvious reasons, the face is a no-no for a tattoo unless you fancy being unemployed for the rest of your natural life. For the same reason, hands and lower fore arms are not the best location for a large and highly visible tattoo as most employers frown upon it, so unless you work in a tattoo shop, think twice!
For men, the chest and the back are great places for a large and complex tattoo. Both areas offer a vast canvas of suitable skin that you can use to highlight a well-drawn tattoo, and the bigger the better. Tattoos on the shoulder and upper arm also look very effective, particularly if the muscles are well defined and strongly delineated. Legs are another possibility, although you may have to shave them if you are a hairy individual and the pain factor is significantly higher.
A tattoo for men on the buttocks can go either way on the love-hate scale. On women, tattoos inked on the lower back or buttock area are very sexy, but the effect is not quite the same on a man unless he has the physique of Adonis. After all, there is nothing more unappealing than a large builder’s bottom with a tacky tattoo peeking out above some saggy ill-fitting jeans. Most women would feel quite nauseous at the sight; or at least I would!
