Telling The Truth About Your Tattoos
When I was younger, I got a ton of tattoos. Now that I’m divorced, I’m not sure how people are going to respond to a 45 year old with ink. Should I cover up when I go on a first date?
Thanks,
Kevin
Well Kevin, besides having the same name as a Jonas brother, you have something good going for you! It’s common for people with artwork to get stage-fright when showing it off. Knowing that you’re 45 puts you in a generation of people who were among the first to accept tattoos as a part of daily society, but doesn’t stick you in the 20-something category who expect everyone they know to have a marking of some sort.
It’s an obvious trend that the media has extensive influence on our thoughts and our style. Because magazines and entertainment news television programs focus so much on colorful rock stars and younger celebrities, seeing tattooed skin has become a part of our day to day norm. Thanks to the images we’re shown daily, we not only don’t need to hide our tattoos, we should celebrate them!
In a study done by Cosmopolitan magazine in May 2011, almost 70% of women say that a bad-boy image is something they find appealing, and over 95% of women say they would date someone who has tattoos!
The key to a great first date is mostly about the content of the date, but it’s a lot about physical attraction as well. If you’ve found a match online who you feel would be uncomfortable with your tattoos (ie– someone who has expressed their dislike for body art, or someone of the super religious variety), maybe put on a sweater for the initial meeting, and mention your art work throughout the date as a way to ease them into it.
At the very least, they’d be great conversation staters and a way for her to see your self-expressive side without having to use words. Body language says a lot, and when you literally have language written on your body, it says even more! Show off your tattoos and put your attention into what she’s saying about herself, not into what she’s thinking about your art.