We hear everywhere what tattoos are for. Many years ago, they are mainly for spiritual reasons, to ward off evil spirits, to achieve certain powers, to heal a sickness, or to indicate status in a community. Now, they are mainly for self-expression and vanity, although some may still claim to have reasons similar to those of our ancestors, which makes tattoos a lot more interesting.



We might think that the appearance and design of the tattoo is everything. Well, you might also want to consider that placement of the actual tattoo on your body counts a lot. Let's say, a star tattoo, when placed on the ankle can come across as sweet and innocent. But when the same star tattoo is placed on the belly, it becomes sensual. And when it is placed on the arm, it portrays you as someone tough, no matter how innocent-looking your star tattoo is.

However, for some people, the locations of the tattoos on their body, does not have to do with how it would be interpreted by the general public but by how their employers would react to it. Sometimes, tattoos have to be placed in areas where they could easily be concealed. This applies to professionals whose careers require them to be tattoo-less or those who work in companies wherein visible tattoos are considered to be inappropriate.

For these people, facial tattoos on men are definitely a no-no. For women, it is acceptable if they are there for cosmetic reasons. But in these cases, it is the women that have lesser options for placement of tattoos since men can have a lot of them covered with their clothing. Women cannot have elaborate tattoos on their legs and arms unless they are in men's suits. However, an inconspicuous tattoo of a tiny fairy or a symbol or a star tattoo would be considered interesting instead of inappropriate.

Also, since tattoos are permanent, you have to consider the changes your body would undergo as the years pass. A cute and sexy star tattoo on the belly may not look as good when you either lose or gain weight because, by then, it would be out of symmetry. When you think of a tattoo design, try to see in your mind's eye how it would look like 10 or more years later on the part of your body you're thinking of putting it on. The biceps, the back of the shoulder, and the lower back do not stretch nor shrink as much as the rest of our body does. Therefore I say, these areas would be perfect for tattoo placement; and they'd be easier to conceal.

So, when considering about getting a tattoo, it's not just about the right size and design. Location matters. Consider what career you're going to be getting into after college, or how it would look like when you're old and wrinkly. You can't just easily erase them when you find out later you put them in the wrong place. To save you a lot of trouble later, make sure you got everything covered.