Face Tattoos, Pro and Con

Tattoos, including facial tattoos are common and traditional among Pacific Islanders. But they're not just randomly chosen designs, they all have significance in that person's life and all have different meanings.

They represent their family, their particular Pacific island, their status in society, marital status and so on.

My former employer's brother has his face covered with a blue tattoo in a design that presumably means something to him. But it just looks like a mess and it's very difficult to talk to him without feeling like you're staring at this swirling mass of blue.

I think that for him it's a mask. I have no idea why he would feel that he needs one, but it's extremely difficult to read anything in his facial expressions and he gives away nothing of what he's thinking.

I was thinking more along the lines of people in the United States....the tattoos that are just a hot mess all over their necks and faces in a jumble of styles trendy du jour. It seems that many of the tattoos are supposed to be a little threatening, but then quickly begin to look dated and a little dorky.

But that's me, I don't think the colors look very compelling on skin. I'm wondering how painful it would be if you changed your mind and wanted them removed. (I'm not a big fan of pain)

Obviously Pacific Islanders are a separate case, it’s a cultural issue, facial tattoos in the West are something different.

It’s become a lot more socially acceptable but I don’t like them. Back in the 80s it meant taking a hard stance against society in general, joining some outlaw group, criminal or politically extreme.

I saw a routine by a stand up comic talking about some of the facially tattooed people he knew. They complained about immigrants taking their jobs, because all top jobs are held by people who have all coppers are bastards tattooed on their foreheads.

They had Union jacks and swastikas on their faces and it looked like the opening credits of Dad’s Army.

Having said that it is more acceptable today, I’ve seen young ladies with stars on their necks and the like.

Maybe I’m just a bit too old.

I guess I'm too old, too. When I was a kid back in the fifties, it was almost impossible to find someone who would put tattoos on a person's hands - to say nothing of the face.

Pros - hides ugliness; hides pimples or pox marks; or I have heard of getting tattoos to replace having to put on make up - like eyeliner - bonus it won't run when you cry or sweat

Cons - hard to change - always have the same look; wonder how bad certain tattoos look as your face droops and you get wrinkles - may be difficult to tell what it is

Dara O’Briain does a piece of standup about dealing with a child who wants a tattoo. His main argument was, “look at your mother’s arse, look at the state of that tattoo, twenty years on.”

I wonder if any tattoo artists are talented enough to predict how the skin will shag after a number of years and creative enough so that when your skin sags you just get a different look to your tattoo - like some of those images that when you tilt it a certain way it looks different or when you fold a paper the imagine changes to something else.

I’m sure some are very talented, others not so much.

To answer your initial question, I. cannot fathom why people do it. The facial area has a lot nerve endings so to engrave any area there would involve a lot of pain. Assuming someone is not drunk or a masochist, I see no worthwhile reason to endure that torture. Those who have exhibitionist tendencies have plenty of other avenues for expression that may not involve pain.

All that being said, my thought is that trends change and having something that appeals to an individual now should understand that later on when your “older and more mature” it won’t be so cool. Then if there’s removal, it is likely to be a problem and fairly expensive.

Call me an old fart but I can’t see having a doodle or comic strip written all over my face. It’s distracting enough on its own.

When I was a kid there was a real life crime series called Police 5, (I think, I’m going on memory here,) which used to give details of people the police were after.

The amount of armed robberies that involved someone with a tattoo was huge. I remember thinking whoever that was they must be regretting the tattoo now.

That’s the main reason I never had one, just in case I needed to commit some crimes.

What a coincidence! That's why I don't have tattoos. Never know when a good crime spree could beckon you.