Thinking of getting myself one soon - potentially rhinos related.

Anybody got any sport related? Any regrets? Show em off!

I would recommend you put some serious thought into exactly what you want and go for something unique. Make a note of it and then leave it for a year. If in a year's time it still sounds like a good idea, get it done.

A really, really good piece of advice.

I spent years mulling – then had a supposedly 'temp' one that was intended to last about six years. Half had faded in three months, but it gave me the chance to see that I liked having a tat. I then had it redone – properly.

Sixteen years later, I finally got around to having a really serious piece of work done: it's on an upper arm, so I can hide it or not; this is actually worth considering too. This was a really good studio and I worked with the artists to come up with a unique design.

It's not sports related – I'm convinced I'll jinx any team I support if I have a club tat: perhaps I should have a Man U one, then?

The first one has worn badly – it was always a mess, really, done cheaply etc – so I'm now exploring cover-ups, plus one or two other ideas. But from purely personal experience, I'm glad that I took the time and made sure I got something that really works for me.

Taking your time gives you the opportunity to have a serious look at tattoos people have had done on the same theme – and even to ask any friends who are artistic if they have any ideas.

Whatever you decide to do, don't opt for cheap – a good tattoo can cost hundreds, but you have to live with it, so it's worth it. Consider it as a piece of artwork on your skin: do you want a Rembrandt or your local graffiti artist?

Check the work a studio does and, indeed, what work an individual artist does. Not every tattoo artist will be best suited for every subject. Make absolutely sure that a studio is licensed by the council – this helps ensure basic hygiene such as clean needles for each customer.

Get some magazines on the subject, check the internet – and look at styles as well as subjects.

And if you decide to go ahead – then enjoy the experience as well as as the result (drink a sugary drink before a session – it does help ).

Quote: WIZEB "I had 8 pint of Stella. Does that count?'" Here's the one I mentioned. This is designed by me and the artist Nick Skunx (who has tattooed Joey Barton, Chelsea Clinton and others) and was actually done by him. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater It's Huginn and Muminn – Odin's ravens – and the design above them is a symbol for Odin, being three interlocked drinking horns. I am currently planning more work – particularly cover-up stuff. So if you want any ideas/advice. please contact.

Quote: WIZEB "I had 8 pint of Stella. Does that count?'" Here's the one I mentioned. This is designed by me and the artist Nick Skunx (who has tattooed Joey Barton, Chelsea Clinton and others) and was actually done by him. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater It's Huginn and Muminn – Odin's ravens – and the design above them is a symbol for Odin, being three interlocked drinking horns. I am currently planning more work – particularly cover-up stuff. So if you want any ideas/advice. please contact.

Funny enough on holiday in Cornwall last week I was thinking about tattoos down at the swimming pool (it was amongst my less misanthropic thoughts). Partly due to how prevalent they are these days amongst both men and women, but particularly due to the number of heavily tattooed women with the sort of random ink that would once have been associated with crusty old sailors (think Amy Winehouse). I can actually appreciate the art in some well considered and highly personal examples, but some are more like 'body graffiti' than 'body art', and some appeared to have no more thought than the sticky on ones my kids like. Then of course there were the old smudgy ones, like a faded Tweety Pie that might have looked cute on an eighteen year old but looks a bit sad on a forty something. A friend of my wife has spent a fair bit having one removed quite recently, having a random cartoon dayglow fish on her arm obviously seemed cool twenty odd years ago, but now she's a head teacher and had to keep it covered if she wanted to convey gravitas and authority. Now, what people want to do with their bodies is their business not mine, but such permanent body modifications do say a lot about the person making them, so it's probably well worth following Minty's advice and putting some real thought into how it will work for you, rather than just going for something random, generic or something that's en vogue now but might date quite badly later.

Totally agree with this. Whenever I wanted a tattoo I always asked my self "Would I still want it in 10 Years?" If the answer was anything but a definite yes then I wouldn't get it. This has also led me to being in my forties and not a having a single tattoo.

That's my thoughts on it too.

With tattoo's, you either get something personal & considered like Mintball speaks about, or something that's fashionable at the time.

My mate about 12 years ago went for the latter. A huge tribal design down one arm, shoulder and chest, when tribal/celtic designs were all the rage. Looks dreadful now. I remember lot's of girls getting the "deer antlers" at the bottom of their backs too.

These days its "sleeves", which I reckon in 5-10 years will look pretty naff too.

Tattoos used to be a symbol of individuality and personal expression; they seem to have been appropriated by the mainstream now, to the extent that not having any is more of a symbol of individuality and free thinking expressionism than the ubiqutous sleeve or sailor tats.

I'm not especially ar$ed, and I certainly don't favour curtailing people's right to do what they like with their own body, but I can't help thinking that the 18-25 year olds who are covered in ink now as a fashion statement, will have some serious buyer's remorse when they enter the grown up world and want/need to be taken seriously.

Fashions change and a lot of the tattoos I see on young'uns these days are purely fashion statements. Will those full sleeves down both arms or the retro sailor look still look good in 10 years time, especially if they decide they no longer want to work in a barbers shop or be an expressive creative?

I mulled over a tattoo about 12 years ago and did pretty much the same as what Orrell Lad advises. It took me quite a while to decide what I wanted but when I was set on it I gave it a year of thought and decided I'd made the right decision by not getting it done. Now I look back and thank my lucky stars I didn't go through with it, I'd have looked a right wally!

Going back to the OP. Rhinos related? What if they drop the Rhinos moniker in a few years time? It's just happened with Wakefield and I've seen loads of the (now) old Wildcats logo tats at games over the years.

That's kind of my point; as a child of the 80's, I have made some truly horrendous fashion statements, particularly during my new romantic phase. Thankfully, I'm not stuck with the eyeshadow and enormous hair for life - which seems to be the fate of those who choose tattoos as a fashion statement.

Tattoos... yuk!
A tattoo is tat too.

I was going to get a tattoo for my birthday but i don't think the neighbours would appreciate bagpipes