Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hi,
Trying so hard to be male years ago, I went through stages like building motorcycles and joining a gun club. During one of those stages I got tattoos on both shoulders. They're not offensive at all, but I just don't like them. They're just not pretty. And now I don't wear sleeveless tops out because I'm self-conscious. Wish I hadn't done it!

Is anyone else in the same situation?

Hugs,
Kim

I have a tatoo on my shoulder of a burning monk, one on my calf of a beautiful dragon, I have a banner across my shoulders and a spider on my fore arm.
While I think they can be considered masculine, they reflect my inner spirit which I believe transcends gender.

At first I wanted to eliminate them, but instead I will just add to them to give them a feminine flair.
Plenty of girls have tatoos, so Im not too concerned.  the good thing is none are colored in.

http://www.inkedmag.com/promotions/inkedgirl/gallery/ (http://www.inkedmag.com/promotions/inkedgirl/gallery/)

I know just how you feel. I too went through the 'I'm a macho man' stage and got two tatts. Both are pretty masculine, but there's really nothing I can do now. Removal just doesn't work that well to make it worth the effort.

Too be honest they don't look too masculine just... Slutty :-\... Not that that makes me feel that much better.

I've heard that those mineral make ups like thin lizzy or sheer cover when used enough actually cover up well; although I have no personal experience.

I understand, from a number of notable sources, that the only really effective way is to get tatooed over them. Either to alter their appearance, or, sometimes, a good artist can tatoo something that doesn't look so much like a tatoo.

Something I've never done, personally.

Hi,
My tats are a Celtic knot on one shoulder - not too macho really, Chinese characters on my shoulder (private), and a rose on the right side of my right calf which I've dedicated to the memory of my daughter.

The Chinese characters are the ones I'd really like to get rid of. Maybe I'll have it covered up but I don't want to make another permanent mistake.

Oh well - act in haste & repent in leisure.

Hugs,
Kim

I have a green, red and yellow dragon wrapped around a swords that starts from the top of my left shoulder to the bend in my elbow. Its a part of me that I love and means lots of things to me. So no, I don't regret getting it.  :)

I had a large lotus done on my shoulder, it's actually a Japanese woodblock print. I had it placed so that short sleeve shirts would cover it. The problem now is that girl short sleeves tend to be shorter and some of it is visible. Had I known at the time that I was going to transition I would have done something smaller and in a different location. At least it's kind of feminine. I don't regret getting it, just it's location.

Well, I also had my regrets about a silly self-induced arrow-through-heart tattoo on my left lower arm.
Long before transitioning (poor girly still boxed up inside) I did have an eyelift! Pretty mortifying for that "macho" guy image, hey. I asked the surgeon to remove that tattoo on my arm whilst anesthetized for the eye-lift op.
It was smallish and yes it was gone -- but now I have a zigzag scar there since donkeys years and ALWAYS be visible too. (fine white scaring even showing the suture scares and not easily covered by make-up)
I've seen laser removal marks and they looked like some well healed sort of burn scar, more white-ish then the surrounding skin.

This idea to pretty-up a tattoo if it was initially well done has really some appeal to me. It's a "picture" rather then some unattractive medical scaring blotch.

Mine still looks like I'd been caught in a barbed wire fence. Sometimes I actually used that when still in my boy-mode days as an "excuse" – all so silly.

Nothing wrong with a pretty tattoo as such, bit sluttish maybe - but then so WHAT?! Any critics can come kiss my butt, hee-hee.
Axelle

Thanks Axelle, I like that attitude about critics, or s#i+ters as I call them (thank you, Stephen King). The little rose on my calf is something I will never get rid of. It's pretty & has great meaning for me. The Chinese characters are the big regret. Maybe I will have them surgically removed after FFS - yah right, like I'll ever be able to afford FFS...
Huggs,
Kim

I have quite a bit of ink myself, and like it.  But one thing that I've been noticing recently- its common for women to be heavily inked.  At least in California.

My first tattoo was a poorly chosen peice of ink, but you know what, I still appreciate it, because it's a "symbol of that part of my life and what I learned through it" ...
sometimes, attitudes are easier to change

I like being a tattoo'd woman

Looking forward to having this more on the curve (above/between my boobs-to-be :))

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yoxi.net%2Fanitya%2Ftat.jpg&hash=466c2be1fca734c1da626b799201f063181be80a)

being very much into body mods I have alot of tattoos and stretched piercings. I was thinking that if I ever did transition how would they effect or how would I feel with them. As of right now, with no plans to transition, they would make me, in my opinon, an unattractive girl. Assuming you tattoos hold a special meaning, message, feeling, etc as mine do, even if you don't like the tattoo later on, they still represent you. They show you at a slice in time. How you felt, how you were, and in effect who you were. Now some people get random stuff with no thought so thats different of course.

If in the end you really don't like them you can laser them. I have seen varying results, mainly depending on who is doing it. It is expensive and painful.


((I hope thats readable. lol. It's late and my pain meds have me loopy  ;)))

Quote from: Beth Andrea on June 28, 2011, 12:51:20 PM
I'm about to get my first tat....butterfly with a sprig of tendril vines. On the right forearm. (Butterfly will be about 2"-2 1/2", vines will be about 7")

Definitely girlie, which is cool whether or not I transition. I'm not going to try to be all macho anymore...not that I was much anyways.

The design sounds amazing.

My childhood best friend owns a tattoo parlor and has been after me for years to finally take the plunge and get some ink.

I've always resisted, probably because I always knew about my TS feelings.

I'm not out yet. I wonder what his reaction would be if I went in and got a 'tramp stamp.' LOL.

In all seriousness, he's shown me designs of women who've gotten tattoos at the base of their back and some of his work is amazing...may be more leaning toward top of my should blades, maybe a flower motif...

A fair number of the women I worked with up until recently have tattoos. Several have them on the lower back, and one girl has quite a few tatts.  All highly qualified medical scientists, not bogans.
It should be possible for a good artist to alter most I would have thought.
Never been interested in them myself however, probably because I secretly felt it was too masculine.
Karen.

Quote from: Beth Andrea on July 04, 2011, 03:47:57 AM
Here's my drawing for what I want:


(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1186.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fz368%2Fhazel_eyes1911%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2FDSC00392.jpg&hash=e6cb09646a019878b17057dbcb67c1e4e1eea183)

I figure it'll work with either gender.

Wow. Gorgeous!!!

IMO I'm not sure if it's really neutral-gender wise though. To me that image conveys serenity, peacefulness, feminitity. 

I can't recall seeing many guys who walking around with a butterfly tattoo - but that's not to say it couldn't be done!

I don't regret my tats (Bat signal left shoulder and German eagle Celtic knot and Hawaiian hibiscus flower on right arm (my heritage)), now I just have to be a little creative to give them a feminine twist ;)

Quote from: Kim 526 on June 26, 2011, 06:40:22 AM
Hi,
Trying so hard to be male years ago, I went through stages like building motorcycles and joining a gun club. During one of those stages I got tattoos on both shoulders. They're not offensive at all, but I just don't like them. They're just not pretty. And now I don't wear sleeveless tops out because I'm self-conscious. Wish I hadn't done it!

Is anyone else in the same situation?

Hugs,
Kim

No. I've never liked Tattoo's personally. I never tried to be anything I wasn't and had no urge to try and be macho. I always wanted to look fem. But tattoos are not related to gender.  Both genders have tattoos done!

I saw this very pretty young blonde girl today, she must only have been about 18 or 19 and she had a lot of Tattoos all over her body. She even had a climbing one on her neck. Why?

WARNING: Rant imminent.

I'm sorry about this but I have to let this out.

I just get irritated by people who look at my tattoo and say, " shame about the tattoo" (My Mum actually said that in an email right after saying I'm starting to look like a girl) or anything like that. I know a lot of girls with tattoo's, some of them are way more colorful and bigger than mine.  If I had a problem with my tattoo, I'd never have gotten it done. I have a F@#$*@# up left leg too, did you notice that? I dont see a "ooh, shame about the leg." No, its all on my green and yellow dragon.  I'm keeping my dragon and I dont care what some people here think about it making me look a little more masculine. At least its not some homemade scribble or some nude bimbo with a gun.

Okay, I'm done.

If you don't want public comments about your tats, put them in a private location.  Public stuff can be commentated on publicly by the public.

My gf has a big dragon tattoo, and she's a GG. So nothing says that we can't have them (though I personally don't want any).

My only experience with tattoo's would be the removeable ones.  Wear them for a week or so, then wash them off :)

Meh. Theyre just jealous they couldn't take the pain. :p
Joking aside, I don't mind the comments about my tattoo. In fact it generally does get lots of attention. But if your comment is along the lines of ' that tattoo will just out you as a male, you'll never pass with a tattoo like that, etc. ' then you'll probably be be dealing with my inner Bitch. Unless your tattoo says 'I am really a dude! Surprise!!' then I don't think it matters what you have.

I personally don't like tattoos, so I don't have them. If people want them fine.


I do get concerned by young people (define young?) getting 'silly' tattoos that they will live with for ever. I leave myself open for what age is young and what is 'silly'.

But I see girls with sailor moon tats on their legs etc and they are 14-18 ( who else knows anything about sailor moon? I don't). I know I'm an old fuddy duddy but this should not have happened. They have silly disfiguring  tattoos from a child hood fantasy.

As in any walk of life there are extremes. I get totally pissed off with the granny state mentality. We should try and stop people from making mistakes, but don't sue me if they do.

I'll stop, I'll get angry.

Cindy

Quote from: Cindy James on July 08, 2011, 05:01:53 AM

But I see girls with sailor moon tats on their legs etc and they are 14-18 ( who else knows anything about sailor moon? I don't). 

LOL! Actually I know quite a bit about Sailor Moon. My wife is a huge fan ^_^

And in 30 years?
:-*Cindy

my Dragon will be old and wrinkly.  And Sailor Moon will still be around. ^_^

Whatever floats people's boats, as it were.

One thing that would concern me about getting a tattoo is getting lettering in a different language, like some do. Especially if the tattoo artist was a bit of a smartass.

You're talking to your Japanese friend, show them your pride and joy, and get:

"What? That doesn't say 'Body mind and soul as one for now and always', it says 'Another idiot came in wanting the cool looking letters so I gave them this'"

Quote from: Sephirah on July 08, 2011, 05:25:51 AM
Whatever floats people's boats, as it were.

One thing that would concern me about getting a tattoo is getting lettering in a different language, like some do. Especially if the tattoo artist was a bit of a smartass.

You're talking to your Japanese friend, show them your pride and joy, and get:

"What? That doesn't say 'Body mind and soul as one for now and always', it says 'Another idiot came in wanting the cool looking letters so I gave them this'"

I'm going to leave this thread after this post, but I do remember a Japanese Post Doc coming into my lab and mentioning to a 6' 7" ice hockey player that he was surprised that he wore gryphics saying he was cute and feminine. He wasn't and isn't but still is.

Cindy.

I really don't care.

Japanese and Chinese calligraphy can be very beautiful but not even being able to read it seems kind of pointless. I won't tattoo words on my body because it won't be as meaningful later on. That "keep on truckin" tattoo just doesn't seem as cool today.

I thought long and hard before getting my tattoo. What would I have gotten  10 or 20 years ago? Would I want that tattoo today? What I settled on (the lotus) was pretty, had meaning for me as a buddhist and was a reminder of my trip to Japan. It even gives me an interesting story to tell. I'm not sure that anything will ever be so important in the future that I'll want it tattooed on my body again.

Well, maybe that sailor moon one I have my eye on. ;)

Quote from: tekla on July 05, 2011, 11:19:58 AM
If you don't want public comments about your tats, put them in a private location.  Public stuff can be commentated on publicly by the public.

Quote from: Beth Andrea on July 05, 2011, 11:34:08 AM
Or...if someone does make snide comments about the tat (or your alleged background), feel free to make snide comments about them, and their upbringing...

I seem to recall learning early on (like in kindergarten) "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." People who make judgmental comments based on nothing but a spot of ink on a person (or anything else) really need to be bitch slapped into next week...

Beth those people think wearing SF garb at an SF convention makes them accepting of diversity.  They wouldn't say boo to a goose in real life unless they could get away with it,  I have a full forearm tatoo of a dragon and it makes me no less of a woman far far from it, it does not make me look cheap or common, I used to think those thoughts in male mode, in male mode old people always say hello too me :) I did have those same  doubts about how transitioning to female would be, now gone after this thank you :)  A tattoo on my forearm of someone who knows they are just like everyone else and knows we all come in an infinite variety, a piece of ink is just that nothing more :)

I have a unicorn on my left ankle, a perched parrot on my right ankle, a barbed wire arm band on my left arm, a tribal red/black with eyes crying as a tramp stamp and my latest, a purple hibiscus on top of my right foot.....oh yeah, permanent eyeliner that was tattood......dont regret any of em as all are rather feminine

I am going to get one on my left shoulder.

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi397.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fpp59%2FJanet_Lynn_54%2FPentagram-1.jpg&hash=e7a9a6c7846fa5d9fab858116b78ca811a4e811b)

Just to let you know that i see that girl Kat the tattooist brought out or is sponsoring a special tattoo concealer i think if you just Google Her you can find it. All i am saying if you dont like them there are beauty products made to hide them so its not the end of the world for your and that sleeveless dress or anything you wanted that has the area of your tattoo showing. I personally almost got a dragon down my spin i thought nothing as "manly" as dragoon but i gladly never did get it but i still am gonna get a Sakura branch down my hip when i find a tattooist i trust enough but i will wait a few years anyways.

Well I just had my 5th tattoo done today and booked in for my 6th in just over a month.

I'm in a totally different position. I avoided getting a tattoo until transition. It felt like hanging art in someone else's house. But now I am itching to get one really badly.