Tattoos and piercings as gender affirmation?

[SandraG]

Hey, all! Not quite sure where this fit in best, so if it should be somewhere else, feel free to move it!

 

I've been thinking a lot recently about getting another tattoo or two, and how much my options have changed since the last time I seriously sat down and thought about getting one. (Yet another instance of the girls getting the cooler stuff than the boys! ) It got me thinking about how affirmational getting a tattoo could be for a lot of trans* people, and how it can also be used cosmetically to emphasize/diminish morphology differences... lots of different things. Personally, I've always wanted a sleeve, but I know I'm going to want to wait on that until HRT does its' work. I'm trying to figure out what I want in the meantime... somewhere that won't get TOO distorted when things start moving around, not TOO small, but cute and fun.

 

This is also true of piercings, of course. I've been thinking hard about getting my belly button done: it's hidden by default (important for me at this point), but is something fun, sexy, and girly that I can feel, and know is there - even if I'm not ready to go out dressed yet, it's there to help remind me that I'm making progress. Once I am out, though... all the different options! It really helps that my wife loves tattoos on her partner, she's really into the idea!

 

Has anyone gotten any tattoos or piercings during their transition? Did it help you in your transition? Am I sounding like the madwoman gibbering from the shadows?

 

*hugs

 

Sandra

[Dev]

No, you're not a madwoman.  (Well.  Not for this, anyway... )

 

In my case, tattoos and piercings were a celebration of no longer caring about societally enforced gender expectations.  Yeah, I waited til I transitioned to get them, but still.  All I had pierced were my ears, but my tattoos are colorful in ways that aren't at all male.  (I have a semicolon with a watercolor rainbow arrangement around it, and a purple lotus.)

 

I think with me, confidence was the thing.  Once I had the confidence to get them done, I obviously had the confidence to wear them without worrying about what image I was presenting.  And as a result, I've gotten nothing but compliments on both of them.

[jae bear]

Oh my gosh, I had no idea the two of you were so brave, I think I’m way too much of a chicken to get a tattoo, I would not know where to put it or what to get but they sure sound like fun. My wife was trying to get me to pierce my ears at the mall last week, I don’t even think I’m ready for that, I might consider it seriously once I’m out publicly but until then the chicken remains in femme boy mode. Oh, and Sandra, you’re not a mad woman gibbering from the shadows, that’s my job!?

Hugs,

Jae

[SandraG]

2 hours ago, Dev said:

In my case, tattoos and piercings were a celebration of no longer caring about societally enforced gender expectations.

That's a good chunk of it for me, too! I'm glad that I don't have that much done yet, but the one I have (on most of my left shoulderblade) needs a bit of a touch-up. I'm thinking about getting something on my back and side to balance that out, but I haven't decided what, yet - just not a tramp stamp! It would allow me to be able to keep it hidden, as well, if I decide to do it before my coming out. I do have one side already taken from a branding (of a phoenix, I jumped the gun there a bit, I'd say!), but there's so much empty skin, and now I can put pretty stuff on there!!!  SQUEE!!! 

 

56 minutes ago, jae bear said:

I think I’m way too much of a chicken to get a tattoo

 

Yeah, that's what you think at first, but... be careful, they can be addicting! 

 

57 minutes ago, jae bear said:

My wife was trying to get me to pierce my ears at the mall last week

 

Don't get your ears done at the mall. Even if you're doing standard ear piercings, I'd still say go to an actual piercing studio, that has their own autoclave, etc. The piercing machines they use in the mall DESTROY your ears. A needle, and a good set of earrings for healing, make a WORLD of difference. Plus, it's usually easy to find an LGBT friendly piercing shop around!

I'm thinking that the next time I go back home I'm going to get my ears done. They're small, but I love plugs and tunnels, so I'm going to figure out how to make this happen! Another of my post-coming-out things is going to get the same artist that did my branding to do the rest of my ears for me... he does beautiful work. http://www.evolutionpiercing.com/photos/

[Rachael]

Please go to a good piercing studio. Needles let things heal much better. 

I have had my navel pierced it migrated and I had to take it out. It was nice but clothes did catch. I also had my nipples pierced. I still miss those had to take them out for a medical procedure and couldn’t get them back in. I had my ears periced about a year ago. I really like that I can change colors, dangles, and the like. Easier to change than the others. You can put in small ones for male mode and not be as noticeable. 

[SandraG]

11 hours ago, Rachael said:

it migrated and I had to take it out

 

I hate it when that happens...  I had that happen with my bridge piercing... it was really sad, because I was hoping to get a set of these: http://geekologie.com/2009/05/pfft-who-needs-ears-pierced-gl.php

 

11 hours ago, Rachael said:

Easier to change than the others. You can put in small ones for male mode and not be as noticeable. 

 

I've always wanted plugs/tunnels, so I'm lucky that I can swap them out (most of the time, and when not I can get suitably androgynous ones!). 

[Guest Rachel Gia]

I think people have more opinions about tattoos than piercings.

 

Milleniels are less into tats than their parents were but I don't think either are gender specific.

[Kirsten]

I actually wish that I could get rid of most of my tattoos. I used piercings and tattoos in the past to compensate for feeling like less than I was. I used to do a lot of things I guess for that. Piercings are fun and other than your ears I think do a lot for me to feel more feminine. I’ve had 9 holes myself. Down to 3 now. Tattoos I see as neither I guess. But I do know that 8 years later I hate the Buddha tattoo on my lower back. Lol. Yep. Silly things we do. Lol. ?

[Jani]

In the old days they would cut them out and do skin graphs from other areas.  My dad had two removed back in the 60's.  Now I understand they use laser to wash them out.  

 

Jani

[SandraG]

4 hours ago, Kirsten said:

I actually wish that I could get rid of most of my tattoos.

I don't regret my tattoo, or my three brands, but I do regret the facial scalpelling (looking back, it's one of those decisions that may have been an indicator!!) . Unfortunately, that's not laserable away, and if they've got to go in surgically it may make certain FFS procedures more attractive (after all, if you're there already...). I know a couple people that have had laser removal done, and they were satisfied with the results... although IIRC sometimes you can barely see the darkest parts still if you look closely.

 

8 hours ago, Rachel Gia said:

I don't think either are gender specific

 

There's definitely some, IMO, but a lot has to do with placement and the relative size of either the tattoo or the lines in the tattoo. I'm looking forward to floral and nature patterns that would definitely threaten most American male's masculinity! 
 

[Rachael]

I forgot toe rings I have six. Toe rings would only be visible while wearing open toe shoes and sandals.i have worn ankle bracelets the ones I liked broke and lost parts. I liked them some are sharp when worn in socks but lots of fun.

[tracy_j]

Tattoos seem to be one of the main things which make me feel my age. When I was little, women locally would never ever contemplate a tattoo. It signified a tart at the very least! I remember some elderly male relatives having tattoos. They looked dingy on their aged wrinkled skin. I am not against them in general, but would not recommend them and not have one myself.

 

I personally don't go in for piercings either. Ears would be Ok, but I don't wear earrings often enough to make it useful.

 

I am probably very old fashioned, but I grew up in an earlier age and social circle.

 

Tracy

[Jamie james]

I have had my nipples pierced and my belly button. These I did my self.  I don't have them anymore.   I do like them a lot though.    Not to much into tattooing for me      love the toe rings         

My wife does not like them on me