... take a picture, it'll last longer, or will it...?

O.K., I'm confused. You say you don't want to be judged or stared at, but it's hard for me to "not stare" or conduct business with you indifferently when you've got a "tattoo" across your forehead... I consider myself to be fairly open on the issue of one needing to express their individuality, so the two piercings in your lip, the one in your tongue, and the one through your eyebrow don't really phase me, but the fact that you're probably all of "22" is a little unnerving. See, you didn't foresee ever being older than about "22" when you sat down and let someone mark you up like "that"... and that person didn't see any farther than your "money" to have agreed to do this for you...

Now let's imagine, because we know how hard life can be... suppose you don't have that successful career as a drummer or some other musician in a rock or heavy metal band... consider that just possibly, you may not be a "people person" and you won't last as a hair stylist or apprentice in a piercing or tattoo parlor. There's a possibility that your career as a professional athlete will be short lived, due to an injury etc., forget all that, let's just suppose that next week you need to go apply for a job, ... period. You've got a "quote" from your philosophy of life on your neck, your girlfriend/ boyfriend/ child's name or a marijuana leaf behind your ear, and something from a 1970's album cover across your brow. You've decided you're a rebel, so both your arms are done in a "sleeve" but your hands and fingers tell stories that indicate maybe a little confusion at one point, (why else would we need to tattoo squirrely lines on our index finger and thumb - so that when we close the two, we have a handlebar mustache?) ... You want to be taken seriously, but put yourself in my place... I don't want to prejudge you, but "lick me, like me, love me", isn't cute to look at in the workplace. You may hide all this for a job interview, but as soon as the layers of the real you start to be pulled back, reality will set in. You may have matured and come a long way emotionally, but that ink or those stretched earlobes won't go away. People will look, and assume, and suspect. I'm sorry, but that's just a flaw in our human nature. That "I'm just expressing my individuality" won't fly with everyone. What you've done is "stopped time". Whether you realize it or not. People may give you a fair chance to prove yourself but it won't take long before their true opinions bubble to the surface. One or two articles of self-expression are probably O.K., but please think about it before you allow "th' TATT Master" to use your face as his canvas. Lasering those things off is not only expensive, but is also painful and may leave scarring. You won't be in love with "Kris" or "Kristal" forever, much as we'd like to think and believe so. And when you're "42" a cartoon character won't be so cute anymore.

Perhaps you will ultimately find yourself a "born again" Christian, and then "Big D's _ _ _" or ..."ride or die &@%$#" ... won't be anything to be proud of. Put some thought into this decision, because something that won't cost much to do, can ultimately cost you opportunity. Is it truly self-expression, or will it be self-mutilation in the long run? Self-expression is not patterning ourselves after celebrities, professional athletes or musicians. Self-expression comes from within, and if your "Canvas" is clean... it won't cloud the view others may have of the true you!"