TattooI’m at a coffee shop reading through the September issue of Money magazine. A quote from Coco Chanel jumps at me from the page: ‘œFashion is made to become unfashionable.’ I look up and see more than half of the patrons have some sort of tattoo — not just some little emblem, I’m talking about tattoo sleeves and enormous figures running up and down thighs and calves.

I couldn’t help but think, Uh oh.

I’ve never had a real tattoo sketched on me. I used to think they look cool until I started seeing a growing number of people who don’t pull them off very well. Personally, I see tattoos as an extension of a certain attitude or confidence, not necessarily a fashion accessory. You can tell who really wanted each and every tattoo on their body; you see the care and meaning that went into them. These are the tattoos to admire.

Then there are others who seem a bit shy or embarrassed about having a tattoo. They project a sense of uneasiness, hoping your eyes don’t focus too much attention on it. These tattoos inspired me to point the ‘œtattoo questioning’ to some resources that should help them avoid making a very expensive mistake. [Side note: I’m also bringing this up because according to the most recent Harris poll in 2003, 31% of people who get tattoos identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual.]

About.com has a comprehensive Tattoo 101 guide that tells you everything you want to know about planning, getting and caring for a tattoo. Karen Hudson’s tattoo guide for beginners (also at About.com) provides an even better resource for FAQs and points of consideration. And I mean, every kind of question of question is covered.

But before researching tattoos, really ask yourself if you’re following a trend that may be on its way ‘œout of style.’ Karen addresses the issue, saying ‘œSee, the problem with fads is that people follow them blindly with little consideration to potential consequences. Usually the worst than can happen is a red face when you look back on a picture of yourself wearing the ‘˜in’ hair and clothes of 10 years ago or more. How many times have you looked back on one of the memoirs and thought, ‘˜how on earth did I think that was cool?’

‘œWell, the problem with tattoos, unlike banana clips and polyester suits, is that they can’t just be taken off and thrown away. They are intended to be permanent and if you really want them removed, you’re looking at a lot of money and a lot of pain in order to do it.’¦ Body art is not intended to be fashionable or trendy. Those that treat it as such are the ones who end up regretting it later.’

According to the Boston Globe, tattoo removal is ‘œpart of a $1 billion annual market for cosmetic procedures involving lasers.’ Makes sense considering that removing a tattoo costs anywhere from $1000 to $7000 depending on size of the tattoo.

In most cases, getting a tattoo costs less than getting it removed. Every respectable tattoo artist will tell you exactly what Karen says: you get what you pay for, so don’t bargain hunt when you’re shopping for art that will be on your body for the rest of your life. What I’m saying is, expect to pay a lot for a good tattoo: Expect to pay a lot more for regretting the tattoo, just as the Boston Globe points out with this story:

‘œMatt Hough, a 29-year-old surfer-skater with thick-lined, brightly colored inkwork of flaming stars, a demon, the grim reaper, and others across his body, paid about $200 for an artist to shade around a half-dozen tattoos, including a thorny flower with a skull in the center and an image of the Virgin of Guadeloupe, on his left arm. Then he laid out $1,000 to have the shading removed when he didn’t like the effect.’

That tattoo shading gave a -600% ROI! Think before you ink folks!