So you’re looking to try something new, but don’t know what to go for. A small voice in the mind tells you to shave your head, but it’s dwarfed by the sensible conscience which shouts, “don’t be ridiculous!” For years, the attraction to the tattoo, piercing, silver shoes and shaven head remain, nibbling away at your fun side. Every time you see someone with the thing you desire, you bite your upper lip in defiance, believing that you’d only regret it.

And then suddenly you find yourself on your deathbed, looking back at your life and all the things you never did. You’ll turn to your son, and whisper in his ear your last words of wisdom, “my boy, get the tattoo.”

OK, so maybe those won’t be your last words, but the fact remains that life is too short to be hampered by these fears. If you want something, go out and do it because if it doesn’t work, you can start again. Tattoos can be removed (even colored ones now), piercings heal over, shoes can be returned and hair grows back. Give yourself that wild side and do what you’ve always wanted, be the man you were born to be.

Piercing

This is probably the second thing most people fear the most when it comes body art, after tattoos. Yet, as I experienced with my eyebrow piercing, it really isn’t a big deal. At first, you fear it. What if it doesn’t suit you, will you get ridiculed, or worse, will you get an infection? Even if it does go OK, what would your poor mother say? Well, let me tell you my story…

My parents hate piercings. When my older brother got one (or was it three?), they went ballistic, fights galore. Yet since being a young teenager, I’ve constantly been told I would suit one. Occasionally I wore a fake piercing bought from a girls fashion accessory store just to see what people would say. My best friend got a tongue piercing and people loved it. So all things (bar parents) were on the up. Except my fear.

I knew a few that got infections, and I really didn’t want a scar. Nevertheless, I waited until school had finished, and then I sent a text to my girl friend saying, “I’ve got a surprise for you”. I then went to the tattoo and piercing shop, paid £30 for my eyebrow to have a metal bar to be put through, and sat on a bench waiting for her reaction as she walked down the street to meet me.

Let me tell you now, that there is no pain. It feels the same as if you squeeze your thumb hard for about 5 seconds. My girl friend was shocked but happy and found it quite sexy from what I can remember. I religiously cleaned it with the special fluid they gave me, but then disaster struck. A week later, I got a Movie Extra role that required me to take it out. So it was gone, and it’s never come back. The hole was gone after about 3 days, and within a week there was no sign as to any piercing at all.

Ear Piercing

If you’re thinking about getting an ear piercing, make sure you do your cultural homework and see which ear is known as the queer ear. It may be the case that in your society, having a piercing in the lobe of the ear has a worse perception than at the top of your ear. Only start with one, experiment with different kinds (studs, bars, loops) to see which suits you best, and ask your friends, (not family) and randoms what they think.

Tongue Piercing

This tends to be the only piercing that both guys and girls find attractive in the opposite sex. It shows a sexual side to your personality because it’s one of the only piercings that actually have a use. Your tongue will be swollen for quite some time (anywhere between 24 hours and 4 days), and you’ll only be able to eat liquids.

It’s not one you can hide from your parents for long, as they’ll begin to wonder why you’ve suddenly acquired a lisp, as well as your recent fascination with soup. If you want the swelling to decrease faster, keep a cube of ice in your mouth every so often. Generally, tongue piercings are the least to get infected because your mouth is generally very clean.

Again, experiment with different kinds, especially colours as you’ll be picking up interest fast. And once the swelling has gone, make sure you put it to good use.

Tattoos

Calvin Wallace is famously known on the forum for getting a huge tattoo of angel wings across his upper body. A daring move that gave him a breathe of life. Most fear tattoos because of the lack of ways to remove them later on in life. Body piercings can be physically removed, but tattoos become a part of you. When you’re old and wrinkly, do you really want a tattoo?

Well, that fear can now be lifted as new inventions are constantly adding to the successful treatment list of ways tattoos can be removed. As this Ultrasonic Tattoo Eraser invention shows, even colored tattoos can now be removed without scarring. But, if you want to experiment, stick with black, and stick with small.

Tribal Tattoo

There is something about a black tribal tattoo on a girl that is very appealing. After asking for some female opinions, it turns out the same applies for men. Tattoos for men are found most attractive on the top of the arm, back of the neck, and on the upper back. I was told that “legs are a no go! I saw a guy once in the gym with a great big tattoo on the back of his calf, it was disgusting”.

Take A Look At 500 Tattoo Designs

Small Tattoo

Depending on how small you want to go, an interesting place is on the back of your wrist, close to the pulse of your vein. This would be a great conversation starter as even when you wear long sleeves or a suit, it would occasionally appear on show.

I love Mom

Despite being a very nice gesture, tattooing a loved one’s name across your body may be deeply regretted later on in life. Imagine your honeymoon bed with your newly wed, only to be asked, “Maximus, who is Dave?” Stick to images for now, especially if it’s on a body part you can’t see, for who knows what pranks a tattoo artist might pull.

Final Tips to Remember

Most importantly, do proper research before making a final decision.  Go to the shops and inspect the locations for cleanliness and professionalism.  Explore the many artists out there and browse their portfolio work and find a style that best suits your liking.  Work with them to refine your design, they know what will work and look best.  Tip well if you expect quality work to be done and for future touch-ups.

Men’s Hair

Men’s hair grows back (until you go bald). Which is why you should experiment with your hair styles as much as possible. It’s very difficult to find something that suits you, because when you see something that looks good on some other person, it may look ridiculous on you.

Shave it off, grow it long, crew cut, mohawk, bowl cut, greased back…do it all. If you’re really serious you could do all of these within a year. Not only will it provide some entertainment for your friends, it’ll give you the appearance of a rock n’ roll lifestyle; constantly changing, constantly experimenting.

I recently shaved my hair off apart from a strip in the middle, a short version of a mohawk. The responses were mixed, and I know this isn’t for me. Currently the classic crew cut works best, but I’m now growing it long for the next 5 months to see what it’ll look like.

Wax, gel, clay, gum…

There are so many hair products out there, just see what works best for you, if any. Spike it up, straighten it down, have a comb over, do it slick back. Who cares, you’ve got all this hair, you might as well use it.

Facial Hair

Although you won’t use gel or wax, do grow a beard just to see whether you could be a Santa Claus. You may find that your facial hair is a completely different colour than your head hair. If so, you’ve just learnt something about yourself you didn’t know before.

Grow a beard, shave it off. Grow a goatee, shave it off. Long side burns, no side burns. Do it all and see what works for you, get people’s opinions, keep photos and compare. Watch people’s reactions and act accordingly.

Conclusion

Just do it. You only live once, and you know you want to. Experiment with what’s out there and see what works for you. If you like something, and you get it, you’re simply showing people your true self. It adds some excitement to your appearance and personality, gives you loads more to talk about, and gives you something in common with every other person with a similar body art piece.