prej·u·dice –noun 
Judging people based on their appearance is a useful sociological tool, so much so that most of the process is conducted subconsciously and automatically. It can be an accurate character-assessment short cut as people’s appearance choices are often reflections of their internally held beliefs and motivation. From hair style to clothing, the car you drive and the colour of your lipstick; your choices say a lot about you.

​Errors do occur however, when the interpretation of cues is affected by social or historical factors that are no longer relevant. (For instance, the traditional skinhead style of dress is rarely affiliated with racist beliefs in today’s scene.) The rapid rise in tattoo popularity observed over the last two decades has diluted the historical stereotype beyond recognition and a new tattoo culture has emerged. Unfortunately, many people’s viewpoints and opinions have failed to keep pace with the changes we have seen and prejudices are still commonplace. ​

Ask any pensioner about their regrets in life and you’ll get a list of things they DIDN’T do.  Yet it is uncanny how often I’m asked if I think I will regret my tattoos when I’m older. Being only forty and in the prime of my life, it is difficult to answer the question with any confidence.  So, for this series of blogs I have collected opinions about ‘wrinkly ink’ from people of all ages.