1. Names

A tattoo of your boyfriend’s name may seem romantic at the time, but it tops the list of tattoos to avoid. Never tattoo the name of a love interest on your body. I know, I know, you two will be together forever. Hopefully, that will be the case, especially if you have his name tattooed on your chest. Personally, I wouldn’t tattoo my kid’s name on my body, either, because she’d die of embarrassment. However, a child’s name is more acceptable than a boyfriend’s name.

2. Hands, Face and Neck

You are 22, footloose and fancy-free. During Spring Break, what if one of your girlfriends concocted the idea that you should all have matching tattoos on your hands? Before you head to the tattoo parlor, you need a reality check. There is a strong possibility that you will someday have an employer that discourages visible tattoos. A visible tattoo, no matter how benign it may seem today, could cause you to miss out on the career opportunity of a lifetime. Is it really worth it?

3. Tramp Stamp

A tattoo on the lower back (a.k.a. tramp stamp) looks hot during bikini season. I won’t debate that point. However, how will that tattoo look in about 20 or 30 years? I really don’t mean to be a buzz kill, but age does funny things to our bodies. While a tramp stamp may look great today, it will probably end up looking silly later on.

4. Pop Culture

Tattooing a pop culture reference, like a popular movie, video game or TV show, is unwise. I realize you may be a Walking Dead fan who has watched every episode ten times. Forget the zombie tattoo idea. Just because you like it today, you may not like it 5, 10 or 15 years from now. Pop culture tattoos become dated very quickly.

5. Foreign Symbols

Before going under the needle, are you sure that is the Chinese symbol for “tiger”? Unless you fluently speak the language, avoid foreign symbol tattoos. Imagine finding out your Gaelic symbol tattoo for “courage” really means something completely different. It doesn’t matter if the tattoo guy told you the meaning. A tattoo of a foreign word or symbol is far too risky.

6. Anything on a Whim

If you enter the tattoo parlor with only a vague idea of the tattoo you want, turn around and walk back out. You are not ready for this tattoo. Never pick a random picture from the tattoo book because you’re impatient. Do yourself a favor and think about it first. Describe your ideas to a tattoo artist, who will sketch the rough draft for you. This is a lifelong decision that should not be made on a whim.

7. Drug References

If you get pulled over for speeding, do you really want the officer to walk up to your car and notice the 420 tattoo on your bicep? You may be the most responsible person you know, but unfortunately, we live in a world where first impressions count. A drug reference tattoo is a bad idea on so many levels. Even if your party days are long behind you, a drug tattoo will do more harm than good. Just avoid it.

Tattoos can be fantastic works of art on your body, if they are well-planned. Even a simple tattoo can have great meaning when you put some thought into it beforehand. What are some other types of tattoos that you should avoid?