h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Liked your article, now seeking your wisdom...
I have 5 ear piercings, a nose stud and a navel ring. These are all the piercings I want. However, I would really like a tattoo: on my upper arm, a black line drawing (mediaeval woodcut of a female mandrake plant- this is something pretty personal, interesting and looks good- plus, no one else will have it).
The problem is... my boyfriend would really dislike it. Usually I don't care what people think, but this is obviously someone I'd rather not offend. His reasons are:
It's permanent, and if I changed my mind I'd wouldn't have a pot to p**s in;
It would 'spoil' me (whatever that means...) and look awful.
He wasn't pleased when I announced my navel piercing, but says he doesn't mind as that's reversible. I already do henna and other body painting, but the problem appears to be psychological, in that I wouldn't be easily rid of it.
So... how do I get round this one? I've wanted this design for about 3 years, and I'm fairly sure that I know my own mind. I doubt I'll have any major personality changes that will cause me to loathe it; on the contrary, I'd probably go even more 'individual'.
Any ideas?
(Oh and also- could you include any other types of body modification, such as scarification, sculpting (body building and the like) and my personal field of expertise- altering shape with corsets. Not as mainstream, but still interesting.)

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If your boyfriend is so against your plans, not even liking your piercings, then I do wonder what you are doing together. Not knowing anything about the relationship it's hard to comment, but if you really want this tattoo then I'd say go for it. Piercings do leave a scar sometimes, so also permanent in their own way. If he thinks it would 'spoil' you it makes me think he sees you as something perfect, and that's not a good thing in a relationship anyway. If he thinks you will change your mind, and you are sure you won't, then he doesn't know you very well. How long have you been together?

Saying all this, I got my tattoos and percings when I was single, so I had no one to wory about. Luckily my current bloke is happy for me to do what I want, but if he wasn't I'd still do it. I've only got one body, there are men all over the place.

The thing is, now I've got the piercing he doesn't object to it. (He doesn't think it 'improves' me any, but doesn't see it as an unpleasantry either.) And there's the idea that if I really hated it I could just take it out- scars apart, it'd be gone.
I've said on several occasions that I've wanted a tattoo since before I was with him, and still intend to get one. I do intend to do what I want, not be dictated to by other's objections, but I also try to fit my ideas into a compromise.
This will sound syrupy but we normally do agree on things. We discuss, but it gets evened out eventually. We've been together for 2 and 1/2 years; everything's been good so far.
Whenever I bring the subject up (frequently- the power of persistance) I state clearly that I'm going to get one anyway, I just want him to get accustomed to the idea first. He says his main objection is that I might change my mind; although he does know me well, I can see why this would be a worry.
It's not that I'm arguing for him to give me permission, I just want him convinced it's not going to be all that bad.