A favourite thing: Sin on Skin (Body Tattoos in general)

Member Name: michaird

Product:	Body Tattoos in general
Date:	13/07/02 (1539 review reads)
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"Jill Murphy asked me to write about one of my favourite things to help her celebrate her fourth anniversary of cancer-free living and to remind ourselves of all the nice things in the world. It takes more muscles to make a frown than a smile you know. If you'd like to join in, whether you've only just joined dooyoo, or you've been here ages, you're more than welcome. Just write about one of YOUR favourite things, make your title "A Favourite Thing: [your choice]"

I don't remember how old I was when I first saw, or rather took notice of, a tattoo. I was very young maybe eight or nine, the design was a female face with cascades of black flowing hair which, if you looked closely enough, had faces etched out in the swirls of hair. I clearly remember thinking two things: 1 - when he dies this thing dies with him and 2 - I want one of those.

Ever since, whenever I saw a really good tattoo show I wouldn't be able to take my eyes of it, I'm sure the people I was looking at thought I was some kind of freak or someone judging them for their choice. I decided that as soon as I was eighteen I was gonna get me one of those babies. I have to admit, I think a good tattoo is very, very sexy.

However when I did turn eighteen I knew I wasn't ready, I had neither the courage to have the tattoo done nor the confidence to wear it with pride. I decided to wait, meanwhile tattoo's are becoming decidedly vogue.

Finally, at the age of twenty I felt ready and for the anniversary of my fifth year with my boyfriend he offered to pay for my tattoo. Like the sensible guy he is, he did everything for me: found a tattooist trusted by tattooed people, went down there and asked all sorts of questions: how much does it cost? How long does it take? With it hurt, are you registered with an association? All that was left for me to do was chose the design and grit my teeth.

One the day I went down and was a
pprehensive to say the least, I had thought about what I wanted and had hit upon the idea of a dreamcatcher. A dreamcatcher is a Native American artefact which when hung over the sleeping area is meant to keep away bad dream and allow good dreams to come to you. I often have nightmares and like the idea of this.

I looked around the parlour, which was covered in designs, most of which garish and crude, I found a few cards of dreamcatchers, some of the very large and beautiful I wanted one but I think they were a little big for me. Many of the smaller ones lacked the intricate detail I wanted but one stood out from all the others and gave the sharp intake of breath I has when I first fell in love with tattoos.

A man covered in tattoos, full of holes and built like a brick shit house confronted me.

He spoke to me kindly, 'is this your first love?'
'Yes, I want that one' I say
'Its pretty big for a first time, are you sure love?'
'Uh huh'
'Okay, where do you want it?'
'Here' I point to the small of my back
Sharp intake of breath, I suddenly think I'm talking to a plumber 'Gonna hurt there love'
'Really? Where would you recommend?
'The shoulders a good place to start' He tells me with a reassuring bob of the head.

I took his advice and had the design on the back of my shoulder. It's around three inches long and one inch wide. I took around an hour to do due to the intricacies of the design.

My second tattoo I got for my twenty first birthday at Jake's tattoo parlour in china town Birmingham (very, very good place). I wanted something more daring this time, I was seriously considering the top of my leg or my stomach, but in the end decided on the back of my other shoulder.

I have always quite liked dragons, I collect pewter dragon figurines most of my art A'level was based on some kind of dragon theme.
I decided I wanted to get a dragon done. Again I looked through all the designs on the walls many of the dragon design s were either far to big or had a sort of cartoon quality which I always hate in tattoos. After looking for about half an hour I was about to give up and leave the shop when, in the corner of the room, a design caught my eye. Two dragons swirled around in a ylang ylang symbol it was highly detailed in red and blue with shading all across the dragon wings, perfectly circular about four inches in diameter.

I pointed it out to the guy on the counter who again sucked his breath in sharply 'it's pretty big' he says ' are you sure?' I tell him yes and he says he'll have to check with the tattooist, as they don't usually do such complex designs on busy days like Saturday's.

I'm in luck and the tattooist will see me but I have to wait fifteen minutes for the design for the transferred, I'm told they have a special photocopier but my design is too complex and has to be done by hand. I was led into the studio and my boyfriend went over the road to the pub, the tattoist smiles at me and tells me I have saved him from the boredom of Tasmanian devils and zodiac signs.

The tattoo took about an hour to complete, over and over again he kept saying 'this is a big tattoo love' as if I didn't know. When it was finished he leaned back and said 'that's really nice' he called his colleague in from the second studio to take a look, who brought a client with him too. They all admired my tattoo and I feel a little smug. I also feel very shaky, I dropped all my money on the floor when I went to pay but I also felt great. I wandered over to the pub where my boyfriend was and we sat in the hot summer sun and got rat-arsed.

These are my personal experiences, my choices, and the story of my tattoos. So now more of the nitty gritty of getting a tattoo.

Before you decide:

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Before you decide to take the plunge, think. I cannot stress this enough. I waited almost two years before I went through with my decision until I knew I was ready. Never get a tattoo because your friends are doing it, never get one because it's fashionable.

Decide where you want it, if you work in a job where tattoos are frowned upon then maybe your forearm isn't the best place. If you work somewhere where it doesn't matter at the moment think on, as it may not always be this way. My are both in places easily concealed and I can still wear a sleeveless top to work without anyone noticing them.

Try to be aware of how the tattoo will affect you life and the way people view you as a person. I would recommend investing in a highly quality fake tattoo to test out in a prominent place so you can assess the reaction of people around you and exactly how you feel about it.

Choosing your design.
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Think hard about it, you're going to have it for life.

Think hard about what your tattoo will mean to you and how you will feel about it when you are 80 years old and wrinkly.

You may decide on a design of your own, you may want to pick one out of the tattoists design cards. Don't be afraid to leave the parlour if you don't find one that's right for you, this is an important decision.

It is generally recommended that you avoid the names of wives, girlfriends, children etc, as we cannot tell what the future may hold. I would add cartoon characters, band names and logos to this list too.

The Tattoo Parlour
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You chosen tattoo parlour should be blatantly clean. The tattooist should hold certificates of hygiene and memberships of a legitimate tattooist's association. If these are not displayed prominently ask to see them.

It's likely the tattoo parlour will be a rather intimidating place. I am a quiet
, softly spoken person and all the people I met, whilst very nice, were quite abrupt. Be prepared for this and don't be worried. If you are very nervous let them know and ask question, they will usually be more than happy to talk you through the process before they begin.

Preparation
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Your tattooist will ask you to sit in a position which is comfortable for him to work, he will make sure you are comfortable to. Don't be afraid to say if your aren't, if you move while he's working you could spoil your design.

You will have to remove the clothing around the area your having done so ladies, aim for modesty here. Dunce that. I wore a vest both times so all I have to do was pull the straps down.

They will clean the area with surgical sprit and rub on a moisturising gel; this softens the skin and helps the needle pierce cleanly.

You design will be traced onto a transfer which will be put on your skin leaving an outline of what you are having, you will be asked if you like the design and if you like the position.
Once you are happy with this its time to begin the tattooing.

The Tattoo Gun
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I always though a tattoo gun was a little like a pen, but to my surprise it was nothing of the sort.

It is a small, primitive looking metal contraption. A needle around six inches long is attached to it with what looked to me like elastic bands (though I know hey weren't). When switched on the needle oscillates back and forth in a motion designed so it can pierce the skin and this is what makes that distinctive buzzing noise.

Your tattooist should always use a fresh needle and you should make sure that he removes it from a sealed sterile package in front of you.

Being tattooed
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First they will do the outline; this is the part that goes deepest into the skin and the bit that is the most painful. The tatooist will stop p
eriodically, partially to give you a rest and partially to check the progress of the work and give regular wipe downs with the surgical spirit (the cooling sensation of this is most welcome)

Then there is the colour work, which is not as deep and therefore not as painful.

The Pain
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The bit you really want to know about right?

Well personally whilst I found it quite uncomfortable I didn't find I particularly painful. During my second tattoo a small amount pay right on the top of my shoulder and I had to grit my teeth for a few minutes whilst this area was being done.

If I could describe it I would say it's a bit like being stabbed with a sewing needle, but with the skin growing hotter as time passes.

Pain however is down to the individual and the area being tattooed. Both of mine are on the back of the shoulder and not in particularly sensitive areas, remember the softer the skin and the closer the bone the more painful it is. This generally means places like the stomach, back, insides of the thigh will be much more sensitive I would recommend saving these areas for a second tattoo after you have tried it somewhere else and decided you can cope.

I would also remember that the body releases natural painkillers, which will often give you quite a buzz. Both times I left the tattoo parlour feeling absolutely fantastic, if a little sore.

Afterwards
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When he has finished the tattooist will wipe you clean, give you a look at his handy-work and rub some cream in (usually sudo crem). There is usually a very small amount of blood and a dressing will be applied to soak this up, you should only keep this on for a couple of hours as it is important to let the air get to the area to aid the healing process.

Healing takes around two weeks, during this times your skin may flake a bit and it may be slightly raised where the ink lies. Don't worry about this, it
s normal.

Now, don't let your skin dry out, keep it clean and moisturised. Use some kind of cream like sudo crem or savlon and apply it often. Don't scratch, it will itch like buggery but whatever you do don't scratch and don't pick your scabs. Doing this can cause infection or if done hard enough can bleed out the ink and ruin your design.

Properly thought out and responsibly undertaken a tattoo can be a wonderful thing to have, I always look at mine and think how beautiful they are even though not everyone agrees. The art that I carry with me at all time, that will die with me is one of my most favourite things.

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