How much does a tattoo cost? Does it hurt? How long does it take? These are a few questions that I will answer as I share with you my first tattoo experience.
Saturday morning, I woke up feeling spontaneous so I decided to get a tattoo. But you should probably take a day or two to think about your decision before getting inked. “Are you freakin’ serious, Nickson?” as some readers may say. No, I actually spent months thinking about my tattoo, drawing it on my forearm, and consulting friends. I made sure that my tattoo would last a lifetime. Of course, I don’t expect to admire it in a decade or two, but right now I’m glad I got it. Moving on.
Walking in to the tobacco smoke-filled tattoo parlor, I stumbled my way though the haze and found numerous artists with questionable tattoos and soberness. I flipped through a catalogue of tribal art and Chinese characters and asked for a combination of both. Okay, not really. The owner of the tattoo parlor I went to kept his shop sanitary, professional, and he functioned completely sober (I think). He educated me on the long-term consequences of getting a quote tattoo, how the ink would spread and appear as black blob.
My anxiety worsened as the countdown to the needle ticked closer to zero. The sound of the tattoo pen pushed me over the edge. Moments before contact, I prepared for the pain, gripping the chair expecting the tattoo to feel like continuous flu shots for half an hour.
Once the needle breached my skin, I screamed and I squirmed and I thought, “I’m going to pass out.”
But really, it wasn’t too bad. Getting a tattoo wasn’t as painful as I expected. It felt like a friend pinching you or a cat scratching you, all while vibrating and numbing your skin. Adrenaline kicked in and the process ended almost as fast as a disappointing one-night stand.
The tattoo cost me $200. But if you’re concerned about the price, you should wait until you can afford a quality tattoo without having to worry how much it will cost.
I primarily got a tattoo to rebel against my parents, to show them that they don’t control my life. After which, I felt a strong urge to start smoking and join a biker gang. Okay, not really. I got one to express myself and to serve as a reminder to remain steadfast in my commitment to aspire to loftier achievements. Ugh, I sound like a college essay. People also get tattoos to honor loved ones, for style, profit (selling parts of your body as advertisement), or to cover up scars. Whatever your reason may be, it is a personal decision that concerns you and only you.
At first, I hesitated to get one because what if other people discriminated me for it? Some people look at tattoos and judge that person of possessing immoral character or being involved in illegal activities. And I concluded that what those people think about me is none of my business. You know who you are and why you decided to get a tattoo in the first place. Be confident and have conviction in the tattoo you want so that when you’re older you can assure yourself: “No ragrets.”
Thankfully, there are ways to hide or remove a tattoo if you’re worried about professionalism in your career. First, the most easy and least costly way would be to cover it up with makeup. Second, you can receive laser tattoo removal treatment. Today’s laser tattoo technology cleanly and efficiently removes tattoos; search for before and after pictures to see for yourself. And by the time you resent your tattoo, the technology to remove it will be less costly, more effective, and less painful.
Whether you get a tattoo that’ll last a lifetime or one you’ll regret in twenty years, tattoos imprint your fascinations and beliefs in time. And if you decide to remove your tattoo, you’ll always remember and reminisce about the ideals your younger self believed in.
