I have eight tattoos currently, and no regrets. My first ink was a thirtieth birthday present: I got a tattoo of the crown chakra, and had it done in purple. The crown chakra represents knowledge and peace, which I felt were nicely aspirational sentiments for a tattoo.

It’s on my back, just above the left shoulder blade. It’s the only tattoo I can’t see without a mirror, and that bugs me some. I likely won’t get any more on my back for that reason.

I was anxious about the potential pain heading into the appointment, but I found that it was either negligible or manageable. I also discovered that I don’t bleed much at the tattoo site. Low blood pressure being useful for a change, I guess.

For my second tattoo, I chose to get my name written out in Hiragana, a form of Japanese script. I’d taken a Japanese language course in my twenties, so I was able to design the stencil for the tattoo artist, thus avoiding the amusing, error-laden examples of foreign-language tattoos people so often sport.

It runs vertically on my spine between the hip bones, a sort of perpendicular tramp stamp. The second tattoo hurt more than the first, slapping at my smugness a bit, but what pain I felt was nothing compared to that of the third.

If you’re thinking about getting a tattoo over your hip bone, I’d suggest reconsidering. My third tattoo is on my right hip at the front, directly over the bone. It’s a hand-sized representation of Sagittarius, my son’s birth sign. It’s black, like the one on my spine, but with white detailing; it’s quite stylized.

Bones carry vibrations, so I could feel the tattooing of my hip deep in my body cavity. It was also incredibly painful – I kept looking down to make sure he was still using the needle gun and hadn’t switched it out for a carving knife. I’d yet to learn that flesh makes for happy tattooing in a way bones do not. I’m savagely impressed by people with scalp tattoos.

I’m a big fan of symmetry, but I’ve yet to get my left hip done. It’s more than twenty years now, and I remain unwilling; it was that uncomfortable. On the bright side, tattoos four through eight felt mostly like no big deal. Perspective is much in life.

The next body parts to get tattooed were my forearms. They had a lot of scarring from historical cutting and self-harm efforts, and I was tired of seeing the behavioural reminders on the daily, looking even worse in the spring and summer when tanned skin made the scarring more obvious.

I figured tattoo sleeves would do a good job of covering up the scars that made me so self-conscious, and that has proven to be the case. I feel better with the ink. I have cherry blossoms on my right arm, and flowers and fairies on my left. I also added the semicolon for mental health on my left inner wrist.

The inside of the wrist is also not a good time, tattoo-wise.

I never understood people who asked if tattoos hurt, as though something applied with needles would be entirely pain-free. The question forever reminds me of an exchange between Phoebe and Rachel on an episode of Friends.

Yes, getting tattoos hurts to varying degrees. They are not licked on by kittens.

My most recent tattoos live on the top of each arm, on the head of the shoulder. I have a dove on the left, and a tree of life on the right. The last one was a gift from my kids – happiness is many things, including a tattoo studio gift card. My first and second were also paid for that way, by a former boyfriend and my mother, respectively, though Mom had intended the gift card for a mani-pedi and haircut. She should’ve read through the venue’s brochure in its entirety.

Still, she came with me to watch it get done.

I’d like to get another tattoo one of these days, sooner rather than later. The plan is to get some version of forget-me-nots in honour of my mother: they were her favourite flower. I’ve not yet pulled the trigger because of the real estate issue – location, location, location. I simply can’t decide where my next tattoo will go.

I do like a blue tattoo. Some people don’t like getting coloured tattoos for fear of fading, but mine have done pretty well. Of course, I wear sunscreen. Sun protection and regular moisturizing are a must when you have tattooed skin. I wear long sleeves when the sun is particularly aggressive.

Tattooing causes skin damage, no matter that the results are beautiful, so you need to commit to ongoing care if you want to maintain tattoo vibrancy and nurture healthy skin.

Tattoos are a lot of things, but one thing they aren’t is cheap. Don’t waste the money and time spent on their application by neglecting aftercare and ongoing care.

---

---