The Addiction to Ink...Tattoo Ink

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved and appreciated tattoos. I always saw them as beautiful and a way to be free, even when I was too young to have any, I always enjoyed looking at the tattoos on other people. I like to believe I am a creative person, at least in some ways and I always love to find different ways of expressing myself. I have been dying my hair since I was 8 years-old and have recently hit the 20 year mark of doing so. I am proud to say that my hair has officially been every color that is available for hair dye, and a few months before my 18th birthday, my body became a canvas. Where I live, the law dictates that you have to be 18, but I got my first tattoo shortly before by a guy in his house and blessings from my mom. For my first tattoo, I chose a loose representation of the NYC skyline with different elements that remind me of my best friend because I knew then that she would always be a large part of who I am, no matter where life takes us.

My second tattoo was on my 18th birthday a few months later. I got a matching tribal-esque heart with another one of my best friends and we still to this day show them off to everyone when we get together. After that I got a chain of butterflies on my ankle connected by vines, a reminder of some of the best summers of my life, though I would never want to repeat them. From there, my collection has grown, though it has slowed down quite a bit now. I am currently up to 21 tattoos and every single one has a significant meaning behind it otherwise I wouldn't have it. Though I still get very much judged for my tattoos and get eye rolls when I go to get a new one, I don't see myself stopping for quite a long time.

Some things that having so many tattoos has taught me:

1. A lot more people are more judgmental than I originally thought. I kept my first tattoo hidden for months until I hit 18, but even legally being able to have them, so many people told me I would regret them when I get older and that I was making a mistake because "what means a lot to you now is going to change with age." Well, 10 years after starting my ink collection and I am still very proud of and happy with every single piece on my body.

2. Tattoos, though beautiful, are expensive! I have thousands of dollars worth of tattoos on my body, but paid significantly less than they are worth because of some good deals I got and some of them were birthday gifts. Just remember though, tattoos are never going to be cheap, and if you find someone that says they can do a really complicated tattoo for less that $200, chances are, it is not going to be a good tattoo.

3. Find your artist. I got lucky with my artist because my friends had already gone to her before we went and go our matching tattoos and she became my artist that day because her personality is amazing and her work makes me so happy. I have ventured out a little to other "artists" but none of them have been able to do the kind of work that she has done for me, plus she holds really good conversations.

4. Make sure you have a personal meaning behind your tattoo. I have found that the people who get a "fun" tattoo or get one on a dare are the people that later regret that tattoo. It is super important to have a meaning behind your tattoos, even if people don't understand the meaning behind it, you won't regret it if it has a personal meaning for you. Every single one of my tattoos is something important to me, even when people don't understand the meaning.

5. Plan ahead. Not just the cost is something you have to plan for. Meeting with your artist ahead of time is important to go over the details of your tattoo, especially if you want your artist to draw it. They will also give you the quote for how much it will cost, and honestly, they will let you know if the place you want it is a good idea or not. My artist, though we have done every tattoo I have asked for, has talked me out of placement a few times and we have placed it in a better spot to flow with my body better.

6. Don't get tattoos when you're drunk. Not only does alcohol lower your inhibitions, it also thins your blood and it also makes you think your tattoos look better than they do and then you wake up sober wondering what the hell that blob is on your body and why do you remember it looking so much better than that?

7. If you're getting your tattoo in a place that has hair, DO NOT SHAVE THAT DAY! Shave the area a day or 2 ahead of time because if the area is freshly shaved, it burns! Not only do you have micro abrasions on your skin from shaving, but typically there is razor burn as well. Shave a day or 2 before and let the artist go over the spot in shop because they have stuff to soothe your skin.

Do you have any tattoos? Have you always wanted one but haven't done it yet? Tattoos hurt, but the pain depends on your pain tolerance because I can pretty much fall asleep while getting tattooed but I know people who writhe in pain the whole time (btw, the better you sit still, the better the tattoo quality will be.) For me, tattoos make me love myself that much more, they are a huge expression of who I am and I love that my body is the canvas. Be yourself, do what you love, get something that means something for you!