Tattoos, Piercings and Other Body Mods Oh My!!!
When you see someone with a tattoo, what do you think? What about a c or possibly even scarification? Do you think negatively or positively? Body mods are viewed so differently by each and every person. Sometimes they’re viewed as self mutilation; other times they’re viewed as art. No matter what most people think, body mods are growing more and more popular as time goes on. Hooray!
Tattoos for me are, well, awesome. I enjoy the entire aspect of tattoos. The fact that I can take something that I find aesthetically pleasing, find an artist, and get that image put on my body forever is great. I plan on being absolutely covered. I have plenty of ideas of things I’d like to get. Unfortunately, tattoos can be quite expensive, and if they’re not, then you don’t want that tattoo anyway, because the artist probably isn’t that great.
I love the process of getting a tattoo. From finding the piece to getting it done and then being able to show it off to your friends and family. I know immediately if an image is worthy of becoming a tattoo. So, when I find something I like, I take it to my artist ASAP. He and I talk about pricing, where I want it, what size, how many sittings, and when I want to start it. It can be pretty exciting!
Once the start day comes around, I come in and sit or lay on the wonderful table or chair. The area the tattoo is going to be applied is shaved and cleaned, then the stencil is put on. I get to check the stencil and am always asked one last time if I’m ready and if I really want the piece. Of course, the answer is always yes, said in the most excited voice ever. Then the tattooing begins!
The pain’s not all that bad, really. But I’ve been known to have a high tolerance for pain, so maybe it’s just me. I definitely think it’s worth it, though. As I always say, “Pain is only temporary, tattoos are forever.”
After the session is done, I get rubbed down with some ointment and bandaged up. Then we discuss the care and set another date for the next session! Then it’s repeated again until it’s finished.
I love to show off my tattoos. Talk about how long they had taken, how much they cost, and of course, answer the frequently asked question of, “Didn’t that hurt!?” They’re little pieces of me that have stories. So I’m kind of like a book. I can’t wait to fill the pages!
Piercings are another fun body modification. I used to have quite a few in my day, but my number has dwindled down to four over the years. I think I’m working more on tattoos now, since piercings aren’t as permanent.
For some odd reason, I get really nervous before getting a piercing. I can never fathom why, since none of the piercings I have ever gotten have hurt. Not my septum, eyebrow, ears, navel, labret or even the time I got two at once for my snakebites. Yet, I still get nervous. Oh well, it doesn’t keep me from doing it, so it doesn’t matter too much.
Gauging or stretching your piercings can be fun. I’ve been gauging my ears since I was fourteen; doing it whenever I had the cash to buy the next gauge up. It’s been quite a slow process over the years, and I’ve stopped doing it now. Saying that I was going to stop at zero gauges, I ended up going up one more size to double zeros. So I’m done now. Though I’ll admit, I think about upping it some more from time to time. I’ve been refraining.
Some tips for people interested in stretching their ears. Always use a tapered earring. Tapered meaning that the earring starts off small on the end, then gradually gets bigger. This makes stretching much easier. Also, I always would take a bath or shower when stretching. It causes your ears to become softer and stretchier than usual, making it ten times easier! Most of the time, it’ll just slide right in! Hope that helps!
Scarification is another body mod. It’s a little less popular than tattoos or piercings. It’s where the skin is cut into pretty designs with a scalpel, causing scars. For me, scarification is a little too intense. Too much pain for me. Though I think it’s extremely beautiful if it is done right. It’s definitely not something for the faint of heart.
Man, writing this makes me really want to go get some ink now. Makes me miss the comforting sting of the tattoo needles. I’m going to have to start saving up for my next piece!
Body mods are beautiful in their own way.They may not be for everyone, but they’re definitely for me and the number of people getting them is rising! So, if you don’t like them, you might want to start getting used to it. Hopefully body mods will become more of the norm, so they won’t limit job opportunities. Only time will tell!
Originally posted on our sister site http://mypersonalvisions.net
