“Happy eighteenth birthday” is not actually the world’s way of saying “drop everything and get a tattoo now.” Spontaneously getting a tattoo without any planning or preparation can end up being a big rookie mistake for those wanting body ink. Luckily, there are many steps one can take to help create the best possible tattoo.
“There are a lot of things you should know about getting a tattoo before you actually go and get your own,” Joey Bialas, senior, said.
Bialas celebrated his eighteenth birthday last August by going out and getting his first tattoo, however, this was no spontaneous decision. Before getting inked, Bialas planned out his tattoo to have meaning and make sure it was exactly what he wanted.
“I like tattoos that have meaning and significance the best. All of my tattoos stand for something,” Bialas said. “When it comes to tattoos, what you like now you may not like forever, but meaning lasts forever.”
Bialas, a devout Christian, went through a time in his life when he questioned his faith. This happened when his mother was diagnosed with skin cancer when he was in eighth grade. After his mother was cured and recovered from the cancer, Bialas began going to church again.
“Once I started going back to church again I went to a worship service where I really felt God’s presence again,” Bialas said.
In honor of his mother and his faith, Bialas got a cross and a Melanoma ribbon tattooed onto his right ribcage with the verse “1 Corinthians 6; 19-20” underneath it. In the Bible, the verse explains how the human body is a temple and that one should honor it.
“The verse is about being a Christian and honoring your body. People should see God in you and through you. I don’t regret either of my tattoos, they have meaning and are a representation of who I am,” Bialas said.
Amanda Rodriquez, Physical Education teacher, also appreciates and incorporates meaning into her own tattoos.
“I love tattoos, they are beautiful pieces of art, and I love seeing unique tattoos and hearing the stories behind them,” Rodriquez said. “I have a friend who was in the army who got a tattoo of her handprint across her heart to signify the salute she would do every day. I just love the whole tattooing culture. If I wasn’t a teacher, I would probably be all tattooed up.”
Aside from the tattoo of three flowers Rodriquez got on her shoulder once she turned eighteen, all of Rodriquez’s tattoos have sentimental value. Rodriquez has “AROD 11” tattooed on one ankle, which was her college softball number, along with a softball with the Japanese symbol for love on the other, a snowflake with her mother’s name on her back, and her newest addition is a Pancreatic cancer ribbon on her foot for her mother who passed away from cancer. Rodriquez is still planning on getting more.
“I have tattoos for my mother, so I also want to get a tattoo for father, and when I have children, I’ll probably get their names, too,” Rodriquez said. “My softball team and I also made a pact that if we stay playing together for a certain amount of years, then we are all going to get a tattoo of a squirrel. It’s an inside joke.”
Both Bialas and Rodriquez highly recommend planning out future tattoos. There are many factors to consider before getting a tattoo such technique, style, and location, which all impact the process of tattooing differently.
“The star and moon that I got tattooed on my face hurt more than the tattoo I got on my back,” Brittany Suarez, senior, said.
Recently in February, Suarez got a small tattoo of a star and moon near the corner of her right eye in white ink. Because of the location and sensitivity of the eye area, the tattoo was more painful than the one she has on her back. Suarez chose to get the star and moon tattoo just because of personal taste, but the tattoo on her back comes from a new family tradition.
“My mom and my aunt both have a matching sun and moon tattoos,” Suarez said. “When I turned eighteen I went out and got one, too. We all had them done by the same tattooist at Redwoods Wild Side Tattoos in Richmond.”
Having background info on a tattoo shop helps to determine whether or not it is the right place to get one’s tattoo. Bialas, too, chose to get his tattoos from a familiar place.
“I got my tattoos done at Wicked Ink in Fox Grove,” Bialas said. “I went there because I knew a lot of people that I go to church with who have gotten tattoos from there.”
Often times, those who get tattoos do not just stop at one. Like Rodriguez, Suarez and Bialas also intend on getting more ink in the future.
“I have so many ideas for tattoos. Getting them is addicting,” Suarez said. Some of Suarez’s future tattoo ideas are a mandela on her wrist, the astronomical sign of Libra on her neck, a four leaf clover behind her ear, and the Grateful Dead Dancing Bears on her back.
“Before getting a tattoo you’ve just got to make sure that you think about it, that it has meaning, and that you don’t rush into it,” Suarez said. “It’s got to be at the right time and you’ve got to be thinking clearly because it is something that is going to last forever and you don’t want to regret it.”
Bialas wishes to get the tattoos of two roses, one over each clavicle, for his sisters Julie and Jenn. Although Bialas believes tattoos are a creative and interesting way to express oneself and tell stories, he also believes there is a time to draw the line.
“You have to want to get a tattoo for the right reason,” Bialas said. “Getting a tattoo just to get a tattoo is overdone. Tattoos should be meaningful and you should really want it.”
Getting a tattoo means more than just being legally ready; one should make sure they are also mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared.
“You should be one hundred percent sure on your tattoo choice. It is going to be on you for life, make sure it is for something that will never change,” Rodriquez said, “And go with someone you care about. It’s a special moment and it’s good to share it with someone.”