Hiway16 Magazine... about people and places in north-central British Columbia, Canada

		PAGE TWO OF THREE

Tattoos Hurt

Once the design is agreed on, you will be given a guesstimated price based on the detail, colors, placement and time it will take to do. Mine was estimated at $100 yet I paid a bit less when it didn't take as long as first figured.

Then you go into one of the three rooms, (two are for tattooing and one for body piercings) and sit on the comfortable lounger. Jason applied ink to the design and placed it on my leg to show me where it would go.

Tattoo machine

It is VERY important to play with the placement a bit. I didn't like the first place he put it and so it was removed, cleaned then reapplied. In after thought I would still have placed it a little higher and more to the left, but time was wasting and I was very excited. My palms were wet and my stomach felt like I was ten and waiting once again to see the Principal.

After asking about pain, I was told everyone has a different threshold and I must remain perfectly still while he works or else the lines will get blurred or will be off course. I've had two children and figured nothing could beat that. And I was right, except it did hurt quite a bit for the first ten minutes.

Second placement of the outline

Jason explained the outlining machine holds only four needles which will hurt more than the shader machine, which holds seven. As the outlining is done first and because the placement was quite close to my ankle bone, there were some moments when I quit breathing.

I was told to focus on breathing steady which helped lessen the sensation of burning needles being drilled into my skin. The good news is the sensation only lasts a fraction of a second. Then you get a fraction of an instant break. Then the sensation, then the break. By the time we got to the shading, I was laughing. The worst was over and I hadn't screamed, fainted or embarrassed myself.

There wasn't any blood that I could see but I have heard of people bleeding during the process. Again, it depends on placement and the individual. Jason suggests not drinking at least one day prior to getting a tattoo as alcohol thins the blood and you will bleed easier. He also says to eat before you come so that your body has the fuel to deal with what is being done.






copyright © 2003-2005, Northwest Design, Smithers, BC, Canada