The tattoo strikes back…
14 Apr 2011 4 Comments
in Fascinating Things, Slightly Insane Tags: Tattoo, Turning 40
So, as you know, I invested in a midlife crisis tattoo. It’s not quite as flashy as an expensive car but I am absolutely and completely in love with it. She is beautiful. I did Phase 2 over two days – Monday and Tuesday – in two x two hour sessions and the first was a real eye opener!
You see, I have been told that the outline is, by far, the most painful part of the tattoo. That this colouring in part would be much easier to bear. I was very pleased with this news (and if I find the bastards who LIED to me…) as I found the outline just a little on the agonising side, especially towards the end (and, strangely enough, on my left shoulder).
I bounced into the tattoo parlour and said a cheery good afternoon to Sadistic Steve (our nickname for the Man With The Needle) and plonked meself down on the table. What followed was a two hour jaunt down a corridor of agony. Sadistic Steve wasn’t colouring in, he was shading. Shading means he takes a flat needle that looks like a miniaturised spatula and “flicks” the ink into my skin.
He also does the needling over the same skin three times – once for the dark shading, once for the next lighter shade of black, and then, finally, the lightest shade of black (the almost grey) – and thank the heavens above the final time is hardly noticeable in the floods of pain.
I hadn’t taken any painkillers. I was an idiot.
The next day I started taking paracetamol at regular intervals and popped two ibuprofen before I lay down. Much better. There were actually moments when I couldn’t feel a thing. Still, the end result is just gorgeous. She looks magnificent and we still have Phase 3 to go.
Originally I was going to colour her in with red, gold and a tickle of blue, but after Sadistic Steve saw the finished shading result we all agreed that actually we could risk ruining her with colour. Colour can change a tat from gorgeous to ghastly and you never know until it is done. And you can’t undo it.
After much pondering and pontificating I have decided to make her entirely black, white and shades of grey. Although I may still ask for the fins along her neck to be blue, they are very small and it may add something to the look. It has been ages since I last updated on this because my back was a raw mess for the first week after Phase 2 and then it got a bit, well, gross.
Now, however, she is free of yuk and looks gorgeous. I cannot WAIT until she is finished.
Related posts:
- The Midlife Crisis So yes. I had one. A midlife crisis. A full...
4 Comments (+add yours?)
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Jan 24, 2012 @ 14:43:25
wow, awesome post.Thanks Again. Keep writing.
Jan 23, 2012 @ 11:49:28
Really appreciate you sharing this article.Much thanks again.
Jan 23, 2012 @ 10:32:55
Say, you got a nice post.Really thank you!
Apr 14, 2011 @ 20:14:33
It’s looking awesome Tam!! I might have to have a midlife crisis tattoo too…