Monday 10 June 2013

My First Tattoo

After going to the Dutdutan Tattoo Convention last year with Bry, I promised myself to get inked before my 27th birthday. Promise---BROKEN. >.<

But this is one of the many crazy things I really wanna do in my existence ('Crazy' because I know most relatives of mine and some people close to me strongly disagree with it. And I think my Dad doesn't know yet but there's a 70% chance he will disown me once he finds out >.<). So I decided (yet again) to get it done this year, 5 months before my 28th birthday.

There were a few things I had to consider but unlike other first timers, pain is the least of my worries (I've already given birth for goodness sake!). The idea of  REGRET was what bothered me the most. I didn't wanna feel regretful so I was very careful in choosing the design and the part of my body to put it on. Doing research helped me a lot. Other than Bry, I even talked to some people who've already gone under the needle just to know what to expect at my first tattoo session. I went looking for a tattoo artist with a good reputation on the internet to make sure that I get the best experience and that I don't end up sick with blood borne diseases (e.g. tetanus, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, etc.) and skin infections (e.g. granuloma). Another thing I needed to consider was how much it would cost me. I was not willing to pay too much. Originally, I wasn't really planning on getting a big one right away so my budget for a 2x2 colored tattoo was 1,500Php. 

I also did some soul searching to come up with my own design 'coz I don't ever wanna see my tattoo design on another person's body that's why I made sure it will be unique. So here was my original 2x2 design...
 A cat paw print symbolizes my love for animals...  3 symbols on top (digital pads) are our zodiac signs, left to right: Sagittarius (Ash), Scorpio (me), Libra (Bry)... then below (metacarpal pad) is the Chinese character for Ox (1985- me and Bry's birthyear)...
On the night of May 22nd I was lucky enough to come across this page on Sulit.com.ph and I was impressed by the guy's work. Moreover, he had a promo going  on called 'May Madness' wherein he would only be charging 500Php for any tattoo design up to the size of 3x5 for his first 50 customers for the month of May. I contacted him the following morning and was easily able to get an appointment for me and Bry. By that time, I thought of changing my design because of the promo - I might as well get a bigger one. I started thinking about getting a 'dream catcher' instead. But then again, I didn't want my original design to go to waste. So I decided to put these two designs together and I came up with this final design: 

Bry acceded with my design and I with his. We had them printed and we were all set. Came the morning of May 25th. Bry and I both just finished work and we haven't had any sleep yet but we went straight to Mad Ink Tattoo Shop in Parang, Marikina for our 11AM appointment. I was having mixed emotions. It was like being excited and nervous at the same time. To get rid of that weird feeling, I had originally planned on getting myself drunk before the session but I found out just in time doing that would lead to excess bleeding during the process. So I just calmed myself down on the way there. The place was not difficult to find and the tattoo artist was very professional and accommodating (even served us ice cold Coca-Cola). 

Okay, I know you wanna see the pictures... Here they are:




Here's me before the session     ===========================>>>>>

ALL SMILES!

From Left to Right: 1) Mr.Rizaldy Panganiban, our tattoo artist, preparing; 2) my plain right upper arm; 3) moistening the area for pattern transfer; 4) pattern successfully transferred





Here's me after the session     ===========================>>>>>
Still... ALL SMILES!





Okay... Bryan's turn...

From Left to Right: 1) Mr.Rizaldy Panganiban, our tattoo artist, preparing; 2) pattern successfully transferred; 3) needles doing their job  

So there.

I just feel compelled to let you know one thing.... YES, IT DOES HURT during the first minute. After that your skin goes numb and you wouldn't really feel much. Did I bleed? Nope. Neither did Bry. I think that will depend on your tattoo artist. I love our overall experience with Mr.Rizaldy Panganiban. He works fast, very efficient and  I would not have second thoughts going back to him for a second tattoo ;)

Check some of his work on Facebook (click here). I highly recommend him. ^_^