With the new semester moving into full swing I have had more on my mind than just academics. I got my first tattoo only a few days before the semester started and it has been quite an experience thus far. I decided to get a moon and star tattoo on my right back shoulder; I figured it would be kind of hard to regret something as simple as a moon and star. So I guess I will answer the question that everyone wonders before they get their first tattoo: did it hurt? And my answer is not really. Of course I got it in a position where I knew it would less painful (because it was my first tattoo). The sensation of getting tattooed, in my experience, was more of an annoying feeling rather than a painful feeling. That is not to say that there were no spots where it did not hurt, but that is to be expected.
The hardest part of a getting tattoo is what happened afterwards. First there is the aftercare, which includes cleaning your tattoo on a daily basis and applying ointment to get your tattoo moisturized (I do these steps three times a day). There also may be some pain for the next few days which can make some daily activities a struggle (I still have trouble sleeping on my right side)! And then there is the worst part of it all, something that is never mentioned when you go to get a tattoo, and that is how much it will itch. Your tattoo will itch like crazy and there is nothing you can do about it (except lightly patting the area). Your skin will begin to peel and become crackly, and again, there is nothing you can do besides apply anti-itch ointment.
Getting a tattoo right before the semester starts has not been a terrible experience, but it has been annoying at times. I have to schedule my cleanings around my class schedule, I have been distracted in class because of my tattoo itching, but it is nothing unbearable. I would most likely choose to get a tattoo during the summertime or when I can heal completely during a school break for the next time, but the experience has been interesting. For anyone wanting to get a tattoo my biggest advice is to know what you’re in for. Everyone always asks about the pain of actually getting the tattoo without asking what happens next. Taking care of your tattoo is the most important step in the tattoo process, no matter how busy your schedule may be!
photo credits to KHAMSI TATTOO and giphy