How Does It Feels To Have Your First Tattoo?

You might be reading this post because you're:

 A.) Planning to get inked for the first time and you wanna know how it feels.

B.) You already have a tattoo but you wanna know how others felt when they got inked for the first time

Or

C.) you're chismosa and you just wanna make usisa about tattoo. 😹

Some people might be asking why the hell would a person wanna get his/her body stained with an ink? Why would they want a useless yet expensive tattoo? Well, everyone have their own reasons. Mine? Hmmm, let's say, I just  got curious on how it feels to have a tattoo!

So,  this is my anchor tattoo. My first ink should have a meaning, of course! I decided to have something nautical like an anchor because it represents my long-time seafarer boyfriend and then adding some flowers clinging on it which symbolizes me. If you look closely, the rope of the anchor and the vines of the flower is somewhat forming the infinite sign which means "Forever". I wanted to have it placed on the left side of my back so that it'll be near my heart. Haha Cornyyy?! But yeah, that's the meaning behind my tatts. 

After you found the best design of your tatts, next thing to search for is your artist. I was with my already-inked-friend Lila scouting along Makati Ave. for a tattoo shop and it seems that our foot brought us in VICE INK TATTOO COMPANY. Luckily, they only have one customer that day. The shop is dimly lit, spacious and filled with pictures of tattoos or paintings of tattooed people. We sat on the couch. While I was waiting for my turn, my sweat is getting cold and my heart is pounding so fast I didnt notice that my hands are slightly shaking. In front of us is a foreigner who came back for the second set of his tattoo because his is too big that the tattoo is already covering his entire torso like Michael Scoughfield of Prison Break.His face is turning red as the artist continues. But I didn't see any pain or difficulties in him. So I said to myself "Damn it, let's do this!" After hours of waiting, he's finally done and my agony is about to start. My artist smiled and asked if I'm ready . I gave him a strong "Yes!". He showed me the newly opened needles then I asked him, "How many needles are we going to use?". He replied "13". Is he joking or what? He then told me to just relax and take a deep breathe. I got startled when the noise of the tatto machine was turned on. Since my tattoo will be placed at my back, I'm not able to see when is he going to start.

At long last! I got to feel being slowly pinched by a dozen of needles all at the same time. At first, I was like "Wait,  What? This is it?". An hour later, my back starts to ache for being in just one position for a long time. Two hours passed, aside from my backache, im beginning to experience the sore of my skin while the needles keep on going through back and forth, then up and down the open  wounded  parts already. It feels like having a huge pimple that was pricked multiple times, that sort of pain. But to my surprise, the pain is getting much harder while the artist is drawing the edges of the anchor near my underarms. I just closed my eyes and made a fist because there's nothing that I can do but to seat, inhale then exhale and experience the pain of this art. It's nearly three agonizing hours already and the pain is getting worse. As I see the pile of blooded tissue papers on the floor, I felt like I wanna give up already. But my artist said that he's almost done, he just need to polish everything. It was a relief when I heard those words. Well, I didn't know that polishing means more pain because he have to put on the details of the tattoo like shadows, linings and stuff on top of the massacred skin at my back. Due to that, it feels like he's already using a swiss knife to cut my wounds much much deeper. I kept silent but my mind is shouting, "How long will he polish this f*cking tattoo? I quit! I won't get another one! I sweeeeaarr!". Just when my first teardrop is about to fall....my artist said "done."

I had a deep deep sigh of gladness. Thank God I didn't pass out. After the session, my artist put on some petroleum jelly in my open wound to prevent water from entering just in case.  My left shoulder feel so numb right after but I feel so achieved at the same time. After a week or two, my wound started to dry up and peel. So from painful to itchy feeling. 😆

It's been three years since I got my first and only tattoo. I'm thankful that it's all worth the pain because the reason behind this ink is now my loving husband. Hopefully, I'll be able to get another one honoring my daughter. 

Now, would you still dare to get inked? Please show me your tattoo soon!