By Aldahir Segovia

Cutting skin for a purpose sounds like a complete disregard to ones’ well-being, but that’s the simplicity of getting a permanent image on your body.

Tattoos are a conflicting topic to the public, it comes down to whether a person would get one or keep their skin ink-free. Everyone has full jurisdiction of what they do with their body and my choice is to get as many tattoos as I can.

Tattoos originated in the times before civilization. The original word, “tatu,” meant to mark something. People had these marks on certain areas of their body to indicate different meanings such as health, tribes, belief, etc. Tattoos carried on to modern day society with the same value of having a marking with a meaning behind it.

Tats have gone from being symbols of tribes to people tattooing their dogs on their arms. People have the most innovative ways of getting ink on their body, just don’t get “ATM” tattooed on your lower back. There are many awesome tattoos, and there are some that are completely asinine.

The main thing to appreciate is how they’ve been accepted into our society because the norm has changed. We went from having only bikers, prisoners and criminals having ink on their bodies to doctors, lawyers, teachers and college students. Tattoos might still be denied from being seen in a corporate environment, but they’re making their mark, becoming part of the standard.

These pieces of art can tell stories that other mediums can’t these days. Artists are finding new ways to make tattoos an awesome investment. Yeah, there is a downside when you pay a lot of money for a tattoo, but it’s like a lot of other expenditures. If you want a quality tattoo, it’ll cost more.

Good quality matches the satisfaction of the customer. It’s common sense, but not a lot of people have that so it’s easy to find pictures of horrible tattoos on the internet. It’s one reason there’s a market for tattoo cover-ups and laser tattoo removal. In order to not go through the process of getting a tattoo covered up by another or getting it removed, make sure you go to a quality shop that will give you something that’s worth putting on your body for the rest of your life.

One stereotype people give tattoos is that people only get them for the aesthetic purpose. Though, there are some people who see a picture or a piece of art and immediately think “hey I want to get that tattooed on me.”

There are people who decide what they’re going to get tattooed onto them with good timing.

It’s a thought process of reminding yourself that this piece of art will remain with you for the rest of your life and reassurance of what is going to happen.

Getting a tattoo isn’t simple because although it’s like drawing with a pencil on paper, it’s a completely different ball game. A tattoo is a machine penetrating one or multiple needles into the human body.

The degree of agony a person will endure depends on the area of the body they’re getting inked, how big the tattoo is and the pace of the tattooist. Every person must understand that there is no anesthetics or pain relievers given when going to get a tattoo. You’re going to go through the pain and deal with it.

The pain is inevitable, but if the tattoo is meaningful to you then the pain is worth getting lacerated. Also, people don’t understand that everyone has different tolerances of pain. If your skin swells from a small pinch, good luck. The main thing that no one should do when going to get a tattoo is take something to suppresses pain.

Taking medication that makes you numb to pain before getting a tattoo is a bad idea.

For example, taking Advil thickens the blood cells, so when a person takes a pill or two before getting inked it’ll cause them to bleed profusely. Another issue is when a person finds it challenging to remain still and relax. People can cause themselves to have anxiety and their sudden movements may lead to an error in the process.

As painful as it is, getting a tattoo is a fun experience. I have gotten three tattoos in the span of two years and I am not stopping any time soon. The meaning of my tattoos is as beautiful as the way they look because they’re a puzzle I create the pieces to. It’s addicting. A short time after getting a new one I want to get another, but I never look forward to the pain and irritation because I have sensitive skin. I believe that people should give them a try or at least appreciate the art of tattoos.

Tattoos grow in popularity as time progresses and it’s great because people are changing something that was belittled and shamed to something that is admired.

Everyone who is looking to get a tattoo must be willing to pay good money to get what they want on their body and endure the pain.. If you’re going to get a tattoo soon, eat before you get tattooed, stay hydrated and be chill my dude.

— Aldahir Segovia is a staff writer and  an astronomy major