Since I haven't been on here in a decade and a half, I thought I'd share with you guys the experience of my first tattoo! Prepare to read a lot.
To start with, I guess I'll just explain what I got and why I got it. I got the word "imagine" on the inside of my right wrist. The reason behind that is because I'm a very artistic person. I rely on my imagination more than hard facts and I wanted to get something to represent that, hence imagine. I'm a drawer, a writer, a painter... I'll do just about anything. It's a part of me, it always has been and everyone knows it. My parents don't know where I got it because my mom is more of analytical person and her parents weren't able to draw, not that I'm saying I'm a wonderful drawer or anything. I have to look at something to be able to draw it, I can't free draw which is kind of the downside to it.
But anyways, I got it because it meant something to me. And I got it on my wrist because I've always had a sort of fascination with wrist tattoos and I've known for years that I wanted a tattoo there. It's out in the open where I can see it every day and it kind of comforts me whenever I go to pull my hair back or something and it catches my eye.
Now, actually getting it. I went to the tattoo parlor and my mom tagged along because she wanted to be there when I got it. I showed the tattoo artist what I wanted it to look like and we made a few modifications that made it turn out like it did. Then we went back to one of the rooms and everything started. It didn't hurt at first. He started with the 'i' on the outside of my wrist and there's a little more muscle there than anywhere else so I hardly felt it. But as he worked his way to the center, it started to hurt more. It felt like I was constantly being burned. Not like a rug burn, but actual fire.
I never actually took the pain into consideration; I didn't really care because I knew I wanted it and the thought of how much it would hurt wasn't going to stop me. I knew it was a sensitive spot so I just automatically expected it to hurt pretty bad, but I was still surprised. Most of the time I was tensed up and I held my mom's hand for support which did help a lot. I think the most painful part was the 'a', the 'g' and the 'e' because it was right on the bone which was not pleasant.
It was pretty red right after I got it, splotching a ways down my arm. And a few hours after I got it, it was so swollen... it looked like I had broken my wrist. By the next day I was sore all down the center of my arm, like a bruise. It was like that a couple of days. But the thing I was looking forward to the least was the itching which did end up driving me half crazy, but most of the symptoms occurred during the first week I had it. After that the skin was just raised above the lettering for a while. I've had it for almost two months now and it's fully healed. I'd have to say it was swollen for about a month and a half. But I'm already used to it. I'll occasionally take the time every now and then to look at it which makes me smile, but it's a part of me and I hardly notice it anymore which is exactly what I wanted.
I've always heard that tattoos are really addictive and I didn't believe it at first because really, how can that be addictive in any way? But it really is. I think it's just the adrenaline of getting it and how excited you are. It really is a good feeling, even if the needle isn't. I swore to myself right after that I'd never get a wrist tattoo again especially, but I probably would now. I'm ready to get my second tattoo which I'll hopefully get around Christmas. I have a few ideas.
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Do you have any tattoos? If so, what was it like getting them?