Tattooed, Pierced and Pregnant

There are many reasons why people get tattoos and piercings. Some common ones are:

1) Self expression

"I think as long as they are tactful they are art." ~~Carrie

2) To remember a memorable event or person

"To remind me where I have been and that I don't want to return to that point." -Bruce

3) To feel unique

"I had my tongue pierced way back when and as soon as it became mainstream I took mine out, and now I have my tragus pierced, when it becomes popular, out it will come." -Dawn

"They are a way to express your individuality. Celtic knots look really neat, and a tattooed ankle won't hook on stuff." -Julie

4) As a sign of rebellion or independence

"For the most part I got mine for freedom but yes, rebellion, too." -Carrie

Note: Sometimes people regret getting tattoos and piercings.

"I got my first tat when I was 18. I think I got it because I could. I got the second 2 weeks later, and thought it was cool. I hate them both now and I will be having them lasered off. I am actually taking my son with me to show him what I have to go through to get rid of a stupid mistake." -Teresa

I am Pregnant and Have a Piercing, Now What?

A) Navel Piercings

"I had a belly ring when I got pregnant with my son, took it out the night I found out. I was pretty stressed about being pregnant and figured now is better than later with taking it out. Got it done again after he was born, guy did it off center, took it out again, and then got it done again through scar tissue -- OUCHY! Took it out over a year ago because of gallbladder surgery and never put it back in." -Jessica

A common concern is if you should remove your navel piercing if you are pregnant. You shouldn't need to remove it although you might want to consider seeing a professional piercer and changing it to a flexible bar (a PTFE bar). Your ring will be tight as your skin stretches, which will irritate the piercing and cause it to heal out due to the pressure. The soft flexible bar will prevent this from happening. How long you have had your piercing and how big your belly gets also has an effect. As a guideline, if the area around your piercing changes color and is a darker red than normal, change it to a flexible bar. It is not painful to change it.

B) Tongue or Genital Piercings

Rings that are not large in diameter are good choices to wear as your baby should be able to deliver past your piercings without affecting the delivery. A bar in the clitoris or hood can be uncomfortable if it becomes entangled during delivery. Talk to your doctor or midwife if you are concerned about the size and affect your piercings might have during delivery.

If you are having a cesarean section, you should not need to remove your piercings as they can be taped. The only exception is a tongue piercing. A tongue bar might cause problems for the anesthetist if it becomes necessary to put a tube down your throat. It would be advisable to wear a flexible bar although some anesthetists might ask you to remove your tongue piercing.

"Have my tongue pierced, over 3 years. I was supposed to take it out during labor and delivery but I kind of forgot to. Luckily I didn't have any problems." -Jesse and Jessica

C) I am Pregnant and Have a Tattoo - Now What?

A pregnancy will affect your tattoo in different ways, depending on the placement. If your tattoo is near the stomach area, not only can it stretch, but there is no guarantee that it will go back to its original shape after the birth of your baby. Tattoos are definitely affected by stretch marks. Chances are if your mother or grandmother had stretch marks, you will too.

"When I was 18, I got a four-leaf clover on my pelvis. About three years later, I became pregnant and noticed that I now had a six-leaf clover. The clovers have all stretched and it looks like one green blob. I can't wait to have it removed." -Teresa

"I got my tattoo when I was 2 weeks pregnant and didn't have a clue I was! It's on my lower back and I was very worried about it getting distorted since it was new and being in a stretchy spot. I gained 50 pounds and luckily it's still perfect!" -Jess

Intricate designs such as tribal pieces, Celtic knots and geometric designs (such as circles) could wind up distorted, or worse, a blob. Simple designs such as clouds may look better.

If your tattoo is in the small of your back, it should not prevent you from getting an epidural. The ink from the tattoo is a permanent part of the dermis of the skin. The epidural needle passes through the epidermis, dermis and into an area near your spinal cord quite easily. You might want to consult with your doctor and anesthesiologist to see what they recommend if you have concerns.

D) I'm Pregnant and Want a Tattoo/Piercing

It is not advisable to have any body decoration procedure that would involve breaking the skin while you are pregnant. This includes procedures like piercing, tattooing or scarification. Most studios have made it a policy not to perform tattoos or piercings on anyone pregnant or breastfeeding. When you get a tattoo or piercing, you face a small chance of an allergic reaction or an infection. It just isn't worth the risk when you can just wait a few extra months and then get the tattoo or piercing you desire.

Any invasive procedure normally involves a small risk of infection. If you are pregnant, this might adversely affect your baby. You also risk contracting a blood borne disease if the needles used are not properly sterilized or are contaminated in some way. Your body is changing and you have enough to worry about without the added worry of caring for a new piercing. It is better to have a piercing completely healed before becoming pregnant; otherwise it might not heal properly until after your baby is born.

"I wouldn't recommend getting a tattoo while pregnant. All causes of infection are to be avoided during pregnancy, as your immune system does not work the way it normally does. Even minor infections should be treated promptly during pregnancy. Anything that could even potentially result in an infection in the blood is particularly to be avoided, so that would include getting a tattoo. Fortunately, pregnancy does not last very long, and waiting a few weeks or months is a very small price to pay to protect your child's health." -Cynthia Flynn, CNM

E) Pregnancy doesn't mean the end of your tattoo or piercing!

Being pregnant doesn't spell the end of your tattoos and piercings. If you take good care of your piercings during your pregnancy you will still have them afterward. Take precautions during labor and delivery to safeguard yourself and your baby -- you'd hate having your hood or clitoris tearing because the piercing got caught somewhere!

Similarly, when you want to get a tattoo, have it done in a place that won't stretch or have a simple design done. That way, the tattoo should remain relatively unharmed by stretch marks.

Above all, have procedures done before planning a pregnancy, or afterward. The risk of contracting an infection, which could possibly affect your baby, is not worth satisfying your desire to have a tattoo or piercing immediately.

If you have concerns or questions about tattoos or piercings, it's always best to talk to your doctor, healthcare provider or midwife.


Sources
La Sumisa
Pregnancy.org
HauteMama.com
Venus by Maria Tash


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Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry - Tattoo Documentary

Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry explores the roots of American tattooing through the life of its most iconoclastic figure, Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins. Considered by many the foremost tattoo artist of all time, Collins is the father of modern day tattooing, whose uncompromising lifestyle and larger than life persona made him an American legend.

Through rare interviews, photographs and hours of archival footage, Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry: The Life and Times of Norman Keith Collins, explores the past, present and future of the global tattooing phenomenon. Featuring interviews with Sailor Jerry's protege, Ed Hardy.



Sources

La Sumisa
Hulu



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Mom Tattoos

Having a Tattoo dedicated to one's Mom is nothing new. Lots of people have done this for a very long time and it shows no sign of slowing down. Tattoos have a deep meaning to those who wear them and usually tend to relate to something or someone who is part of our lives in a great way.

Sources
La Sumisa


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A Beautiful Story of Scars, Pain and Tattoos

Last week I was participating in a craft class, dunking felt into warm water, when I heard, “Quick, pull down your sleeve!” I looked up inquisitively and the woman beside me said, “You’re going to get your new tattoo wet!”

I explained that I’ve actually had my tattoo for a few years and pulled up my sleeve to reveal the floral design. The conversation quickly turned to the story behind the image and away from my scars that make it look like I still have Saran-type wrapping covering a fresh tattoo.

It’s only going to get worse now that spring and summer are on their way, but the good news is that I’m mostly used to such comments now. After spending six years sweltering under long sleeves, I’ll take the odd remark if it means being comfortable in the hot weather. Most people don’t know much about self-injury and for the most part, I don’t mind telling them about the source of my scars when they ask.

Thankfully, the large tattoo on my left forearm draws more attention than the scars that it partially hides.

Misconceptions About Self-Injury

What really bothers me is when people who do or should know a lot about self-injury make rude comments or openly stare at my scars. Ironically enough, it has been on psych wards that I’ve received the worst treatment surrounding my self-injury.

Nursing staff chatting in the hallways have stopped their conversation to blatantly stare at my arms. One nurse used to corner me whenever he could, asking me to show him my arms even if I wasn’t his patient that day, not to check up on me but to just . . . look. It creeped me out.

The first time my prime nurse called my self-injury “slicing and dicing,” I was horrified but kept quiet. The second time she called it that I told her that I wasn’t a vegetable and she laughed it off. What I couldn’t enunciate at the time was that I cut myself because I already felt like an object and she was only making it worse.

I prefer the terms “self-injury” or “self-harm” because they indicate the hurt involved. You can cut a piece of bread but you can’t injure or harm a piece of bread. Cutting is the most common form of self-harm but people also can burn themselves or bruise themselves, or do anything else to damage their bodies. That’s why it’s appropriate to use broad terminology. “Self-mutilation” is a term that has always disturbed me. It sounds like something zombies or rabid animals would do. We need for self-injurers to feel understood, not repulsed by their attempts to cope.

Why I Hurt Myself

I started self-injuring by cutting myself at 15, but I’ve really been hurting myself in different ways my whole life. It brought me back to the present and stopped my emotions from feeling out of control.

Cutting started slowly, just with scratches, but eventually I would require stitches for each wound I learned to call “self-inflicted” in the ER. People would tell me, “Think of your wedding day! You don’t want to walk down the aisle and have people see scars on your arms.” In reality, that was exactly what I wanted. I was so tired of hiding behind my smile and pretending I was fine when I was so far from it. I wanted my outside to reflect my insides, and unfortunately I found a very dangerous way to do so.

On the psychiatric ward, I had been taught to snap an elastic band on my wrist when I wanted to cut, or hold ice cubes until they melted in my hands. Those things helped a little but they still encouraged me to solve my emotional pain with physical pain. Eventually I just wanted to cut still because those things weren’t hurting me enough. I had to learn to deal with my emotions without physical pain.

One thing that really helped me slow down my self-harm was to have the goal of getting the scars on my arms to fade in time for summer. I had sweltered for so many summers and finally I realized that I had nothing to lose by showing my scars. I already hated myself and had no friends, so I figured I might as well be more comfortable in the hot weather. I did want my scars to be less noticeable than they were, however, so having that goal of my scars fading for summer kept me going.

A Reminder to ‘Stay Safe and Be Well’

A few years later, I got my tattoo after having inpatient treatment for two months. During that time I had learned more about how emotionally damaging it is to self-injure and how when you do that, you’re actually repeating abuse that you’ve received from other people. I didn’t want to be like those abusers. I had been hurt enough. My tattoo is a constant reminder of why I want to stay safe and be well.

And I won’t lie, the impulse never really goes away. I feel it every single day but I now choose healthier things to do instead, not because I know I “should” but because I actually want to do those things. I know that it can be so much faster to hurt yourself than to get your emotions out in a healthy way, but one cut is never enough, and soon the scars pile up and you realize that it isn’t fixing anything, it’s only prolonging the pain.

I plan on getting more tattoos to cover up the rest of my scars on my arms. I think the cutting started partially because I wanted to mark my history, I wanted my story to be visible. Getting tattoos is a more positive way of doing so. There is so much beauty out there and I must keep going to experience it all. That means nurturing myself instead of beating myself down. It’s a difficult learning experience but I’m discovering that it is very worthwhile.

Sources
La Sumisa
Erin (from Mind Your Mind)
Our Kids


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Memorial Tattoos with Cremation Ashes

The hottest topic this days are getting the ashes of a deceased loved one tattooed in your body as a memorial for that special person who was part of our lives. Check out the video




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How Important a Tattoo Can Be

We all know Tats are meaningful to those who wear them and we all know most of the time it has something to do with who we are, where we come from or what a person means to us (portraits). The best thing when getting Inked is the satisfaction we get to let everyone know how proud one can be of what really matters to us.

Forearm Tattoo: "Tattoo says jamaica on a island with waves & a sunset with clouds & a palm tree & it represents my home & where I'm from."

Torso Tattoo: "This say love is pain with clouds & a dove & a 5Point star which means ma ex that died & my heart that got broken."

Ray

Sources
La Sumisa

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Valentines Day Love

When it comes to Valentine's Day, the lads and lasses in love do not seem to have dearth of innovative ideas.

To strengthen the emotional bond, lovebirds have been lining up at a city's tattoo studio for the past week to get the names of their beloved tattooed on their body.

The craze for showing off even their lover's picture's on body has suddenly caught up with them in a big way. Even costly tattoos are in great demand.

Girls have got tattooed names of their boyfriends. The boys, too, have got names of their girlfriends tattooed on their bodies." However, when contacted, the lovebirds refused to be named.