Photography by William DeMichele

Not For Every Woman

by
Rachel Boyer
in
Bangor, Maine

The sound of a drill began in the room next door.

She frowned and stopped looking through the portfolio briefly to listen. It was not the high shrill of a dentist's drill but a deep staccato sound, a tattoo needle.

Mandy Bernier, a graduate of the University of Maine at Orono, was waiting impatiently for her turn with the tattoo artist. Today she was just looking through the many tattoo selections Hermon's Tattoo and Body Piercing of Bangor offered. She was determined to get one within the next few weeks.

Mandy was still hooked on the pain factor. And not being a person who dealt with pain, well, she was nervous about the needles that would push ink under her skin. If you, too, are nervous, check out this beginner's guide. Here are some tips on how much pain to expect.

Amy, who already had a tattoo, was very reassuring about the whole procedure. Amy explained that it was more like an irritation rather than pain. "You want to push the needle off after a while and just give that spot a chance to breathe," she said. "I'm not saying it doesn't hurt, because it does, but it is definitely pain you can deal with. Besides it is fun to watch," she added.

***************

There is evidence of the art of tattoo beginning some 12,000 years before Christ. The art has spanned across many cultures and carried different meanings in each. Today with over 650 tattoo studios in the world, tattooing is not as naughty as people may think. Check out the history or tattooing in North America.

Tattoos are a relatively safe procedure but there is a chance for infection if conditions are right. Only one to two percent of tattoos becomes infected.

A person who wants a tattoo should look for a few specific things when they enter a tattoo parlor. Cleanliness is the biggest factor in decision making. Make sure the tattoo artist wears gloves when drawing the tattoo. The area that the tattoo is being done in should be clean and sterilized after each customer.

The equipment used should be set up and opened in front of the customer and disposable needles should be used. If a tattoo artist does not want to answer questions pertaining to the tattoo procedure, think twice about having your tattoo done at that business. An open attitude about tattooing is an important response to look for.

***************

Mandy sat stiffly on the clean black table and watched as the tattoo artist set up his station, preparing to tattoo the manatee she had requested. She was a little nervous about the whole procedure but excited at the same time.

Her left hip was exposed and the gray stencil of a manatee waited to be etched on her skin permanently. "All right," said Jim, the tattoo artist. "Are you ready?"

Mandy nodded her head and looked toward the wall. Jim dipped his needles in the black ink and started the outline of the manatee. Mandy winced a bit and shut her eyes, but opened them again quickly so she could watch what was being done.

"The outline will hurt the worst," said Jim. "It's because I only use a few needles for the outline. The more needles being used the less it hurts. When I start the shading and color the pain won't be as bad."
"It's not so bad now," Mandy said, sounding a bit surprised.

The staccato sound of the tattoo needle was the only sound for about 10 minutes as everyone in the room was watching as the manatee on Mandy's hip took on some color. Jim paused a few times to wipe away a bit of blood and excess ink.

"All right, I'm done.," said Jim.

He put a sterile pad over the fresh ink and taped it on. "Leave this on for a couple of hours and then wash it and put ointment on it. You are all set."

As Mandy was leaving a drilling sound came from the back of the store. A short, staccato sound, a tattoo needle. This time she didn't frown and shiver but she smiled instead.

 Contents

Copyright ©2000 Rachel Boyer
All Rights Reserved
Citation Permitted Only With Credit