A few weeks ago, while lying in my bed randomly scrolling my phone and kuya was sitting on his couch minding his own business, I asked him out of the blue: “Magpa-tattoo kaya ako?”.
I wasn’t really asking for his permission; more like hoping for support and encouragement. He answered, “Why not?” and went on saying I should do the things I wanna do and stop giving a flying f*ck about what people might say.
I went to my mom next trying to weigh in knowing her fascist tendencies. I was surprised that she was up for it. Mom even said that if she were younger, she’d like one on her neck. (It might be senility, who knows?)
I don’t know what has gotten into me. I’ve always been sort of a purist. But then I thought I have never done anything remotely risky and exciting. And I’m pushing fifty in a few more years, when will I start?
As I
got the approval of the two people who mattered to me, I started browsing what to
get for my very first tattoo. I already know where to put it though; I want it at my back right below the nape. Too gutsy, you might say, but I always wanted a tattoo in that area of my body. I also don’t like the dainty ones; I want it at least 3x3 in size and in color. My mom wanted me to have it
where it could be seen, preferably in my sleeves, but I told her I don’t want it on my arms or legs or anywhere I could see it. It’s a personal preference; a tattoo rule that I have imposed on myself.
At
first, I showed kuya a design of a crescent moon with stars below it. He didn’t
like it. It’s not you, he said. It had to be something that’s you, he added.
Oo nga
naman. If I must get a tattoo, it had to be something that when people see
they’d go: “Oh, that is SO you!” and what else can be “so me” than a tattoo of a cat?
Google
“cat tattoos” and you’ll be surprised how many of them you could see online. I
tried choosing about six cat designs then narrowed it to four and even did a poll on my IG story. I finally decided on this peeking orange cat I saw on Pinterest.
The next step is to find a reputable tattoo artist/studio. I first looked for tattoo studios within Makati and was able to check on two that are just nearby. Tattoo Studio #1 quoted me a rate of PhP1,500 for the design, which I thought was great being that I’m kuripot. Tattoo Studio #2 priced it at PhP5,000++ pesos for the same design which was way beyond my budget. The difference in the price somewhat bothered me but the cheapskate inside prevailed and went on with the first tattoo studio that quoted me the lower price.
I sent a message via Facebook and asked for an appointment. Tattoo Studio #1 confirmed an appointment for the following Friday of that week. After that, I checked the FB page (I know I should have done this first and foremost) and found that there aren’t that many updates and only a few reviews albeit good ones. The silver lining was the tattoo artist bragged a lot of awards and citations so I kinda thought that’s enough for me.
A day before my supposed appointment, after not getting any word from the tattoo studio #1 about my upcoming session, I messaged them again. They got back after a few hours asking me if we could cancel the appointment as the artist caught the flu. I was so disappointed because it was less than 24 hours and I already filed a leave for that Friday. But then that flu might be COVID for all we know so I didn’t insist anymore.
Sensing my dismay, they offered me an additional PhP500 off for the inconvenience. I initially said it wasn’t necessary; I just asked them to let me know when they will be available.
That weekend I made another follow-up on their Facebook page but they still couldn’t give me an appointment as the artist is still sick. I was turned off by the lack of effort on their part to notify me so I did not bother them anymore.
Besides, I’ve been having this nagging feeling about how low their quote was. I fear that if I bite it and paid too low for a tattoo, then I got no say if it turns really bad for I got what I paid for. Maybe it’s done by an apprentice and not by the tattoo artist himself which is why they have no problem giving me additional discount for an already cheap quote. As they say, “Good tattoos aren’t cheap and cheap tattoos aren’t good”.
Too many red flags waving for that tattoo shop.
Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.
So I’m back to square one. My brothers said we could check out the tattoo shops along Cartimar. Kuya went the next day and realized that the tattoo shops that used to be there are no longer in the area. It got so frustrating because I already told friends I’m getting a tattoo and I don’t want them to think I was “all talk”.
The next morning while Gavin was browsing Tiktok, he came across this tattoo artist on his FYP and told me about it. It was within Pasay so I decided to check their Facebook page, which compared to tattoo studio #1, is updated at least twice a week. I messaged them the details and got a reply almost immediately. For the same peeking orange cat design, they quoted me PhP2,500—slightly higher than the first studio, but still within my budget. I went ahead and booked an appointment. I was asked for a downpayment via GCash and was given a schedule for last Saturday.
Thinking
about it, tattoo studio #1 didn’t even ask me for a downpayment before
confirming, which I realized now is another red flag as it is the common practice for tattoo bookings (unless walk-ins are allowed).
Naturally, I started stalking the FB, Instagram and Tiktok pages of my tattoo
artist, Steve. From there I saw all his recent works and noticed his keen attention to
detail. My orange cat had intricate features like hair and whiskers that would be challenging for an inexperienced and unskilled artist.
***
Most people were incredibly supportive of my getting inked. My friends Tetay and Jen, who both have tattoos, were very encouraging and were pretty excited. A lot of inked friends were assuring me that it is not painful or if it was it’s tolerable. Meanwhile, there are a few who try to scare me out of it and even said it hurts so much that I might faint.
What these people probably don’t know is that I have a high threshold for pain.
I digress. In 2009, I had a sebaceous cyst the size of a marble just below my right breast surgically removed. It was a minor surgery, with no need for me to be confined after. I remember that I was given an injected anesthetic and was awake during the procedure (even taking pictures for my older blog). The female doctor was very chatty so I guess the short procedure took longer and the anesthesia was starting to wear off. I am already feeling the suturing needle on my flesh as she finishes the stitching. Even so, I was lying there not saying anything.
Now if that doesn’t vouch for my pain tolerance I don’t know what else will.
Besides, I’ve had my impacted ingrown toenail murdered by neophyte pedicuristas many times and I didn’t even flinch. The highest on the pain scale for me—my monthly bouts with dysmenorrhea—has tested my limits every single time. Blood tests and IV drips are a walk in the park. Scaring me of tattoo cartridges pricking my skin won’t cut it.
***
On the
day of the appointment, I was accompanied by kuya and my nephews to the tattoo
studio at the Park Avenue Mansions. Kuya wanted to check it out because he’s
also thinking of getting one.
Steve, who I deduced is just in his late twenties, is an exceptional tattoo artist. I have seen his online portfolio thoroughly and saw plaques and trophies displayed in his small but cozy studio. It made me feel more at ease that I was in safe hands for my first tattoo.
He started sketching my design and made two different sizes and asked me which one I prefer. I trust he knew better so I said it’s up to him. Steve chose the slightly bigger one maybe because my cat had many details and the smaller one might not come out good. He said that over time, ink bleeds and expand.
After printing the design on a stencil, Steve asked me to stand straight with my shoulders relaxed as he hovers over the area to determine the actual placement of the tattoo. When he finally positioned it to the right spot, he sticks the stencil carefully and said we give it a few minutes to dry.
Once dry, Steve carefully peeled the stencil off to reveal the outline of the design.
I was then asked to position myself in this tattoo chair with my back facing him. After preparing the tattoo machine and adjusting the lights, Steve started tracing. Make no mistake, there was pain and I felt it—and the best way I could describe it is that it feels like being sliced by a blade (which was weird because I imagined it to be a pricking pain). Then again, it doesn’t hurt much at all. Definitely tolerable.
Kuya and the kids had already left to go to the mall so for the rest of my session I was only with Steve and his younger sister assisting him. After several minutes of him struggling, he politely asked if I could transfer to a monobloc chair as he said I’m tall and long and it is making it hard for him to tattoo while he’s slouching. No problem, really. The tattoo chair was wide, and I was saddling it (legs almost on a 180° angle as seen on the picture) while my pelvis is tilted to the front with the rest of my upper body flat on the backrest. It wasn’t comfortable for me too and I’m sure if it continued for the entire session, it’ll be a torture to my groin.
Steve was good at small talk which I think is his way of making me feel comfortable while going through the process. My body might already be releasing my natural adrenaline because the pain I was feeling initially is already tapering off. I even found myself drifting to sleep with the purring of the tattoo machine.
After more than an hour, he stood up and said ¼ of it is already done and he had to go on a bathroom break. He took a picture of the tattoo and showed it to me:
One of Steve’s younger brothers pointed out that it was bleeding but I wasn’t at all scared. I was expecting some bleeding because of my design. I was more concerned about seeing the final result.
Now the good thing about getting a tattoo done by Steve is that he makes sure that everything is being videoed and photographed with the help of his younger sister. I don’t need to worry about not getting any documentation that I could later post on my own social media accounts.
While I may never get to see the tattoo with my own eyes to admire it, but through the pictures and videos, I am truly happy with the outcome. My peeking orange cat is so cute it looks like a sticker indeed! I’m glad that Steve was able to mix the right colors because that was his worry at the beginning when I handed him my design.
Pain check: When all is done it felt more like a scrape. There was a sting but manageable. It didn’t bother me at all.
It got so many likes both on my Instagram (I mean 50+ likes is many for me) and Facebook when I posted it. Some complimented my guts for having my first tattoo below the nape and of that size. There are those who said that the cat tattoo is so me. All in all, the reactions and comments are positive. (If some people aren’t too pleased, they kept it to themselves).
I am planning to get another one just behind my right ear before the year ends. It will be the last one.
Thanks for walking us through the process. I see you ang peg pala nyang pusa, hahaha! And ok din talaga minsan when our first plan didn't come through ano? :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading, Judie! I know it's a long post but I guess I just want it documented. After all, it's my first tattoo.
DeleteYes, it's good that I didn't settle for the first tattoo shop. I really have a bad feeling about it now that I think about it. Snaps for Gavin. He was the one who told me about Steve thanks for his hours and hours of scrolling at Tiktok. :)