Tattoo Me

Since publishing this entry, Tattoo artist Patrick has relocated to Florida.        

     Tattooing has never been more popular.  Just who gets tattoos? The Pew Research Center is a reliable source, and they say -

          14% of Americans in all age groups have a tattoo
          40% of adults in the 26-40 age group have at least one tattoo
         http://pewresearch.org/databank/dailynumber/?NumberID=237

     But what about the over 40 crowd?  Fifteen percent of Baby Boomers (44-64) and 6% of those 64 and over have tattoos.  Mimi Rosenthal is 101 and she has three tattoos.  She got her first at age 95.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/01/many-women-get-tattoos-po_n_889026.html
     Once you've reached a certain age, the old arguments against tattoos go out the window.  How will it look when you are older?  In Ms. Rosenthal's case, I'm sure the ink looks great.  The tattoo is going to be there for the rest of your life.  A sixty year old is keenly aware of what "the rest of one's life" means.  You're following the herd.  Yeah, the herd of 15%.
     All of the above is a lead in to this - I just got my first tattoo.  It took years for me to work up the nerve to do it.  My reservations all stemmed from fear of blood born pathogens.  I had to be convinced that getting tattooed was safe.  My fears were laid to rest when I learned that tattoo shops in Burlington and Camden Counties are inspected by the local Boards of Health.  All that remained was to select a shop.  I read a lot of online reviews, plowed through lots of websites, and decided on Patrick Tattoo located in West Collingswood Heights.
     Patrick is the owner and sole artist at his shop.  Half the time his shop is open to the public and the other half is for private tattooing sessions.  I went in for a consultation during the public hours.  Patrick explained his shop's sanitation policy, designed my tattoo, and (here's the really cool part) applied a temporary tattoo, so I could try things out before I made the commitment. There was no pressure.  Patrick sent me home to think about the tattoo and invited me to follow up with the Camden County Health Department if I wanted to check his credentials.  Since I'm obsessed with my physical well being, I did call the Health Department.  They couldn't say enough good things about Patrick.  Decision made.  http://tattooartist.com/
     My appointment was completely private.  It took about a half hour to complete my tattoo. The process barely hurt  due to the gobs of numbing cream I applied a couple of hours before tattooing started.  Once the cream wore off it hurt for a day or two - no big deal really. The itchy, healing part was more annoying than the pain.
     The statistics also say that 29% of people with tattoos say their tattoos make them feel rebellious.  I confess to feeling a little like an outlaw.  Additionally, thirty one percent of people with tattoos say their tattoos make them feel more sexy.  http://www.statisticbrain.com/tattoo-statistics/  You've got me there, too.  The last time I felt this liberated, I was sixteen and I sneaked out with my girlfriend and her mother to get my ears pierced.      
     
   
A little tattoo humor -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9x1YgjUoXk

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