Tattoo

[pandora_parrot]

I don't get tattoos. I don't like permanently modifying my body.

Of course... I've kinda been doing just that these past few months. So maybe it is time for a change.

A while back, pandagenma made this amazing image. We started talking about tattoos, and I then offered some creative feedback, which she turned into the following image.



It is a combination of both the mercury symbol (used to represent transgender people) and the polyamory symbol. I am seriously considering having it placed onto my body in the not-so-distant future.

(Note about the Mercury symbol from here: Mercury was borrowed in this instance to represent a transgendered person. Mercury's symbol has a cross extending down to represent femininity and a crescent moon at the top to represent masculinity. The two are placed at opposite ends of the circle to strike a balance between the male and female parts. This symbol seems to speak more to those trangendered persons who identify hermaphroditically or andgroynously.)

So what do y'all think? How much do you think this will cost? More importantly... If I do get this... *WHERE* on my body should I get it?

Comments

[serendipitygirl.livejournal.com]

oooh. Pretty. :)
Upper back, middlish I think. Though if it's the size I think it'll be pricy, much moreso with the colour.

[paradox-puree.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking of getting it fairly small. Just a little thing.

And I totally need the color. :)

pandagenma suggested $40 to $60, which is certainly reasonable.

[sophia-daniels.livejournal.com]

i'm steeling this version of the logo for our wiki.
http://lostgirls.org/wiki/index.php/Transpoly

[paradox-puree.livejournal.com]

FYI: your girlfriend actually made the image. :) I just provided feedback to her about it. It is incorrect to say that it was "by Joyce" although it might make sense to say that I contributed thoughts to the process. =^.^=

[sophia-daniels.livejournal.com]

*nods* i wasn't sure. and you're the first person to post this version. so i figured you'd made your own version.

oh, and feel free to edit our wiki if you find miss info. :)

[shalady.livejournal.com]

I kinda like it, and it seems a very appropriate symbol for you. I have a tattoo of the tree of life on my calf, and my next tattoo will be the opening line from Aristotle's Metaphysics ("All men by nature desire to know." - we can overlook the gender biases) in the original Greek on my shoulder.

As for location, my own preference is for places that can/will easily be covered by most clothing most days. Two reasons - first, if I'm going to do something to my body that can't be undone, I want to at least be able to pretend to undo it in professional-type situations like job interviews. Not that it makes that big of a difference in my line of work (hell, the second one could be points in my favor!), but better to be prepared.

The second reason is to keep the sun off of it. I paid in money and a bit of pain to get my tattoo - I don't want it to fade.

[paradox-puree.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :) That information was very helpful. :)

[eyesloveyou.livejournal.com]

I woudl suggest somewhere on your back.

[paradox-puree.livejournal.com]

Why?

[eyesloveyou.livejournal.com]

You want it somewhere where it will be able to be hidden when you have to look perfesional. So it's either your back your stomach or your upper leg. I don't think it would look good as a stomach tattoo. The inside of your upper leg is sensitive so I doubt you would like it there, though I suppose it would look good on your hip. That really just leaves your back.

[paradox-puree.livejournal.com]

*nods* Makes sense to me. Perhaps my upper shoulder blade?

[eyesloveyou.livejournal.com]

A sensitive spot but I think it would look nice.

[ayellowbirds.livejournal.com]

Awesome design! But, what symbol are the horns from?

[pandagenma.livejournal.com]

From the symbol for Mercury, which relates to the child of Hermes and Aphrodite. It's used as a transgender symbol.

[ayellowbirds.livejournal.com]

d'oh! i should have guessed. I feel like such a terrible genderqueer occultist :P
most people i hang out wiht prefer to use the combined mars/venus/mixed symbol like in your icon.

[paradox-puree.livejournal.com]

From here:

Mercury was borrowed in this instance to represent a transgendered person. Mercury's symbol has a cross extending down to represent femininity and a crescent moon at the top to represent masculinity. The two are placed at opposite ends of the circle to strike a balance between the male and female parts. This symbol seems to speak more to those trangendered persons who identify hermaphroditically or andgroynously.

[ayellowbirds.livejournal.com]

:\
I have no idea where they get the thing about the "crescent moon" and cross. It doesn't described the symbol, visually, to me, and it has nothing to do with the deity it's related to. Most reliable sources I've found describe the symbol as symbolizing either Mercury himself (in his winged hat), his caduceus staff, or some combination thereof. For me, it's too big a change from the symbol of one of the deities that symbolized male sexuality, to a symbol for transgender people. Mind, this is just my opinion.

[peaceofpie.livejournal.com]

Hermaphroditus is the child of Hermes and Aphrodite. Mercury is the Roman name for Hermes, but they're the same dude. :)

[willow-kat.livejournal.com]

That is super-pretty!

If you were to get it that size, I'd expect it to be about $100-ish, but it depends on the place you go and if they charge more for colour or not.

As for places, I suggest places where you can choose to show or hide it at will - I have mine where my neck meets my shoulders, and the other on my ankle.

[paradox-puree.livejournal.com]

What do you mean by "that size?"

[willow-kat.livejournal.com]

I meant the size of the picture you posted. (Although I just realized the size perception would differ depending on your screen resolution and screen size...)

3.5cm x 5.5 cm? That's about the size I'm seeing... (about 1.5 inches by 2.5 inches?)

[amynicole717.livejournal.com]

It's a super pretty image, and I believe it would suit you well as a tattoo. I really like it. Your shoulder blade seems like a very good location.

However, I feel the need to play cautious-bear on this one, because it seems no one else is doing so. I was always told to think about a tattoo design in the desired location for at least 3 months before doing it. Some people say a year. It took me almost a year after I decided on a design to get mine done, and I'd always thought positively about tattoos. Perhaps experiment with henna or acrylic in the decided location soon? Just please, make an effort to think about it before going out and doing it if you've never thought positively about a permanent design on your skin.

Super cool though. I'm excited for your first one. I would so go with you. :-)

[paradox-puree.livejournal.com]

I've been wanting something representational of me for a while, and this one really feels like a good representation of me. :)

But the earliest I'll be doing this is the beginning of August, so I don't think there's any worry about doing anything rash. :)

[chaoticset.livejournal.com]

I've got a couple tat ideas for myself, although this sounds pretty cool too. :D

Another thing I'm seriously considering (assuming certain...assumptions) is that I might get my nipples pierced in a few years.

[eposia.livejournal.com]

Professional minor quibble point : it's spelled tattoo.

Now, onto the question: Placement depends on a lot of factors, but the two biggest are visibility and flow. Do you want it to be hidden in "professional attire"? do you want to always be able to see it without a mirror if you look for it, or is it enough to know you have it? You used to be against tattoos, now you're considering getting one; it might be helpful to give thought to whether you might further change your mind in the future, and get more, in which case placement matters for where the future tattoos might go.

Do you care about the lines of the tattoo flowing with the lines of your body? It's symmetrical, so maybe centered on the midline (back of neck, between shoulder blades, lower back - though I don't think it would look as good lower). If you don't care about that as much, or want it to be more visible to you, I could see it going on a shoulder blade, centered on the outer upper arm, on the side of the lower leg above the ankle, or even on the side of your hip/butt. I'd agree I don't think it works well with an abdomen placement.

While future technologies might change this, right now tattoo removal hurts waaay more and costs about 10 times as much as tattoo application. So spending a bit of time thinking about it to make sure you want it - and assume it's a permanent alteration - is a good idea.

Speaking of price, that totally varies by region. That piece done in my shop, at a reasonable size to fit whatever body part you pick, could be anywhere from 60$-100$. However, you're in California, which from all I've heard averages twice as much as around here. Bigger cities in Texas are about 1.5 times as much as our prices on average.

Another note - good theatrical makeup can cover up most tattoos fairly well, so if you're worried about hiding it for work keep that in mind if you want t oopen up more polacement options. Or just don't get jobs that care about it *grin*

Finally, the pain of the tattoo should be the last thing you worry about, honestly. For most people it's uncomfortable but not excruciating, and the more you freak out and get nervous and work yourself up before the tattoo, the more it hurts. Relax, take deep breaths, make it an empowering body-claiming experience for you, and it'll be over quickly.

That piece looks like it would take a good artist about 20-45 minutes to do depending on size. Shop around ahead of time before you get the tattoo. Ask to see the portfolio of the artist who will be doing your tattoo. Look through it and make sure they're clean, crisp lines and bright colors; it's best to take someone with you who really knows their tattoos to help you with this part, but you can totally do it on your own too. Make sure there's a nice variety of pictures showcasing their work, and that at least some of the pictures are of HEALED tattoos looking good - any asshole can make it look good walking out the door.

Take a look at the shop and the workspace; the tattoo area should be separated from the main area by a wall, and preferrably in its own room. All surfaces should be non-porous and easy to clean. Ask how they sterilize their equipment (you're looking for an autoclave that uses either chemical or steam/heat and pressure); all needles should be single use. They should open all packages in front of you, and dispose of the needles afterward in front of you. Ask whether they spore test their autoclave - this is a nice one as it's kinda an "advanced" question; shops who really care spore test monthly to make sure their autoclave is working correctly. The only reason it's okay if they don't have an autoclave is if they buy all their supplies pre-packaged and single-use. Latex gloves should be worn during the setup and procedure, and if they stop for any reason make sure the deglove and reglove. They should also have non-latyex gloves on hand for allergic customers.

Finally, customer service is just as important in this business as any other. You do not have to put up with assholes to get quality work; especially in a big city like San Fran, you should be able with a little looking to find someone who is friendly, helpful, seems excited about doing YOUR tattoo, and has a quality portfolio.

[eposia.livejournal.com]

Have fun, tattoos are awesome! I think I'll clean this up a bit, generalize it, and turn it into a helpful LJ entry on MY friendslist, more people need to know how to correctly shop for tattoos. *hugs*

[paradox-puree.livejournal.com]

Spelling error fixed.

Wow! That's a lot of information!

Regarding being against tattoos, I used to be against any form of permanent body modification. I'm feeling a lot more free about that lately, so I've been considering doing things like getting piercings and tattoos. Nothing major, just a little thing here and there.

Thanks for all the info! It makes me want to go to your shop to have it done. :)

[paradox-puree.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I'll probably have this done in Denver at the beginning of August when I go out there to visit my sweetie pandagenma and her partners.

[peaceofpie.livejournal.com]

I immediately pictured it on your lower back, just above where your right hip and your butt join.

I think it is beautiful and VERY you.

[paradox-puree.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I'm leaning towards bicep now... but that's an intersting place...

Thank you.

[tori-lynn-lives.livejournal.com]

personally i think it is a fine example of somehting i would maybe put on my body...i love ink and will be getting many more.

my philosophy for ink is it should truly represent something to you or indicate a milestone in your life. but that's just me.

if i were to get that inked on me...i'd get it no smaller than that image and i'd put it on the outside of my calf, probably the left calf.

[ladymarauder-d.livejournal.com]

I think it's an awesome image, and just wanted to say a little thanks for the link to the site with all the symbols. That site answered so many questions for me, and I learned new things too. As always, you are amazing.