Addicted to Ink

Whether you’ll admit it or not, you’ve thought about it.

Getting that song lyric, infinity symbol, family crest or your spirit animal permanently inked into your body has crossed your mind. Tattoos have transformed from something associated with sailors, military members, rock stars and outlaws to something the average person can easily sport.

It isn’t that shocking that as of 2010, 23 percent of Americans have tattoos, according to a Pew Research Poll. College is an incredibly popular time to finally work up the courage to step inside that tattoo parlor’s doors. It is no surprise that a lot of us go home and find out our friends finally have their first mark of ink. After talking to some tattoo professionals, I’ve discovered that tattoos can become more than just a one-time act of individuality, but like anything else, can be incredibly addicting.

Strolling into Bodytech Tattoo and Piercing was like finally working up the nerve to walk into the kinky sex shop on University Avenue (which I still haven’t done). Taking big breaths, I realized my fear stemmed from my feelings of not being hardcore enough to hang out in a place where people endure a lot of pain for reasons I might not understand. It’s not that I don’t like tattoos, I’ve just always felt like tattoo parlors were an environment too intense and intimidating for me.  My recent mission, however, required me to face my silly fears. I was determined to uncover why tattoos are so addicting to college students.

I immediately relaxed with the carefree, comfortable attitude of the place as each of the tattoo artists tried to dodge the reporter girl coming in to talk to them. They made me laugh more than anything and I got right down to discussing the tattoo craze with them.

“You forget it hurts,” said Wayne Lessard, owner of Bodytech. “People always want to add to their tattoos.”

Lessard amuses me again by comparing getting a tattoo to shopping. He says it’s like buying a new t-shirt, you have one for a while, get bored and want another one.

Though this t-shirt is one you can never take off, he does make a good point. Like shopping, tattooing is a business that can always add something new to the way you look and to be honest, I think more than a few of us are addicted to shopping.

“Anything good is addicting,” said Enrique Valdes, 29-year-old tattoo artist. “It’s addicting in the same way drugs are addicting.”

I may have liked the t-shirt comparison better, but addiction is addiction. Once you get inked it’s exciting to show everyone your new tat until it eventually just becomes an ordinary part of you. It’s like getting a new haircut or painting your nails. Eventually, the new wears off and it’s time for a polish change.

My curiosity about tattoo obsessions still wasn’t satisfied though. I still wondered why so many in my age group indulge in tattoos.

“They’re away from home for the first time,” Lessard explains. “They’re experiencing it for the first time.”

This freedom, Lessard talks about, that is suddenly brought upon us in college sparks a lot of things. Eating ice cream for dinner, never checking our watches for curfew and daring to cross those things off our bucket list we excitedly wrote down when we were sixteen. It’s incredible how we’re thrown into an environment so opposite of where we were in high school and as a result, we find ourselves. I disagree with people who think tattoos in college are a sign of rebellion. Maybe that’s true for some, but I’d like to believe they’re a part of people that was always there. It’s comforting to think we’re allowed to soar with our individuality instead of waiting in the nest for something to happen.

For Brooke Watkins, 19-year-old tattoo enthusiast, they’re a part of her that started in college, but won’t end when she graduates.

“I feel like I look bland and boring without them,” she said. “Tattoos are a reflection of what I think is important.”

Molly Delattre, a fellow GainesvilleScene writer, considers her first tattoo a one and done deal.

“The novelty still hasn’t worn off. Actually, there’s some days when I forget I have a tattoo. I guess mine is so meaningful to me that I’ve never felt the urge to get another.”

The importance of expressing individuality is why many people indulge in getting tattoos. Brooke admits that for her they’re an addiction, but for most people she thinks it’s just a phase.

“It’s a fad right now,” she says. “It’s a version of self expression.”

And while it may be a fad, those permanent marks will stay with you forever. For those of you who crave originality, you may find it interesting that tattoo parlors see requests for the same tattoos over and over again. Here’s a list of some of Bodytech’s most popular tattoos, according to Lessard.

1. Infinity symbol
2. Lettering (words, saying, Bible verses)
3. Love, Hope, Family
4. Feathers

“It’s such a serious commitment,” says Watkins. “What makes them so special is that you can’t take them off. They’re a commitment. They’re permanent.”

Though Watkins is currently planning her next attack to build a sleeve of ink, she won’t reveal her next move. Each one, to her, is personal. Though it’s frustrating when people flaunt their tattoos and then refuse to tell you the story, I respect where she’s coming from, because while the tattoo world may seem dark to an outsider, to an insider it’s an escape. To those bold enough to dip their bodies in ink, it’s a freedom that no one can control. To many of us, our freedom in college is something we’ve wanted for so long; maybe tattoos are just another way of showing that we’ve found it and we’ll never let it go.

Featured photo courtesy of: BusBones

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