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Wednesday, October 11, 2000
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Kansan writer Amanda Kaschube ponders getting a tattoo and the effects tattoos have on people's lives
By Amanda Kaschube
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Coyla Ezell, a 50-year-old fifth grade teacher at Hillcrest Elementary, 1045 Hilltop Drive, shows a student her Cattie ampersand tattoo on her outside right ankle. Ezell has had the tattoo for two years and said she never has felt pressure to hide it from students and coworkers.
o tattoo or not to tattoo, that is the question.
Or at least that's the question that's been on my mind ever since I came to Lawrence four years ago. I was walking down Massachusetts Street when I saw my first tattoo shop. As I peered inside the window, my conscience — or my mother's voice — kept saying: "It's forever!
"You could get a disease!
Blood oozes everywhere.
"Did I mention? It's forever!"
So I put the tattoo notion in the back of my head and got my freshman rebellion phase out of my system by double-piercing my ears. I know, I'm wild. When that backfired on me — my earring got sucked into my ear and required medical attention from the folks at Watkins — I decided injecting ink into my skin probably wouldn't be the best form of self-expression.
But lately the idea of has resurfaced. I went back to the tattoo parlor and pondered designs that could be embedded into my lower back. A ladybug (a symbol of good luck), a Chinese character with my name or a panda all seemed like reasonable and socially acceptable images for my body.
So I talked about it with my mom.
After she first suggested money with wings on it ('cause that's what her money would be doing after I got tattooed), she rationally said she'd give me her blessing when I turned 40.
So sweet.
I won't take her design advice, but even with the design in limbo, there are still other factors, besides my mom, curbing my tattoo enthusiasm:
The social repercussions
Would future employers not hire someone who had a naked woman tattooed on their forearm? Might they
prefer a delicate butterfly in hiddest view on an ankle?
Marile Lyddon, a secretary at a temp agency Adecco, 100 E. Ninth St., said such preferences would be discrimination and therefore illegal. But she said the tattoo still could hurt a person's reputation in the business world.
"On a daily basis in an office, having one wouldn't come across as being professional — even at 20 years old," she said. "It plays a part in how you present yourself. But you could cover it and no one would ever know."
Some places, such as
schools or restaurants, might not care as much as a law firm or doctor's office, Lyddon said.
Coyla Ezell, a 50-year-old fifth grade teacher at Hillcrest Elementary, thought about getting a tattoo for five years before she finally committed two years ago to a Celtic ampersand on her inside right ankle. The school and her coworkers didn't mind the design, and she said she's never felt pressure to cover the design up.
But she's not running back to the tattoo parlor either.
"I only wanted to get one because I hate when people mix themes," she said. "If you have one cartoon character, stick with cartoons. If you like Chinese characters, do all Chinese characters. It's that easy."
"It if was rude or unsighty, it would bother me," said Debbie Fey, a manager at Free State Brewery, 636 Massachusetts St. "I wouldn't want to see a naked woman on a sever's arm."
Some businesses base their tattoo policies on whether the design might offend someone.
Joe Flannery, the president of Weaver's Department Store, 901 Massachusetts St., felt the same way.
"Normally, a tattoo is not an issue. But if it was on a forehead, that might be a concern," he said. "It totally depends on the business, but it's all the rage today."
So if my decision is to be based on my future profession, I should be in the clear. As a future sports journalist, most of the athletes I encounter are tattooed from head to toe.
Score one for getting a tattoo. But what about:
The permanency issue
concern.'
What if I decide I don't want my grandkids to see my tattoo? Should my wedding plans include a scheme to hide the heart with "I Love N'Sync" on my shoulder?
The whole "it's forever" thing has been my main concern. And my mom has pounded that idea into my head again and again.
"Normally, a tattoo is not an issue. But if it was on a forehead, that might be a concern."
Granted, removing tattoos now is a lot easier because of laser technology. In the past, sanding the tattoo off or using a scalpel to remove the skin were some painful options for removing that skull and crossbones.
Joe Flannery president of Weaver's Department Store
But now, lasers offer bloodless removal with little side effects.
Ruth Perry, a certified ESC Systems Operator at the Jones Family Practice in Wellsville, sees about three to four customers a week for tattoo removal. She uses an IPL (Intense Pulse Light) that removes or fades the tattoo without damage to the skin. The treatment costs anywhere from $150 to $700 depending on the size and color of the tattoo.
So what's the most common reason for getting that tattoo removed?
Maybe I should reconsider that N'Sync tattoo then.
"People will have a memory of the tattoo to someone they don't like anymore," Perry said.
So, with the advice of schoolteacher Ezell, I'm
Should Amanda get a tattoo?
Forget the presidential election — vote on something that really makes a difference! Tell Kansan reporter Amanda Kaschube if she should ink a design on her body. Next week, we'll let you know the results of the poll, and what Amanda plans to do next.
See http://www.kunanu.com/sections/exra_front/
web.html
supposed to think long and hard before forking over the money for a tattoo.
That's what Jay Lovett, Hillsboro junior, did before selecting a tribal symbol for the middle of his back last month. He traveled to different tattoo stores to find the perfect design that would remain on his body for eternity. he doesn't regret it, and neither does Jen Van Ruyen. The St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada, sophomore, tattooed a Jayhawk on her lower back the day she signed her letter of intent to be a KU rower. But she'll only get tattoos in easily hidden places, including a possible "Made in Canada" logo on her derriere.
"I don't want to get one too visible because I don't want it to show when I wear my wedding dress,"
If I can find a decent design, tally another one for the protattoo side. But there's yet another issue:
Mv low pain threshold
If I cry when I get my finger pricked, how am I going to handle twenty minutes of needles going in and out my skin?
I admit, I'm a wuss. I cry at Disney movies and my stomach turns flips every time I see a needle. So to prepare for my tattoo, I participated in the blood drive last week. I didn't puke, or pass out, at the sight of my own blood, so I think I can handle some suffering.
At least the today's tattoo artists have better resources than in the past.
According to Howstuffworks.com, many tribes of the Arctic and Subarctic, people made needle punctures through which a thread coated with pigment was drawn underneath the skin. In Polynesia and Micronesia, pigment was pricked into the skin by tapping on a tool shaped like a small rake.
Ow.
But everyone I've talked to who has undergone a tattoo artist's needle said the skin normally goes numb after a few minutes.
Coyla described the process as "poking yourself with a toothpick over and over again. But it's fun." If that's fun, maybe I should just go to the dentist and get a root canal.
So one point for a tattoo-free Amanda.
So that's a 2-1 lead for getting a tattoo. But my mom's veto adds another anti-tattoo vote to the argument. So in a 2-2 tie, I'm undecided. That's why I'm letting Kansan readers decide my fate. At www.kansan.com, in the features section, you'll be able to vote whether or not I get a tattoo.
So cast your vote online, and check back next week to see the results!
And mom, you can only vote once.
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