Left: A terribly planned and poorly executed lion/tiger/cougar mash-up
Right: A well drawn, excellently executed lion
As a third-year college student, I've witnessed a lot of bad
decision making: eating two pounds of nachos and cheese in a competition,
drinking while upside down doing a headstand, pulling an all-nighter for an
exam at eight in the morning, and more recently, snap decision tattoos. Each
year, there seems to be a fashionable animal such as an owl, a sparrow, or
maybe just a feather. More and more of my friends seem to have tattoos of these
common motifs.
Not only is a tattoo a way to distinguish yourself but it is also
a demonstration of rebellion: while I have many friends with tattoos, I know
very few parents with tattoos. This is a mark of “maturity” and personal
decision making. There also seems to be an aura of invincibility with a tattoo;
the person has an emblem of pride but if it becomes boring or out-dated, LASER
removal is the back up plan. I don’t believe my friend’s birds, feathers, or
dream catchers have significance: their tattoos are accessories -- one day to
be removed. As CoCo Chanel says, “When
accessorizing always take off the last thing you put on.” Someday, this might
be the tattoo, but the blues and greens which are so trendy now will later
become a hassle to remove if they choose. These hues have specific wavelengths
which are harder to removed -- more time and intensity is required.
When I consider a tattoo, LASER is not my end goal. I have often
considered -- quite nerdily, I admit -- an equation with importance tattooed on
my body. Not that I will forget this equation, but it would have some
significance to me as an engineer. I haven’t yet found the right equation
that suits me, and I’m not sure I will. Looking forward to being a
professional, I do not want others to judge me based on my decision to have
something marked on my body. Although society is moving towards acceptance of
these new found “beauty marks”, a social stigma will always remain: “Why would
one distort his or her body in such a way?”
I cannot answer this question myself, but rather I will propose,
is it truly distortion or beautification?
Find out more about LASER tattoo removal at: http://www.newlookhouston.com/
