Love is in the air, or more precisely it will be soon as Valentine’s Day will soon be upon us. Most tattoo enthusiasts will begin to think about immortalizing their devotion to each other with, (what else?), a tattoo.
Now as I and most any other Tattoo Artist will tell you, getting your beloved’s name tattooed on each other is not a good idea. No matter how good it sounds at the time, the fact remains that more often than not, love is fleeting, tattoos are permanent. Or more accurately, extremely expensive to get removed. At the very least it will cost you extra to have the thing covered up. During the time I was in business I made almost as much covering this common mistake up as I did from doing other tattoos.
If your still determined to get a tattoo with your loved one’s name emblazoned on your flesh for all to see, then I would suggest you set aside the cost of a cover up while your at it.
A newer trend is having your wedding bands tattooed on. While it is a nice idea, I don’t think it is all that much above the name. Didn’t keep Pamela Lee and Tommy together, did it? Even if you have the band lasered off later, the white streak it will leave is going to make the next person you date wonder if you really are single, or you just took your band off for a night’s fun and games.
So what’s a tattoo lover to safely do when the lines of love and a love of ink cross? Well, maybe the ol’ Doc has a suggestion, or two, that can make everyone happy.
Suggestion one: Matching designs put in the same place. By picking out a tattoo that both you and your partner like and agree on you show your love to anyone who happens to look when you are together. Then should the worse happen anyone new you may hook up with isn’t going to be asking, “Who is…..?” if they happen to see it later. The only one who will know is you and then it’d just another tat if you wish to view it that way.
Suggestion two: A couple of hearts, or a single heart, with “Eternal Love” in the banner instead of the lover’s name. Convenient excuse if you break up and someone else asks about the meaning. “It’s for my Mom, Dad, Kids, etc,etc.”
Suggestion three: A coded tattoo, or a tattoo that fits your lover’s personality, such as a rose for ‘Rose’, or a wolf for the “wolf” in your life.
I’m sure that with a little thought and imagination you can come up with some way to express your love for each other in ink without resorting to “The Curse” and running the risk of having something done that you will regret later, or at least not regret as much.
Think before you ink, and Happy Valentine’s Day to all you love struck folk.