By BR Kellie
Years and years, and then some more years, ago I found myself sitting inside a tattoo parlour getting a tattoo along with some colleagues. In my life I have never known such pain - it was up there with child birth. The tattoo was a small flower in the upper bum/lower back region. Well, I twitched and wiggled. Breathed heavily. Prayed it would all be over sooner rather than later. The tattooist even commented on how much I jerked about. Apparently I win at jerking whilst being tattooed. Well I got off that table, looked at my pretty new piece of artwork in the mirror, noticed a couple of petals weren't finished off and thought 'stuff that, I'm not getting back on that table for all the money in the world'.
To this day those petals remain unfinished - which is still fine by me, and I like to justify it by saying I'm a bit unfinished too.
Now I have sworn black and blue that I'll never be touched by a needle again. I can't hack the pain. BUT, on seeing this new-ish tattoo trend, a tiny part of me could be swayed to get back on that horse. Er, table. I present to you... white ink tattoos!
Would you look at that bird? It's so graceful, so elegant. I also appreciate its subtlety - which makes it a great option for people wanting to get a tattoo but not wanting to be obvious about it, or for people who want a tattoo but who work in industries where perhaps they're not looked upon favourably.
This half-sleeve though! Sure it's a bit red post-work, but can you imagine just how beautiful and eye-catching it will be once it's settled down?
Of course if you are wanting something on the smaller side you could always go for something like this...
Why we love the white ink tattoo look, it's not something you want to enter into lightly - there are pitfalls to be found.
If the ink mixes with your blood, or the ink used to trace out the design, you can end up with a discoloured tattoo. Over time the ink will fade, and this can lead to it looking yellowish. Even if it doesn't yellow over time, you'll still likely need to touch up areas if you want to keep it looking fresh.
As this is a specialised tattoo, you don't want just anyone to do it - do your research and find a tattoo artist who understands the ins and out of white tattoos because, unlike a white henna design, this is for life - or at least until you can afford to and are willing to go through the pain of tattoo removal.
But if done right... these embossed body embellishments can be beautiful!
So what say you beauties -white ink tattoos? White hot? Or just... not? Get chatting!
I have several tattoos and have had the privileged to design a couple for other people. The white tattoos look really gorgeous and I really like the effect when they're new - but given how tattoos warp over time when they're just line (especially text), added to the increased fading, it's just not very practical in my opinion.