This may seem a little off, but have you ever thought about what you'd want written on your gravestone? At 30 years old, and living each day that I possibly can with all of the positive energy I have, I surely haven't. Which is why, at 30 years old, I'm looking at my tattoos including my tramp stamp and realizing I'm supposed to live and die with them; the symbols I chose to place on myself, permanently, to represent what I stand for. There's one in particular, that certainly doesn't represent who I am. And I question, did it ever? And it goes...
At 18, my first tattoo was a gateway to freedom – college. It was and still is a symbol that carries passion and determination. The memories and experiences that it stands for make me feel alive. Those who know me understand it and I love telling the story behind it to those who don't. The same passion and determination I had then I still have now, and use it in different ways, which is unique.
I was 19 when I decided a princess crown was a good idea. The ugly master piece, which resembles more of a King's crown thanks to it's size, isn't much more than a tramp stamp. I'll admit it was spontaneous and carries nothing but an emptiness with it. Of course, I still laugh every time I think of that night. Nineteen and naive.
With all of the ways we can express ourselves, why would I do that? Truth is, I was bored. While some may be able to laugh off a mistake like this, I can't any longer. As my fiancé says, "It's like putting a bumper sticker on a Ferrari." Thanks, Joe. About a month ago I tried my first laser removal treatment - PicoSure with Dr. Jeremy Brauer of the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of NY.
The new laser rids unwanted tattoos faster than any other laser out there and works like others. As Dr. Brauer explained, "Individual ink particles absorb the wavelength of light emitted by the laser... the particles heat up and shatter into tiny particles that are then eliminated through the body's lymphatic system." Only unlike other lasers, it takes less treatments.
I went for my first, which I was numb for and only took about a minute. It's been a month, but after two months (that's how long it takes your system to rid the particles) I can go back for my second treatment. The crown is significantly lighter. I'm not against tattoos, as I have three. I'm just saying maybe we should think a little more before we ink. After all, I'm proud of who I am and am thankful I can clean up my mistakes.
