Mo Naga writes that you ought to reflect hard whether to brand your sweetheart’s name on your skin or not. He also says there is a trend of Indian language tattoos. Rihanna has got her new Sanskrit one misspelt
We recently witnessed the beginning of a trend of getting loved one’s name tattooed as an expression of commitment. The young generation is drawn to this trend, owing to peer pressure and the tendency to ape celebrities.
In the early stage of a relationship, couples try to impress each other through various means. Buying flowers and expensive gifts, they exploit their bank balance in the quest to impress and express.
But getting your boyfriend’s or girlfriend’s name tattooed for life is an idea that I, as a tattoo artist, do not endorse. We should try being creative and innovative in love instead.
love is a personal affair, so why not do it your own wayIJ Every love story is unique. So why imitate celebrities. If you are a romantic person, or in love, you will never run out of ideas and ways to express yourself.
Oscar-winning Hollywood actress Halle Berry was quoted saying, “Tattooing someone else’s name on my body was a dumb thing to do. Now it’s covered with a bigger one. But if I had to do it again, I would never have gotten any!”
Tattoos give us a vast scope to express our personal feelings. Art, like our thoughts, has the ability to flow effortlessly, free of limitations.
Instead of just tattooing a loved one’s name, we can resort to designs and symbols like a beautiful heart, a cupid, a phrase or quote. An even better idea would be to express your idea and concepts to your artist.
Tattoo is permanent art on your body, so think through all aspects and carefully decide the design or motif. Otherwise it might also turn into a lifelong reminder of pain and hurt. People and names change, like time. We are not sure of the future.
So try being a smart tattoo lover. I would also add that unless you or the artist can write and read Chinese, Japanese or any other script please avoid tattooing them on your skin. Many of the translating software found online provide wrong results. A person’s name is a proper noun, which if used in a foreign language, might not sound the way you speak it.
Example: Victoria Beckham spelt as ‘Victhoria’ in Hindi. Rihanna has two Sanskrit prayer tattoos — her latest is misspelt. Tattoos in Indian scripts are becoming the hottest trend.
In my eight years of tattooing, I have seen that most of those who tattoo their lover’s name, regret it later. Tattoo the names of your parents or pet instead. I say this specifically to youngsters in schools and colleges. Please note the tattoo is an art of self expression, not just a fashion statement.
Depending on the size of the tattoo and colours used, laser tattoo removal surgery can be painful and expensive. It normally takes between 10 and 15 laser surgery sessions to remove the average tattoo, but 25-30 sessions are not uncommon, depending on the complexity of a tattoo.
If people realised how difficult it is to remove a tattoo, how costly and painful tattoo removal sessions are, and understood that society views tattoos as taboo, maybe they would think seriously before getting one.
(The writer is an internationally acclaimed tattoo artist and founder of Mo Tattoos, NewDelhi and Headhunter’s Ink Tattoo School, Guwahati)