School was out, and I knew I was up for another long, boring summer. I needed something to liven it up, and a tattoo sounded like a great idea. I searched through hundreds of tattoo ideas on the internet and finally found one I liked (a small heart with a music design) that would symbolize my love for music. I then began to search for tattoo studios in my area of Rochester, Minnesota. Unfortunately, Rochester doesn't have very many reputable tattoo and piercing shops, so I decided to search elsewhere. Every place I looked would not tattoo unless you were 18+, even with parental consent. I soon grew disappointed until I found Red Wing Tattoo's website, which agreed to tattoo minors with parental consent and the proper I.D. I called to schedule an appointment.
At A Glance Author PeppermintCandyPants Contact burakkuwolffe@hotmail.com When It just happened Artist Kevin Studio Red Wing Tattoo and Piercing Location Winona, Minnesota The next day, my mom and I drove an hour to Winona. As I walked in through the front door, I was amazed. I had never seen such a clean and welcoming shop. There were hundreds of tattoo designs on the walls and in booklets, 3 couches centered around a table, 2 pop machines, a TV (which was playing one of the best movies ever - Superstar :) ), and a pool table. My mom and I walked up to the counter and explained that I had made an appointment. I then handed the man (Kevin, the shop owner) the paper I was holding which had my tattoo idea printed on it. He looked at it and asked how I wanted it colored. I wasn't sure, so he told me that I could look at the tattoo books and find an idea of what I wanted while he made a better outline of the tattoo. After about 5 minutes, I walked back up to the front counter and showed him the type of shading I wanted on the heart design I had given him. Kevin agreed that it would look nice and gave me a form to fill out. As I finished the form, another employee came over to check my I.D. and confirm that my mom was with me since I was under 18. He then told my mom and me to have a seat while Kevin prepared. I felt totally comfortable in the hands of Kevin as I sat down on the arm of one of the couches to watch Superstar.
15 minutes later, Kevin told us he was ready and led us behind the counter to the back room where the piercing and tattoo area was located. The area was completely clean and well kept. He grabbed a portable screen as we walked by and placed it inbetween me and another costumer getting tattooed, so as to give more privacy. He then asked me where I wanted the tattoo, and I pointed to my chest, pulling down the front of my shirt. Kevin nodded, cleaned off my chest, and placed the tattoo transfer on my skin. He told me to look in the mirror and make sure I was happy with the placement. I told him I was and sat down in the reclining, dentist-like chair. My mom kept telling me that the tattoo was going to be permanent and that this was my last chance to change my mind. My mind was set, however. As Kevin placed a paper towel over my shirt, he asked if I had any questions.
"Um... not really. Well... this isn't going to hurt a whole lot, is it?" I asked, nervously.
"It will, but look on the bright side. It won't hurt while I'm refilling ink inbetween!" he said jokingly, "But, as long as you're not moving around and flinching, it won't take me too long."
I smiled as he put latex gloves on and started the machine. He asked me if I was ready, and I said yes, gripping the bottom of my shirt tightly with both hands. He leaned over and began...
"Are you doing alright?" he asked, as he stopped after only a short moment.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's not that bad," I said, gritting my teeth.
"Don't be surprised if it begins to suddenly get more painful. Some places just hurt a lot more," he said reassuringly as he began to outline my tattoo again.
I'm not going to lie - it hurt! It's hard to describe the pain, but it felt like having a knife being pressed down and dragged across my skin, or having a lit match dragged across my skin.
He stopped every now and then to refill ink and wipe my chest with a towel, always asking if I was doing alright. After the outline was done, the coloring-in of the tattoo was actually a lot less painful :). I guess I had become somewhat accustomed to the pain. As time went on, Kevin and I talked and laughed about being a teenager (and how people always think you're causing trouble if you're hanging out in town with friends), what I wanted to do after school, and lots of other things, which made me feel completely comfortable.
As my mom stood by me, watching Kevin tattoo, I thought of something.
"Hey, mom, we should swing by Hot Topic and pick up some H2Ocean," I said.
"Oh no, no, no.. don't do that," Kevin said,"Don't use that junk. It's got who knows what in it. I'll give you some free lotion that you can use that works much better."
Moments later, my tattoo was done! I stood up to admire it in the mirror as Kevin went to get his camera. I absolutely loved it! The coloring was perfect! :)
Kevin then took a picture of my tattoo, bandaged it up, and met my mom and me up at the front counter. There, he gave me two tins, one of tattoo lotion and another of tattoo sunblock - for free :). He then explained to me how to take care of my tattoo.
"Keep the bandage on for a minimum of 2 hours. After that, remove the bandage and wash your tattoo with water and mild soap, but do NOT use a wash cloth, just your fingers. Pat the tattoo dry with a clean towel, and then apply the lotion every 2-4 hours. Make sure to apply only a little lotion and to rub it in completely," Kevin told me, and gave me a small handout with the same directions on them.
I thanked him graciously, paid him (with a nice tip too :) ), grabbed a business card and was on my way.
Since then, I have removed the bandaged, cleaned it (the tattoo gets a thin filmy layer on it that comes off when you wash it)and applied lotion. I can't stop looking at it, I love it!
If you're ever in the SE Minnesota area, I strongly recommend Red Wing Tattoo and Piercing in Winona! And if you have any questions, feel free to email me. :)