| My New Lotus Tattoo |
Question:
I acquired my much antici...pated lotus tattoo on
the back of my head. I had been considering the tattoo for 3 years
but was somewhat hesitant about the pain. I also had to consider if it
was worth getting in terms of the visual, since I only shave my head
during the summer. In July, Mom's Body Shop opened in the Upper Haight,
where I discovered the excellent work of Greg Rojas and his predilection
for lotus designs.
After asking people with head tattoos about their experiences and finally
deciding that I wanted it regardless of how visible it was, I called Mom's
Body Shop and made an appointment. I was also very much in the mood for
more ink, being under a certain amount of emotional stress at the time.
I had spoken to him in July about doing the tattoo, so he already knew what
I had in mind. He quickly drew a rough sketch over a tracing of my head.
I wanted a profile of a flower to fill the lower half of the back of my
head. What to do with the spaces to either side? We decided on a simple,
symmetrical single-line black vine motif, similar to a design I already
had on my left shoulder. I chose dark eggplant purple with dark brown
and pink highlights.
The entire piece took about 4 hours, including a break between completing
the outline and starting the shading and coloring. The shading hurt just
as much as the outline; they both burned like no previous tattoo has ever
burned! But I did not get the blinding headache I was expecting; I had
planned ahead and taken a few Advil (tm) before leaving home. Also
unusual was that it did not bleed nearly as much as we expected, nor did
my scalp turn bright red. What I did not expect was the resulting
texture; the area of the tattoo was rendered hairless, while the rest of
my head had a faint stubble.
It continued to burn for the next 6 days. Even Lubriderm was painful, so
I used the Care Creme Antimicrobial the entire time. The tattoo has
already peeled and healed, in only five days! I suspect that the natural
oils in my scalp helped moisturize it, since I did not need to use as much
creme or lotion as I have for previous tattoos. Tonight I was able to
shave it and it's gorgeous!
Greg Rojas Electric Tattooin'
Mom's Body Shop
1408 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 863-2837
The shop is an average looking tattoo studio with photos and flash designs
on the walls and jewelry showcases. The work space is divided by partial
walls into six work stations, including one piercing station. Curtains
and moveable screens are available for privacy. Each station has its own
sink. The shop is still somewhat under construction with a few open walls
and unpainted areas. Clean-up and sterilization is performed in a
completely separate room.
Answer:
- I've been looking for a good lotus design for a
while, I found one that I kindof like, but I would love to see what
your's looks like as well.
- Congratulations, it sounds lovely. And I've heard good things about Greg
Rojas, so I'm sure it was well-executed and placed.
And the picture will be on your web-page when?
- Some one a few weeks ago was looking for a lotus flower also. I would
love to see the new pics posted on your web site.
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