Some children learn how to read
analog clocks in kindergarten, while others learn the alphabet. I learned about
tattoos in kindergarten: namely, that they generally do not come off once they
are on. My kindergarten teacher sported a fading tattoo of a heart with an
arrow going through it on her left ankle. And each day, without fail, the same
conversation transpired.
“It
hasn’t come off yet,” noted one classmate of mine.
“No,
it hasn’t,” my teacher reluctantly agreed.
“Did
you not wash enough in the shower?” another girl asked innocently. This would
always elicit a few snickers.
“I
showered! It doesn’t come off, remember? It’s called a tattoo, “ my teacher
would reply back, a rosiness now emerging in her cheeks.
In retrospect, I now realize what
went unrecognized when I was an oblivious four-year-old: She was embarrassed,
and she wanted nothing more than to rid herself of the tattoo. The tattoo must
have been truly important to her at the time of its inception. Maybe she got it
in college with a group of friends. Maybe the arrow through the heart signified
some kind of emotional loss that she would never entirely overcome. Tattoos are
not bad; they are life experiences.
But life is dynamic. Things change,
such as employment, parenthood, and perspective. Tattoos serve as an adornment
and may attract unwanted attention, and what’s aesthetically appealing today
may not be nearly as alluring tomorrow. Furthermore, tattoos can be associated
with significant health concerns: Tattoos may elicit allergic reactions and
scarring, resulting in unsightly disfiguration of the skin. The potential
toxicity of tattoo ink may elicit a phototoxic reaction when exposed to light,
and tattoos even affect the body at the level of the immune system (http://www.newlookhouston.com/TattooRemoval.html).
New Look Laser Tattoo Removal (http://www.newlookhouston.com/)
is a premier option for the safe and effective removal of tattoos. Society
stands to significantly benefit from laser tattoo removal, as their clinics effectively
tackle tattoos by accounting for varying skin types and contra-indications to
tattoo removal treatment so that patients receiving removal treatment are not
at risk. They bear in mind which chemicals are associated with each ink color. Seldom
in life do we get to do something over, but now New Look Laser Tattoo Removal
is giving another chance at both health for our skin and the autonomy to decide
for ourselves how our skin appears throughout the course of adulthood.