Fear, tremors and you

I've been tattooing for a year and half now. In that time I've come across people that have difficulty during parts of the entire, um, procedure.

Now I've heard stories of people freaking out, but I had no idea—let alone compassion for—the difficulty when it takes place.

But all is well in the world, because today was the day.

A lady wanted a detailed guitar on her hip. Right after I placed the stencil, I started to sense trepidation. As if her death were eminent and I was the guy walking her off the plank. Her skin took on a yellowish hue as she crossed her arms as tight as possible.

I made a point to remain calm and stick to my routine. You know, configuring my machines as usual. I forced the last needle bar onto the paper towel, making for a snug fit around the pin. Just as it popped into place, I felt the entire table start to wobble. The poor lady was sitting there, eyes wide open in fear and shaking uncontrollably. Tattooing was the unknown and nobody likes not knowing.

I stepped up with more information, hoping to allay her worries. I explained fight or flight and how, in this situation, one could do neither. It was matter of accepting the process and easing mental agitation - an itch that couldn't be scratched.

She listened and appeared partially soothed.

Quickly, I tested a tiny line with water. Instantly, she elbowed my arm and machine away. Waiting a few seconds, I tested with another line in a less sensitive area. Again, she elbowed. She screamed and instantly started to shake, as though she was shivering. All of the reactions were tremendous obstacles, but none of which could be taken personally. It was how it was, so on with the program.

We talked a little more and did my best to explain what was going on. I expressed my strong hesitation to actually tattoo with ink. She understand, but was adamant to continue despite her fear.

So we did it. I kept the outline minimal and tried to create a semblance of the guitar shape and strings. By adding little bits of color, her desire of having some was met. And adding a drop shadow helped to mask some of the twisted lines that had no chance of straightening during the tremors. It took triple the amount of time, and plenty of breaks, but we figured out a flow of pain, management, tattooing, and recovery.

The tears and sweat were left on the table, as she stood up happy to have her first and last tattoo.