[Quiet Man Cometh]

I would love to get some tattoos but with my health history I'm no-go territory for any reputable parlor. I have a couple relatives friends with tattoos. My sister also has a frangipani that she got to commemorate her time in Australia (she was so happy when she learned the artist was a kiwi and knew what they looked like.

My friend has a full leg tattoo of a sakura cherry with herself, several animals and pets that were part of her live, her family crest, and phrase in Latin (I think) "We are responsible forever for what we have tamed." It's awesome. The outlining is done, and it's partly coloured. If there are kids around and they're bored she'll let them get some markers and colour her leg.

Tattoo pain I know does vary depending on location. Areas with more muscle or fat and fewer nerve endings will be easier, and apparently white can be painful because the needle needs to go in fairly deep for it to stay. It's one of the first colours to fade. My sister's started white and it needs to be redone. It's been some 10 years by now, at least.

Would the creams affect the tattooing process at all? As someone who is well acquainted with needles, I used to use Emla cream all the time for dialysis, but stopped when the scar tissue started to build up and the cream made the skin a little spongy, giving the nurses a bit of a hard time.