Think before you ink

Anyone walking around campus with their eyes open is likely to see a pair of the now overly-popular Australian Uggs side-stepping a pile of snow somewhere nearby. The latest trends may take their time in coming to Buffalo, but once they do, they don't let go until they've worn out their welcome.

The trend phenomenon applies to tattoos as well, but you wouldn't know it if you checked out some of the ink on UB students. Sure, Chinese letters and quasi-tribal arm bands are abundant on campus, but many students choose to steer off the beaten path of the old familiar tattoo.

Annie Nardolillo, a sophomore pharmacy major, has the words "Stay Classy" tattooed on her hip. She may have borrowed the phrase from the movie "Anchorman" as a joke, but Nardolillo says the words have a purpose other than to elicit some laughs (which they always do).

"If you think about it, it's pretty good advice," Nardolillo said.

Her other tattoos carry deeper meaning, though, an aspect that made her confident in her decision to get them. An Italian horn and a shamrock proudly represent her half-Italian, half-Irish heritage. A firefly on her ribcage commemorates her favorite song by Saves the Day and the memories of listening to it with friends.

If a tattoo has a personal story behind the image, then its value is greater, and the owner is less likely to regret having it done. Everyone knows that a tattoo is permanent, for the most part, but for a lot of people, the idea that the tattoo is forever is far from their thoughts while sitting in the artist's chair.

Hannah Baker, a sophomore anthropology major, has a tribal design on her back that she wishes she had spent more time thinking about before having it sealed into her skin.

"Obviously, it's permanent, so if you're going to get something, get something you care about," she said. "Don't get a tattoo just for the sake of getting a tattoo."

It is also important to take into consideration the health risks that go along with getting a tattoo. According to Dr. Frank Carnevale, director of Health Services at UB, if you aren't at a certified facility, unsanitary practices could lead to contracting HIV, Hepatitis B or C, and other blood born viruses.

Tattoo parties, where the host hires a (sometimes unlicensed) tattoo artist to come tattoo the drunken guests, are far from safe. For most people, however, deciding on the consequences of having a permanent drawing on your body is the biggest issue.

"Picture yourself as an older person still with that tattoo and ask yourself if you'll still want it," Carnevale said.

Kate Hellenbrand of Shanghai Kate's Tattoos on Elmwood Avenue, has been a tattoo artist since 1971 and has learned from pros like Sailor Jerry and Ed Hardy.

"To get a tattoo is to have a companion for life," she said.

Hellenbrand said that her tattoos are a part of who she is, that they define her. But she had to come to an understanding about herself before she got them. Tattoos aren't for young people making spontaneous, or drunken, decisions. She said that people between the ages of 16 and 25 are going through the biggest changes of their life, "trying on" different aspects of their personality.

"Students usually aren't old enough to have defined themselves," Hellenbrand said, whose tattoo patrons are usually between age 30 and 60. "The younger you are, the more dissatisfied you will be with your tattoo."

Still, many college students feel that they are ready, whether they've been deciding on the look for months, or they finally got up the courage to face the needle.

For some, the first tattoo comes soon after the 18th birthday. Those that deem the tattoo a symbol of adulthood may end up making an impulsive decision on a design that lacks meaning.

"It's like having sex," Hellenbrand said. "The first time you do it you don't really know what you're in for. You're kind of nervous, it's an experiment."

After that, Hellenbrand said, getting tattoos done can be very addicting, and more personal.

"As time goes on, the tattoos become richer, they're importance becomes deeper," she said. "It's a way of connecting with who you were when you got it."