PHILADELPHIA — My journey to getting more than half my arm tattooed in black ink began in Nashville, in 2014. Fueled by foolish hope and a bit too much booze, I walked into a shop there and got a bright, red heart tattooed on my bicep.
Fifteen months later, I wanted it off. When I spoke to some artists about cover ups, many recommended a rose, which I didn't want. So I chose laser removal, despite being told red ink was difficult to remove. Six laser sessions later, and about $1,500 lighter, I was left with scarring and a heart that, at best, had only faded to pinkish-red.
I thought about turning the heart black, which seemed melodramatic, so I went further and settled on a large black band around my arm in memory of a late friend. Black bands have long been worn to honor the dead, to signify the wearer is grieving. None of the artists I spoke to wanted to do that, however.
