In the Jeffco community, many of our teachers and students have tattoos that represent something important to them, something they want forever.

“I got my first tattoo when I was 21. One of my best friends was moving out of state, so I wanted something to commemorate our friendship. There were three of us who were friends who were all of Irish descent, so we chose to get Celtic knots. We each came up with our own variation of a similar design,” Intervention Services teacher April Bell said. 

“We have since grown apart, but it is fun to have that tattoo as a reminder of our friendship. I only have one other tattoo, and that is another friendship tattoo. When my friend, who has been my friend since we were 13ish, turned 40, we decided to find a tattoo to get together,”  Bell said.  “We chose an old-timey swallow tattoo, like sailors get. We learned that sailors used to get the tattoo to symbolize the miles that they had gone by ship. Each swallow represented 5000 nautical miles. My friend and I felt that this was a good representation of all that we had traveled together over nearly 30 years of friendship.” 

Some of you might be thinking about getting a tattoo or want a tattoo even though a parent or family member doesn’t agree. If you’re someone considering taking the tattoo leap, here is some insight into our tattoo community, along with a few answers to your tattoo questions. 

What is it like going to a tattoo shop for the first time? 

Walking in, the shop smells clean, almost lemony, like cleaning supplies and Clorox wipes. It’s a big, open place with all different kinds of color tattoos and designs on the walls. You make a consultation with the artist that you think is a good fit. You might feel nervous or excited to see what this appointment is going to look like. If you like the artist and the design, you make your tattoo appointment.

What are the Covid protocols?

Covid rules are easy to follow: the staff and clients both have to wear masks. The waiting rooms stay five feet apart from every chair. After every client, the staff cleans the supplies and gets new supplies for the next client, if needed. Extra masks and hand sanitizer are in the room. Some tattoo shops might ask for a vaccine card. Review the Covid Tattoo Artist Conditions for more information.

What could go wrong?

There are a few things to think about before you get a tattoo.  Artists use different needles and inks that you could be allergic to — you could get ink poisoning. Make sure you know if you are allergic to anything. Look at ratings about the shop and the different artists. Check out the website on Yelp for ratings on the tattoo shop and the artist. Make sure the shop is a clean and safe place to get a tattoo. Go visit the tattoo shop to see it before you commit — make a consultation appointment with the artist. Show the artist what you want, the size, and where you want it. You should tell the artist anything about your concerns.  Read about potential health risks before you commit.

For more information to plan a safe and rewarding experience, learn about a few tips before you go.

Here are some amazing tattoo stories from Dakota Ridge. 

“It is my mom’s handwriting saying, ‘I love you,’ and it reminds me she is still with me even though she isn’t here in person,” DRHS senior Berkley Antener said. 

“What does my tattoo mean to me? That’s a deep question. My tattoo consists of two parts. The first part is 88.  The 88 represents one of my friends that died when I was ten, and it has affected my life in many ways. My tattoo incorporates him and the loss I felt for him, and the other part of my tattoo is a logo for a suicide prevention organization called Robbie’s Hope,” Golden High School senior Iain Remington said. “It was founded by one of my friends, Robbie, who committed suicide. I got this, his death really affected me as well. Both of these shaped me the way I am and who I will become in the future. This  is something that I want forever, and having them tattoo on me keeps them with me not only in my heart but physically too.”  

“ My tattoo is of Hebrew lettering and it says, ‘Shalom,’ which means peace. It’s on the inside of my left wrist to symbolize that I am finally at peace with myself after battling self-harm on my left arm,”  CSU freshman Maggie Anderson said.

“The first one is a tattoo of a goldfish that we won at a carnival with my dad (the fish is named Cheeto). He lived a really long time for a goldfish, which is really surprising.  He has a chrysanthemum because it means family. My brother, dad, and I all have the same tattoo,” DHRS senior Hailey Choi said.

“I got the tattoo because it’ll always remind me of Colorado, and I got it on an important day to me so it’ll always remind me of that as well. I got it on September 24th, and it’s an important day to me because it’s the day I met my mother for the first time,” DRHS senior Cade Oldershaw said.

“‘ Have Courage and Be Kind.’ It’s from the Cinderella movie. It’s one of my favorite childhood movies, and my aunt would always tell me that quote from that movie,” DRHS senior Kylie Dappen said.

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.