As a heavily tattooed girlie, I always welcome questions about my ink. I have found that people are both curious and confused about aspects of my tattoo art and I try not to shy away from the inquiries.

While I have heard some doozies, I must say that the MOST commonly asked question of them all is, "Did it hurt to get your head tattooed?"

I understand being inquisitive about this. Really, I do. But the short and honest answer is, ummm, YES!

Tattoo collectors have various levels of pain tolerance. In a room full of tattooed peeps, asking "which spot hurt the worst" will most likely get you a variety of places cited. There really isn't a "rule" or "gauge" to be able to give prospective tattoo recipients when they ask "how much will it hurt?" If honest, even the toughest-of-the-tough have got to admit that EVERY PLACE hurts, to some degree; unless they have CIPA, have been drinking excessively, or come from another planet.

I have been told by artists who have tattooed me that I handle the pain well. I can sit and chat, eat, laugh, etc. Over the last four years of my eight year tattoo journey, I have acquired 14 full-color portraits from Mike DeVries alone; each one averaging 8-9 hours per portrait (Cyndi Lauper took 16 hours/broken into two sessions; the octopus took 26 hours/broken into six sessions) and I can sit for an eight hour ink showdown, gabbing away throughout; I just hobble away and cry all the way home (I kid, I kid). But I must say, that for me personally, the head project was a whole other ball game.

It may have been amplified by the fact that I had TWO Mikes (Mike DeVries and Mike DeMasi) tattooing simulaneously; one on each side. There is just something about the sensitivity and pressure applied to the noggin that doesn't quite compare to any other place I have been inked (yet).

Though the "head tattoo project" is still in progress (I had to go and be a girl and look for a change by growing hair for awhile), I thought I would share some of the photos from the first and second sessions with The Mikes.

Winx, Jinxi

*The tattoo machines both artists are using are Neumas.

**Be sure to hit the "Click to read more" link to see many more photos (if you want to, that is)**