DIY Life

I'll admit it... I've gone under the needle more than once. In fact, I'm considering getting yet another tattoo (though I want to get a new tattoo to cover up another one, so maybe it doesn't really count).

While they didn't hurt that much, I wouldn't say it's exactly pleasant having needles zip in and out of your skin. But these laser tattoo videos on Instructables are a whole new world of pain.

According to Instructables, the sight of getting one's flesh burned by a laser cutter isn't too bad. But the subtle smell of burning flesh isn't exactly enticing. (Gee... I wonder why.) And as for the pain involved, well, let's just say it hurts.

Laser cutters serve their purpose -- for cutting wood, plastic, and the like. Not skin. So, to whoever first thought of this idea, I give you points for creativity. But I think this is a lesson in "Just because you can, it doesn't mean you should."

If you're itching to get inked, go the traditional route or, for an even less invasive method, check out Anna's post on temporary tattoos.

Tattoos are fun and a beautiful artistic way to express yourself. I believe it gives other people an image of who we really are as individuals. While I dearly love my two tattoos, I didn't appreciate the pain that I had to endure to be marked for life.

If you love tattoos and want to forgo the pain of the needle, you can make your own temporary tattoos and print them out on your inkjet printer. Crafty Computer Paper has step by step instructions for you to follow, or you can download their instruction sheets. Their temporary tattoos are water based and non toxic, making them friendly for all skin types.

The company recommends that you try a very small practice tattoo on kids before applying a larger one to make sure that their skin doesn't negatively react to the ink. To remove the temporary tattoos ,just scrub the tattooed area with hot soapy water, or if you want to strut your stuff, the tattoos can be left on your skin for up to a week.

How brave are you? I like to think that I'm fairly tough, especially when it comes to taking pain, but this DIY project is way out of my league. Branding is where the skin is burned to make a scar. In these instructions, they use a soldering iron to burn an image into the skin. The permanent scar is called a "brand". Here's what you'll need:

1. A friend who is willing to hold a 450 degree Celsius iron to your skin, or a friend who is willing to let you do this to them
2. Soldering iron
3. Face mask
4. Wooden spoon
5. Anesthetic
6. Emergency first aid

Please note that the article we're linking to here is not a typical site that we would normally link to. While there wasn't any offensive material on the article we are linking to (except of course for the article itself which is about intentionally burning one's skin), be warned that the rest of the Viceland site may well have offensive material. Oddly, in addition to the items listed above, the article recommends having some jellybeans on hand. If you're still reading then you are either brave or stupid, but either way, you might be interested in checking out their full instructions on DIY branding.