Kicking up an ink

Kim Tritton has so many tattoos she’s lost count of them. Caroline Lindsay gets to know the body art addict.

The night before Kim Tritton is due to have a new tattoo she can’t sleep due to the excitement. “I’m like a little girl waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve,” Kim, 29, smiles. She got her first tattoo – a small one on her lower back – when she was 18 and since then she admits she’s “lost count”.

She’s had both arms done, one leg, stomach, underbreasts, chest, neck and hands and is planning to have a full back tattoo to celebrate her 30th birthday.

“Most of my tattoos are buddhas and mandalas, spiritual themes, although I also have a portrait of my gran on my leg,” says Kim, a hairdresser from Pitlochry.

“Mine are all black and grey, as I have olive skin and I don’t think my skin tone would suit coloured ones,” she continues. “But the coloured tattoos look great on my friends who have lighter skin and the colour lasts really well.”

Every couple of months – or as often as she can afford it – Kim puts her trust in tattoo artist Craig Smart at Inkredible Kreations in Perth.

“All artists have their own style, like old school heavy lines and portraits. Craig has a wide variety so he’s really flexible – anything from traditional to pattern work and realistic.”

Each tattoo can take anything from an hour for a small one to about seven hours for a full, bigger “mount”. Kim can be inspired by anything from a design in an art book to something she sees online and she takes that preliminary idea to Craig who sketches it out, personalising it with adjustments and alterations. Once the design is complete, Craig will create the outline, working with a stencil, then fill it in.

So does it hurt? “I have a high pain threshold but it depends on which area of the body is being worked on,” Kim explains. “Inner thighs and inner arms are more sensitive – the fleshier and bonier parts tend to be more painful. And if you’re there for a full day’s work, the skin can get raw and tender.”

Once the tattoo is complete, the artist may wrap it in clingfilm but the main thing is to keep it moist to prevent the skin cracking. “I’ll go home and have a warm shower to wash off the excess ink, and then use nappy rash cream or cocoa butter to stop the tattoo drying out,” says Kim.

A tattoo can cost between £50 and £80 for an hour or up to £500 for a full day’s work so you might think Kim would dress to showcase her impressive artwork. “I wear the same clothes I would if I didn’t have tattoos,” she says. “If I’m out in the evening I might wear high-waisted trousers and a cropped top but I don’t go to work in a bikini or anything.”

While tattoos might not be everyone’s cup of tea, Kim’s clients, whatever their age, are all keen to be kept up to date

Most of my tattoos are buddhas and mandalas, spiritual themes, although I also have a portrait of my gran on my leg

with her latest work. “It’s a great talking point and a good way to make friends on holiday too,” she smiles. “People often come up to me and say they like the work I’ve had done. And I never have to wear any accessories.”

But does Kim ever worry that the day might come, years down the line, when she regrets her tattoos? “I can’t imagine ever not wanting them, although I will stop if, and when, I have kids. But lots of my friends have them, too, so we’ll all grow old gracefully together,” she says.

“I love all tattoos – there are too many pieces of art out there and I want them all.”