oh just nail me already.

People are always looking for new and interesting tattoo concepts. Most of these ideas end up inked onto flesh (even those parts where the sun don't shine), but Scott Campbell of Saved Tattoo in Brooklyn offers a service out of his shop that involves tattooing a body part other than the skin. No, I'm not talking about tattooing eyeballs (although this does occur, oddly enough), but the fairly rare practice of tattooing fingernails.
As a kid, I applied temporary nail tattoos almost as often as regular temporarys tats, which makes me wonder why no one has attempted to popularize the concept of tattooing fingernails until now (aside from one guy I found who was DEFINITELY not qualified to be doing such procedures). I'm glad to see that we've come far from the glittery little nail stickers that lasted all of 5 minutes, now being able to retain nail tattoos until the nail grows out.
Judging from the account of this procedure that I found in the September edition of Nylon magazine, it seems that Campbell uses a regular tattoo needle loaded with ink to etch what is often a quite detailed design into the customer's nail. Various themes are often followed, such as a sparrow on one nail with feathers daintily dotting the others.
Although I'm not usually concerned with price issues when acquiring a tattoo (as it is often thought to undermine their significance...I think that this concept is easier to understand if you're a devoted modder), I couldn't help but be curious as to how much a temporary mod acquisition such as this might set me back. I rang up the folks over at Saved Tattoo, and was informed that the cost to adorn only ONE NAIL was a whopping $100. Upon hearing this I tried to hold back a shocked scoff, but failed miserably. I mean...come one. Piercings are also considered temporary, but they can last for years or even an entire lifetime if well cared for. With nail tattoos, their days are numbered.
Aside from the issue of nail tattoos, I think that the quote on Saved Tattoo's homepage is worth noting. "Established worldwide as an effectual remedy for societal dejection; Guaranteed to promote a gleeful countenance amidst the harshest tribulations, further the abolishment of mediocrity from the visual presentation of oneself: Scott Campbell Tattoo, est. 1968, World Traveling Tattoo Artist Extraordinaire; Remarkable!" I absolutely love this quote and the website in general, with its style reminiscent of a 19th century advertisement.
So I don't think I'll be getting my fingernails tattooed anytime soon. I'd like to pretend it's because I'm too cool for school and think that it's a dumb concept, but in actuality I really like the idea and am just a poor college student. Now leave me alone, I have to find some safety pins and a broken pen...