Tattoos

Many young people get inked to showcase their identity, what makes them distinctive and who they are.

But for me, a decision to not get a tattoo was my version of rebellion, an assertion of my hard-fought independence.

It was my way of saying: "I will not toe the line."

I grew up thinking of tattoos, along with nose and ear piercings, as symbols of the subjugation of women.

That's because my mother has a couple of tattoos. And my grandmother had more than a couple. And they told me they had no choice in the matter.

Hence, he stresses the importance of taking proper care.

A new tattoo may swell, turn into a blister or worse case, pus, if not treated well.

At trends, an after-care instructions is usually provided to clients on the basics of after-care process.

“A tattoo is an art. I don’t want it to be spoilt. So we give the instructions, to preserve the art,” he said.

Here, Kiel sheds a few tips:

• The sun is a tattoo’s number one enemy. Direct exposure to the sun fades the natural pigment ink and can also cause infections.

The studio is located at the Lamana Hotel.

It opened last year, but was forced into a three month recess when the previous tattoo artist left.

But now, it’s back in operation and it’s even better.

You want to know why?

Well, the new tattooist is Kiel Marquez.

Kiel is a fine art major, from the Philippines.

He has had five years of experience in the business and has had to compete in some of the best tattoo competitions in manila.

But that’s not the main reason why.

Here’s why:

This is where the Arab Ink Project was born.

It's an initiative that explores Arabic culture through art, design and tattoos and shines a light on a culture little known beyond the Arab world -- even to people who visit the region.

The project is the brainchild of Bashar Alaeddin, who took inspiration from Beirut's graffiti as a creatively stifled freelancer back in 2013.