My tattoo has been on my mind...

Probably because it's not going anywhere.

I have at least a million other things to think about, but I’ve been taking notice of my tattoo more than usual. I got it almost seven years ago (much to my mother’s chagrin), although I had wanted one since I moved to New York City in 2000. In fact, my bestie and I had a planned self-mutilation day and I was on the table thisclose to getting Keith Haring’s “Radiant Baby” on my hipbone. That was until I had a vision of it stretching out like Silly Putty when I eventually got pregnant. So I bailed, and she got a navel ring.

I still love my tattoo, and I’m more than glad I took the 17 extra years to decide what I wanted to permanently add to my body. As a bi-centennial baby and writer, “© 1976” couldn’t have been more perfect. But my tattoo is no longer as crisp as it used to be (kind of like my eyesight seven years later). I blame natural ink wear-and-tear and the aging process—yup, even on the inside of my ankle—that has made my skin less taut over time.

So I’m left contemplating making an appointment with the original artist to see if he can fix it. If not, I think I’m going to cover it with a solid rectangle, and then it will be “redacted.” (Semi-clever, right?) At some point I probably won’t want to advertise the year I was born anyway…

All of this brings me to Inkbox. Although I have no desire for a second tattoo, I would totally be up for something short-lived to keep things interesting. However Inkbox does not do the temporary tattoos our kids were obsessed with. Their needle-free tattoos use a special ink that starts light and begins to darken over the first 24 to 36 hours as it reacts to the proteins in your skin—and then fades in one to two weeks as your skin naturally exfoliates itself.

The best part, these temporary tattoos look so real no one would know it’s not the real thing. The options are endless, and you can shop by size, theme (i.e. flowers, animals, words, etc.), featured Inkbox artist or collaboration. Those with an artistic side can upload a custom design, or even get a Tattoo Marker and freestyle it.

And as luck would have it, they have Keith Haring’s “Radiant Baby”… Maybe it was meant to be after all, just not meant to be forever.