From pride to doubt about my tattoos.

"I got my first tattoo around my 16th birthday. The word 'cherish', near my bikini bottom. I still stand by the text, but I wouldn't choose the font it's in now. It's a really large, very coarse font, it looks a bit like a stamp.

Later, I also had two texts tattooed on my ribs, but those are much more elegant, feminine, and soft. And that spot... well, in hindsight, it's not the most convenient place to get a tattoo. Your stomach changes the most in size throughout your life. I don't have children yet, but if I ever get pregnant, that tattoo won't look any better."

Part of a coping process

"A year after that first one, I got my second tattoo. Flowers on my neck and back. I still find them very beautiful and often receive compliments, but they remind me – just like that first tattoo, actually – of a painful period in my life. I had experienced abuse at the time, and I wasn't doing very well. I got these tattoos as part of my coping process, but now they mainly evoke negative feelings."

"Laser removal is an option, of course, but because I have tinted skin, I don't think it would turn out very well. I'm afraid they would just become white spots. It also seems painful and time-consuming. I'm also not keen on covering them with other tattoos; they would just become darker and larger.

So, for now, I'm just making the best of it. I wear slightly higher bikini bottoms so that one isn't so noticeable, and I only see the other one in the mirror."

'She flies with her own wings'

"Fortunately, I'm very happy with my other tattoos. On my ribs, it says 'alis volat propriis', 'she flies with her own wings', and on the other side, there's a feather. They were done in a much softer style. On my wrist, there are Roman numerals, which I got with my younger brother.

Furthermore, I have a tattoo on my chest of a loose needle and a gemstone, which I got during a ceremony in Mexico. It represents femininity and fertility and reminds me of a very enjoyable period."

"Oh yes, and I have another one on my heel. A star, which I got with a good friend while on vacation. It's not well-done at all, but it turns out to be a so-called 'purpose star', and as a coach, I work a lot with life goals, so it coincidentally gained a beautiful meaning afterward."

No sleeve after all

"It's good as it is; I don't feel the need to get any more tattoos. I used to always want a sleeve, but I'm very glad I didn't end up getting one. It comes across as quite harsh, and now that I wear a lot of evening gowns and have participated in a beauty pageant, it doesn't quite fit the image."