Saying ‘I Do’ in Ink

When Spice Girl Melanie Brown married a member of the group’s touring entourage in September, she and her husband opted for a less traditional wedding band: a tattoo. Body artists say requests for ring-finger tattoos are on the rise. Perhaps it’s the hipster romanticism of having a lover’s name etched in the flesh. Or maybe it’s the price tag. Wedding band tats cost about $40 per finger.

But despite their popularity, finger tattoos are problematic. According to Randy Scott Howell, artist-owner of OM on Fairfax Avenue, tattoos on most parts of the body take at least seven days to heal. Because skin on the hand exfoliates quickly, tattoos there may never heal. And even if they do, they may not last, which could be a good thing for people like Pamela Anderson Lee, who had the word “Tommy’s” inked on her ring finger.