Miss Tattoo NZ contestant Joycelia Hyde wants to share the 'healing power' of body art

This weekend will be an exciting one for a Rotorua woman who is looking forward to competing in Miss Tattoo NZ and getting her message out there.

Rotorua's Joycelia Hyde has been selected as one of 12 women to compete for Miss Tattoo NZ this weekend.

The competition is taking place as part of the Tattoo and Art Extravaganza tomorrowat Trustpower Stadium at Tauranga's Baypark.

Hyde is a 40-year-old mother of two, owner of INKThumans tattoo clinic, and is studying Level Four Health and Science and personal training at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology.

She said she entered the competition because she wanted to get her message out there that the tattooing industry needed to change.

Joycelia Hyde is competing in Miss Tattoo NZ this weekend. Photo / Stephen Parker

She was an advocate for there being regulations and legislation in the industry and wishes to create a new qualification called a needle technician.

She hoped her entry would give her a chance to share her dreams with the tattooing community.

Hyde entered the competition after seeing a Facebook advertisement.

She found out she was selected a couple of weeks ago and felt proud and lucky, with close to triple digits applying.

She said Miss Tattoo New Zealand would include a casual wear section, costume wear and bi kin wear, where competitors showed off their tattoos.

She had done most her tattoos herself and had included a controversial ink that glowed under a black light.

Hyde said the Tattoo and Art Extravaganza also included visual performances, a long list of awesome tattoo artists and a Creative Village.

She said she did not like the stigma that came with tattooed women, and that it needed to do a "180 flip".

"Tattoos really can be life changing, and the therapeutic and medical side of it is something I really want to be recognised.

"I wanted to use it [Miss Tattoo] as a platform to get that message out there, because it's more than just artwork. The history of it is fascinating."

She said she hoped to inspire people and other women her age too.

Hyde was looking forward to being around the other women and forming a sisterhood of sorts, as well as the fact that it was a family-fun event.

She thanked her 11-year-old son Luchian, who she said was her number one fan and helped her select her outfits.

"I'm looking forward to being up on that stage and getting those positive messages out there."