Survey for those who self-harm?

I regularly take a Machete to a large tattoo of Ferns and jungle undergrowth on my thigh before bed. It makes me feel like I'm on an intrepid adventure. My friends say if I have to do it that I'd be better off doing it to real plants but it doesn't feel authentic enough. I got the tattoo in the Amazon, so it feels more like a genuine adventure that way.