Everyone in and around Pittsburgh is getting ready for the big game, buying Steelers paraphernalia, including shirts, hats, bumper stickers and, of course, Terrible Towels. But some fans are taking it a step further.

In preparation for the Steelers appearance in the Super Bowl, Rodney Kniess, of Forward, got a Steelers tattoo last week. "I'm a professional Steeler fan," he said. "I always thought of having one."

Mr. Kniess and his wife hosted a playoff party for the Steelers-Bronco game, and he promised his friends, "If they win, I'll get a Steeler tattoo." Sure enough, the Steelers won, and sure enough, Mr. Kniess got his tattoo.

It's not his first tattoo. Mr. Kniess, 50, who works for Pennsylvania Power Co., also carries a tattoo as a tribute to the victims and heroes of 9/11.

"It really doesn't hurt," he said of the tattoo process. "It feels like a pinch."

His new tattoo, being applied at Boney Joe's in Zelienople last week, consisted of the word Steelers with the team emblem on his upper left arm.

Joe Clark, owner of Boney Joe's, said Mr. Kniess wasn't the only Steelers fan proclaiming his faith with a tattoo. "In fact, we have another [client] in the other room," he said.

That was Matt Lamenza, 24, of Ellwood City, who was getting the Steelers emblem embedded forever on his lower right calf. "It does hurt because of where he's putting it," said Mr. Lamenza, owner of 11 other tattoos. "The worst was the one across my chest."

Tattoo artist Willy Roth, who's been with the shop for about two years, created Mr. Lamenza's tattoo. "This is probably the fourth or fifth [Steelers tattoo] that I've done," he said. "We normally do about one a month."

And it's not just guys getting the Steelers tattoos.

"My girlfriend wants to get one on her stomach next week," Mr. Lamenza said. "That's a real woman and a real Steeler fan."

Mr. Clark said the tattoo artist will chat with the client about exactly what he or she wants -- a word and emblem like Mr. Kniess' tattoo or just the emblem like Mr. Lamenza's. Mr. Clark then does a search on the Internet and creates a template.

"We make each tattoo individually. Customers don't have to choose from one on our walls," he said.

The artist uses the template to outline the tattoo on the customer then fill it in with the appropriate colors of ink.

"See this," said Mr. Clark, pointing to one of his own tattoos. "This was done six or seven years ago and see how bright the yellow is? That's what his will look like. The color will hold."

Mr. Kniess' tattoo took about 45 minutes to complete. "It wasn't bad at all," he said. Mr. Lamenza's took a few minutes more.

But now that they have these permanent marks of their dedication to the Steelers, what if the team loses the big game? "Oh, I don't care. I still love them," Mr. Kniess said.

Tattoos aren't the only creative way fans are finding to show their allegiance to the home team.

While hair trims in the outline of the Steelers logo are fairly common, Andy Cummings, of McCandless, opted to go a different route and got his hair styled into a mullet with black and gold extensions.

He had heard on the radio that the Stairway to Style salon in Hampton did the extensions to raise money for local charities.

"I thought, 'What else is more Pittsburgh than a mullet?' So I decided to have it done," he said. Mr. Cummings paid $150 for the Steelers hairstyle, all of which went to Light of Life Rescue Mission.

Marilyn Jorgensen, the stylist for the Steelers hairdos, said a mullet is described by some as "business in front and party in the back." Mr. Cummings' hair is "definitely party in the back," she said.

She uses extensions made of 100 percent real hair that has been dyed black and gold. She plans to offer the extensions to fans right up to Super Bowl Sunday.

Mr. Cummings, a 43-year-old bachelor, believes his single status made the decision to go for the black and gold hair a little easier. "If I had a wife, she might not let me get it done," he said, jokingly.

"But I figured I better get it done now. I waited 25 years for them to have a winning team to go back to the Super Bowl. If I have to wait another 25 years, I may not have any hair then."

He plans on sporting his new hairdo in Detroit during Super Bowl weekend. "I don't have tickets to the game, but I think it will still be fun to be there."

While extensions are common for women, Mr. Cummings may be the only man having them done. "I figured, 'Why should women have all the fun?"