Questions to Ask Yourself when Debating Your First Tattoo ...

Before getting your first tattoo, ask yourself if the design you want is going to have as much meaning for you in 20 years’ time. If you want to get song lyrics or a quote from a movie, take a second to consider. The TV shows you liked 10 years ago aren’t your favorite shows now, so what makes you think this particular song or quote is going to be as important to you when you have had 20 more years to experience new things?

The more a tattoo design actually means to you personally, the more likely it is that you are going to continue to love it in the years to come. If you are planning on going in to a parlor and just picking out a generic design from the wall, it might be worth actually stopping and thinking about why you want to get the tattoo in the first place. Are you rebelling against something or someone rather than actually liking the idea of a permanent body change?

Many people get their first tattoos while still young and in college, before they have really settled down in to like and career yet. Though a proper career might seem far away, it is important that you consider this when thinking about where on your body to have your tattoo. A visible place like your neck or your hands might not be the best idea for future employment opportunities.

So you have gone in to the tattoo parlor, shared your idea and the artist has drawn up a design. Problem is, you don’t like it! Just because the artist has spent some time tracing a design, you should never feel pressured to accept it. It is going to be on your body forever, so you need to be absolutely certain that you love it!

As well as liking the design, you need to be absolutely confident in the abilities of the tattoo artist at the parlor you have visited. It’s always good to look on Facebook and other social media for pictures of work by the artist. Make sure that their reputation is completely positive before you commit to letting them change your skin forever!

If you are getting a tattoo just because all of your friends are or because you partner thinks it would look sexy, then you need to stop and take some time to reconsider! The tattoo is going to be there forever with the exception of going through painful and expensive removal treatment, so if you are planning on getting inked to please anybody but yourself, then it isn’t the right idea.

Are you really ready for the pain? Sure, some people might say that it feels like nothing more than a cat scratch, but at the end of the day it is multiple needles poking in to your skin over and over again. There is going to be a level of discomfort! The last thing you want to do is make the artist stop halfway and end up with an unfinished tattoo!

Are you still ready for your first tattoo?