Getting a tattoo involves having an image drawn on your skin permanently.
Getting a tattoo is a big commitment and as such, you should do serious research on everything, from the design to the artist, and more before you make the final decision. To make things easier for you, here is a simple guide for how to choose the first tattoo you will get.
Consider WHY you want to get a tattoo
Never get a tattoo spontaneously or on a whim. It’s especially a bad idea to get matching tattoos with someone who isn’t one of your direct family members. Otherwise, you might get stuck with an image on your skin long after you lose the person who has the tattoo that matches yours.
Also, you should consider your career in the future. It might be very difficult for you to land a job when you have tattoos. There are still many employers out there who choose not to hire people with tattoos.
Think about the design and where you will place it
Instagram & Pinterest are greats places to find design ideas for your tattoo. They have a huge photo gallery of images. Select an image that you feel passionate about to make sure it’s timeless. If your choice doesn’t give you the satisfaction you expect, you will have to bear it for a long time.
After choosing a design, you have to figure out the placement of the tattoo in your body. Remember that your tattoo may affect your employment opportunities in the future.
Another factor to consider is how much pain you will experience as this will depend on where you want your tattoo. There are some places in your body that have a higher pain threshold than others.
Prepare yourself before you go
If you’re easily frightened about getting pricked by a needle, make sure to hydrate yourself well before you go to the tattoo parlor. Also, maintain proper hydration in the days before your appointment, and don’t forget to eat before you sit in the chair.
When it comes to drinking, avoid alcoholic beverages as these have a thinning effect on your blood, which may cause bleeding. This, in turn, causes your blood to mix with the ink. Then you will get a faded tattoo.
While preparing, don’t apply numbing cream on the place where you plan to get your tattoo. Numbing cream doesn’t work and it will even cause discoloration to your tattoo.
Find a reputable tattoo artist
After deciding that you really want to get a tattoo, you should look for the ‘appropriate’ tattoo artist. Do your research to find the right artist whose personal style speaks to you. This is very important since tattoos cost money too.
Go to the images you have chosen as inspiration and try to find these in the tattoo artist’s portfolio. Remember that the images they add to their portfolios represent their best works. If you see anything mediocre, move on. It’s also a good move to send a message to the tattoo artist or visit their studio for a consultation.
You may also want to find out what the artist has in mind if they do your tattoo. You want to see if the artist can connect with you to create the best outcome possible.
Conclusion
Tattoos have become very popular, especially with the younger generation. If you’re thinking about getting an image on your body for the first time, you may have mixed emotions and thoughts. Before you get carried away, remember that there are some things that you need to consider. Keep all of these points in mind so that choosing your first tattoo becomes much easier!
