First Tattoo! Help? LOL

fletchleg

I hate needles but to me I dont see the tattoo thing as a needle. The high you get afterwards totally out weighs any pain from it.

TahliaHarveysMummy

The one on my foot - see profile pic - hurt the most of the 4 i've got! In fact it fricking hurt a lot!!!!! Been told feet are most painful place to get them!

haylz247

That's really cute! I personally, would never get my partners name on me and vice versa.

I have his dogs paw on my hip and that really hurt!! I was sweating so bad haha need to get it finished though. Another half hr of pain.

Wrist hurts too. Ribs are meant to as well and i want writing done there eventually....

Whatever you do, don't get one on your lower back. They don't look nice there

haylz247

I hate needles but to me I dont see the tattoo thing as a needle. The high you get afterwards totally out weighs any pain from it.

^ This. Sugar is needed right after though haha at least for me :P

Erienneb

The adrenaline rush for me with the first tattoo was so high I didn't notice. First tattoo is about three by three and above my heart. Almost no pain, just a little uncomfortable. My wrists also didn't hurt much. I have one on the side of my leg that wasn't bad but my calf hurt especially up behind my knee. That was awful. No knees haha. But otherwise....just stay away from rib cage and bony areas and you should be good.

K_Smith86

Regardless of where you get it, it will hurt. But after a few minutes, for some people the area just goes numb. At least that's what happened with me. I'm terrified of needles. However I have 2 tattoos, and am talking to an artist tomorrow about a third. I have one on the top of my right foot, and it really didn't hurt that bad. It did at first, but I kept myself busy - talked to a friend who came with me, and talked to the artist while he was doing it. Kept me distracted, and before I knew it, he was done. I did that one first, because I knew I wanted a large piece on my back. That one hurt more to be honest. It's on my left shoulder blade, and I cried with that one. But it was well worth it. The one I plan on getting next will be on the top of my left foot, but will be quite a bit larger than the one on my other foot.

Like others have said, don't get it based upon where you think it will hurt the least. Get it where you want it. And scope out local artists, and trust your gut when you're in there. The last thing you want is a messed up tattoo. Trust me. Best of luck!

crazyivan19

My main recommendation is to make an appointment with the artist ahead of time to accomplish two things: 1) get a tour of the studio and go through a mental checklist of what matters most to you (cleanliness, general vibe, etc.), and 2) talk about your ideas and get a sketch drawn up. In that conversation, also try and get a feel for whether or not the artist "wants" to do the piece. While the best tattoo artists don't need to be inspired to do a great job, it definitely doesn't hurt to have the artist completely onboard with your vision and have a general interest in bringing your thoughts to life.

Also, if you have the time and the artist is willing, sit with him or her when they do the sketch. That way you can avoid some of the back and forths associated with fine-tuning the piece because you can give immediate feedback, and you can confirm that the artist can actually draw the piece without the need of tools (like stencils). If they can sketch it by hand, the transfer to your skin will be much closer to what you want.

All of this comes from my own experience (I have 4 tattoos) and from being very close friends with numerous tattoo artists and studios. If the studio you go to says "no" to any of the above, I would seriously consider going to another studio. They are there to fulfill your vision, not the other way around. Don't take any crap from an artist with an ego.

As for where to put it... honestly, go with what you want. If you do build a repoirt with the artist, it might help to ask him or her about where they think it will look best. Don't worry about the pain. If you place a tattoo because you wanted to avoid pain, you might regret its location later in life. The pain is temporary. One of my tattoos required multiple sittings of several hours, but the rest have all been done in less than an hour. For the piece you are describing, that would be my guess. To deal with pain (that really isn't THAT bad) for an hour is WELL worth it for the tattoo you have envisioned in your head.

Just my two cents.

bbriscoe13

It all hurts. Anyone who tells you that tattoos don't hurt are lying. My husband and I are very tattooed and we both agree that they hurt. Not sure why we keep going back...maybe we forget haha. Beacuse you are getting one so small, I don't think the location will be any more or less painful. I have one on my foot and down my side and those didn't hurt anymore than the ones on my arm (half sleeve) and wrist. It starts hurting more when you get into multiple sessions and going over spots already tattooed. That hurts way more. I am also scared of needles, but you can barely see the tattoo needle. It is nothing like going to get a shot. Good luck. My husband and I don't have each others names, but we do have a matching one.

reteed

Think about this --- it's your first tattoo and it has some very significantly special meaning. Put it where YOU want it. It's for the rest of your life. As far as pain, there is none. However, it is bothersome, annoying, whatever adjective you want to use. Pain hurts, and makes you cry because it hurts. A tattoo will not make you cry from pain. You will get annoyed at hearing that little buzz from the needle for thirty minutes or more. You will get tired from being in the same position for thirty minutes or more. Your tattoo will not be sore, but will require you to take some extra care and cleaning of the area. Getting a tattoo and having babies are the same thing. If it was really that bad, people would only have one. My tattoo is a bouquet of roses with my children's initials on a bloom. When my grandkids get here, I will add bumblebees for boys and butterflies for girls with their initials to my bouquet. Good Luck! and Have Fun! with this. Your second tattoo will be coming shortly.