To tatoo or not to tatoo

Tattoos can range from pretty painful to barely a tickle in my opinion.. I'd advise to wait until you know exactly what you want and think it through, maybe even get a temp/henna to make sure you're not going to hate it before going through with it. I love all of mine but my brother hates the one he has... the difference I feel is he got one for free from a friend and so didn't think it through and I thought mine out. Just my opinion though.

A bottle of Patrone should help lol - Ink On!

I'd wait until you know for sure what you want. I was 44 when I got my first tattoo, just have 2 so far. My tattoos are sentimental, I have no regrets. The pain wasn't bad but I was told that it just depends where you get it. I have 2 on my shoulders and there was only one small spot that really hurt, other than that, it wasn't bad at all. I plan on getting a heart bracelet tattoo in about 3 months, was told it might be more sensitive on my wrist....I'll find out!
Maybe you can start out with something really small, just to see what it's like.

fyi...for me, no crying and very little blood

I have 9 Tattoos and I would advise don't start with your ribs, or the inside of your Bicep. They are the most painful areas.

The pain is bearable, nothing to be worried about, one of the easiest places is on the outside of you Bicep area.

Yo Only Live Once, so Do it !

-Don't get one just for the sake of getting one.
-Get an idea of what you legitimately want and find a reputable studio/artist to help you design it. They'll advise you on placement, etc. Stick the design somewhere in your house where you can see it every day. After 6 months see if you still love it. If you don't, don't get it. Repeat as necessary.
-Period pain is worse than tattoo pain, in my opinion. It's a scratchy/burny sensation but it's not enough to make most people cry. It's not that bad. You will bleed, unless you are not a human being. But again it's not that bad. You bleed during, not after. Just don't watch it being done.
-You don't need to get something 'meaningful' or deep. You can get designs for purely aesthetic reasons and there's nothing wrong with that.
-A realtively pain-free area (if you're still worried) is behind the ear. It feels a bit weird, someone buzzing around on your skull, but no pain. Pinch the skin there if you don't believe me
-Research your artist. Don't go just anywhere. Quality is SO IMPORTANT. Cheaper is not better. (But expensive is not necessarily a guarantee either).
-I find it better to get them in winter. They need to stay out of the sun for a while so they can heal, and it's so much harder in summer.

Best of luck :drinker:

I've been thinking about getting a tatoo for a couple of years, but I'm still not sure if I should.

1.) I'm afraid it will hurt too much and I will be bloody and crying

2.) I'm not sure what I should get

3.) I'm not sure where to put it

Those of you with tatoos...What advice can you give about what NOT to do. I only have one body and I only want 1 small, discreet tatoo. Therefore, I'd like to learn from mistakes others have already made instead of making one myself. Any thoughts?

based on # 2 and 3, you aren't ready for a tattoo at all. you need to be pretty certain of what you want and where you want to place it.

as far as the hurt goes, yeah, it'll probably hurt. especially at first, until the area gets numb. they you'll be fine. but even still, when they move to a sensitive spot, it still hurts.

ones on the back tend not to hurt as much. not as many nerve endings there.

This! ^^^^^ Right now you seem to be more about the novelty of a tat... It is permanent! It will hurt! For me, it's all about havin something that holds great meaning....I'm not about random, fly by the seat of your pants ink! Decide, go for a consult and take it from there.... Best of luck ????

#1. Make sure you choose something that you can see yourself loving for the rest of your life.
#2. In most cases you get what you pay for. So don't just go for the lowest price. Research the artists and find one that you love.
#3. It will hurt but you can handle it. Its really not that bad.
Obviously don't get a tattoo when you are drunk. never a good idea. Good luck.

1. Figure out what you want for your FOREVER mark. It better have epic meaning to you because it will always be there.
2. Read articles and books on tattoos. Learn about what to look for etc.
3. Choose your artist. Look at their work. Make sure you appreciate their style. Research reviews etc on them to find out what others have experienced.
4. Check out the reputation of the shop your artist works at. Make sure they are legit and have good sanitation etc.
5. Take your time. It is a forever decision!
6. Don't get a tattoo until you know what you want and where and why.
7. Take good care of it and wear it proud once you have it!!
8. Oh as far as pain goes, we all have different tolerances. Just breathe and you'll do fine. Most artists will help you through it if it's bad for you. To me, it feels like getting pinched over and over . After a minute I just relax into it and have been known to trance out into almost a doze...

Good luck!

It looks like you've been getting some great advice!

I really echo everyone else- make sure it's what you want! Just because you loved Tweety Bird as a kid doesn't mean you may want it permanently on your body for the rest of your life. Orrr maybe that's reason enough for you, and you decide to go for it. Make sure you're sure!!!

Also, think about career choice and/or location- will you have to hide it regularly? Will the area be irritated (I got one on my foot where I have a bit of eczema. The tattoo artist told me it'd be fine. WRONG!) As for pain, it's all rainbows. Really, easy going. Sunshine and unicorns. Oh, and I'm sarcastic. It's like someone scratching the top layers of your skin- the bigger the tattoo, the longer the scratching. One tattoo artist told me it'd feel like a cat scratching me. Once he started, I leaned up and replied, "you didn't tell me it'd be a f@#$(@) tiger!!!" haha. After the tattoo is done, it'll fell like a sunburn- kind of "raw." Give it an hour or so and you'll forget all about it. I have three tattoos- one on my hip (OUCH!), one on my lower leg above my ankle (SO easy), and one on top of my foot (I burst into tears. I cried it hurt so bad!). A lot of the pain depends on your pain tolerance as well- some people feel nothing, I'm a big baby and felt ev.er.y.thing. It never "went numb." Take a friend with you, and have them talk to you. It's helpful to take your mind off of things- listen to what someone else is telling you. Whatever you do, make sure that you also put the tattoo somewhere that you'll be able to sit still- if you do not have a high pain tolerance, you'll want to make sure you can sit without moving. I moved on one of mine- big mistake! it was "fixed," but I'll forever know what it was SUPPOSED to look like.

Just a few thoughts. Good Luck!

I have a very small phrase tattooed in cursive on my side and absolutely love it:) I mulled it over for close to six years though before getting it done. Just a few thoughts:

- they do hurt, at least mine did. First thing my artist said when she pulled up my shirt was "Ermagherd you're tiny! You may or may not cry...".
- know your artist! I'd gone with a friend to get his done by the same woman who ended up doing mine
- make sure it's significant. People will want to know the story behind it, and if it's some lame one about how you got trashed and wanted Ducky from Land Before Time on your butt, then that probably won't fly well. And yes, I know a guy who did exactly that *facepalm*
- take a friend! Or ten! I had a whole posse with me, and it made for an awesome experience

Good luck OP:)

Oh I think tattoos can be great but need to be thought through!

Mine hurt like a *****. But I really wanted it, so it was ok. Just suck it up for a few hours (or minutes depending on size) and then it's done!

Be sure you know what you want. Don't make anything without thinking it through. Sleep on it. But also don't over think it and chicken out because you're scared it will look bad when you're 95 or it will hurt. If you like your tattoo, it's worth it.

Do some reasearch. Make sure you find a good artist, who you are happy with. If you want a japanese style tattoo, go to someone who is good at that, an old school one, you can find someone who has them as their speciality. For me it's really important that I trust the tattoo artist, and that we have the same goal with the tattoo. Go through the plan with him/her. If they have input, listen to them, they are just trying to make the best tattoo possible.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

Regarding the pain issue, everyone is different and every location is different. The one I have on my wrist really hurt (compared to the one on my shoulder for example), but I LOVE tattoo pain, it's the good kind.
But that's just me lol

I got my first tattoo rather spontaneously & I have no regrets about it, but I do think that's a huge gamble to take, & I would definitely think it through before doing it again. Mine is on the inside of my wrist & was fairly simple. It took like 10-15 minutes to complete & I would echo others that it hurt but it wasn't unbearable by any means. I'd also like to add, since you're considering a small wrist tattoo, that it's really easy to conceal with a watch or bracelets, & it's a part of your body I've found that other people see surprisingly little of, actually.

I'm not sure, but you should definitely get a tattoo or two.
Or three? Hey, what's your lucky number? :flowerforyou:

A bottle of Patrone should help lol - Ink On!

actually, any tattoo artist who agrees to tattoo someone who has been drinking should have their equipment confiscated. It thins the blood...which leads to heavier bleeding. (not to mention bad decision making)

OP, if you don't know what you want, you're not ready. It should be something important enough to you that you are willing to suffer a little for it.