I am seriously thinking about getting a tattoo. Any advice?

If you have a tatoo, any regrets? If so, what are they?

Best location for a tattoo......ankle, foot, back, arm, etc.....

I have always secretly wanted a tatoo as well! Having some Irish blood in me...I've always wanted a cute little shamrock...just a small one somewhere not visible, but my DH says "then what's the point of getting one??"

I don't know, really....I have just always wanted one!

I got a small one in a place where it doesn't get seen much just to see how much it hurt. People told me it didn't hurt much. LOL! One person that told me it didn't hurt was crying when they added on to his and after he was like, "oh, yeah...I forgot it hurt that much". I'm glad I got the small one before planning a big one. I got another one but at least I knew what I was getting into. Someone I know that is covered neck to knees said over the kidneys hurts the worst and avoid places with bone. Fatty parts are the best. Don't do it during your period. You're more sensitive to pain then. I try to plan directly in the middle, between one period and the next. If you get something with fine details, understand that it will get kinda blurred over time as your skin ages. Bolder and more open is better. There are tatto books and magazines and websites out there. I would look around and see what appeals to you.
http://www.tattoos.com/

I have a cross on my ankle. DuckDuck has good advice, start small. I don't regret getting mine, I still really like it. Mine was not painful, that's
not to say that at times it stung a little... but when I walked out the door, I never had any pain or problems with it. One thing to keep in mind when looking at books, pics with details become big tattoo's!! So if you want to start off with something small, keep the lines simple.

And mocakes, I'm irish too so I can say this. If you go shamrocks, go big. My sister has a cross with a small shamrock in it, and if you ask me, it just looks like a booger. (sorry)

Ive always wanted a tattoo
and I plan on getting one on my birthday this year,
that said my boyfriend has a whole bunch.

He and I have talked about it at nauseum.
I would say think about it really hard, and choose a design that is personal to you.
Don't just pick some flash image out of the book- it doesn't mean anything to you.

Also, I don't agree with the whole 'if other people can't see it what is the point". I am getting a tatoo because i want it, its for me, not anyone else.

The first one I will get will be at the nape of my neck.

As far as the pain I don't know what to tell you, that kind worries me too. But when I got my navel pierced I didn't even feel it so that makes me feel better.

I'd say try to avoid places where the skin will sag as you age.

I have always thoguth about getting a tattoo but the other say it jsut hit me......I want a tattoo. Hubby doesn't think I will get one because of the pain issue.

What I want is a small petunia (my uncle's pet name for my mom), and her name. I am also thinking about incorporating her date of birth and the date of her passing away somehow into the picutre.

Thanks for the feedback.....now to decide where..........I'm leaning towards my upper shoulder area.

interesting topic.... I always thought about getting a small tiger lily on my side (I am a prairie girl!) .... about where your bra band would go... something just for me and very easy to cover up. I have since changed my mind.

My best friend works at a lab testing new cancer drugs, one of the doctors that works there was thinking of a tattoo (encouraged by her children of course) and researched it a little more. She found that the ink can and often contains really bad stuff.. like heavy metals etc. Here is an old article I found online...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/03/050326001006.htm

I am not saying all tatoos or inks are bad but definately worth checking out the place you would go and asking for a list of ingredients in their ink.

When I think about it now... do I want to be injecting toxins into my body permanently? Maybe I'm paranoid... I worked in a meat factory one summer during university.. I do not eat certain deli meats anymore. One brand had a fridge life of 6 months. 6 months! And it was sooooooo gross and smelled bad. Oh and my university party days are over... no more alcohol into this body.

sorry off topic a little but just think about all the crap we put into our bodies

I don't have a tatoo but from how my BIL's turned out I'd say to really put some thought into what you're getting. What he got was a single, large moose print but it just looked like two big blobs of ink, my oldest was about three at the time and he tried to was his uncle's arm because he thought it was dirt. It wasn't that it didn't look the way it was supposed to but it was too big and only one, if he'd had a trail of small tracks done it would have looked like something.

you know what I am doing to really make up my mind
I bought some 'tatoo paper' to test out the design I want.
You can make the design on your computer- print it out on this special paper
and then it turns into a temporary tatoo
lets you play with design, size, placement etc
and gets you comfortable to the idea of wether you really want it or not

I got it from a website called tatoojohnny
if you want the link let me know

dinas
I agree with you, getting a tatoo takes a lot of time and research. You really shouldnt just walk into a parlor and get whatever artist is there that day, do a lot of research including on the artist.
Its permanent so put a lot of effort into it

I got a rose tattoo when I was 18 and skinny on my lower stomach. I'm now almost 31 and with having 3 kids....it does not look good. All I can say is if you get a tattoo, make sure it's in a good spot. When I got it, it was so cute and I could show it off with my low rise jeans. Well, it now has doubled in size and has stretch marks all through it. I plan on getting another one. Not sure what I want to get though. Maybe something with my kids incorperated in it. It definately won't be on my stomach though. Maybe on my upper back. Good luck with whatever you decide. Oh! One more piece of advice. If you get it on a bony area, (foot, ankle, ribs. etc...) it will hurt more. HTH.

Temporary tattoos are a great idea too. I've played with them to see....do I want something that size and do I really want it there? For little $ you can try it on for size first.

I have a tattoo under my belly button. It's only a couple inches wide and tall so it's not that big but I think it's in the perfect spot b/c I can show it if I want or hide it if I want. The only con is that I have really sensitive skin so it rejected. It looks great but I had these little white puss bumps that I had to pop for almost 6 months. I say go for it!

I would also suggest asking people you see with nice tattos where they got theirs and look for the best shop in town. Ask around. Especially if you see someone covered. They can probably tell you some good and bad places in town. Just because someone has a shop open, doesn't mean they know how to draw. I would ask to see photo books of the artists work.

I have a tattoo on my shoulder blade. It wasnt real painful(just annoying) I got it back there so that if I wanted people to see it i could wear clothing showing it and if I didnt want them to see it I could easily cover it up. The only suggestion I have is make sure it is something that u really want and u have really thought about it. My hubby got a Harley Tattoo and after we bought a Harley he decided that he wasnt interested in them anymore so now he has a big Harley tattoo on his arm. Good luck and I'm sure u will make the right choice.

I have 17 tattoos. They are all under normal clothes (totally coverable!). Every single one is custom, not picked off the wall.
My advice:
Get something that means a lot to you. Not just someting off the wall that you think is cute now. Chances are you'll hate it later.
Then you go to a tattoo parlor look for a book or pictures from that artist. If they don't display thier work freely on a counter or table, LEAVE. If they aren't proud of thier work you don't want it on you forever.
Ask to see their state health license. This shoud also be displayed for all to see. If it's not, leave.
Don't be afraid to say who you want to be tattooed by (after seeing thier work) and waht you want. If you don't like them, ask for someone else or go to another shop.
It's your body. Don't let anyone talk you into or out of what you want to express. They are in the business of giving you EXACTLY what you ask for.

All my work symbolized thingsin my life that have happened to me, taht mean a lot to me or express a lesson. Of my 17 I have my daughter's atucal footprints, half of a small heart (my mother has hte other half. We went through something together) and the tattoo I got when I came out. I don't reccomend getting a fad tattoo. If youre' going to do it, get something that means something to you. I also reccomend getting it where everyone won't see it, unless you want them to. Like an ankle. This way you can get used to the idea before you have a star tattooed on your eyelid. LOL ROTFL

Just my opinions anyway. Be safe. Take good care of it. NEVER use neosporin on a healing tatto.

okay so when i got my first tatoo i thought-that's it i just want one and the artist said once you get one...well, now i'm on to the third (and i say that this is the last-i don't want to look like a bada**) it took me a really long time to decide where, what and how big. i understand that your first reaction might be go small but first the design and detail get blurred very fast the smaller you go and it ends up looking like "a bogger" you definately don't want that permenantly on your body. make sure you go to a very reputable place, find out if they'll let you watch them put in sterile needles and new ink (if they have nothing to hide it should be no prob) and definately look at their work-portfolios a must!! you might think that having a newbie tatoo you cuz it's a deal would be a good idea but it is an art and you don't want wiggly lines (can't erase it and start again) this next tatoo is going to be cherry blossoms but not the traditional japanese style on my calf but i haven't decided how many yet. so i guess i'm gonna have to save up some cake money

All of my tattoos are my own artwork or my idea worked out with the artist...I'd never want something permanent that I didn't have some real connection to. Another good idea is if you see someone with a tat you really like, ask where they got it done, then check out the artist...hang around the shop, make sure you feel comfortable there. As far as the pain, it depends on the spot and the person; my DH has tats up and down his arms, and he cried like a baby with every one. I don't mind the feeling at all - the only one that really hurt was the tree of life on my ankle, but that took over 3 hours and it's right on the bone. They can be addictive though! I've got 5 and am working on the next one. The only one I regret getting is the one on my upper back/shoulder, but that's only because I can't see it

thanks again for all the feedback. I told my hubby that I was going to get one.........he just rolled his eyes. He thinks that I will not do it because of the pain! He told me, " Don't come crying to me because of the pain."

So I am pretty sure what I am going to get and I am thinking about either my upper thigh area or my shoulder area.

frostingfairy,

my first tatoo is going to be a tree of life circled by celtic runes on the nape of my neck.

southaustingirl
care to share what you wanna get??
you should also do a lot of reading on the different brands of the tatoo ink, from what Ive read some are way better than others- like everything.
So when you check out a parlor ask what brand ink they use.

I had wanted a tattoo since I was a teenager and finally got one for my 40th birthday. My friend went with me and got one, too. Mine is on my upper left shoulder, where it can be seen if I want it to be seen. It didn't hurt much, but it did sting a little. (Having delivered a child who decided to come into the world so quickly that I didn't even get an aspirin for the pain, the discomfort from a tattoo needle was nothing! LOL). I guess it also boils down to each individuals tolerance for pain. I had an idea of what I wanted, and I spent MANY hours looking on different tattoo websites; I must have looked at thousands of different pictures, and it was a "I knew when I saw it that that's the one I want" moment when I found the one that I wound up getting. Definitely research different places before you go. The place my friend & I went to has been in business for about 30 yrs. It's in Chicago and is very well known. We knew that they only used sterile equipment, etc. It's true, too, that once you get one, you want another one. I want to get a seahorse, but I don't know where I'd put it. We should all submit pictures of our tattoos - maybe they will give you some inspiration. Good Luck!

Side Story: When we were there, there was a woman who had several tattoos, so we thought she was there getting another one. She looked like the stereotypical "Biker Chick". What was funny was that she was there with her 75 yr. old mother who was the one getting a tattoo - her first! She was wearing a gingham blouse with jeans that looked like she had ironed them, and her white hair was perfectly coiffed. She said she was a retired schoolteacher (of course!). She got a rose on her ankle, and she said it hurt a bit, but it was okay. Guess you had to be there, but it was really funny.

I'm a huge fan of tattooing. I have several. One, I HATE. I got it when I was 17. Yes, my parents should be kicked for letting me get it. It's a huge Mikey Mouse. I do like Mickey Mouse but am now 32 and it's lost it's charm. I'd stay away from cartoon characters.
The one I am most proud of took about 13 hours and was completed in 3 different sessions. It goes from my ankle to my knee. It's a beautiful grouping of orchids with greenery surrounding it. I love, love, love it!
I totally agree with previous posters. . .Research and find a custom shop Have them create something absolutely original for you. To me, it's like owning an original piece of art.
A quick story about having a tattoo off the wall. . .My sister got a tattoo a few years ago, off the wall. We went to Six Flags and were in line for a ride. The girl next to us had the same tattoo.
My suggestions. . .Be sure and mature. If you do that, you'll always love it.

Elle

I have one, have had one for 6 years. it is on my lower back so if I don't want you to know it is there you probably won't. Infact my parents didn't know about it for a year and I still don't think my grandma knows.

Mine is a symbol of friendship and I am happy I have it.

Where you get it depends on you. Personally I'd consider getting it in a more hidden or hide-able place. Some people still frown upon them and there are jobs that do not want you to have a visable one. I know a guy that works for our Sheriffs Department and we were talking about them the other day and he said they are only one visable one on their arms. Other places won't allow any visable ones.

The best advice I can say is get something that has meaning to you. If you walk into the shop and pick something off the wall in 5 mins chances are you won't like it later on. If you pick something that has meaning to you, then that meaning will always be there. I'd also take what you want and put a picture of it on the bathroom mirror, fridge door, any place you would see it daily. If after a couple of months (or more) if you are not tired of it yet, then get it inked on. If you get tired of looking at it after a couple of weeks just imgine having to see it on your body for a life time.

All of my life I was so against people getting tattoos until I turned 47 and was going through a mid life thingy.
I would say yes it was a little painful and after a while the whole area gets sort of numb. I love my mid life tattoo.
Susie

I just got my sixth tattoo about a month and a half ago.. and had to get it covered about 3 weeks ago. I originally wanted three small snowflakes on my wrist. I thought about it for a looong time, picked out the design and went in. The guy who I usually go to was booked solid so I went with the other guy. Big mistake! He was only able to do one bigger snowflake because of the small detail.. and I kid you not, it looked like he tattooed a bruise on me. It was absolutely dreadful. Luckily I went to the regular artist and he fixed it up.. I now have a chinese symbol for happiness.. my sister has the same on her back. So it wasn't what I wanted, but I love it now. It was extremly painful!

I have one going halfway down my spine which is my favourite. I was preparing for the absolute worst pain and it really wasn't that bad. There were times that I zoned out and didn't even notice. Initially it will hurt, but your skin does numb to it and it's more just uncomfortable than anything.

I've got one on my inside ankle that I got in college. It was uncomforable, but then I am kind of a sissy when it comes to pain. Or at least I was at 18, it's been 12 years and 3 kids since then, so who knows. I honestly forget it's there. I've wanted another one since then, but I just finally decided on a design.

CoveredInCrafts gave you some of the best advice. As for the pain, when I went, a friend went with me so she, the artist, and I talked up a storm, and it helped me take my mind of the "discomfort".

Be careful though! More often than not, once your inked, your hooked! You always want more!

I think pain wise, it's different for every person and there are different kinds of pain. My friend that has been with me each time has no problem with it. It's no big deal to her to get a tattoo but give her a headache or a toothache and she's a total baby. Me, at times, I can go to work with a migrane. Tattoos are harder for me. It's like a nerve thing. My second one was not going so bad until the gal hit this one nerve over and over and over and I turned around and informed her she was DONE. And she was really good and had a light hand too. I have a harder time with skin kinda pain. It's different for everybody.

I have 4 tats...started when I was 40 with a dolphin on my low back. Nothing else, just a dolphin. Then the next year, I got a tree frog on my left ankle. Third year, I have some kinda tribal waves added to the dolphin. Last year, I got another frog on my right ankle.

Out of respect for my MIL, I do not show them around her. And that is kinda difficult on my right ankle b/c it's a little high and sneaks out of the top of socks.

Yes, TC, I am still considering a Florida tat, but no one has said anything lately. I just thought everybody changed their minds.

BTW--all of the tats I have gotten, have been in Alabama on our last day of vacation. We have found a really nice shop there.