I turned 18 in June, and for my birthday, I got a tattoo. It’s a small mountain range on my ribcage and I absolutely love it. Since I was turning 18 and in the mindset that I could now do whatever I wanted, I didn’t tell my parents until just a week before I got it. They told me about all the horrible things it would do to my body, how I’d most likely regret it later on in life and hate myself for it, and how people wouldn’t respect me after I got it. All the judgments aside, I still got it. The process was easy but I still had my parents’ voices in the back of my head about all that could go wrong. This was the only thing holding me back, but after an extra confidence boost and five minutes of pain later, I couldn’t have been happier with what I had just put on my body forever. If you’re thinking of getting a tattoo, here are some things to consider.
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Placement
Placement plays a big key in your confidence about the tattoo. I got the mountains on my ribs because I was too scared to put them anywhere visible for my first tattoo. If you’re nervous about the stigma that comes with tattoos but still want one, I recommend ribs, upper arms, or ankles. These places are much easier to hide a tattoo and they don’t stand out compared to locations such as the forearm.
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Design/Time
I’ve found with the tattoos I have so far that the more time I have to think about them, the more I dislike them and want to make it into something even better. My original idea for my first tattoo was a pine tree inside a circle, but a week before my consultation, I realized how painful it would be because of all the lines in the tree. So instead, I quickly developed the idea for the mountain range and I ended up being a lot happier with it than I was with my first idea. I have many different ideas about tattoos I’d like to get in the future and I have developed a time method for them. It’s best to give an idea about six months to a year before you actually get it. It’s really easy for me to see a design and immediately want it on my body, but that’s not always the best idea, so give it some time before it’s permanently on you forever.
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Shop/Artist
I debated a lot when it came to which shop I was going to go to. There was a very popular one in my hometown that people highly recommended, but I was also looking for a female artist that I’d feel comfortable with. Luckily I found a shop close enough to where I lived with good prices and many skilled female artists. I recommend when choosing shops that you take into account where your tattoo will be on your body, and who you’d feel more comfortable doing the tattoo. Also take into consideration the reputation of the shop (people leave reviews for a reason). And my piece of advice is to take a friend for a little moral support as (most artists will allow you to have someone with you while they’re tattooing you).
Tattoos are a beautiful form of self-expression and I definitely recommend them to anyone that thinks they’re up for it!