At eighteen years old you are a legal adult and have full autonomy over your body: you can vote, purchase a gun, and even join the military. With your newfound independence, you feel invincible. “Signature of parent/guardian” is a phrase of the past. This means that technically, with enough cash, you can stroll into any tattoo studio and get your very first tattoo without needing a cool aunt that is willing to pretend to be your mom for the day.
Now, before you go racing to your nearest tattoo artist, let’s take a moment to consider a few very important things about getting inked.
1. This is permanent.
Getting a tattoo is like putting something on the Internet. Unless you are willing to spend thousands of dollars covering it up or removing your tattoo, it is going to last forever. An “impulse tattoo” might sound fun at the time, but when the adrenaline wears off, you will likely realize that you should have put more thought into something that will be on your body for the rest of your life.
2. This is going to hurt.
We all have that friend that swears her tattoo didn’t hurt at all. However, we are all unique individuals and as such, we have varying pain tolerances. Also, remember that tattoos can take hours to be completed, and fidgeting around in pain will only prolong the tattooing process. Getting a tattoo means staying very still in a single position while needles pierce your skin over and over again for an extended period of time. Sit with that for a while, please.
3. Infections are real, and also disgusting.
Before a tattoo heals, it is an open wound. This leaves the area extremely susceptible to nasty infections that can potentially ruin the appearance of the tattoo that you just spent hundreds of dollars on. If you get a tattoo, make sure you listen very carefully to the artist’s instructions regarding after-care.
4. Tattoos are like real estate: location, location, location.
As a society, we have grown to be much more accepting of tattoos and piercings. However, this does not mean that your family, friends, and coworkers will embrace your new face tattoo. Personally, I chose to get my tattoos on parts of my body that can be easily covered during formal and professional events. The last thing you want is for a future employer to get the wrong impression of you based on tattoos. Plus, you have a long life ahead of you and plenty of time to get noticeable tattoos if you choose to do so. For your first time getting inked, it’s best to choose a discrete location.
5. Not everyone is going to love your new tattoo as much as you do.
In the end, this is your body and your tattoo. The most important opinion is your own because you are the one who will live with this decision for the rest of your life. Don’t feel discouraged if others aren’t as excited about your tattoo as you are. What works for you may not work for those around you, and that’s okay! Tattoos are all about expressing one’s individuality. If friends and family appreciate the design, that’s just icing on the cake.