From the minute I turned 18, I could hear the sound of a tattoo needle buzzing in my ear. I always knew that I wanted tattoos as I got older but never had, and still don’t have a solid plan as to what I’d get. All I knew was that wherever I went needed to be clean, comfortable, and somewhat affordable. My first tattoo experience was a trainwreck so please, learn from my mistakes.
Photo courtesy of the author
I went to a tattoo shop that my friend at the time recommended because she knew people who got beautiful pieces from there. Although I had researched a different place and looked through their different artists and their work, I trusted her opinion. For my first tattoo, I wanted to get something very minimalist with lots of meaning. I chose an arrow because to me, it’s a constant reminder to keep moving forward, and to embrace whatever the future has in store for me. But also, who could mess that up? You would be surprised. My friend went first and hers came out beautiful which made me excited for him to do my tattoo. Of course with my luck, it didn’t come out the best. Immediately after I left the shop, I went into denial over the fact that I was left with a permanent tattoo of a very crooked arrow. I was very reluctant to show people because I knew it was bad and felt embarrassed. As a lost, newly 18-year-old with no experience in tattoos, I felt helpless at this point. After weeks of not being able to look at my own wrist, I decided to go to the place that I originally wanted to go to and get my tattoo fixed. The first thing the tattoo artist asked me was “Where did you go? This looks terrible!” and to that, I said, “Thank you I know, that’s why I’m here!”. This amazing man was able to completely fix my tattoo and turn it into exactly what I imagined it to be. Even though it was something small, I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders and I was finally able to show it off. This horror experience was one that I would always hear about but never thought that I would go through. Researching for trustworthy shops and artists beforehand as opposed to just walking into random shops and having someone you don’t know tattoo you are absolutely necessary. It also makes you feel more comfortable with where and who you’d be with.
The tattoo shop workers, receptionists and artists will most likely ask you many questions about what you want. Like many, I often overthink almost everything and it can be hard to be confident in an idea. But for something like a tattoo, being 100% certain in what you want is absolutely key and being open with everyone is an absolute must. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. At the first shop I went to, I kept my mouth shut practically the whole time But while I was at the second shop, I expressed all of my concerns and asked every question known to man, and I am so glad that I did.
Another piece of advice is to not go somewhere just because it’s cheap. In the end, you’ll get what you pay for and it absolutely shows. It can show by how clean the place is, the service you receive, or how the tattoo comes out. While low prices can be tempting (especially for college students), they could also be a red flag.
Tattoos are a form of art that expresses who you are and can tell your story. The thought of how permanent they are can be daunting, but if you do your homework and are at ease with your ideas, everything should work out in your favor.