Getting Your First Tattoo -- =========================
So, you want to get 'inked' huh? Well before you jump in head first, there are some things you need to deeply consider before the first needle touches your skin. Getting a tattoo is an important decision. And involves more than just picking a cool picture from a wall, book, or website. What you put on your body will be there for a LONG time. Your ENTIRE life. So, you must choose wisely and take into consideration every single aspect of the whole tattooing process.
Here are some important points to ponder before having your body permanently etched with that perfect little image you've been wanting so badly. I warn you, this is NOT like getting a bad hair cut. Hair will grow back, but your stuck with your skin all your life!
THE STUDIO
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Choosing the best tattoo studio, or parlor :-) , that fits your specific needs is a very important first step to getting the RIGHT TATTOO DONE RIGHT. Your health and safety MUST be the prime concern of any reputable shop. And it should be to you also. With crippling diseases like HIV and Hepatitis, one can NEVER be too safe! You shouldn't be willing to gamble with your health. And neither should a responsible tattoo studio.
There are several ways to find just the right tattoo studio that fits the bill. Let's talk about the most obvious, and the best form of advertising, WORD OF MOUTH. Do you have any friends or relatives that have had a tat done that looks good? Ask them who and where they went to for their tattoo. Then investigate this place for yourself just to be 100% positive.
And, you don't always have to go with the first studio you visit. Look around. Be choosy. There's plenty of time to get your first tattoo, so DON'T RUSH IT! Take your time and make the best choice based on your findings. Here's a short checklist you can use to begin filtering out the good from the bad so that you can make the best decision you can.
1. WHAT IS THE FIRST IMPRESSION YOU GET FROM THE STUDIO AND IT'S EMPLOYEES?
Is the studio in a clean and orderly manner? Are the employees and artists friendly or responsive to assisting you if they aren't too busy? How busy is the studio? What are
present customer's reactions to the studio's proceedures? Do they seem happy or
satisfied?
2. ARE THE STUDIO'S POLICIES, LICENSES, CERTIFICATES, AND OTHER IMPORTANT DOCUMENTATION POSTED UP FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO VIEW?
Can you take a look at the studio's credibility to run their business? Have they
received a 'clean bill' from the required state health officials demanding the studio
operates and offers their services according to stringent practices put in place? Are
they using all the required sterilization equipment necessary to make sure that each
customer's health is protected as best they can? Do they have an age requirement and
how do they ensure that this is not breached? What types of legal documentation or
consent forms must each customer sign BEFORE a tattoo is given?
3. ARE THE STUDIO'S ARTISTS' WORK EXAMPLES AVAILABLE TO VIEW?
Are there portfolio folders(usually photo books or 3 ring binders) that you can look
through to view a particular artist's work? Are there pictures posted about the
studio of past customers' tattoos? What do they look like? Do you see any of these
past works that look similar to something you are intersted in getting? Is there a
pretty good range of tattoo sizes? Colors? Styles?
While this isn't the 'end all, be all' of things you can look for when deciding on your tattoo studio of choice, it is a good place to start :-)
THE ARTIST
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Choosing a credible tattoo artist is like selecting a dentist. Each artist has their own unique style of inking and of course their own incredible array of artwork. Almost every experienced tattoo artist will be able to provide you with a 'custom piece' of artwork. A 'custom piece' is a term that refers to an original tattoo creation that was designed specifically, and only for YOU.
And, you wouldn't trust your neighbor to perform a root canal would you? Well, not unless your next door neighbor just happened to be a dentist :-) Still, you wouldn't want to get a 'garage root canal'!! You'd want to go inside a clean, steril environment with certified professionals with the right tools to perform the delicate work that needed to be done. In all seriousness, this is the only body you have. So you must care for it as such.
Take some time to look through the artist's portfolio, which most pro artists have, and take a look at the work they have done. Ask them questions that are important to you, no matter how silly you might think they are. Believe me, a professional tattoo artist will give you any answer you seek with regards to tattooing. If you are unsure of anything, ask! The tattoo artist you select should be receptive to your questions and be as helpful as possible. However, don't expect to act like an ass and then have the artist kissing yours! Be respectful AND tactful.
THE IMAGE
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Selecting just the right tattoo really depends on YOU. What you like, what you don't like. If a specific image has meaning for you, it doesn't matter what others think about your selection. This is an outward form of self-expressionism. A word of caution though. Don't choose a tattoo that might purposely offend another person. Even though your tattoo will still draw attention to you, it might not be the kind of attention you want!
There are many places to look at pictures of tattoos freely. Looking does NOT mean copying! Remember that there is such a thing as intellectual property laws. However, there is nothing wrong with finding an image you like, printing it out, taking it in to your tattoo artist and asking them to create an original variation from the design you provided them.
And with that, here are several online sites you can look for some tattoo images:
-----------------------------------------!WARNING!-------------------------------------------
Many of the images contained in these galleries will have some nudity, just so you know ahead of time. It will be present in both the artwork of the tattoos themselves and the people that sport them.
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FREE TATTOO FLASH IMAGE GALLERIES - Tattoo Flash is a bit different from just standard images of tattoos on flesh. These are artwork images that can be applied to the skin. You will see once you view them :-)
-- TATTOOFLASH.INFO --
http://tattooflash.info/freeflash/menue.html
-- TATTOO FLASH -- (links are in the middle of the page towards the bottom for the flash)
http://inksling.com/free_tattoo_flash.htm
-- TATTOOZ.NET --
http://www.tattooz.net/default.cfm?SiteMenu=Editorial&Title=Free+Flash+Images
-- FREETATTOOFLASH.COM --
http://www.freetattooflash.com/
-- FREE CRAZYHORSE TATTOO FLASH --
http://www.crazyhorse-tattoo.com/flash.html
-- OVER 200 FREE TATTOO FLASH SHEETS --
http://www.geocities.com/xpredatorx2002/
-- TATTOODLES.COM --
http://www.tattoodles.com/home.php
-- FREE TATTOO FLASH BY KRIVOLAY --
http://tattooflash.dndz.dp.ua/
-- TATTOOGALAXY'S FLASH NAVIGATOR --
http://www.tattoogalaxy.com/pages/flash%20pages/flashpage.html
-- MORE FREE TATTOO FLASH --
http://sinfullcreations.esmartdesign.com/tattoos/free-tattoo-flash.html
-- TATTOOS-GALLERY FREE TATTOO FLASH -- (categories are on the left)
http://www.tattoos-gallery.com/freetattooflash/
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FREE TATTOO IMAGE GALLERIES - Now these are the galleries that have real, ink-to-skin tattoo pictures available for you to look at to get a better idea of what it looks like to have a tattoo.
-- TATTOO PICTURE DESIGNS.COM --
http://www.tattoo-picture-designs.com/
-- EXCITE UK TATTOO IMAGE GALLERY LISTINGS --
http://www.excite.co.uk/directory/Arts/Bodyart/Tattoo/Image_Galleries
-- THE VANISHING TATTOO --(lots of fascinating stuff here!)
http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/
-- EVERYTATTOO --
http://www.everytattoo.com/
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TATTOO MAGAZINES ONLINE - Many of these websites will offer lots of interesting freebies you can sort through to get more information about the art of tattooing.
-- TATTOOZ.NET --
http://www.tattooz.net/default.cfm
-- TATTOOS.COM --
http://www.tattoos.com/
-- PRICK MAGAZINE --
http://prickmag.net/
-- TATTOO WORLD --
http://www.tattoolife.com/
-- BODY MODIFICATION EZINE --
http://www.bmezine.com/
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TATTOO BOOKS - Again, these are excellent resources for learning more about the art of tattooing, and from the comfort of anywhere you choose :-) Instead of putting EXACT titles of the books here, I thought it would be better to post some links to places where you can purchase books at a discounted rate. This way, you can get the book you want. Oh, and don't forget your local library. That's a fantastic, and free, resource to preview the books before you buy them :-)
-- AMAZON.COM --
http://www.amazon.com(put your affiliate link here leading to amazon)
-- EBAY --
http://www.ebay.com
-- BARNES & NOBLE --
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/(put your affiliate link here leading to B&N)
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THE PLACEMENT
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Okay, you have the perfect image all picked out. Now your only problem is where do you put it? Well, that's a bit more of a difficulty than just choosing an image. You may have an employer that frowns upon this type of artistic expressionism on their dime. If that is the case, you may want to place your tattoo somewhere it can be concealed while at work under your clothing.
If that's not an issue for you, then virtually anywhere you have skin can be a good place for a tattoo! Understand that some areas of the body will hurt more when tattooed there than others.
For instance, getting a tattoo on your upper back shoulder will hurt much less than getting one on the back of your neck! In my experience, it seems that wherever you have more 'padding', or fat cells, it hurts much less than where there are places that consist mainly of skin and bone, such as a wrist or foot. However, this is not always the case. Mostly, pain is dependent on how much it bothers you.
If you're still unsure, ask your tattoo artist! He, or she will undoubtedly have some suggestions for you :-)
THE COST
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This is also dependent on a combination of factors. Such as, the studio's pricing scale for artwork done, if it is an original custom design, the size of the tattoo, and how many colors are used. All these things, among a few others will determine how much you will pay.
One thing, tattoos that are done professionally are NOT CHEAP. They will cost you. But consider the cost an investment since it will be something that will be with you throughout your lifetime.
Realistically, plan on spending anywhere from $65 to $500+ for your new tattoo. Speak with your selected tattoo studio about this and what options they have available for payment, i.e. - do they accept major credit cards, debit cards, cash, etc.
THE FEELING
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Lots of people who have never experienced receiving a tattoo often ask, "Does It Hurt?". Well, if you enjoy getting poked with a needle, then YES! But, if you are a bit needle shy, then you may want to ask the artist the best way to deal with the pain. But don't get antsy. It's not so bad. If it were, do you really believe so many people would be flocking to the nearest 'inkery' to get their next tattoo after their first?
Honestly, your body has built in mechanisms to combat pain. Endorphins, YAY! These little guys kick in and will lessen the feelings of pain for you. Of course, it won't take away ALL the pain, it will just get you use to it.
And, everyone in the world has developed their own pain tolerancy levels, so everyones tattoo experience will be different. It may not hurt you as much as it would your Aunt Sally. But then again, Aunt Sally may have had a pretty tough life and built up a better natural resistence to pain than you. It all depends on the person.
A good saying to remember when getting a tattoo is: GRIT YOUR TEETH AND BEAR IT.
You are allowing someone to poke you with a needle underneath your skin over hundreds of times in a row. Of course it hurts! So if you are a total wimp, stick with something small and in a place that won't be as painful.
What EXACTLY does it feel like? Well, I can tell you only from my own experience that it feels like being poked with a needle a bunch of times over and over again! I don't generally like pain, but I LOVE my tattoo and plan on adding more to it. So, even if you are the worst cry-baby in the world, you can still get a tattoo if you really want it.
THE AFTER CARE
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Once all the tears are over (^_^) and your new tattoo is now a part of you, it's time to find out what's involved in taking good care of it.
You need to give your tattoo time to breathe. This will allow your body to naturally heal the freshly tattooed skin. So, try not to cover it up too much in the first few days if it isn't necessary for you to do so. Whenever you can, uncover it and let the air get to it.
If you must cover it up, be sure to use clean, sterile gauze dressings that can be secured with some type of medical tape to hold it in place around the edges of the gauze. Try not to use things like liquid bandages or things that will be extra sticky or hard to remove. Your tattoo will need to scab over so that it heals properly. AND DON'T PICK AT IT!! It could possibly create scars on your new tat. And you don't want that. Let the natural healing process run it's course on it's own without any outside help.
And, you should avoid the sun and swimming as much as possible during this healing time as it could firstly fade your tattoo, or worse, cause a painful infection depending on where you plan on swimming at.
The best time to get your tattoo would be in the colder months of the year. This way, there's no temptation to do certain summer activities that might be harmful to your health and your tattoo.
Getting your first tattoo will defintely be an unforgetable experience. And one that you just might want to repeat if you get it done right the first time.
-- erwin --
-- infomer --
