4 Ways to Know You’re Ready for Your First Tattoo

What’s the best age to get your first tattoo? This is an interesting question which honestly, I don’t have the answer too. If I had to answer, I would say that as long as you are old enough to come up with your own decisions, then you’re probably old enough to get your first ink. I remember being a freshmen in high school when I first thought about getting my first tattoo. It was only a couple weeks later till i got it done – I couldn’t handle the excitement any longer.

I gathered some money and quickly got my parents to sign me off a written approval. I remember using a simple argument – if my sister was allowed to get one, then why wouldn’t I? Even though she was quite a bit older than I was, it seemed to work just fine. And just like that I was headed for my first appointment.

I can recall being intrigued and overly excited at the time, so much so that it almost overshadowed the thought that should go into a design. Thankfully, I have no remorse to this day. My tribal cross design was done in about 35 minutes, by a great artist named Carlinhos tattoo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

We sat at the drawing board for a bit and came up with miner tweaks that made me love the design that much more. I loved the spontaneous artistic side of the experience as it gave me time to get to know the artist and connect with him. He showed me what tattoo art was about, creating a design that was unique.

My second leg tattoo hurt a lot more even though I knew what to expect, but that seems to be the case for a lot of people the second time around. Be prepared for the pain, anyone that tells otherwise is not being fully honest.

Here is some advice on getting ready for your first tattoo, whether you’re 15 or 35:

1. Choose Wisely

First you need to make sure you have a good idea about what you want to get done, and what that specific design means to you. Most people will see your tattoo and instantly come up with an inicial idea about what the meaning is or what it’s trying to convey. Make sure the tattoo has a deeper meaning to you. Give it some time for the idea to mature and if you still feel excited about it, time to get inked. Some people wait as long as several years to get a design done so don’t rush yourself, you’ll have your entire life to enjoy it on your skin. Nothing is perfect, so make sure that every detail is the way you want it, once you get it done it will be too late.

2. No Pain, No Gain

Be ready for the pain. I would describe it as getting a medium burning sensation to your skin. It’s not the most unbearable feeling ever, depending on the body part – but it is definitely not pleasant, so be ready.

3. Allergies?

Check if you’re allergic. Tattoo ink contains many ingredients and chemicals (like nickel and arsenic for example) that you may be allergic to. Some people are only allergic to specific colors like yellow and red, however reactions to pigments used to make black, blue, purple and green tattoos are much less common. You may only know after you get your first tattoo, but depending on your reaction, it can be treated well by your doctor or dermatologist.

4. Cheap Tattoos are Bad Tattoos

Prepare your wallet, because tattoos get expensive, especially if you get them done by popular artists.