Deciding to get tattooed

[Angel]

How can one tell if getting tattooed is right for them?

I have had a design in mind for years now but I'm not certain how one comes to the decision to get inked. The design isn't anything meaningful to me, it would be purely for aesthetic purposes.

Can anyone give me some insight into this? I'd appreciate all the responses I can get.

[Cabron]

I'm not tattooed myself, but I think you're ready when you know it's something you'll want for the rest of your natural life and it's something that's not gonna interfere with any future job choices, etc. Also, you'll have to have a general idea of how high your pain threshold is and if you're gonna be able to stand it. You need to decide where it's gonna be and the possible ramifications of having it in whatever spot you choose. You've stated that it's a purely aesthetic tattoo, otherwise I'd say you should consider the meaning as well. Are you still gonna like this tattoo after you get it? Then there's also cost and what artist/parlor you choose to go to. I'd say that if you're gonna get a tattoo at all, you might as well drop the big bucks and go to someone who's very talented. Researching the different places online may help as well as studying particular artists (if possible) and looking at their work. I'd go in beforehand and look at the general cleanliness of the place. You can tell a lot about a parlor by how clean it is. When are you going to get it? As your skin takes a lot more abuse during the summer (what with tanning and swimming and whatnot), it might be better to get it during the winter. A sunburnt tattoo is never a good thing. Even a light tan can be bad--ultraviolet rays suck the color out of a fresh tattoo. The colors of it matter as well--yellow will eventually almost completely fade, blue usually goes to sort of a sea-green color and red becomes pinkish over time. (My dad has two sleeves and he had all these colors, which is why I say that. ) Getting a super colorful tattoo might be cool at first, but unless you're willing to pay for touchups (and deal with the pain) it probably isn't the greatest idea. Sorry this is so long!

Sources: http://tattoo.about.com/cs/tatfaq/a/tanning.htm
http://tattoo.about.com/cs/beginners/a/blfaq.htm

[alixthetree]

I personally decided to get my tattoo because it means something important to me. It's a memorial tattoo for my great grandma, my grandpa and my dog. I knew that I wanted to represnt them somehow and getting a tattoo in memory of them was what I thought was the best way. I think you are saying you want it for aestetic reasons, then you may not like it down the road and wish you hadn't gotten it. That's just my opinion though.