What to Expect when You Get Your First Tattoo

Step 1
Why do you want to get a tat?
Getting a tat MUST be something that YOU & ONLY YOU want.
If you are getting it for someone else then more than likely you will not always want it on your body and you will end up regretting getting it at all. Every step of the process needs to be YOUR decision. Input from a friend can be helpful in things like placement, picking colors & sizing. Especially if the tat is going to be put somewhere that you can't see very well, like on your back.

Step 2
What kind of tat do you want?
Symbol
Tribal
Portrait
Custom
Design from a tattoo book
Lettering
Let's face it, almost anything can be tattooed, but only the best artist will have some hesitation about putting something that they don't think will look great in 20 years.

If you want a standard tat from a picture from the shop, it can normally be done pretty soon.
If you want a custom tat, it could take weeks for the artist to draw it up and get it to the point to where you & the artist are both happy with it.

My advice, make your tat something that marks a point in your life that you never want to forget, whether it is something good or bad as long as you want to look at it for the rest of your life. My tattoo is the footprints from my 3 sons actual birth certificate and my sons favorite colors. Each of my 3 sons names start with the letter J, thus the "J3".
Whatever tattoo you get, make it special!

Step 3
What shop do you get your tat?
I visited 5 shops before I found the shop & the artist that I wanted to do my tat.
Probably 3 of the 5 shops did not even acknowledge that I walked in the door.
That is not a place that I want putting something permanent on my body.
If they aren't willing to help a customer who takes the time to come into their shop, then I don't need to do business with them.
The shop that I decided on, the artist was very helpful, stayed in contact while the custom tat was being drawn up and was very helpful to pick colors and placement.

Step 4
Where on your body do you get your tat?
Much of this decision depends on the size of the tat.
Of course the most room for a tat is usually on your back.
Keep in mind a few important things when deciding placement.
Do you work in a profession that looks down on tattoos?
If so, placing the tat so that it can't be seen unless you are not wearing a shirt or slacks should be considered.
If someone seeing your tat is not a problem, then just make sure that you are happy with the size and area that you decide on.
The artist will be a great help in placing the tat in an area that will enhance the tat and not be lost in an area that's too big for the tat or in an area that the tat is too big for.
Also, the artist can give some input on future tattoos and how they would fit around or with the one that is to be done.

Step 5
What's next?
Once you decide what to get, what shop to get it from, where on your body to get it and the size to get.
You will make an appointment with the artist and find out how long the tat will take to complete. Be sure to set aside enough time to get it and to not have to rush somewhere after it's done. If it's a large tat, you may not want to do much after it's done.

Step 6
The appointment!
Be sure not to drink alcohol or take pain medicine before your appointment. This can thin out the blood and cause you to bleed more during the tattoo.
When you arrive at your appointment, a stencil will be placed and you can verify that it's in the right location and looks good. This is where a friend can come in very handy to give you advice and make sure that it's straight and the location looks good.

Once the placement has been decided on, it's time to get tattooed!
Beware, unless you have a high tolerance for pain, it will hurt. Of course, some areas are more sensitive than others, but if you want a tat, the pain will not last long and the pride you will have in your tat will last forever.
Just know that it's not an excruciating pain, just a hard scraping pain and if the tat is very big, the artist will let you have a break once in a while.

Step 7
After care.
Now there are many different opinions on how to take care of a tat.
Your tattoo artist should provide "After care" instructions.
Most start with applying an ointment such as Neosporin for a few days until the tat heals and then lotion should be applied very often to minimize peeling. On a color tat the more it peels, the more color will be lost.

Step 8
Show it off!
I think that most people in the world appreciate a well done tattoo. Tattoos that have a personal meaning or symbolism can be very touching.