A tattoo is a very personal thing except when it is not. When is that? It is when you get one with another person to make a record of your relationship. The end result can be both good and bad depending on the circumstances and how you go about it.

The classic two person tattoo is the inking undertaken by a couple. You get one and your loved one does as well. You might take one design and each get half done on your bodies. Then again, you might get each others names. A popular choice is also an interlocking tat such as one of you getting a heart in a locked chain while the other person gets a key inked on.

All of these are fine, but you need to keep in mind something. Couples often become ex-couples. If you get "Jane" tattooed on your shoulder, you could be facing a future where you can only date Janes! There are a lot of find Janes out there, but come on! The same goes for the ladies who get tats of their boyfriend's name. If romantic love is the reason for the tat, then getting something that can survive the break up makes better sense.

The second scenario that comes up all the time is the friends and family tattoo. You and your best friend or sister decide to get tats to symbolize your bond. Unlike tats for couples, you are on safer ground here. That being said, try to be more creative than just getting each others names. Why not create a design that incorporates the things you like to do together or things that symbolize the other person? This is where a good artist can really make a difference. You can work together to come up with something unique that incorporates the things you both like.

People often ask if there is a particular design that is used to symbolize specific relationships like brothers, sisters or twins. The answer is yes, but with a big caveat. Tattoos tend to be categorized by styles, not by subject matter. Put another way, there are certain tattoo designs that mean brother, for example, but there is no single one. The Celtic style has one as does the Japanese as does the Polynesian and so on. It is pretty much up to you to figure out what is what and the particular design you like.

Getting inked with a close friend or loved one is pretty common. Try to be creative and get a design together that means something to they two of you instead of something generic. In the end, you'll like the tat more.