So you decided to get a tattoo? For many people, tattoos are a serious and usually permanent thing. If it's a temporary tattoo, do what you like, get what you like and take a long dip in the bathtub the next day. Permanent tattoos are for those committed individuals with various serious reasons for getting their skins pricked with images (like a loved one's initials, hearts with thorns, tribal cross tattoos) that they are and will literally be attached to.

Unless you want a laser treatment visit to a dermatologist, do not get a permanent tattoo for the wrong reasons like impressing your girlfriend, losing a bet or joining a gang you won't see again before you reach twenty. People who get tattoos are usually those belonging to religious or tribal groups, serious organizations with various advocacies, artists and just plain whack jobs who rule their own little world and can't get enough of pain.

Part of what makes skin art so serious is because of the pain involved in getting one. Getting inked and getting hurt are practically twins. Sure, you can go painless but you will feel incomplete. For many cultures, the pain associated with tattooing translates as a test of courage and rite of passage

When choosing an image you wish to permanently embed on your skin, choose one you will be comfortable with for the rest of your life. Something you won't regret when you reach old age, something you can be proud of and something unique that can be associated to you, your social group and your beliefs.

A giant image of Garfield or Snoopy needled on your back is not worth hours of pain and lifetime ridicule. Choose designs like an image of Buddha, the sacred heart, Jesus on the cross or a much cooler tribal cross. Tribal Cross tattoos are cool for rough and rugged Christians or even non-Christians. The social stigma that was once attached to skin art has almost completely disappeared from the Y generation, and it's almost positive that younger Christians are going to be embracing this new way of expressing their personal faith for years to come.

Since tattoos can be permanent or temporary, the best way to get a great permanent cross tattoo or any other tattoo for that matter is to try out several temporary designs until you decide which design you want to live with. Getting inked is practically like getting married. Once it's on, it can either be wonderful or difficult to live with. Choose wisely, choose cool, before getting any type of permanent body art.