How to choose a tattoo

Pay heed to these steps before making your final decision:

1. Ask yourself why you even want a tattoo in the first place. Do you want to have something you love ingrained in your skin forever? Are you doing it for someone else? Are you happy you're old enough to get a tattoo without parent permission? Are you getting a discount? Think about each reason why and why not.

2. Ask if a tattoo will affect you in the workplace and other scenarios. It's most likely not worth losing a job over. Also see if there are rules against tattoos in other organizations your participate in, such as sports or volunteering.

3. Choosing a design: Make sure the design has meaning to you and that it is inevitably a reflection of the self. Thus, the design should represent something that you love, enjoy or are attached to. It may be in honor of another. Why are these things meaningful to you?Consider tattoos with writing even more. Make sure you know and understand the meanings of words, their origins, etc. If you're choosing a quote, make sure it represents you completely. Don't forget to pick the perfect font (or make your own)... typefaces create moods and feelings.

Look at other tattoos and designs that exist already, though don't restrict yourself to what's already out there. Check books, posters, stationary, stickers and anything else out there, not just the designs on the tattoo parlor walls.



4. Choosing where you want it:The placement of your tattoo on your body is very important. Do you want it to show up every day or do you want it covered up most of the time for whatever reason, whether for work or recreation? Think about the clothes you wear, how your hair is worn and the activities you participate in and how they will affect how often your tattoo shows.

You can try getting a printout of the design you are considering for your tattoo artist to recreate on your skin temporarily. Try getting a henna tattoo of the design you're thinking of before you get the real thing; henna is more temporary (lasting at least a week and up to a month) and, though you won't be able to get the colors and exact detail of what you want, you can get an idea of how it feels in a certain place at a certain size.



5. Choosing color: Do you want your tattoo in black or gray? Do you want a full-color tattoo? White? Will the color fade faster in certain places on your body? Consider the pigment of your skin and how well the color goes with it.

6. Creating the design: Be creative. Sometimes it just takes a little practice to draw your own design.

You don't have to create the design yourself; you can ask a tattoo artist to do it. Many are conventional artists that can at least copy a picture you find that you might want to base your design on. They can also reproduce it onto your skin temporarily as well as redesign a drawing you do.How big do you want this tattoo to be? Think about where it's going and if you want it to show at all. How expensive will it be? Sleeves can cost up to $300!



7. Choosing an artist: Consider what style of tattoo you like best, then find a tattoo artist that specializes in that style; even though many can achieve a wide range of looks, they usually have specialties. There are natural, Asian, black and white, comical and other types of looks to consider.The recommendations of others really help! Make sure that the artist you go to gets good props from former and/or current customers; don't just go to the nearest parlor. Look at tattoos people got from the place you're thinking about going to and see if they have the kind of look you're going for.Also consider prices. Try to get a quote before you get it because you don't want to be disappointed or angry once the tattoo is done.You may want to consider the experience the artist has. It doesn't hurt to ask.

Finally, don't be afraid to take your time in choosing. The most important thing is that you yourself are happy with the finished product. Take as much time as possible! This is something I stress.

I have wanted a tattoo since I was 10, but I knew I had to wait before I made my decision. I always thought I wanted a tattoo of my name in Korean characters and then settled on where I thought I wanted it. However, as the time approached for me to go and get my tattoo, I started to change my mind. I talked to others and looked at a lot of other tattoos before I found a design to base my tattoo on. By the time I was 19 and in the parlor I had completely changed my mind as to what I wanted (though I still wanted only a black and white tattoo). It had taken me more than eight years to make up my mind, but I'm glad I took my time.