These are very important steps to follow if you really want to get a "no-regret" tattoo. Don't end up with something BAD that you will be regretful over for the rest of your life.

1. Ask yourself this question: what is important in your life? This question gets avoided much too often when one is deciding on their tattoo design. That flower may look real cute or that barb wire may look really tough, but what real importance do they have or represent in your life? Seriously, you are putting permanent ink on your body, and there should be a minimum level of seriousness to your decision. Even if you are getting something silly and comical inked on your body, if humor and silliness is an important factor in your life then that's cool. Just ask the question. And then try to base your ink decision on the answer.

2. Decide on Placement. This is huge, as you could pick a great tattoo design but if you place it wrongly on your body you could regret it. Ask yourself if this is a design that you will want to look at frequently. If so, then you can eliminate placing a tattoo on your back. So many people make the mistake of picking out a killer design that they really love, and then they place it on their back where they never can see it! They have to fumble around with mirrors just to get a glance at it. Also ask yourself if you want others to see it. Some people regret having their ink placed in such a noticeable spot. Even choosing the inner forearm (less visible) or the outer forearm (visible) can make a huge difference. Think hard on placement, basing your decision on personal factors as well as your chosen design and where it will work best on your body.

3. Research, research research! With all the opportunity now days to find amazing tattoo designs, you owe it to yourself to do some research. The days of going to a parlor and picking blindly off the wall should be considered long gone as there are much better ways to find the right design that speaks to you. Go to an online tattoo gallery. Honestly, if you do not visit an online tattoo gallery then you are doing yourself an injustice by not viewing some of the best tattoo designs out there. This is on top of the fact that online galleries are extremely convenient and very fun to browse through. Even if you do not end up choosing a design from a gallery, you will still be ensured that you have seen everything there is to see. And even if you are choosing a custom design, a gallery can inspire a ton of new ideas.