Tattoos are an art form that has always been accompanied by controversy. In fact, for many years tattoo parlors have been outlawed in certain states of the United States. Just recently, Oklahoma finally relented and removed their laws prohibiting tattoo parlors in the State of Oklahoma - the last state in the Union to do so.
There are several considerations when one ponders the pros and cons of taking such a permanent step towards changing one's own body.
The first, and possibly foremost, point to address seriously is simply the permanency of the final result. Is this art work something you are willing to carry with you through the remainder of your life? Is the location of the tattoo you are considering ever going to be embarrassing, or is it going to be a problem for you when you are seventy years old, with your grand kids on your lap asking the kinds of questions only a child could ask?
Just think about the elderly people you see at the beach with faded tattoos in odd places... Sometimes you just have to wonder how they decided on that tattoo.
Consider the kinds of questions people will ask when you are explaining why you have 56 stars on your face! (See the story of Kimberly Vlaminck at the Tattoo Trouble website at: http://bit.ly/3ZZJNW) Think about that for a while before you proceed.
Another point to seriously consider is simply the talent of the tattoo artist you are considering to tattoo your body. Tattoo artists are not equally skilled - some are miracle workers, while with others, it should be considered a miracle that they even have a job.
A tattoo is only as good as the finished product, and in some ways, the finished product can be affected by every ink line from the beginning of the process to the end.
Do you want a customized, completely original tattoo, or are you willing to go with a choice from a tattoo design notebook?
Go to a public place, where lots of people congregate, and do some people watching. You will see a wide variety of quality levels of the ink work itself.
If you are going to go ahead and get a tattoo, you should want it to be done well.
While you are people watching, take notice of the tattoos you like the best and try to talk to the people sporting them. See if you can find out which artist they used and talk to that artist about his prices, styles, options, schedule, and check out the cleanliness of his studio.
Aside from the talent of the artist you choose, your own health should always be a major consideration. Bad needles or poor procedures can leave you ill, or scarred, for the remainder of your life.
Obviously, the actual tattoo is important. You will want it to demonstrate a very personal statement reflecting your personality, lifestyle, or beliefs. A tattoo should always be considered to be a customized piece of artwork that will always fit who you are, so that when people ask you about it, you will always feel comfortable with your explanation.
Cost will be a factor. Shop around. You'll want to find the best tattoo artist you can find, for the amount of money you can afford to spend. If you can't afford a good artist, you probably should wait until you can afford the better tattoo artist. There is too much at stake to take chances. Your tattoo will most always be a permanent addition to your body, so it is always in your best interest to make sure that you are not letting an amateur tattoo artist ink your skin. (For example, those jail tattoos never work out so well.)
Before you take the final step, realize that it will be extremely difficult to undo your tattoo - not impossible mind you, but difficult. It is possible to remove a tattoo, but it probably cannot be completely eradicated. (For evidence of the difficulty in completely removing a tattoo using laser tattoo removal treatments, check out Angelina Jolies' "cover-up tattoo" over her "laser-removed tattoo" on the Tattoo Trouble website at: http://bit.ly/5AKVP)
Many tattoo removal procedures, such as the laser-tattoo removal that Angelina Jolie did, may fail to totally remove the tattoo and may even leave scars or discoloration, where the tattoo originally resided.
As you can see, a tattoo should never be a spur-of-the moment decision. Even though it could be extremely exciting to take this step on a whim, most people who do it with little thought or consideration for the consequences probably regret the tattoo at some point in their lives. Like Kimberly, some people will regret their tattoo in just a couple hours, rather than a few years down the road.
I am not saying that you should not get a tattoo - even I have tattoos. What I am saying though is that you should consider carefully the tattoo that you choose and where you choose to get it done. Just be careful out there... And think about your decision before you act on that decision.