Tattoos do and dont you dares!
When it comes to today’s tattoo designs, the choices are almost endless! Your first step is to browse some web sites – just do a Google search for “free tattoo designs”. Chances are, you’ll be overwhelmed by the sheer variety – there’s tribal tattoos, Celtic tattoos, traditional ‘tattoo parlor’ designs, biker tattoos, Japanese tattoos, Chinese tattoos … the possibilities are endless.
Think about what inspired you to want a tattoo in the first place. Chances are, you saw a tattoo you liked on someone else – what style was it? What did you like about it?
If you know someone who has a tattoo, ask them where they got it – or just look in the yellow pages for local tattoo shops. Most places have albums of designs that you can look through. You don’t have to make an appointment for this – just drop in and ask to look at a book of designs. And while you’re there, pay attention to how the place looks and feels. Would you feel comfortable getting a tattoo there?
How much does it hurt to get a tattoo?
When it comes right down to it, that’s what most people really want to know! Actually, getting a tattoo is not very painful nowadays because modern tattoo equipment is such that the needles go in and out of your skin very quickly. You’ll be completely able to carry on a normal conversation while getting your tattoo.
Of course, depending on your tattoo designs and location, the amount of discomfort can vary to some degree. Generally speaking, tattooing over bone – where there’s little flesh or fat – hurts a bit more. So getting a tattoo on the fleshy part of your arm probably won’t hurt much at all, but directly over your ankle bone or collar bone may be more painful – though still quite bearable.
Tattoo designs can also make a difference with regard to how it feels. Tattooing lines produces a different sensation from ‘filling in’, or tattooing blocks of color. Interestingly, though, there’s quite a lot of disagreement over which hurts more! It seems to be a subjective reaction – some people find the lines more comfortable than the filling in, while others say just the opposite. Suffice it to say that neither is really all that painful.
If you go to a professional tattoo shop where the proper tattoo equipment is used, getting a tattoo is very safe. Decades ago there was concern about getting hepatitis C from tattoos, but this is something all professionals are very conscious of nowadays. If new needles are used for each and every customer, there is no chance of contracting a blood-borne disease. Most tattoo artists will be glad to set your mind at rest by showing you the unopened package of needles they will be using before the tattooing begins. After your tattoo is finished, they should dispose of the needles. Ask about safety policies such as these before you select a tattoo shop.
Tattoo prices vary according to the size and tattoo designs. Of course, a larger and more complex design will cost more than a smaller, simpler one – that stands to reason. To give you an idea, relatively simple tattoo designs that are quite small (about the size of a silver dollar) will usually cost about $70 or $80. Prices vary though, so the best thing to do is to ask. Bring your design – or just describe it – and most tattoo shops will be able to quote you a price right then and there.
When should I not get a tattoo?
You shouldn’t get a tattoo if you’re drunk or high (and most tattoo shops have a policy in place about this; they’ll refuse to tattoo anyone who appears to be drunk or high or as a sign in one shop says, “just plain stupid”). The other reason for not getting a tattoo is if you’re not sure. Wait until you do feel sure or just don’t get one. This is not a good thing to feel ambiguous about. There are no specific medical considerations, but use your common sense. If you’re sick, wait till you get better.
Will having a tattoo make it harder for me to get a good job?
If you’re worried, why not get the tattoo in a place where office clothes will cover it? For men at any rate, that still leaves a lot of choices. Even if you can’t keep it covered though, in this day and age it probably won’t matter. Tattoos are a lot more socially acceptable than they ever before and in most workplaces you are judged on the basis of your ability. There are exceptions, of course; there are tattoos that are so prominent and controversial in terms of their appearance or content that they may cause problems for you, just as there are workplaces which are exceptionally conservative. You need to make sure that all aspects of your appearance fit your objectives, and that includes tattoos. But having a tattoo or two certainly won’t preclude you from being gainfully employed – not in this day and age!
It isn’t true in the sense of a real addiction, but it is a fact that people who already have one tattoo are more likely to get another one … or so. It is possible to get ‘hooked’ on the excitement of getting a tattoo, just as some people get ‘hooked’ on shopping, but that’s not a real addiction. Most people who end up with multiple tattoos do so simply because they like them.