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Chances are you’ve been blown over by the tattoo wave, and are eager to get one yourself. Maybe you’ve already decided to get one on your next birthday and panned out where you’re going to get inked as well. Or chances are that you’re not sure of anything apart from the fact that you want to sport a tattoo. Before you go under the needle and walk out of the tattoo parlor officially bearing body art, we’d like to make sure you don’t regret any part of the experience that follows (and precedes) this long-term commitment.
1. Do I Really Want To/Will I Still Like It In 10 Years?
While this is stating the obvious, people and their outlooks on life change with time. Tattoos are a permanent sign of a decision made by you which means that you should consider if the option you’re looking at right now is something you will stand by, years from now. The only other option is to either tattoo over the previous one, or a painful and expensive removal process that your skin is going to hate.
2. Will I Still Love It If It Stretches?
Depending on how delicate the tattoo is, as you grow older and your body weight fluctuates or changes, so will your tattoo. Finer tattoos get harder to read in time. You might want to consider if you’re going to like it even when it doesn’t look as great as it had when you first got it.
3. Are The Health Repercussions Worth It?
A needle piercing your skin has got to come with its set of health repercussions. Step one is to check with your general physician if you could be allergic to ink. Because the same needle is used on multiple people, chances are you could contract hepatitis, aids or a blood borne disease if sanitation isn’t followed to the t. You could develop a scar or a rash when getting inked as well, especially if it’s red, blue, green and yellow dye.
4. Can I Care For It?
The first week after you get a tattoo is crucial since it needs to heal right. Not only do you need to follow your tattoo artist’s advice carefully, but make sure that your tattoo doesn’t get contaminated. This includes learning how and when to take off your bandage, use an oil based anti bacterial cream and knowing not to pick at scabs. If you’re known to be lazy about skin-care, reconsider a tattoo.
5. Is My Tattoo Artist Good?
If your tattoo artist isn’t the best, you’re not only putting yourself at risk of contamination and worse, a bad tattoo. If you don’t take care enough to check if your tattoo artist is really good and qualified (and no, that doesn’t just mean going by his word), you’re not going to have a good experience. Costs don’t speak too much either, you could find a really good artist at an affordable cost, and a really bad one at sky rocketing prices.
6. Will It Affect My Corporate Life?
Some industries frown upon a tattoo. Tattoos aren’t very first-impression friendly and depending on what and where your tattoo is, your employer may or may not have a bad opinion of you. Tattoos are known to have a reckless image associated with them, so if you’re very worried about how they’re going to be received at your next job interview or by your boss, then opt for a placement that can easily be hidden at work.
7. Who Is The Tattoo For?
This has been made a joke of for as long as we can remember. But, it’s quite important to consider if the tattoo is important enough to you if the person you’re getting it for is anyone but you. Yes, we mean before you get inked with your special someone’s name (or face) or a celeb’s you need to consider if the tattoo really is that valuable to you to want to keep it forever. Don’t jump into anything with the idea that you can get it replaced or removed later.