I have three tattoos, with first being done last year and second and third a few months ago. I had that ideas for a tattoo for years before I went on with it and got it for real; I think it is important to find an image that you are going to explore and admire for at least a year before you put it on yourself forever. I suggest not to get anything generic (tribals; they can look nice, but there is nothing stopping you from just buying a tribal t-shirt or something similar (it will cost you much less and you can take it off once you get bored with it); tribals usually don't end up on your skin because they have deeper meaning, it is usually something that you do because it's "cool" and that's a completely wrong reason to get tattooed. Same can go for a typical tattoo made by women; butterflies, flowers, dolphins and other crap that they put on because it's "cute". Won't be so cute once your dolphin turns into a whale when you grow older).
Anyway, I believe it's important to first get an image you love and THEN decide you want to get tattooed, and not to decide you want a tattoo and then search for the image. I think it's the wrong way, but it doesn't necessarily have to be true. But I first encountered a meaningful (meaningful to me) symbols that I really wanted to have on my body forever; then I waited for years to see if I'll have the same opinion after a long period of time and then I decided to get them tattooed. For example, the two tattoos that I put on my hands this April were my wish since I was 13 (when I was 13, I usually drew them on my ankles with a black marker). But of course, now I'm almost 22 and it's definitively not a good idea to go on with the ideas you had when you were 13; but the desire for those images remained in me, and even grew bigger because I learned more about it.
Other thing I deem important is to look at your potential future life and surroundings and how well can you endure being called names for having a tattoo. In some parts of the world, tattoos are still considered to be the mark of criminals, drug addicts and spreading of diseases. Of course, today, that's far from truth (although, if you choose a wrong tattoo place, you might get some disease so be careful). Also, you will probably be asked "What does it mean?" a lot so if you don't want attention, try find a place that will not be visible as much.
As for the pain... I seriously felt almost nothing (and I was afraid of pain prior to getting a tattoo and my Mom though I'll faint or something). But when I actually got there, I though the "pain" was laughable. I have a tattoo on the upper part of my back (when the tattoo went across the spine, it hurt slightly more) and a tattoo on each of my hands (upper side), near the wrist; that one hurt even less. And I enjoyed watching it being done
I couldn't see the first one, obviously, until it was finished so it felt weird, but the ones I could watch were fun (so, if you know that you are sensitive to seeing needles and/or possible blood, try getting it on a place you can't see). Anyway, the closest feeling I got from being tattooed was not really "pain" as much it was ... some sort of weird scratching. Take a clean pin and make a line or something across your skin with it. That's how it felt for me.
One more thing; I would personally suggest getting a tattoo in spring or early fall because a fresh tattoo should be on fresh air as much as possible. If you get it in the middle of winter and have to cover it with a few layers of clothing, it might end up being in a bad condition. You also need to put a cream on it every 4-5 hours so taking all those clothes and putting them back on would be a hassle. Also, try to get it when you have a week of free time to take care of your tattoo properly, instead of putting a cream in some bathroom at your workplace with dirty hands. Try to avoid summer because it has to stay away from the intense sun for at least three months.
My tats
First one [http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2670/116/8/1078985555/n1078985555_365837_3471979.jpg] (note that it's not crooked IRL, it's just a slightly bad photo and positioning of my back, and the red around it is from the stickers that put the bandages together; the picture was taken a few minutes after taking the bandages off and I never really took another good picture of it XD)
Second and third ones [http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs313.ash1/27792_1374146228562_1078985555_1115955_2916274_n.jpg] (due to the fact that I can see them clearly, they got a nicer picture).
I love simple tattoos and will most certainly get at least one or two more. Yes, you kinda get addicted to tattooing, but try to be reasonable about it. I won't cross the line with tats and I already rejected some ideas that I had because I can easily get a pendant or a t-shirt instead of putting those on my skin. I hope you won't be bored by this long post
Anyway, I believe it's important to first get an image you love and THEN decide you want to get tattooed, and not to decide you want a tattoo and then search for the image. I think it's the wrong way, but it doesn't necessarily have to be true. But I first encountered a meaningful (meaningful to me) symbols that I really wanted to have on my body forever; then I waited for years to see if I'll have the same opinion after a long period of time and then I decided to get them tattooed. For example, the two tattoos that I put on my hands this April were my wish since I was 13 (when I was 13, I usually drew them on my ankles with a black marker). But of course, now I'm almost 22 and it's definitively not a good idea to go on with the ideas you had when you were 13; but the desire for those images remained in me, and even grew bigger because I learned more about it.
Other thing I deem important is to look at your potential future life and surroundings and how well can you endure being called names for having a tattoo. In some parts of the world, tattoos are still considered to be the mark of criminals, drug addicts and spreading of diseases. Of course, today, that's far from truth (although, if you choose a wrong tattoo place, you might get some disease so be careful). Also, you will probably be asked "What does it mean?" a lot so if you don't want attention, try find a place that will not be visible as much.
As for the pain... I seriously felt almost nothing (and I was afraid of pain prior to getting a tattoo and my Mom though I'll faint or something). But when I actually got there, I though the "pain" was laughable. I have a tattoo on the upper part of my back (when the tattoo went across the spine, it hurt slightly more) and a tattoo on each of my hands (upper side), near the wrist; that one hurt even less. And I enjoyed watching it being done
I couldn't see the first one, obviously, until it was finished so it felt weird, but the ones I could watch were fun (so, if you know that you are sensitive to seeing needles and/or possible blood, try getting it on a place you can't see). Anyway, the closest feeling I got from being tattooed was not really "pain" as much it was ... some sort of weird scratching. Take a clean pin and make a line or something across your skin with it. That's how it felt for me. One more thing; I would personally suggest getting a tattoo in spring or early fall because a fresh tattoo should be on fresh air as much as possible. If you get it in the middle of winter and have to cover it with a few layers of clothing, it might end up being in a bad condition. You also need to put a cream on it every 4-5 hours so taking all those clothes and putting them back on would be a hassle. Also, try to get it when you have a week of free time to take care of your tattoo properly, instead of putting a cream in some bathroom at your workplace with dirty hands. Try to avoid summer because it has to stay away from the intense sun for at least three months.
My tats
First one [http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2670/116/8/1078985555/n1078985555_365837_3471979.jpg] (note that it's not crooked IRL, it's just a slightly bad photo and positioning of my back, and the red around it is from the stickers that put the bandages together; the picture was taken a few minutes after taking the bandages off and I never really took another good picture of it XD)
Second and third ones [http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs313.ash1/27792_1374146228562_1078985555_1115955_2916274_n.jpg] (due to the fact that I can see them clearly, they got a nicer picture).
I love simple tattoos and will most certainly get at least one or two more. Yes, you kinda get addicted to tattooing, but try to be reasonable about it. I won't cross the line with tats and I already rejected some ideas that I had because I can easily get a pendant or a t-shirt instead of putting those on my skin. I hope you won't be bored by this long post
