Tattoo Checklist Before Getting a Tattoo | Page 16

People often go for meaningful tattoo designs. Like Bible verses, names of loved ones,
personal mantras, and symbols that represent their lives. But you don’t necessarily
have to go the meaningful route. The important thing is to go with a tattoo design that
you won’t regret and won’t be ashamed of having.
In short, something you can be proud of. Even if it’s just a copied design. Let’s face
it, there are really good designs already existing on other people’s skins out there,
easily viewable via Google. So if you find an already tattooed design that you really
want, go for it. If you want, you can ask the artist to make a few customizations to
make it slightly different.
Still, when possible, go for an original and more personal design. It doesn’t have to
make sense to other people. As long as it makes sense to you, then roll with it. Again,
don’t be afraid to ask artists for their opinion when it comes to the design. They will
be more than happy to give input.
Tattoo placement
Deciding where you want the tattoo goes hand-in-hand with picking the design. There
are certain designs that are best suited for specific body parts. The size of the design
also factors into the location of the tattoo. For example, a landscape that shows a
breathtaking view of Mount Fuji works best on the upper back, while a portrait of
someone looks great either on the chest (for men) or on the triceps.
If you want your tattoo to be a private thing and don’t want other relatives pestering
you with pointed questions during family reunions, you might want to get tattooed in
areas normally covered in clothes. On the other hand, if you want everyone to marvel
at your colorful tattoos, feel free to have them on usually uncovered areas like
forearms and hands.
Another thing to think about is whether having lots of visible tattoos will hurt your
chances of getting a job in the future. For example, if you want to be a real estate
salesperson or any job that requires face-to-face interactions with clients, don’t even
think about getting tattooed on the face. Some employers are conservative when it
comes to tattoos. Don’t blame tattoo discrimination if you didn’t get that frontline job
at Burger King because your face is covered with ink.
Most importantly, different locations produce different levels of pain. In general,
getting tattooed in an area with lots of muscle or fat will hurt less than getting inked
where there are lots of bones. For first-timers, we definitely don’t recommend getting
a tattoo on the ribs. It is considered one of the most painful experiences ever. Please
trust us on this one.