So, you’re ready to get a tattoo?

You are pulling the trigger and you have stopped scrolling through Pinterest; you’re ready and no one—not your mom or the future—is stopping you.

Are you certain? Like neta. You’re going to do this?

Well, since I sort of have your attention, let me give you a couple of things to consider before you slap that first permanent tattoo on your skin.

1. PATIENCE

I know. All of your friends have one and while you won’t admit that’s part of the reason for your tattoo, you’re also saying it’s how you express the certain stage of your life. However you say it, variations of these reasons aren’t new so let’s skip that and wait. While you’re excited about your first tattoo, be thinking through specific details such as placement, the style of tattoo, your skin color, double check spelling and meaning, and most importantly your artist. All of these are vital so don’t rush through them.

2. ARTIST

While you’re patiently waiting, be sure to do your research on local artists in your area. Learn about them and their strengths, the reputation of their shops, their prices, and call to schedule consultations so you can get more information and better direction. There are many shops that look great, but unfortunately lack quality. Then there are those who are exceptional in everything—from the quality of their work to their professionalism—but it costs a pretty penny. Whoever it is, make sure that you’ve done your homework!

3. MORE PATIENCE

Once you’ve landed on your tattoo and you have done a considerable amount of research on local tattoo artists, then my recommendation is to schedule a consultation with them because if they’re a good artist, you’re going to want to listen to them and listening requires patience. You may have it all planned out—from style to placement to your hopes and dreams, but your artists may have a couple of recommendations for you concerning the style, placement, and your hopes and dreams. And the fact that your artists is willing to walk you through all of that means a great deal; not just to you, but to them because they’re slapping—not only your idea—but their reputation and credibility on your skin. So, listen carefully and ask questions. When I got my first tattoo, I asked all sorts of questions to help me better understand “the why.”

4. PAIN TOLERANCE

I don’t think I’m bursting any bubbles with this one, but I think it needs to be said, for caution’s sake. I know many people who were dead set on getting a tattoo and got something much smaller in order to “test” their pain tolerance and immediately learned that they didn’t want another tattoo. They quickly learned that their pain tolerance was so low, they feared passing out when getting a bigger piece. Smart move.

I’ve also met other people who couldn’t finish their tattoo because of the pain. The first two things, my tattoo artist told me when he did my first piece was “I’m basically causing your body trauma and giving you an open wound” (emphasis added). And he’s right: needles are piercing your skin causing your body trauma (on a small scale) and the reason your tattoo needs to heal afterward isn’t because they ink is still drying, but because it’s an open wound!

SO, proceed with caution but without fear, and make sure your pain tolerance is in check. A few realities include: any pieces being tattooed over bone are going to hurt whereas areas that have a lot of fat or muscle will typically hurt less.

5. ADDICTION

I seriously drove away the tattoo shop after getting my first piece thinking that I would never get a second tattoo and I held that conviction for a strong 6 months. A lot of my friends would tell me how addicting tattoos can be and they were right. Art and pain go together like steak and eggs. And it really shouldn’t have been a surprise to me. I have been a competitive athlete for more than a decade and I absolutely love training and there’s pain involved when pushing past mental thresholds, increasing blood flow, and getting stronger; yet I return every day. I’ve been told that after you get your second tattoo, you’ll better judge whether you’re hooked or not.

6. ALWAYS TIP

Your tattoo artist is doing several things apart from needling the crap out of your skin. They have spent time taking your thoughts and ideas into consideration, drawing them up in a way that’s best going to compliment, please, and satisfy you, and because they are, in deed, needling the crap out of your skin, it means that they’re putting their creativity and reputation out there for everyone to see. At the end of the day, the quality of your tattoo is going to be a reflection of your artist forever. So, when they’re done. Tip them WELL. Your baseline for tipping them should be at least 20%. Until you’re in your car, you’re not done getting a tattoo so don’t just sign off, cash out, and walk off without tipping your artist!

I’m sure I can think of several other things, but I don’t want this list to be exhaustive; simple and real are my jam. I hope you take these things (or have taken) into consideration as you get your first tattoo. It’s a great experience, have fun, and I’d love to see what you got!

AND if you’re in the McAllen/Rio Grande Valley side of Texas (even if you’re not), then you should check out The Ink Elephant and set up a consultation with Eric or Danny. Tell them I sent you and I promise you that they’ll take care of you!

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