I think any tattoos and other body art are beautiful, and I enjoy hearing about their significance and inspiration. This is not to bash on anybody who does not follow a similar thought process to my own. The following advice is from my personal perspective and comes from my own experiences in getting tattooed over the past 4 years.

Thought Process Behind Design:

○ What does the design mean to you?

• Is the subject something significant to you, or did you choose it because it just looked ‘cool’?

• Is this something you will like 5 years down the road? 10 years? 30 years?

• Is this work-appropriate? Will this hinder any job opportunities for you in the future?

This is one of my three tattoos. I chose to get an outline of Texas with a heart on my hometown, San Antonio. This is because I've always enjoyed traveling, and when I get older I plan on traveling around the world, living in other places aside from Texas; however, San Antonio will always be my home and where my heart truly is.

Thought Process Behind Location On Body:

○ What field of work are you planning on going into? Will you be able to cover up your tattoos as necessary?

○ How high is your pain tolerance? Keep in mind that locations where there is more muscle and fat are generally less painful than bony locations.

• I tend to take this into consideration often. Though I have a high pain tolerance, needles make me extremely anxious, so if I can’t see the artist working on me, that makes me feel A LOT better.

This is the very first tattoo I got. I was 15 at the time, and got it done while vacationing in Breckenridge, Colorado. This has been my favorite tattoo so far. I am a proud Scorpio. Also, my parents have scorpion tattoos and now I do too!

Tips:

○ Don’t be cheap – “Good work ain’t cheap and cheap work ain’t good”

• I made the terrible decision of going to a private studio. The man was experienced, but his work environment was unkempt. And although he took great care of his materials (needles, ink, tattoo gun), it was still a bit shady. I ended up having an allergic reaction to the ink, and my tattoo healed poorly (though that was a fault on my own behalf). The tattoo is not the worst, but it’s also not the best. I designed it myself, but it didn’t turn out quite how I anticipated. I am still content with the tattoo I got for $40 – which, if you don’t know how much tattoos are usually priced for that’s VERY cheap.

This is my most recent tattoo. I created the design myself. Though it may be hard to tell, it is four hammerhead sharks swimming in a circle. I got this to represent my family - my mother, my younger brother, my stepdad, and myself. My young brother's favorite animal is the hammerhead shark, so... there's that.

○ Know your state’s laws about body piercings and tattoos – if you’re a minor, you’ll want to be prepared and have either parental consent, or presence.

• I got my first tattoo done in Colorado at age 15, where minors only need prior parental consent.

• In Texas, tattoo artists cannot service minors, UNLESS they have parental consent to cover up a previous tattoo that may be obscene or vulgar.

○ Keep in mind that artists cannot (or at least should not) work on people who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Being drunk while getting a tattoo can stunt the healing process of tattoos. Alcohol is also a blood thinner, and an intoxicated person can bleed out more than normal.