Ok, I’ve decided to create a page for people that are thinking of having a tattoo… I searched all over… everywhere. Well ok, just google.

Anyway, here are some common questions people ask… feel free to email me and correct me if I am wrong

Getting a Tattoo
Does it hurt?
This is the first question everyone asks, the answer… yes. Having needles pierce your skin *does* hurt. What people really want to know is, “How MUCH does it hurt and can I handle it?”

Having a tattoo is not as bad as everyone would tell you (usually your parents.) The pain comes from the cluster of needles on the tattooing machine piercing your skin very rapidly. This sensation, however, doesn’t feel like the poking pain of an injection – its more of a constant vibration. You will be amazed at how quickly your body released endorphins (your bodies pain killer) which dullens the pain significantly.

The pain will also vary according to where on your body you get worked on. Skin right above bones (collarbone, anklebone, etc.) tend to be more painful than other areas. In addition, certain types of needles seem to hurt more than others, I think the needles used for outlining produce a sharper, more noticeable pain, while the needles used for shading seem to be much more like an electrical buzz (almost painless.) I’ve asked a few tattooists about the outlining and I’m told that its more painful because they have to ‘go slower’ – which is understandable.

Remember, the amount of pain will depend on your psychological attitude as well.

NOTE: Do not drink alcohol or take illegal drugs for pain relief purposes (I know people who have, and not had a problem though) apparently they thin the blood and promote excess bleeding. Aspirin also decreases the clotting of blood, which will slow down your healing as well. The other big thing for not doing drugs and alcohol, the artists / tattooists do not appreciate dealing with drunks and is a pain in the arse when trying to work on your piece… its a sign of respect.

Should I get a tattoo in the first place?
Your reading this may mean you’re already interest in getting a tattoo or may know someone who is. A survery in the states shows a third of people regretting their tattoos! My guess would be they are either a) drunk b) young and so not thinking for the future. Getting a tattoo can but a lot of pressure on a person, perhaps the group you run with all have 1 or 2. At the end of the days, its upto the indervidual. What I would say is, pick something YOU want. You have to live with it and at the end of the day, if you get one young – in 10 years time will an employer really want someone with tattoo’s all over there neck and hands. This is, I know, a little bit of a problem with most… yes, feel free to have a tatt’ but the rest of the world (read that as people in suits) have not got that far yet. I’ve known a tonne of people that have been turned down for not looking the part, its not what they will tell you – but it is what they’ll think.

Religious Arguments

I worked with a few Muslims and while there belief is not to ‘mark’ the body – it says nothing of the sort in the Christian faith. In fact the only reference to it is in Leviticus 19:28, is says not to tattoo “I am the Lord” on you (i.e. don’t take the name of the Lord in vain.) It does not say you can’t mark yourself at all, and it does not say there’s anything wrong about piercing. What it does say is that it prohibits mutilating yourself for the dead, which was a senseless practice at that time.

A Temporary Alternative?

For those who might not be ready for the plunge, but are seriously considering what it would look / feel like to have a tattoo, I would say check out Temptu now!
They last up to 2 weeks (depending) – it’s what they use in the movies…
The other thing would be to draw on your self with a non-toxic marker. In fact, many people who already have tattoos do this to figure out placement and design (although I haven’t in the past.)

The decision process – finding a good artist.

Looking for an artist can be as easy as checking the Yellow Pages, or as complex as checking references, magazine photos. There are a number of ways to find artists, including (but not limited to):

- Checking tattoo magazines, there’s plenty of them!
- Attending a tattoo convention, check the FAQ of one and see what’s going on
- Look around town, check ‘em out…
- By far the best, someone has been to one before and recommends one.

What kind of colors can I get?

Check with the tattooist, but I’m pretty sure there are no limits on colors… there are hundreds!

Looking around the Shop

Everyone is really afraid of ‘looking around’ – don’t be, tattoo shops can be very intimidating at first and it’s understandable. In most cases the ‘art’ will be displayed around the walls of the shop and more often than not the piercing and clothing for sale are displayed. Try and be friendly, if the guy or girl is being offensive or making you feel uncomfortable, just walk out… there are plenty of suitable/good tattoo shops, there loss!

The Design

Now I could sit here and tell you exactly what works and what colors to get, but in every case its down to the person. If there is something you like the look of and you found it on the internet, print it off and take it in. Only the artist working on you will know if it can be done or not (dependent on there skill of course.) I’ll pre-warn you now that in the most part people don’t like doing Tribal, they don’t like Ying and Yang symbols and a few won’t tattoo on the neck or head… in some cases I’ve even seen people not tattooing on the wrist or hands. I’ll cover this more later. One big bug bear is for people getting names, yours… your parents… someone you’ve lost recently, fine, but don’t get a loved ones name. This is really something down to personal choice and many tattooists will do it, but be aware should that loved one no longer be loved, the tattoo is there for everyone and you to see. In some cases a cover-up is possible but its all dependant on the original design. Be Careful!

Location of the tattoo

I mentioned earlier that some tattoo artists dislike tattooing on certain areas of the body. This is often a problem because some tattooists try to dissuade people from making the wrong choice. If you have really big arms, getting a tiny tribal design is going to look rubbish. A good tattoo artist, even on a great design and location, will at least try and suggest other things. Having a tattoo in a place YOUR happy with is the important part but at least listen to what the guy has to say, that tribal design might look better on the lower arm or back.

The Cost

Don’t be sucked in to thinking a tattoo is going to cost you very little money, the bad ones do. There are plenty of people who will take your money for bad designs/poor tattooing and laugh all the way to the bank… or pub! There are plenty of great lines about paying too little or too much, but checking out what the guys have done before is usually a sign of a good ‘deal’ and if you deem it right, tip.