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Your FIRST Tattoo??

If you’ve wandered around this site enough, you already know the basic theme is “put a lot of thought and research into your tattoo.”   But here the message is different, if this is your first tattoo . . .PUT a TON of thought and research into your decision!!!!

Click through these 15 important considerations before you get your FIRST tattoo.

1-Consider your age

1-Consider your age
Picture 1 of 15

A whole lot of people have tattoos so talk to them about their experiences, thought processes, happiness’s, and regrets. I’m sure I’ve overlooked something so submit what I’ve forgotten below, and I’ll add it.


Don’t just talk to people your age.  Talk to someone 5 years older, 10 years older, 20 years older, and up and get their take on what has happened to them over the years.

Ask questions.

Listen to their answers.

Decide carefully.

Remember to stay away from other people’s name or initials.

Don’t set yourself up for future disappointment.

Try to come up with one theme and stay with it.


Please stay away from the face and hands unless your POSITIVE you want to do it.

28 Responses to Your FIRST Tattoo??

  • Nick says:

    Great advice.

    • Missy says:

      I guess finidng useful, reliable information on the internet isn’t hopeless after all.

      • Bill says:

        “I did not birth you that way!!!”Bah!!Oh Lord. The memory. BUT….over the years I’ve grown to understand the meanings behind what he had done. To him, they are important. To me, they just make me squirm. Of course, when he walks his own 6-year-old now to kindergarten class, it’s not so “cool” anymore….Again I say…sigh.

    • jobin says:

      The Polynesian tattoo looks wikced!! I’ve been wanting to get something like that! Where did you do your research to find design idea to build your own look? I want to make mine unique but with meaning.

      • Adam says:

        I plan on doing what a friend of mine did with his kids. No tattoos until you no longer require financial support from me. This kept his kids from getting them. At least until they got out of college….At least it’s a nice looking tattoo and it’s not on her neck or somewhere visible that might keep her from getting a job somewhere…Sorry she surprised you with it though.

    • Shambhu says:

      I have some narrow views about tattoos. I believe the people that have tattoos have some serious self esteem problems. To believe you can improve on the human figure with ink blemishes is more than I can understand. But, that’s just me. I do think it would be interesting to see a comparison of the average IQ’s of the tattooed compared to the naked. When I was growing up, my tattooed uncle and brother-in-law told me never never get a tattoo, if you do, you’ll be sorry when you grow up.

      • Anna says:

        I’m a 4.0 student with a 28 on the ACT and a tattoo. Would you still care to compare IQ’s?

        • Gregory Hall says:

          This advice is for your “consideration.” Not a judgement about intelligence or the lack of intelligence. . . this is about education. I speak to people across the country about permanent body art, some like you feel “what’s the big issue, its MY body” while others are perplexed by body art, and demean those that express themselves in overly obvious ways. If you are unaware of the existence of these people, who may also have a lower IQ but are in a position of strength and may judge you in a negative way in an interview or for a spot in graduate school, you will be at a disadvantage. This site is simply to provide ‘food for thought’ because perspectives other than yours exist, and have value, no matter the IQ of the individual. If you are interviewing with the idiot son of the owner of a big corporation who hates tattoos, you will be at a disadvantage if they know of its existence. Thanks for the comment, and congratulations on your GPA, IQ, and ACT scores, your hard work will definitely lead to great success!!

  • Nick says:

    Oh yeah. . .the star tattoos looks stupid.

    • Gabriela says:

      Thanks for a marvelous postnig! I genuinely enjoyed reading it, you are a great author.I will be sure to bookmark your blog and will come back at some point. I want to encourage you continue your great work, have a nice morning!

    • Ergergeg says:

      Second that. Anyone thinking of genittg this style of ink make sure the artist has permission or remixes the designs so they don’t step on anyone toes. These patterns communicate very specific cultural meanings and it is not ok to apply them to yourself if you are not of this culture ( or have been granted permission.)

      • Sevilay says:

        We have an understanding with our over 18-year olds. If you have the money to spend on tattoos you must not need ours for living expenses. We did give the okay for our son to get ONE tattoo on his arm (design, size, etc. pre-approved by us). So we’re not TOTAL hard-asses. Just mostly!As tattoos go, hers is not bad looking at all :)

  • Jaylynn says:

    I never thought I would find such an everyday topic so enthralling! Thanks for the tattoo advice.

    • Asami says:

      i’ve got 6 toattos, no kids. i got the 6 toattos at a rate of one a year, the last one in 2004. sometimes i think i want a new one, but i can’t fully decide on what i would get the daydream are bicep toattos involving merpeople, cupcakes, and unicorns, but i get distracted by all the types there are of each thing though i recently came up with an idea for something different than what i had been considering that could be really cool trisha and i are working on the kid-having i only have one tattoo that is visible most of the time. it’s a button on my wrist and was a symbol of commitment for my last relationship.another favorite tattoo of mine is on my chest. it’s a pretty art nouveau design that i got as an attempt to be better friends with that whole area. now it’s tremendously hairy which i, in fact, love.the one that people seem to love the most is peter pan, wendy, john, michael, and tinker bell flying on my leg. it’s from a classic book illustration.i also have a cross tramp stamp kind of thing (not saying you have one, just saying i have a similar aesthetic cross to bear ), the word queer, and wings .

      • Dan says:

        I think they do. I have 1 on my arm that I got in honor of my MIL who has stage 4 cancer and in honor of my son and hubnsad. I know people who get them to just get them. I went to college with a girl who was friends with the tattoo artist and just would go in and get free tattoos, and would come home with new ones all the time just because the artist was bored and had some spare time.

  • Laf says:

    So basically you’re saying keep it small at first, and easily hidden. See how you do, and then go bigger??

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  • Vijay says:

    I have 8 tattoos myeslf and I am 24 years old, I love my tattoos and I dont think people should feel weird about them because its something that, that person wants and its their body. I used to be looked down on because i had piercings and tattoos, and I feel that if people are going to judge you for whats on the outside then they dont deserve to get to know who you are on the inside. there are a lot of amazing people in this world who have tattoos and they are overlooked just because they have marked their body, and their are a lot of amazing people in the world who dont have tattoos. I just dont see why people cant look past the ones who are amazing just because they have some ink. I have my grandfathers portrait on my left shoulder, does that make me a freak for wanting to remember him with ink?

  • Ranko says:

    I personally don’t have any taottos and have never been inclined to get one. I do feel however that taottos are more accepted today than they were years ago due to the stigma attached to them. But anyone wanting to get a tattoo should think about it from a long term perspective. It will be on your body the rest of your life. So you should deliberate long and hard over whether to get one. It has certainly become a fashion statement but as someone stated below, getting it removed via Laser still leaves some less than attractive scaring.

  • Dani says:

    I feel like this needs to be either updated or edited in general. You aren’t going to be cut out of consideration for a job over a tattoo nowadays (unless it’s obscene or on your face) and there are even specific photography agencies that want tattooed models.

    • admin says:

      Unfortunately, there are people who still get cut out of jobs because of tattoos. UPS (United Parcel Service), you know. . . the brown trucks that deliver things all over the world, do not allow “obvious” tattoos, and if you have one, it must be concealed. Imagine delivering packages on a 90 degree day in long sleeves and a turtle neck. The United States Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air force, Marines) — “Army policy prohibits any tattoos or brands on the face, head or neck above the class-A shirt collar. Tattoos or brands that are extremist, indecent, sexist or racist are prohibited, regardless of location on the body, as they are prejudicial to good order and discipline within the Army. (a) Extremist tattoos or brands are those affiliated with, depicting or symbolizing extremist philosophies, organizations, or activities; those which advocate racial, gender or ethnic hatred or intolerance; advocate, create or engage in illegal discrimination based on race, color, gender, ethnicity, religion or national origin; or advocate violence or other unlawful means of depriving individual rights under the U.S. Constitution or federal and state law. Must not have any lewd or offensive indelible marks or figures (tattoos) visible on any exposed part of the body while wearing the prescribed duty uniform, to include the physical training uniform.” Again, there are employers that discriminate against permanent body art, if you are a job seeker, you need to consider that job creators feel drastically different about these things. Knowing in advance of doing something that ‘could’ block gainful employment is all that this site is about. Thanks for the note because we’re sure there are a ton of people that believe what you believe.

    • Laura says:

      I completely agree. The fact that this article blatantly states that nobody with any type of tattoo can ever be a librarian, get a high college degree, advance in the military, or work in retail is completely false.

  • Matt says:

    In my opinion this article is kind if biased toward the negative. I’m 33 years old and thinking about getting my first tattoo, probably a relatively tasteful one on my shoulder, reflecting my heritage, but I definitely don’t agree with this article that you aren’t going to get any of these jobs if you have any tattoos, period… Even politics and modeling:

    http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/tattoo-caucus-body-art-capitol-hill/story?id=16305882

    http://www.buzzfeed.com/alexrees/40-top-models-with-fashionable-tattoos?s=mobile

    Just use your head and get something that’s not offensive or stupid, and can be easily covered if necessary, and you’ll be fine. You definitely still would severely limit your modeling job choices with nearly any tattoo, and, in reality, that’s about the worst of it as far as jobs are concerned… and that’s not something most of us are very worried about. Tattoos are becoming more accepted these days, and I have plenty of friends with visible tattoos that work in retail, food service, are being promoted at their jobs, etc… So I wouldn’t go so far as this article does, for sure.

    • Gregory Hall says:

      Thanks for the input. I fully understand your perspective, and agree that standards are changing. But unfortunately, they are not changing fast enough. Here is our point. . . sure, people with tattoos work in restaurants, retail stores, and in politics. But there are restaurants (usually high end ones) that will not hire servers with visible tattoos, period. There are retail stores (again. . high end) that also will NOT hire people with visible tattoos. If you run for president, a tattoo is a liability. Why limit your options at such a young age? If you pursue a field, shoot for the top!! It would be a shame that a dynamic waiter or waitress couldn’t go to the best restaurant and make the best money . . . all because of a tattoo.

      A phlebotomist had a cute small tattoo on the back of her neck (usually covered by her hair), but when the hospital supervisor saw it, she was dismissed from her job. She didn’t know that a visible tattoo would cause the loss of her job. There are only three hospital systems in this city, and she is excluded from one third of the jobs available in her field.

      A tattoo on your butt cheek is not going to jeopardize anything, but if no one sees it, what’s the point?

  • Matt says:

    Just wanted to add, though, that some of the other points are good things to consider, especially Hep-C, allergies, immune system, etc… And please excuse the typos in the previous comment. Unfortunately I usually I do my best proofreading after I hit submit! Lol…

  • Keylee says:

    This is the worst advice ever

  • Ron says:

    On your page “top-10-tattoo-mistakes”, number three states to an ‘avoid a fad’ category. Isn’t that what the whole tattoo thing has been these last 10+ years? To me, it seems to be a fad that I can’t wait until it’s over. Unfortunately, most people in my life have already succumbed to the fad. including my wife (57) in a few weeks.

    • Gregory Hall says:

      Thanks for the note. The “fad” we were referring to was to avoid current popular themes that later will “date” the tattoo like “pop stars” or songs or current events or trends. Styles change. You are correct that the wide-spread adoption of tattoos is also a fad. Given your wife’s age, she will likely put a good deal of thought into it first and likely not regret it (we would hope). Take care . . . and be patient.

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