Tattoos: My Experience

First off, I want to say that you should never get a tattoo just because you have an urge to get one. Then you might get something you may regret later on in your life. A tattoo is permanent, and you should think very carefully about what design you want. For example, I first wanted a tattoo when I was 17, and I was thinking about getting the word "panda" written in Thai on my neck, just because I loved pandas! How ridiculous would that have been? Now, three years later, I'm glad I didn't go through with my first impulse to get a tattoo.

I got my tattoos about three weeks ago, and I am absolutely in love with them. One is written is in Farsi, the other in Tibetan (translated and customized by http://www.tibetan-calligraphy.com/tattoos/). They both hold a lot of meaning to me, and they turned out just how I wanted them to. I couldn't be more pleased! For anyone in the Honolulu area, I went to Tattoolicious and I highly recommend them.

About a month before I actually made an appointment with any tattoo shop, I thoroughly researched all the highest rated tattoo studios in my area. You can easily do this on the internet now, just google "tattoo shop (insert your location)", and one of the first websites should be Yelp or some other type of review site. From there, you can read reviews of other individuals who have gotten tattoos and choose the best shop for you!

A big factor anyone thinks about when getting a tattoo is the pain--I know this was definitely on my mind! Believe me, I am deathly afraid of needles (or anything with a pointy end, for that matter) and I was sweating buckets the last few hours before my appointment. However, let me reassure you by saying that the pain was not bad at all. Of course, this also depends on your pain tolerance/the placement of your tattoo, but it was extremely bearable for me. It kinda felt like dragging a mechanical pencil across my skin. I think what made it bearable is that after tattooing for a few seconds the tattoo artist has to wipe the excess ink off  your skin, giving your body a break from the needle...does that make sense? Basically, your body is just taking small increments of pain, which is a lot better than doing it all in one long stretch.

After you're done, your tattoo artist should give you instructions on how to take care of your tattoo while it's healing. One product I highly recommend to facilitate the healing process is Aquaphor.

MAKE SURE to just apply enough to create a very thin film above your tattoo; you don't want to apply too much. Also, don't apply it on the day you got your tattoo. I was instructed to wait about 2-3 days before applying it. 

In the following week, your tattoo will begin to scab, which is perfectly normal. DON'T PICK AT IT! I know, it can be hard to resist :) If you follow instructions and take care of your tattoo, then you should be fine! Enjoy and love your tattoo :D I know I do <3