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I want to get a tattoo

TSE

TSE

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jun 25, 2007
4,092
3,740
St. Paul, Minnesota
Hi guys. As most of you know, I am 15 and want to get a tattoo when I turn 18. I don't want to get one to be cool or anything but I just want to get one because it has been a tradition in my family and I want to get one that is meaningful. I am thinking possibly a wicked cross design on the bottom of my wrist.

The thing is, I am kinda scared of needles, and was told it hurt a lot to get a tattoo. I was also told that I can be mistaken for a gang member and not get a job...

To someone who has gotten a tattoo before, how much does it hurt?

PS - I don't plan on just going to a random tattoo parlor, I plan on doing some research a bit before I get something I will live with for the rest of my life.
 
think long and hard about what you want before you get it. and where exactly you want to get. do the research involved.

as for getting things done on your wrist, its not too bad at all. certainly bearable without any problem. the needles used for a tattoo are drastically different than those used for shots. the whole process is different. just as with everything else, needle is a broad term and applies to a lot of different things with differing uses.
 
It hurts, but not bad at all. Don't let pain discourage you. However, you need to seriously consider the location of the tat, because depending on the line of work you're planning on going into, it can seriously affect your customer's perception of you. I would recommend you select an area that is easily concealed. Example: my nephew wants to help out in our real estate company, we live in the south, he'll be wearing long sleeved shirts because of his tattoos. It's much more expensive and time consuming to remove the suckers than it is to get them!
 
I recommend you have this tattoo....
 

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I wouldn't get one if I were you without seriously considering it. And by seriously I mean will this result in a negative perception of you.
 
TSE said:
So what does it feel like when you are getting them?
Click to expand...

to me it felt as if you were scraping a pointy philips head screw (or something equally pointy) across your skin. But then again I got my tat on the top of my foot where the skin is a bit thinner then the rest of my body.

My only suggestion would be to get it done some where where you were able to hide it incase you wanted a job where you needed to not have visible tattoos.

And the whole needle thing go to a parlor and ask if you can see the machine and if anyone would let you watch them get a tattoo that way you could see first hand how you might feel around it
 
It depends on your sensitivity to pain. During my last tattoo, it didn't really hurt until the last 5 minutes or so (it was around a 2 hour sitting). Most of the time it's just a really annoying nonstop pin-pricking with vibration.

My advice: when you decide on a design, wait a few months or so until you actually get it tattooed. Look at it every day during that consideration period. Make sure you are happy with it and will continue to be happy with it. Make sure that it isn't an impulse decision, and it won't be something that you will get sick of or regret. Find the right artist to do the work for you. Do A LOT of research on shops and artists. Visit shops and look at artists portfolios.
Get the tattoo somewhere on your body that you can conceal when you go to work (think about your future). I wish that I could have tattoos on my forearms, but it just isn't appropriate for work.

Don't get a tattoo of the tasmanian devil.
taz-devil-tattoos.jpg
 
LeahM said:
to me it felt as if you were scraping a pointy philips head screw (or something equally pointy) across your skin. But then again I got my tat on the top of my foot where the skin is a bit thinner then the rest of my body.
Click to expand...

yeah, something like that. I compare it to someone digging in to your skin (but not breaking it) with a sharp pencil. It's not that bad at all.

definitely, definitely don't get it on your wrist. Get it somewhere you can conceal it. Sucks that people (employers) would judge you because of a tattoo, but they surely will, so don't screw yourself over for the future.
 
Tattoos are an exercise in lifelong expression.

Yes, you can get a tat covered if you dont like it, but do you really want to believe in the future that the tat you get today, is wrong tomorrow?

Think long and hard about it. This is the rest of your life.

Think about its meaning, to you, and if it bothers you, the meaning to others.

Think about the location, as others have said, with regards to your place in society. Rock stars can get away with full sleeves. Most doctors wouldnt.

Think about the location in terms of wear and tear. If a girl got a belly tat and got pregnant...on your bicep and you do some weightlifting for a few years, then let them sag.

The safest place I have found is your back. Tramp stamps aside, its concealable, a large canvas, and will change very little regardless of your age or body.

I cant stand people with like 10 tats, none of which go together, and maybe only 2 of which actually have a life long significant meaning to the person.

TATTOOS ARE NOT FASHION, no matter how much you or someone else may want them to be.
 
just remember that good tatto people or places are booked for a long time. so if u can walk into a shop and get a tat right then and there then its probably a bad place.
your best bet would be to make an appoinment for when u turn 18.
 
I agree with the others. Think long and hard about it. Ive often thought of getting, and am glad I didnt. In my twenties and even my thirties, it seemed like a cool thing to do, but now that I am 40, it doesnt.

Also, if you get one in an area of your body that is exposed, it may hamper your ability to get a job later on in life.
 
I recommend sketching out your idea as much as possible, working with maybe an artistic or graphic designer friend, and looking at tattoo art to find things you like. You don't want one just like anyone else's--but you can definitely draw inspiration as far as placement, size, style, colors, line thickness, etc.

Once you are pretty sure that you know what you want, make a photocopy and post it in your bathroom or something and look at it each day for 6 months to make sure that it is what you want. It'll probably take you this long to get to your appointment date (as another poster mentioned, the best places get booked up) and save up for the cost... don't price-shop, either. It works out well, because waiting this time period and saving up every dollar makes sure that it's what you want and that it is worth it to you.

Myself, I LOVE tatted forearms and work that extends up the trapezius and the chest, but I want to be able to get a job in my industry, so I can't really do stuff on the neck or upper-upper-chest, and if I ever get my sleeve, it won't be more than a 3/4 sleeve, at least until my 40s or whenever I feel established enough to finish it (should I want to do that, anyway).

But a 3/4 sleeve is still great IMO. Back pieces are great. I'm torn on leg pieces, scale is really important. I personally wouldn't get anything around the front of my torso or abdomen just because who knows what that'll look like in a year, or 5-10-25 years. So just consider placement carefully--a wrist tat is a very visible tat. You may want to get your first, smaller tat in a more concealable area like your shoulder. It'll help you get past your fears as well, and help you to ensure that you have the best tat artist for your tastes.
 
It's nice that you want until you're 18. If you still like your idea then, go for it.
 
TSE said:
I am thinking possibly a wicked cross design on the bottom of my wrist.
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No, go for the trifecta: tribal arm band, Chinese characters, and portrait of dead relative with "In Memory" written in cursive underneath. :D
 
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