Tattoo Mistake #1:

Choosing a design you won't remain committed to for life...

One of the great things about the evolution in cultural impressions of tattoos is that they aren't just for bikers and sailors anymore. 

Any major town or city has at least one tattoo parlor that caters to a wide array of people and social demographics.  With the ease and availability that tattoos now enjoy, you have to take an extra dose of judgment when considering your design. 

Many people fall prey to trendy tattoos, and get tattoos that they think make them cool, when the ink doesn't really say something about who they are. 

This kind of tattoo is the kind you will regret. 

We've all seen them, the guy with a poor cover-up of a youthful gang affiliation, the girl with the scars from laser removal of a tattoo she quickly lost interest in, or the man I saw recently who had a bulldog tattooed on his chest, so that the dog was urinating on his ex-wife's name.  You also see people with ridiculous tattoos. 

Similarly, there are other tattoo fads you will want to consider, and keep in mind the other people you know who have tattoos.  If you want a religious symbol, do all of your friends have Celtic crosses? 

If they do, and you aren't getting it as a sign of loyalty to a particular group, consider a different design.  You want your tattoo to be unique to you, not to look like you just copied some cool looking flash off the artist's wall of previous work. 

One excellent piece of advice that I've heard time and again from people who have gotten tattoos is this: pick a design you really like, and then don't get the tattoo.  Wait between six months and a year.  If you're as enthusiastic about the design then as you were when you chose it, it's probably the design for you.  While this may seem like a long time to wait, you're going to have the tattoo for twenty, thirty years or more.  It's well worth the investment.  And never get a tattoo while intoxicated.

To learn more, check out my book of tattoo ideas.

Wishing You Awesome Ink,

Tattoos Unlimited