What to bear in mind before getting a tattoo?

If you're thinking about getting a tattoo but have some doubts about it, remember that before adventuring you should keep in mind certain basic aspects:

Choose the best combination between the design and size of the tattoo: there are endless images to put in your skin: drawings, letters, symbols, tribals... however, not all of them will look good in just any size. The rule is, the smaller you want your tattoo to be, the simpler the chosen image should be. This is simply because complicated drawings will become less clear as more reduced is the size of the surface dedicated to them; that is, if a drawing has many lines and the tattooist has to make it at a very small scale, two lines could become one, or a dot could come to occupy much more proportional space than it did in the original picture. So, the design will probably lose virtue and the result won't be the best.

Choose the most adequate part of the body: there are certain "risk zones" that is better to avoid, the most common being the thighs, the abdomen, the breasts, and in some cases the biceps. Why? Because these areas tend to vary in size: if you gain weight, if you lose it, and the same with muscular tissue... when these parts change their size and the skin tightens or loosens, the design can lose its original shape. If you choose these types of areas, the most convenient is to get a simple drawing, for example a tribal, and avoid above all pictures of faces or bodies. Also keep in mind the hair matter; because to tattoo you they will shave you, and when the hair grows back it could ruin your design.

Always remember that a tattoo is a permanent mark: tough as we know there are many methods to remove a tattoo (later on we will examine some of them), when getting rid of a tattoo the zone in question can suffer changes such as hypo or hyperpigmentation, or the ink may not disappear totally and leave unwanted and unsightly markings. It is extremely difficult that the area remains as if the tattoo had never existed.

Don't choose the design lightly: very often this is the reason by which after a certain time people decide to eliminate them. In general, you will be more satisfied if the tattoo has some personal meaning, if it expresses some aspect of its bearer's personality, or his ideas, goals, likes, convictions.

Don't drink alcohol before getting your tattoo: this could provoke excessive bleeding.

Always check out the sanitary aspect very carefully: this is probably the most important thing to have in mind before getting tattooed, you must make sure BEFORE any needles touch you that the place's and the personnel's hygiene and the instruments they use are appropriate. The syringes must always be taken out of their hermetic wrapping right in front of the customer's eyes, the personnel must wear latex gloves, the place must be totally clean and it should inspire total trust. Remember that you could get very serious diseases if the conditions aren't adequate: hepatitis b, hepatitis c, bacterial infections and mycosis, allergic reactions, malignant lesions such as melanoma and skin cancer, leprosy, psoriasis and even AIDS. It is chiefly important not to take these precautions lightly, for your health and your life are at stake.

Lastly, remember that if you're not completely sure, there's no need to hurry... and if you are, be sure to clear any doubts before deciding, and, once more, as our most important piece of advice, take a very good look at all the correspondent hygiene measures. Good luck!