I feel i'm good for this thread
First, start by finding something that you want. To truly know if you want it I suggest finding it deciding you want it, and when you do that wait a few days (4-5) and see if you still want it. Some shops will make you do this in general before putting it on you forever. Second as people have said, do some research and find a shop that's well known and has good reviews. Family members, friends, or even online, find a reputable shop that's got good artists and book an appointment. Remember, you pay for what you get. It is something that's going to be on you forever so you want it to be well done. Better artists usually charge more for their time, they also generally use better ink so it costs a little more. You pay for what you get. The extra money is worth it. I let the artist have a lot of freedom because i'm a little more lenient when getting them, but a lot of people are very controlling over what the artist does while they're drawing out the tattoo, not a bad thing but don't be a douche about, work with the artist. When you work together you can make something come to life a lot easier than you being pissy about it, just keep in mind which of you is the artist and who isn't. When it comes to actually getting it, make sure you eat a big meal before hand. A full belly is good, something about blood pressure and stuff that idk, but you want to sustenance in your system. I would consider even brining candy or a soda to have while getting the tattoo, so when you're on a break you have something to replenish your sugar. Contrary to what most people say, I don't find tattoo's to hurt that much. I'm a tiny girl so i have a lot more boney area's than most people. I find when it's a boney area it tends to burn, but other than that it's fine. If you want an accurate measurement look at the area you want to get done, and fucking pinch yourself. Not a tiny little pinch but actually get a good grip on it, it stings for a couple seconds once you start and the most painful part is when the needle first goes in, after that the vibration from the gun will make your skin go numb, at least it did for me. They also have freezing spray if your bad with pain cause twitching, even a little bit will mess things up and they just want you to have a good tattoo. If you do find that it hurts a lot more than it should while you're getting the tattoo, don't hold it in, tell your artist that this hurts a lot more than you think it should, the gun settings are probably too high and they can adjust it. Once you're all inked up every shop will give you directions on how to clean and maintain the tattoo, follow these, follow these very closely. You don't wanna ruin your new tattoo because you can't follow directions. Body Lotion will also become your best friend, none scented of course. Scented lotion will sting like a bitch on an open wound which a tattoo essentially is.
I know it's a wall but it's a pretty good read for anyone looking to get their first tattoo, something I can tell to people is that if you want a tattoo just remember who's body it's going on and don't let others influence your decision. At the same time, don't get something stupid as fuck you can't hide when you enter your professional life.
