I am taking the plunge and getting my first tattoo soon. Anyone have any tips? Advice? Needles don’t generally bother me, but I can’t say I am really looking forward to being stabbed many, many times.
It feels like being carved on by a sharp X-acto knife. You’ll be fine. Endorphins will take care of a large portion of the pain.
There are two phases, outlining, and shading. I was pretty okay with outlining, the shading hurt like a sonnofabitch. My wife was just the opposite.
I keep threatening to expand on the single 4 inch diameter tat on my calf, but never seem to get enough desire built up enough to do anything about it. It’s 5 years old now and I don’t regret it, but it took a LOT of sould searching in picking it.
My advice would be there’s still time to change your mind and not get the tattoo. 
OK, first tip is to ignore the people who will inevitably come into this thread just to tell you you’re an idiot, they hate tattoos, how will you ever get a job, you filthy hippie and tattoos are so over as a fashion choice. Go ahead, ignore them. It’ll give you practice for all the people who come up to you in real life to do the same. (Actually, that’s not fair…I’ve gotten far more compliments on my tattoos than grief over them, but I’ve apparently been pretty lucky in that regard.)
Second tip: everybody will tell you a different way to care for it. Your artist will have one speech, his co-worker another, and the guy down the street and every friend with a tattoo? Yeah, them to. And they’ll all swear the others’ advice will make you catch leprosy and die a horrible death. If you’re interested in what I think is best, have used successfully and is actually approved by the Mayo Clinic (based on science as understood by doctors and nurses who treat open skin wounds for a living), click here, and then ignore everyone else. If not, pick one method and just don’t listen to anyone else or you’ll go crazy. Chances are, you won’t get leprosy. 
Third tip: Yes, it hurts. No, it’s not too bad. It’s like being flicked with a rubber band a whole bunch of times. Depending on where you’re getting it, it might itch, it might burn and it might tickle. (Tickling’s the worst…it’s harder to sit still through tickling than pain.) Deep breathing (I like a fourfold breath, myself: inhale while counting to 4, hold it for 4, exhale for 4 and hold for 4; it keeps your breathing modulated and your brain something to focus on without risking hyperventilation) and light meditation can help keep the pain at bay during the worst parts. Do NOT take aspirin or any NSAIDS (ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil, naproxen sodium, Aleve) before the tattoo…they can increase bleeding which, while probably not life-threatening in this context, could make the artist’s job a lot more annoying. And take longer. If you’re paying by the hour, that could be important!
Fourth tip: Have someone take a picture of it with your phone or camera before they wrap it up. You should keep it covered that first 24 hours, but of course you want to rip those suckers off so you can show your new tatt to everyone! Show them the picture instead, with a promise to share the actual work in a few days. Even after you first unwrap it, it’s a good idea not to expose it a whole lot to people who could cough or breathe germs onto it. Keep your shirt (or whatever) on for a few days, tempting though it may be. 'Sides, it’s gonna look weird for a couple of weeks. Better to build the suspense then share a swollen, red and scabby tatt.
Fifth tip: Have fun! Post pics! 
Congrats, post pics after it’s normal looking!
As for the tips?
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Relax, a million people have done it before in less sterile, less comfortable environments – and most of them didn’t die from it. This isn’t an excuse to go to the shadiest/dirtiest place in town, but if you walk in and they have a sterilizer and/or unwrap sterile equipment for you/dispose of it after, it’s probably a good place. If your state licenses tattoo shops, look for a license.
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Yes, it usually hurts, and no it’s not the end of the world. You’ll want to take a break part of the way through – resist the temptation. I don’t know if it’s because of the endorphins or what, but it’s less comfortable to restart your tattoo than it is just to get it all done and out of the way.
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Follow the Mayo clinic advice. Or don’t, I know people who’ve done everything from take perfect care to absolutely abuse their tattoos immediately after getting them, and the worst ones were universally the ones who did stupid shit (like go swimming) immediately after. Even the ones who used common sense methods (gently washing once a day with a non harsh soap, no ointment, etc) came out fine. The reason there are so many methods with so many advocates is simple – tattoos aren’t really hard to take care of, and they get easier after a week or so.
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Enjoy it man, congrats.
Not worried about the job thing, I’m in the military so as long as it’s not offensive, I am fine.
I am very excited about the design and am happy to post pics later. It’s in an easy to cover up place, so no one has to see it if I don’t want to show it.
I have 14 tattoos, and have been tatted on 17 or so different occasions (adding color to old tats or, more recently, a cover-up on one I’d outgrown). I say… important things to remember: Don’t drink. Many tattoo parlors will turn you away if you show up to your appointment with even one beer on your breath.
Stay calm… Don’t get too worked up ahead of time. Yeah, it’s gonna hurt. More or less depending on where you put it. But it really isn’t that bad. You won’t puke from pain, unless your tolerance is VERY low.
DO NOT peel the skin off when it starts peeling, no matter how badly you want to do it. I lost some color in my first tattoo that way. It’s hard to convince yourself to go in to get touch-ups later… mostly because you’re way more interested in getting NEW tattoos than getting touch ups.
Tattoos are so addicting. I was ok when I only had one. After I got my second one, I was screwed. I am making an appointment next week for my fifteenth tattoo. Woo hoo!!! I love my ink.
I think the biggest piece of advice anyone ever gave me about tattoos was, when picking a design, if you’ve really loved something for a long time, it’s ok to accept that you’re likely going to continue to love it for the rest of your life. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to get a faery tattoo 10 years ago, but I still collect faeries and that particular tattoo is still one of my absolute favorites. 
I always compared it to ‘a red hot razor blade peeling your skin off’. Let me ask you this. How long until the endorphins kick in? I always hear this said, but all of my tattoos hurt from beginning to end, none of mine took more then an hour or so.
To the OP, yes, they do hurt, but it’s only while they’re working. The little 3 second breaks they take to re-ink are pain free, and when they wipe the blood and ink off with a damp cloth it feels great.
You put the winky smilie in so I assume this is a joke, but I never understand why every tattoo topic has a threadshitter within the first few posts.
I’m not sure if this was already said. But make sure to look at the artist’s portfolio. It should be full of pictures. Not drawings he or she has done, but real photos of tattoos that specific person has done. Absolutely do not feel bad if you don’t like his work (be it the quality or even the style) and walk out. It’s not a big deal. Remember, he’ll have your cash for a little while until he spends it, you’ll have the tattoo for the rest of your life.
Someone mentioned a tattoo artist not inking you if they smell alcohol on your breath. A quick little test that you can do is to ask the artist if he minds if you have a beer before you show up (or right after you leave) if he says it’s okay, run, don’t walk way.
Whynot, one of my tattoos is (was) a bright redish orange. It’s looked amazing when it was welted and scabby. The blood made it much brighter. I ruined that one, the scab came off early and now it’s splotchy. Luckily, it’s on my back so no one sees it…it’s right next to my first tattoo, which is a trainwreck. Someday I’ll get them both cleaned up.
OP, don’t over think it. The waiting is worse than the pain. And start thinking about your next tattoo. Most people don’t stop at one.
ETA, don’t worry about what area hurts more then other areas. There are some general rules of thumb (I hear the tricep is the most painful), but it’s different for everyone. The two on my back where horrible, the one on my forearm was nothing. People I’ve talked to that have ones in similar spots have said the opposite.
Don’t do it. My uncle got one and 50 years later he died.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
I hear that, long term, the death rate among people with tatts is 100%. Scary stuff.
Not only that, but you should have SEEN his SKIN! It was all saggy and blotchy, and had these white HAIRS growing out of it!
Carved by an X-acto knife? Red hot razor blades? Wow- I’m not that tough and I always compared being tattooed to getting stung by a wasp! (Ok, getting stung over and over for as long as the tattoo takes, but still.) The pain and sensitivity are very individual things and once you get started, I find it’s not all that bad. Just don’t scratch the thing while it’s healing.
I have the better part of a full bodysuit of tattoos completed. Do not get yourself tattooed on the forearms, neck or face and you will have no issue with jobs. Nada, zip, zero. Wearing a normal shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the collar open you can just barely see that I’m tattooed at all, and I’m nearly covered everywhere else.
Pain will vary. It depends on the amount of soft tissue between your skin and the bone, as well as some personal variation. For me it ranges from nearly unnoticed (thighs) to extremely painful (breastbone). Your mileage will vary. Most places i would compare to dragging a nail or pin around on your skin with the force needed to make a puffy red scratch.
Care will vary as well. Since it is your first, follow the advice of the mayo clinic as others have posted. Should you notice a problem, address it accordingly. If your tat is overly moist, then let it air out, if its too dry rub a little lotion into it. Don’t feel obligated to stick to a course of care if it is not working out well. Keep it clean, keep it out of the sun, and at a normal level of moisture for you and you will be just fine. Don’t pick it. Scabs will come off in the shower, and it will look milky for a week at first. Don’t freak out.
Picking an artist should be made on two criteria: Sanitation and portfolio. If you are comfortable with both then go right ahead. As to your design choice: My artist’s best pieces of advice: "Hey its only forever right? " Be sure, and enjoy it. Unlike many things in life, this art is literally something you’ll take with you to the grave.
I have just the one tattoo, (yes, I stopped at one. That’s plenty enough for me) which I got when I turned 40. It’s a rose (my birth flower), is very small (about an inch square) and is situated just above the ankle bone on my left foot. The artist wanted to put it higher on the leg, which I vetoed. He told me it would hurt more on the bone and I replied no prob, as I have a fairly-high pain threshold.
Yes, it smarted a bit, but nothing major in the way of personal trauma to me or my ankle. It was pretty much anticlimactic for me. I spent the time utterly fascinated, watching the tiny little needles go in and out of my ankle, but YMMV. My friend had the exact same tat in the exact same place and she had a far rougher go of it. Nearly broke the bones in my hand she gripped it so tightly, but at least she didn’t freak out or pass out and not get the tat finished. Our artist said he’d seen plenty of both in his career.
Do your homework beforehand. Don’t just pick the first parlor in the phone book. My friend and I spent several weeks scoping out local tat parlors in the Indianapolis area. I can’t recall now whether or not Indiana licenses them, but I believe it does. In any case, we visited several before we made a choice and talked to the people getting them as well as giving them. Sanitation procedures were number one on our list, followed by creativity of the available tats in a particular parlor.
Once you get one, like the previous posters have mentioned, keep it clean, covered, out of the sun, don’t pick at the scabbing; don’t swim in fresh or salt water for about a week afterward, and do not use any oil-based products on the skin because it can make the ink run in a fresh tattoo and that you don’t want.
And for heaven’s sake don’t get your latest girl/boyfriend’s name tattooed on yourself!!That’s a tat you might just come to regret later in life in most cases and once the tat is on, it’s a major pain in the tuccus to have removed - as well as friggin’ expensive! 
Take the time to decide exactly how you want your tattoo to look. Don’t stop at “I want a hummingbird/Celtic knot/picture of my baby/etc.”* What style do you want - line art, shaded like a pastel portrait, cartoon-style? Can you draw a picture (or get someone to draw it for you) of the tattoo as you envision it?
Communication is important. Make sure the tattoo artist understands what you want. Like any other artist, the person who does your tattoo will have his/her own preferred style and techniques for creating the image. If this happens to match your preferences, great, but if it doesn’t, you may be unhappy with artistic quality of the tattoo, even if the technical quality is excellent.
*You probably don’t want a any of these. These are just examples.
A good line to use when you walk in (be it a tattoo shop, car dealership or high end electronics store) is “I’m not buying anything today, I don’t even have my wallet with me, I just wanted to take a look around” When you’ve pretty much guaranteed that there won’t be a sale made it takes a lot of the pressure off both you and them.
For those in the know, is there any reason you can’t apply a numbing cream to the area before you have it done? I’ve never had a tattoo, but I have had laser hair removal and Emla cream applied beforehand dialed the discomfort way down.
I have no idea if that would effect that quality of the tattoo, but for me, the pain is part of it.
I’ve been told the numbing cream has no effect on either the pain or the outcome of a tattoo, and I agree with a previous poster… a tattoo is like a badge of honor. The pain is part of the process. When you’re done, you feel like you’ve earned it. At least… I feel that way. I’m a bit odd about some things, myself.
As for me, it hurt like a bastard. It also gets your fight or flight circuits buzzing like crazy, and of course you can’t do either - you’ll be absolutely full of stale adrenaline. My little aftercare packet included a chocolate bar, which is a very good idea - eat some sugar. I also drank three giant Mexican-restaurant sized Cokes - felt a lot better.
When it starts itching and you’re not allowed to scratch it, slapping it helps.