If you’ve always wanted one but never pulled the trigger, here’s your playbook for player selection, culture, care, and more.
Tattoos are cool. There’s a good chance your parents raised you to believe otherwise, but guys, we’re old and it’s time to admit it together: tattoos are pretty cool. They are no longer worn only by pirates and midshipmen (mostly moms, I promise).
These days, your doctor is likely to have one as a child who works as a cook line for your 24-hour diet. No longer holding the negative stigma they once did, tattoos are now seen as a popular form of self-expression, a medium through which people can convey their life stories through permanent art on their skin.
All tattoos have a story, even dumb ones – especially dumb ones. As someone who has Milhouse from The Simpsons drawn on his leg, I know this as well as anyone.
Tattoos are cool
There’s a good chance your parents raised you to believe otherwise, but guys, we’re old and it’s time to admit it together: tattoos are pretty cool. They are no longer worn only by pirates and midshipmen (mostly moms, I promise).
These days, your doctor is likely to have one as a child who works as a cook line for your 24-hour diet. No longer holding the negative numbing cream they once did, tattoos are now seen as a popular form of self-expression, a medium through which people can convey their life stories through permanent art on their skin.
All tattoos have a story, even dumb ones – especially dumb ones. As someone who has Milhouse from The Simpsons drawn on his leg, I know this as well as anyone.
But taking the plunge into tattoos can be a daunting experience. There are a thousand things to think about before it happens, not the least of which is your mother’s voice in the back of your head reminding you that you will be stuck with this forever.
And trying to make sense of some of those things can be even more confusing, with every tattooed person seeming to give you different advice, often contradicting what you thought you already knew. What this leads to is your first tattoo being “something I’ve always thought about doing” and never being something you, you know, actually do.
As a guy who has had his fair share of tattoos and made many mistakes along the way, I know the pitfalls of taking your first tattoos too seriously. Here are the things you should keep in mind before entering your first tattoo parlor.
A specialist at Three Kings Tattoo, one of the best studios in New York and where all the photos below were taken.
Think before trying
Ask about anyone who hasn’t had a tattoo yet and, inevitably, they’ll tell you that they have one they’ve always thought about getting. The desire is there, but for whatever reason, they still take the plunge. Often it comes down to them wanting to make sure they really like the TattooRoma.
Maybe you’re not sure about the design you want, or worry you won’t need it again 10 years from now. These are the general problems, I recommend the following:
If you really want to think about it, give it six months to a year. If at that time you still want the tattoo and are not worried about the idea, go ahead and get it.
If it’s longevity or visibility that you’re concerned about, get your first tattoo somewhere out of sight. In my case, this meant my heels. If you find yourself not liking the clouds along the way, it’s easy to cover up with clothing. Also, how often do you find yourself looking at something like your screen? Not often.
Choose Your Provider Wisely
It’s easy to walk into any old tattoo parlor and get inked. Most places, except those occupied by the most popular artists, are take-aways, and there is nothing out-and-out wrong with going anywhere and having it done by the first person there. But your knowledge will go much, much better if you do a little research beforehand.
Getting a tattoo is a beautiful intimate experience. You are trusting someone with a potentially dangerous tool to write something in your body that will be there for the rest of your life. The person doing the tattooing should be held to the same standard that you would hold someone else like your barber or therapist.
Respect the Process
Perhaps it is important to talk about the experience of getting a tattoo itself. Once you have hired your artist, find out where they are available. For others, it may be in place. But for some in-demand artists you may want to schedule your appointment in advance.
Sometimes this can mean a few weeks, sometimes a few months. And if your piece is too complicated, the artist can have you schedule some kind of consultation before the actual appointment. There they try to feel what you want from the piece and give you some concept art, that way they don’t spend the actual drawing part to make changes to the design.
Remember Every Picture Tells a Story
Remember that Simpsons tattoo I mentioned? It’s not very good. This is a central line work showing Mulhouse in a leather jacket holding a pocket knife. It was part of a special flyer a few Novembers ago and he charged me $20 as part of a Friday the 13th deal – $13 tattoos with a $7 tip added automatically. It’s probably the dumbest tattoo I have, or will ever have. It is also my favorite tattoo by a very wide margin.
When I got it, I had been struggling financially for a few months and the stress was draining me. But I persevered and finally I had started to drill my way out of that hole.
