First-time tattoo! Tips please?

[Twonewcats]

So I have a big birthday coming up and am full-on midlife crisis, and would like to get my first ever tattoo.

I know zero about the process - can any of you give me advice on how it works, eg do I need an appointment to choose a design etc, or is that all done on the day?

What sort of thing works well so it won't fade/blur over time?

How do I decide where on the body? 😬

No @MadCattenz I was referring to the post that said one shouldn’t get a tattoo because “they look shit when you get old”, I just didn’t happen to quote it.

Why would you think I was on the wrong thread when I was talking about tattoos on a thread about tattoos?

"Out of fashion"?

I literally have never seen anything more timeless and lovely than some of these.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CarycfIL7Hq/?img_index=1

I get that you don't like tattoos but can you really suggest a design that will better stand the test of time?

I think these will still look lovely in 3 decades from now - the advantage of the very fine details is that they will fade better, IMHO, than bolder stuff.

Research your artist.
Consider what you want and how you want it done. (I’ve had hand poked and machine tattoos…personally I enjoy hand poked more but not so easy to find artists who do that).
Don’t go for cheap, this is something worth investing in.
Eat well on the day and take a snack/water.
Do your aftercare - the artist will advise on aftercare.
Don’t listen to dafties who say it’s going out of fashion…people have been tattooing each other for thousands of years.

If you haven't picked an artist yet, I recommend Tattodo app. You can input the style or subject with a radius of how far you'd like to travel and it gives suggestions of artists.
Eat before you go, take paracetamol and a couple of lollies to keep blood sugar steady. If you're going big (which I would personally say over 2 hours work) for your first, you might want to buy emla type numbing cream.

Do some research and pick an artist who does tattoos that you love.

There are 2 approaches:

1. Pre-designed tattoos (know as flash) that you can pick from the studio; they are often displayed on sheets or in books or in online galleries
2. Bespoke designs that you negotiate with a chosen artist. You send them images as inspiration and have a conversation about what kind of thing you'd like - this might be via email, or an in-person consultation - then they draw up something for you to approve.

Be prepared to wait as bookings may be months in advance. A deposit covers their time for drawing your tattoo.

When choosing a design, discuss placement and ask for advice about where your design would look good on your body. You might have particular requirements for visibility- let your tattooist know about these (ie some people want a tatto they can cover, others definitely want them on show). Bony areas are usually more painful (eg feet/ankles or ribs), and areas which are more sensitive (e.g upper inner arms, stomachs).

People's pain tolerance is different, so start with something small to work out how long you can sit comfortably for, and work up.

On the day, eat something, avoid alcohol and take music or something for distraction. A good tattooist will put you at ease and guide you through the process.

Advice does vary, so follow your own tattooist's aftercare advice about keeping it clean and healing.

Be prepared to be addicted!

Don't do it

I'd suggest deciding on a design and then doing NOTHING about it for at least six months.
Then see how you feel about the design.