I have always been obsessed with tattoos but until recently, I was too afraid to bite the bullet. During my senior year of high school, as other students were turning 18, one by one they would come to class showing off the fresh yet slightly scabbed tattoos they had gotten as their own initiation into adulthood.

While some of my peers fell in love with their new body art, others weren’t as sure, and a few even found themselves in search of tattoo removal specialists. This put me off for a while.

At 22, I was still un-tatted but still “favoriting” pictures of tattoos on Pinterest and walking past tattoo shops starry-eyed, wondering when I would ever muster up the courage. One of my close friends applauded my hesitation, alluding to her disdain for her copycat Rihanna tattoo she got from a dorm mate during her freshman year.

This year, I can proudly say I got my first tattoo! Due to my penchant for overthinking everything and five years of asking friends, family, and strangers about their tattoos and stories, I have collected quite a bit of knowledge on the subject of getting your first tattoo.

Here are my tips for getting your first tattoo!

Table of Contents

1. Do Your Research Online AND In-person

While our parents had to choose their tattoo artist purely by word-of-mouth, we’re blessed with having any tattoo artist’s portfolio at the palm of our hand. With social media, you can quickly compare and contrast different tattooist’s work.

Although online portfolios are a huge help in your search for a tattoo artist, people watching can be just as helpful. If you see someone’s tattoo that you like, don’t be afraid to ask them where they got it done and how their experience was.