Are tattoos a bad idea?

Hi Andreea!! I’m seventeen, and I’m thinking about getting a tattoo, I want something small but I’m still not sure, so I was wondering if you could tell how you chose yours, and how you maintain and take care and even show a picture of them, kisses ❤️

I feel a little torn answering this question, but I wanted to give it a try anyway. I’m gonna sound like a mom right now, but I want to reiterate that tattoos are permanent. YES, you can get them removed (not super black or red or green ones though, those will always show up), but if you don’t want to go through countless sessions of painful tattoo removal, then I would think long and hard before you take the plunge and get some ink.

Now that I’ve gotten that disclaimer out of the way, I’d like to talk about my process in getting my first tattoo. I had seen this album cover a year back and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It had so much meaning to me and had nothing to do with Sean Hayes’ music, even though he’s one of my favorite artists. So after quitting my finance job and going through a breakup, I thought it was the right time to get it. So I reaserched a bunch of different artists and found Andy at Shamrock on Sunset Boulevard and four-and-a-half hours later, the rest was history. I absolutely love this tattoo, but I sometimes wish I would have gotten it somewhere a little more hidden instead of my forearm.

My second tat, I got because I was bored waiting in line to get into a bar across from Shamrock and went in to see if Andy could draw my next tattoo. He wasn’t there, but I started talking to one of the other artists and next thing you know, I had the infinity sign with love scribbled in the middle of it. Yeah it really happened like that…waiting in line at a bar… I tend to be impulsive with big decisions and indecisive with the smallest, most insignificant ones.

There’s one tattoo I’ve always wanted to get since over ten years ago. It’s two lines from two different poems that signifies a special phrase for me. That’s the only tattoo I’ve always wanted, and the only one I’m holding off until the right moment comes.

Now let’s talk about the way it feels to get tattooed for those out there who have never experienced it. In my opinion, it feels like someone is taking a dull nail and scripting your skin in the same spot for a few hours. It is more annoying than painful in my opinion, but I tend to deal with pain well. Now positioning will have a lot to do with the pain level, so think long and hard. Anywhere that is near nerves, bone or cartilage will hurt pretty bad.

Maintenance for tattoos is pretty easy once they are healed. Right after you get the tattoo, the artist will wrap it in plastic wrap so you don’t get the area dirty or infected. Then, you must keep it dry for about a week. Once you’re healed, you’re good to go, but I would put sunscreen on that area to keep the tat bright and not have it fade as quickly. I kind of like the look of faded, crooked and even oddly placed tattoos but that’s just me. Most people like them bright and looking like new, especially if it’s color.

If you were to ask me if you should get one I would say no. Wait until you come across something that naturally makes you think it should be a tattoo placed on your body. If you have to come up with some idea just because you want to get a tattoo, then find a cute spot where you want a mole and tattoo a small dot so you can say you have one 😉 When its the right time for you to get one, if it ever is, you will know. I promise you.

xo,