If you have been thinking about getting your very first tattoo, then you are probably very excited. Getting a tattoo can be a fun and enjoyable right of passage that some look forward to for a long time. In order to increase the chances that you are going to walk out of the tattoo shop still excited about your new tattoo and to increase the chances of you still being just as happy with your tattoo years from now, there are a few things you should do.

Choose your pattern ahead of time

You can go right into the tattoo shop of your choosing and pick from any of the designs they have displayed on their walls or in their books. However, for your first tattoo, you may want to go with something that has personal meaning to you. This is what will give you the best chance of ending up with something that you will like for many years to come. Just about any picture can be turned into a tattoo. You can draw something up yourself, have a friend draw it up, go with something your child has drawn for you, find something out of a magazine, search something up off the internet or even bring in a picture of someone you love to have a portrait tattoo done.

Listen to the tattoo artist about placement

You may go into the tattoo shop knowing exactly where you want to put your tattoo. However, sometimes a tattoo won't fit right where you want it and look good. For example, you may want a portrait of your dog to be put on your ankle. The artist may explain to you that this can distort the shape of the tattoo in a way that will make it look odd. They know best when it comes to working a tattoo in the shape of their client bodies.

Don't drink before you go to get a tattoo

You may think that drinking a few alcoholic beverages ahead of time is a good idea. You may think it will help calm your nerves and dull the pain. However, what it really does is thin your blood. When your blood is thinned out it makes it harder on the tattoo artist because they will need to wipe away the blood more often and this can smear or remove the pattern from your skin. Thinner blood also pushes out the ink as the tattoo artist is trying to get it to stay. You can also end up with scabbing this way and this increases your chances of the tattoo not healing as nicely as it should. Contact a business like Tabernacle Tattoo to find out more.