How long should I wait before I get a tattoo?
Ron Responds #9
QHow long should I want a specific tattoo before I get it? I’m afraid I will get it and then think of something better.
— Smol Guy
I try to limit the amount that I talk about myself in these columns, but in this particular case I might be the worst person to ask this question.
You see, I didn’t have any tattoos until the beginning of 2016 when I finally decided I was ready. I did my research, purchased the supplies, and gave myself my very first tattoo. Again, I had never been tattooed nor had I ever tattooed anyone, but I decided it was a good idea. I gave myself a freehand stick and poke of a semicolon on my right arm within a week of deciding that I wanted it, and thus began my tattoo journey.
The second tattoo I got was because of its comedic value. I messaged my friend Jaye, a very talented artist, and asked her to tattoo the words “Star Wars” in my arm pit. I didn’t want it to be the official logo. I wanted it to be as silly as possible. Honestly, to this day, it’s probably my favourite tattoo.
I started getting into matching tattoos with my friends. I was always told not to get matching tattoos. My mom has a Minnie Mouse tattoo that matches an ex-boyfriend’s Mickey, and you’d think I’d have learned my lesson. But no, I soon got a pair of curly braces on the back of my neck, and my best friend Sarah got a matching set on her arm. Three of my eight tattoos are matching tattoos that I share with people I care about. While writing this response, I asked my mom if she regrets her Minnie tattoo, because the dude with the Mickey was an asshole: and she doesn’t. It marks a time in her life that she doesn’t want to forget, and the lessons that she learned coming out of that time.
Like my mom’s Minnie Mouse tattoo, all of my tattoos mark a specific, meaningful, time in my life. In this day and age, it’s not really that big of a deal to get a tattoo removed or covered up. So far, as silly as many of my tattoos are I regret none, and am fond of all of them.
That being said, everyone is different. I had wanted tattoos since I was 16, but it took me until I was 24 to actually start getting them. Once I got my first, I realized that it wasn’t that big of a deal. To some, though, they are. I know some people who wait ten years with a tattoo in mind.
The worry of “thinking of something better” is natural, but keep in mind that your first tattoo is unlikely to cover your entire body. You’ve got plenty of canvas to work with.
Do your research, find an artist you like, and if it feels good, make an appointment (don’t tattoo yourself, my semicolon is faded and blown out already). If your hesitation outweighs your desire to get the tattoo — it might not be the time just yet. Feel it out, and I’m sure you’ll be happy with whatever decision you come to.
With love,
Ron
