My first tattoo experience // What I learned
- Nicosha Daniels
- Dec 18, 2019
- 3 min read
I can’t remember the first time I decided that I liked tattoos. For as long as I can remember I’ve enjoyed the artwork and appreciated the creativity people have with them. I remember watching shows like LA Ink, Miami Ink, and Bad Ink. It wasn’t until I was at the end of my sophomore year that I thought of getting a tattoo when I was of age (18 years old in California).
I had all of these different ideas. “Promise” on my pinky, a Mickey Mouse silhouette behind my ear, my mom’s initials on the inside of my finger. The list of possible ideas was endless. One was for sure though, a sunflower, I knew I wanted to somehow incorporate a sunflower into the list I had. And it took me forever to figure out where on my body I wanted my first tattoo.
When my eighteenth birthday came around, I was finally able to sit down and figure out what I wanted, where I would get it, and how I’d convince my aunts to allow me to get it. Yes I am a legal adult but their house, their rules. I talked to them for months about it and even started off with Inkbox tattoos. This was when I learned that my 75-year-old aunt was interested in possibly getting a turtle on her wrist. I thought she was joking but she wasn’t.
It became November and I finally got around to scheduling a consultation to get an estimate. I had chosen to go with the sunflower because that was the ONE I was definite on (I'll have another post about why I like sunflowers so much later on. I think it deserves its own post). And I chose my forearm because...well I don’t know why. It just seemed like an obvious place.
My appointment came for my actual tattoo and I was as nervous as could be. Here are the thoughts that went through my head after the session was done.
“Wow it’s really pretty”
“He wasn’t kidding with the small burning. I can handle this”
“Is the room spinning?”
It was at this moment I almost passed out from having only two slices of toast before my appointment, my adrenaline, and my anxiety all coming down. Seriously, eat a big meal before going to a tattoo appointment.
During my wooing I thought, “Oh crap I made a big mistake” to which I thought it was the tattoo but it was actually my own decision to have a tiny breakfast that morning.
“I’m not getting anymore tattoos”
“I think I want a quarter sleeve”
“I’m so happy I did this”
“Holy Sh- this is gonna be on me for the rest of my life….”
“I shouldn’t have gone this big.”
“I’m happy I went this big”
“Will I be able to get a job now?”
“You know, if they don’t appreciate my creativity and individuality, I don’t need them”
“I can’t believe I did that”
“I CAN’T BELIEVE I DID THAT”
“Did I make a big mistake?”
“I’m so happy I did this!”
As you can tell, my mind was all over the place. But here are the takeaways from the experience:
1. Sit on your tattoo idea for at least 8 months. I sat on my idea for three years and I am going to sit on each idea of the better half of a year before I get anymore. To know exactly where I want it. It’ll be on your body forever.
2. Eat a big breakfast. Your tattoo is essentially a big, pretty wound. So while the artist is working, all of your white blood cells are going to go to that area to see what the heck is going on in that spot. So eating a big breakfast will help you not pass out.
3. If you’ve had a severe sunburn before, you’ll know the immediate feeling afterwards.
4. Moisturizer is your best friend.
5. Some people will treat you differently. Some for the better, most for the worst. Those who treat you differently will either be people that have never talked to you before but they noticed your tattoo, striking up a conversation over the new topic to talk about. Or they will be someone who believes tattoos are a sin or they just think they’re ugly. I’ve had both of these happen to me already multiple times. But the way I see it, as long as they don’t attack you or only see you for the artwork on your arm, who cares?
6. It’s your body and only you decide how it should look. As long as it’s healthy and you feel confident.
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