To begin, sorry if this is in the wrong spot. I think I would like to get a tattoo, my girlfriend has said she also thought about getting one. However, whenever I decide to get one, I always end up talking myself out of it for several reasons:

1. I know my parents will flip out big time. They have a cow just when I draw on myself.
2. The cost of getting a tattoo is outragious!
3. I don't know if it will hurt, or how much it will hurt. (I'm not too much a fan of pain)
4. I don't know if there are any health risks in getting a tattoo.
5. I don't know if it will prevent me from getting future jobs
6. Don't know what my current job/boss would think if I DID get one.

Any advice would help.

Easy answer... don't do it. Any time you need to make a decision and the result is permanent, if there is even .1% of doubt in your mind... pass.

If you have doubts then don't do it. It is permanent, sure it can be removed with lasers, but if you are worried about the cost of getting a tattoo, you don't even want to know the cost of laser removal.

As far as your questions.

1) I can't answer that, only you can.
2) Yup, I have to agree with you.
3) Yeah, it hurts. Of course it does. If you have a low threshold to pain it will REALLY hurt.
4) Death is a health risk that is involved with tattoos. Yeah, sure you can go to a reputable tattoo parlor, but you still risk Hepatitis, and Hep can be deadly (I had a friend who died from getting a tattoo). It's less risky than it was in the 80s, but the risk is still there.
5) It can, depending on where you get your tattoo. At my school they will not accept nursing students if you have a visible tattoo or piercings (other than ears).
6) Can't answer that either.

If you can't decide if you want a tattoo or not then I have a suggestion, wait for two years and if after the two years is over and you still can't make up your mind, then wait for two more years. About that time in life you will be sure if you want one or not but my guess will be that you will be telling yourself that you are so glad you didn't get a tattoo.

If you keep giving yourself reasons to not get one, it is probably a good idea if you don't.

As for your parents, my mother flips out every time I get a new piercing, and she got mad when I got my tattoo also. All I had to say to her was "I am an adult". She knows I am into these things so she doesn't usually stay mad for too long, but remember you need to respect your parents. The only reason I get piercings even though my mom doesn't like it is because she told me that she doesn't like it, but she knows that it's a part of who I am and what I am interested in, so she said herself she would get over it. If she said she was going to disown me, I would definitely not do it.

The cost of getting a tattoo is outrageous, you are right. My husband has a tattoo on his upper arm and paid $500 for it, and that was in Kentucky where things are usually a little cheaper than here in Florida. If you are unsure if you will like it, don't waste a lot of money on it.

If you don't like pain, definitely don't get a tattoo anywhere you have a lot of bone sticking out. Ouch!

Tattoos can get infected, just like piercings can. You have to make sure you take care of it as directed. As J_9 said above, if you go to an unclean place (someone that doesn't switch out needles, uses dirty machines, etc.) Hepatitis is also a risk.

It can prevent you from getting future jobs if no tattoos is one of the rules. As for your present boss, he is the only one that can tell you if tattoos are allowed. Ask him/her. For work related purposes, if you do get a tattoo, get it where it can be covered up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lenovo

To begin, sorry if this is in the wrong spot. I think I would like to get a tattoo, my girlfriend has said she also thought about getting one. However, whenever I decide to get one, I always end up talking myself out of it for several reasons:

1. I know my parents will flip out big time. They have a cow just when I draw on myself.
2. The cost of getting a tattoo is outragious!
3. I don't know if it will hurt, or how much it will hurt. (I'm not too much a fan of pain)
4. I don't know if there are any health risks in getting a tattoo.
5. I don't know if it will prevent me from getting future jobs
6. Don't know what my current job/boss would think if I DID get one.

Any advice would help.

---

Remember a tattoo is forever. And.. how is that tattoo helping you to say something about yourself?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lenovo

1. I know my parents will flip out big time. They have a cow just when I draw on myself.
2. The cost of getting a tattoo is outragious!
3. I don't know if it will hurt, or how much it will hurt. (I'm not too much a fan of pain)
4. I don't know if there are any health risks in getting a tattoo.
5. I don't know if it will prevent me from getting future jobs
6. Don't know what my current job/boss would think if I DID get one.

---

I have one, here is my take on your questions.

1. I doubt that would make them happy.
2. It depends on the quality of work and what you want. I negotiated and paid $30 but that's on the cheaper side.
3. Again, it depends on where you get it and how big it is. It will cause pain, but some place like your arm hurts less than say, the top of your foot.
4. There are health risks, so its important to have it done in a professional shop. You will most likely bleed and there are needles involved so you want to be sure everything is clean and professionally sanitized. Even in the best shops, there is a chance of health risks though. Once you get home, you also have to take care of it so you don't risk an infection of the wound.
5. It might. Part of that also depends on what part of your body you tattoo. Be safe and get it somewhere it would never show during work... even if you wore shorts or short sleeves.
6. If you picked a "hidden" spot, your boss should never know.