There are a few important things to think about when getting a tattoo. If you've been thinking of getting one I hope you'll find my post useful.
1. What tattoo should I get?
The most important thing to consider when getting a tattoo is what the symbol you want means to you. Is it something special that will remind you of something/someone you love, maybe a special occasion, or just a picture you like? This is a big decision, so give it some time to think about it. You want be sure to get something you'll enjoy looking at even in 20 years' time.
2. What body part?
Most people will tell you not to get a tattoo in a place that cannot be covered up by clothing and I'll tell you the same. You don't want to be defined by a symbol on your forehead/neck, but almost any other body part can be covered up if needed. And it might also be sexy to have a tattoo on a place that only special, chosen people can see.
3. Taking care of your tattoo
When your tattoo is fresh, it will require a lot of your attention. You need to wash it with cold water every couple of hours, dry it carefully (with paper towels ideally) and put a thin layer of bepanthen cream on it. You need to keep doing this until the tattoo heals, which might be up to two weeks if it’s a large one. You also can’t go swimming, use the sauna or a jaccuzzi during the healing process. Most people who have tattoos will know this, and will take proper care of them, but not everyone knows that you also need to protect your tattoo from the sun. And not just when it’s fresh, although that’s when you need to be the most careful, but forever. Surprising? I know, right? But if you want your tattoos to look good and not to fade, put sunscreen on them when it’s sunny outside or cover it with clothing. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere where it’s sunny most of the year, you’ll go through a lot of sunscreen. If you don't it will fade quicker than it should. You can always have it retouched of course, but using sunscreen can save you the hassle.
What tattoos do I have?
I have 3 and I absolutely love all of them. They all mean something special to me and I know I’ll be happy with them in 20 or even 30 years’ time.
My newest tattoo is my biggest one. It's is a #dreamcatcher with a compass. The compass symbolises travel, which is our biggest passion. The dreamcatcher is an Indian symbol, it’s supposed to catch bad dreams. I’ve always been drawn to Indian symbols, and this one resonated with me the most. The shape of the dreamcatcher is a circle because it represents the circle of life.
My first tattoo is from my early 20s, I had it done when I moved to a new country and I was feeling super positive. It is a sun with an eye in the middle. The sun is for positivity, and because I love it and the eye is to watch over me. It's in a ell hidden place, so only chosen people can see it. It is in bad need of retouching now, but here it is:
My most precious tattoo is my wedding ring. My husband and I both got our ring fingers tattooed after we got married. He doesn’t have any other tattoos and doesn’t want more either, so this one is very special. We had the idea to get these special wedding rings because we go to the gym a lot, and it’s not that convenient to wear a ring while working out. Also there is a danger of loosing it. Well this one we can’t lose. The symbol doesn’t really mean anything, we just wanted something small and simple, so the tattoo artist came up with this, but the fact that it’s on our ring fingers, symbolises our marriage.
Will I get more tattoos? Maybe, when there is another symbol that becomes important to me.
I hope you found this post interesting, let us know if you learned something new about tattoo care, or if you just liked my tattoos.
Do you have any tattoos? We’d love to see them! Post a picture of them in a comment 😊