Tips for Tattoos: Know What's Good

I know that since we are a laser tattoo removal studio in Chicagoland, we often focus on that side of the tattoo industry but for this post, we want to focus on the the other side of the tattoo industry, tattoos. There are a lot of bad tattoo designs out there and it is important  for people to know how to handle their ink ideas and what is appropriate to follow through with and what to abandon. Well, there are quite a few tips for those considering getting some ink, especially for those considering it for the first time.

1. Keep it subtle. What I mean by this is that you do not want to get something that speaks louder than you do; for example, try to stay away from tattoos that cover your whole back and feature the image from the cover of your favorite DVD or something. Keep it subtle, get something that looks good but is not obnoxious, you know? 
2. Grammar is a big deal. When you decide that you want to get your tattoo, double and triple check with the tattoo artist that they understand the grammar that is needed in the tattoo to have it make sense and not look tacky. Some common mistakes with grammar are, "your & you're" "their, there, and they're" etc. It does not make sense to have a tattoo that says, "Your beautiful." You do not own beauty, you are beauty. Get it right. Another aspect of this point is spelling. It is embarrassing for someone to be walking around with a tattoo that is misspelled. Perhaps a great example of this is plastered all over the internet, the one where the guy is taking a mirror selfie and his tattoo says, "Exreme" across his chest. Seriously? Who messed that one up? 
3. Make sure the image you want your tattoo to represent is not something that can be misunderstood. If you want to get a tattoo of something, make sure that the image of the object is the same as it appears in real life! For example, try to not get a tattoo of something like a hot dog because you like them because it can easily be seen as something else, you know what I mean. 
4. Be weary of getting a tattoo of someone's face. The reason you want to watch out for getting a tattoo of someone's face is because they do not always turn out well. Actually, they often turn out rather creepy and the face on your body can look like the person was insane and ready to launch a murderous rampage. 
5. Lastly, try to avoid getting a tattoo of something that is only a fad, especially a short-lived fad at that. For example, getting a tattoo of YOLO or an immature phrase is not something you will want on your body when you are trying to nail an interview for that $100k job. 

Just be aware of the power of tattoos and how they can appear on your body; just because something looks cool in one medium does not mean it will look good as a tattoo. Think about what you want for a while and see what it will look like as a drawing before you put it on your body. Getting a tattoo is a big deal and so there is no need to rush the decision. 

If you do get or have gotten poor tattoos, then you can at least get them removed and sometimes quickly, but you should still plan on being smart with a tattoo.