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When asking; what are the benefits of getting a tattoo, the answers are truly going to be different for each individual.

The list of benefits maybe run out longer than a list of risks or vice versa depending upon who the person is who is considering getting the tattoo in the first place.

Are you worried that you might get killed in a horrible accident and you want more ways for people to identify your body? A unique tattoo can help. Are you planning on being a famous rock star? A tattoo might help your image. Are you working on that biker look to go along with the leathers and the Harley? A tattoo can’t hardly hurt. Well, unless it’s of Liberace in a bikini.

Perhaps you are an artist and you want to show everyone what kind of artwork you can create by covering yourself in it. That’s one way to advertise. Perhaps you are a tattoo artist yourself. It seems rather silly to sell your skills as a tattoo artist if you have no tattoos yourself.

Perhaps you love a good ice breaker so you can start up conversations with strangers. Cover yourself in various symbols from around the world and you are almost guaranteed that no matter where you go, someone will have a question regarding one of your tattoos and thus a conversation is born.

Maybe you just want to keep small minded judgmental people at a distance. Tattoos can make a great idiot filter to show you who judges a book by its cover and who is genuinely interested in seeing you for you as apposed to just your exterior. This one can backfire though as well and attract some undesirables from time to time, depending on the style and theme of the artwork.

What are the benefits of getting a tattoo? There is only one benefit worth truly considering. Which is, does it make you happy?

Once you have made the decision to get a tattoo, it’s time to start asking questions like: How do I do it safely? How can tattoos get infected? How do I make sure I get the most out of my tattoo?

Once the artwork and the arts have been chosen and the day to get the tattoo done comes to pass, it’s time to learn how to keep the work clean. When the tattoo is finished, it will usually be wrapped in cellophane or a bandage. Cellophane has the advantage of not allowing a scab to form into it such as gauze bandages do. This way the blood cannot seep through the bandage and thus dry out and risk ripping the tattoo wound open again when the bandage is removed.

A fresh tattoo is a wound. Like any other cut or abrasion, if bacteria are allowed to live and breed within the wound, an infection will occur. The best way to keep this from happening is to do everything possible to keep it clean and allow the wound to heal as fast as possible.

This means washing it twice a day and keeping an anti-bacterial lotion on it. This will keep the scabbing and dryness down to a minimum. Avoid oily substances which will allow dirt to cling to the fresh tattoo scabs. Keep the wound out of direct sunlight in order to avoid sunburns which would then inflame and aggravate it even more. Avoid the ocean, lakes, swimming pools and other types of unsanitary water.

The best ways to avoid infection are keeping a tattoo clean, dry and moisturized, out of the sun, not touching it except during washing, not scratching it and even getting plenty of rest and eating well. A tattoo is a wound and when your body is wounded it will go into healing mode.

In the end: how can tattoos get infected? The same as any wound; creating an environment where infection can thrive.

People are always asking friends, ‘What tattoo should I get?’ and most want an honest answer. It might be helpful to get some ideas from friends or family members, but it’s usually better to make the final decision on your own. By deciding on your own, you will only have yourself to blame if you decide you don’t like the tattoo later on.

Most people take there time when deciding on a tattoo design. The look at other people’s tattoos and make mental notes as to which ones look terrible and which ones are done well. Taking these mental notes will give you some ideas to mull around for your own tattoo. Each tattoo artist has a particular artwork style as well, so you might peruse some of the local tattoo parlors to view their work.

Some people find a tattoo artist that they like and make their decision on a tattoo design based on what the artist has to offer. Tattoo artists have books filled with their past work and designs they personally created. You can also ask a friend to draw something and then take this work to the tattooist. Even if you have a picture of something that is similar to what you want, the tattoo artist can make any necessary adjustments to the design before it is applied in the form of a tattoo.

Write down some ideas on designs you might have, so you can visually see them. Sometimes gathering a list of options will help you to make a better decision. You also might not want to get a huge tattoo down your arm if you have a job where you aren’t able to cover it up if needed. Not all employers frown on tattoos, but quite a few want you to be able to cover them up while you are at work.

What tattoo is right for me? is a question a lot of sober people ask themselves before getting a tattoo.

It’s a good question to ask as well. Those tattoos which seem to get picked off a wall on a whim, just to fulfill the wanting of a tattoo during a drunken outing while on leave in Bangkok, are rarely the kind of tattoos which end up being appreciated after experiencing the test of time.

Likewise, the name of someone you thought was the love of your life, but actually ended up just being an angry drug addict who stole everything you had, leaving you nothing but a social disease you can’t even pronounce is rarely a tattoo you’re going to end up proudly displaying to your grandchildren.

Picking a tattoo should be a rather spiritual event. Not spiritual as in asking your priest the next time you are in a confession booth if he thinks a picture of a morph between Hendrix and Jesus is a good idea for a tattoo, but spiritual meaning that it represents something which is already within your own spirit.  An idea, a philosophy, a detail of your personal history or a portrait of a family member who was run over by a busload of nuns on the way to a bake sale and bingo fundraiser.

Just try to avoid the big mistake tattoos, like the name of someone you are dating or are married to. If you truly love this person, don’t tattoo them into your skin, no matter how romantic you think it may be, unless they are recently deceased.

Another big no-no is celebrities and sport heroes. I’ll make an exception here for various cartoon characters, especially if they are doing things completely out of character. Which is going to be hard with Bugs Bunny since, as we all know, that rabbit would do just about anything for a laugh or a carrot.

So remember, when asking yourself: What tattoo is right for me? It’s rarely the same tattoo that is right for someone else.

Women who get tattoos when they are very young don’t often think about placement of said tattoos being an issue later in life. Not many woman ask the question; do tattoos stretch when pregnant, before getting a tattoo. The degree of stretching will ultimately depend on where it is located on the body.

Think about the parts of a woman’s body that stretch during pregnancy and don’t say all parts. Granted, the stomach, backside, and breasts are places that get stretched the most. The thighs and arms might see a bit of additional stretching, but not nearly as much as these first three body parts mentioned.

There are plenty of creams and such to keep stretch marks to a minimum, but there isn’t any magic cream that will keep your tiny lady bug tattoo on your left breast as small as it was when it first became placed there. Chances are that this little bug will be turned into a big bug by the time the baby is born. Even if your body gets back in tip top shape once the baby is born and weaned, there’s no guarantee that your lady bug tattoo will ever be the same again.

Some women luck out and don’t gain much weight when they become pregnant, which saves their tattoos from being stretched out too much. If you are thinking about having kids in the future and still want to get a tattoo, then definitely think about placement of the tattoo. There is also the other option of waiting until after the baby is born and you are the weight you wish to be.

When women ask; do tattoos stretch when pregnant, they are often bummed by the answer – yes. However, this doesn’t mean that your tattoo will definitely become completely distorted beyond all recognition. It simply means that there might be a need to do some touching up to it later on.