Who wants to shed some light on this?

There is nothing wrong with going to an artist whos work you admire and let them draw you up something really pleasing just for the sake of it looking nice

Please yourself then you know at least one person is happy

I have frequently considered getting a tattoo, but never actually gone through with it as I have been unable to resolve the issues I shall here present. First off, a tattoo should be meaningful. Not necessarily in a deep philosophical sense, but purely ornamental tattoos still convey a lot of information to people, and they will see them even before they talk to you. Basically, you have to decide what you want your first impression to be. Secondly, safety is a major concern for me. Always go into a parlor ahead of time and ask to see their autoclave, biohazards disposal bin, etc. Any reputable establishment will be happy to indulge your research. Thirdly, consider how you want people to see you in the future as well as now. While some removal methods are a valuable, a tattoo should be seen as a lifelong commitment. Do you want your neck covered in skulls when your trying to get a job, in your wedding photos, etc.? I mention this purely as an example, of course. Lastly, consider how it will impact your friends and family. Some people have real issue with tattoos, and it's important to take that into consideration.

well for me, i like my tattoos to have meaning because they're going to be there forever. it doesn't have to be deep; my best friend and i found a flower design that we both liked, and went together to get them, and that's really the only meaning behind that one. When i get older, i will most certainly not be ashamed of having tattoos, but i'd like to be able to look at them and not think "Why did i get that?" or be reminded that i got it just because i was a dumb kid and wanted another tat. I almost got a star on my ankle as my first tat; really spontaneously i was like i'm gonna do it and the artist i wanted wasn't in. Now i'm really happy it's not there because i was going to get it mostly because i was bored.

That being said, i already have tattoos planned that have no real meaning, that are just going to look cool :)

i think it's personal preference and what your tattoos are to you; for some, they're memories, for others, they're art. for many, they're both.

before getting a tattoo, i think it's important to consider how you're going to feel about that particular piece of artwork later on down the road. are you going to want to look at that for the next seventy or so years? Also, you have to make sure it complements your body and plans for your future. If you know you're going to have kids, and are going to care what your body looks like afterwards, it may not be a good idea to get a tattoo on, say, your belly. And if you're wanting a specific career where they may not appreciate tattoos, you'll wanna get one where it can't be seen.

so yeah. those are the things i think about when i'm planning my tattoos :)

to me, the most important thing to consider is whether it is something you will love in the future. whether it has meaning doesn't really matter to me...one of my tattoos does have a deep meaning to me, but the others don't at all, they just look awesome. my most recent is my birthsign on my wrist...i guess you could say it has some meaning, but mostly, i just think it looks rad, and i always wanted a tattoo on my wrist.

when people look at a tattoo, they don't think 'man, that tattoo must have a great meaning', they think ' yeah, thats awesome'...this is one time where its all about looks and 'judging the book by its cover' as some might say.

as long as it looks rad, and you're ready to have it for life, who gives a crap why its there?

Well another thing that you might want to consider is that when your an older lady do you really want a huge tatoo that has a gun or knife on it? Well someone that i know got a tatoo that didnt have any black on it. It was a flower that was just pink and green. It will be fine when she gets older. The thing is you dont want a huge tweety on your ankle when you go to your daughter/sons wedding!