I just turned 33 and am wanting to get my first tattoo. It is something I have been thinking about for years, and now seems like the time. I don't plan to tell anyone, not even my husband. It is just something deeply personal for me. I tried to do it when I was in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago, and it was a disaster. I'm assuming that I don't fit the profile of their "regulars", so they did not take me seriously at all. They kept showing me vulgar pictures to try to embarrass me. Any suggestions on how to find the right place? This is important to me, and I don't want anyone to mess it up. Thanks!

The only advice I can give, is just visit a lot of shops. I think you'll know if it's right or not. Obviously, the shop you visited wasn't good, and I'm sure you'd have regretted it if you had insisted and gotten a tattoo from there. I happened to get extremely lucky when I got my first. It was in a shop a block away from my college, but it just so happened to be very clean, and my artist was great! Being young, shopping around for shops/artists hadn't even occured to me. I'm so glad I got lucky. But, along that same line, I am pretty sure if I had a bad feeling about anything of the shop, I'd have turned around and walked out. Do some research, visit several shops, and see where that leads you. Good luck!

I got my first tattoo a couple of months ago at the age of 34. Like you, I probably wouldn't be considered the "type" to ever get a tattoo, but after looking around at some shops in my area, I found a great place that was very professional and everyone there was so nice to me. I started out looking in the phone book and checking out the websites of the local studios. The websites are great because you can check out their photo galleries and you can e-mail them with any questions. You could also check for any female tattoo artists in your area. You may feel more comfortable being tattooed by a woman. The studio where I went has a female office manager and a female tattoo artist and even though I didn't get tattooed by her, I felt more comfortable going there because they worked there. Good luck with your search!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bnrfan,

I see that you wrote that you don't plan on telling your husband about your tattoo. How can you be sure he won't eventually find out or are you planning on telling him after it's done? It would be sad if this caused some hurt feelings. Would he not understand why you want a tattoo and that it would have a lot of meaning for you?

Hi ya. I got my first tat last year at the age of 41.... and got my second one a few months back. Getting a tattoo has been a life-long desire of mine. Anyways, I would like to recommend that you use a referral from someone you know or explore referrals from this web site. I'm sure there are numerous people in this forum and from your area that can refer you to someone local. This way you can check out the place before you commit. The three key things I have found to be important when searching for your “go-2-guy/gal” is their experience (in years), their knowledge of the tattoo art form, and how clean the place is.

Good luck!!

Getting a first tattoo is a big step in your life. There are people who just walk into a studio and pick the first piece of flash that they see and say "I want that one". Big mistake as embarking on the journey of getting a tattoo requires thought, research and support.
Not telling your husband is a mistake - he shares your life so share this part of yours with him. Make sure that you go to a studio before even getting your tattoo - as said earlier get advice as to who is good and bad in your area. Most artists will take time and explain about the thoughts and design that you want, some will even sketch up for you. All artists have given someone their first tattoo and understand the thought process, the fears and desires behind a tattoo. Don't rush into this, research, plan and then decide.
Good luck!