One of the most important things you should do before getting your body tattooed is to search for the right parlor and the right artist. Most people just take a decision on an idea of getting a tattoo, and get it done in a tattoo parlor near them, not thinking twice about what they are going to do. Some of them are lucky and end up with a good tattoo while others don’t have as much luck.

Don’t rush it

Getting a tattoo is exciting, no doubt about it, but take your time to decide what you really want. Don’t rush it, because the ink will be there to stay, and you want to make sure that you get a tattoo, with which you’ll be happy for decades to come.

Check out several tattoo studios

When you’re buying a car, you usually don’t go to the first dealer, and directly buy the car. The same should hold true when getting a new tattoo.

Get examples from different shops, talk to the artists, ask them if you can stay around a bit and watch them work. Some will be friendly enough to let you do that (if the customer won’t mind, of course) and take time to talk your concerns over with them.

Analyze their work

You don’t need to be an expert to be able to differentiate between good and bad work. Take a close look of the pictures that are hanging out in the shop or try to see a live example. It’s easy to get carried away just by looking at the pictures, so make sure that you stay as objective and analytical as possible. It’s a red flag, if you notice jumpy, jagged or shaky lines. The lines should be smooth, and the colors bold, with no empty spaces, no matter how small.

Talk to your friends

Your friends can be a great help. Talk to them and ask about their experiences. Did they like their artists? Do they think the price/quality ratio was good enough? If you’re a bit more courageous, you might even want to talk with someone on the street, if you find their tattoo interesting. Most people love to talk about their tattoos, so don’t be afraid.