Body piercings and tattoos

[Zherog]

I'm looking to tread delicately here so as to avoid any CoC issues. Please be mindful of things if you reply.

I have a female friend who is interested in possibly getting pierced in places other than her ears. She's intrigued by the idea, but would love to have some questions answered. If you have any piercings and are willing to talk to her (via e-mail most likely, though possibly through AIM), I'd love to hear from you. And, of course, if you're willing to discreetly share some details in the thread, she'll be reading along. She's interested in information about the following:

1) Just how painful was it when you first got it?
2) How long did it take to heal?
3) Have you had any complications?
4) Have you, er... gained any benefits from having it, or is it "just" decoration?

And, of course, anything else you have to add that she might find useful to know but doesn't know to ask would be wonderful too.

***

She's also interested in getting tattoo. I suspect this part of the conversation will be easier with regards to the CoC. She's interested in the following:

1) How did you pick your tattoo artist? Are there any sort of "credentials" she ought to look for, or is one generally as good as another?
2) How painful was it to get?
3) Are there places a first timer probably should avoid? For example, she's heard that "bony" areas are more painful than fleshy areas.
4) Again, other things she should know about, but doesn't know to ask, would be useful.


If you would like to help her out with answers but don't want to post the information publicly, you can send me a PM or an e-mail (zherog at yahoo dot com) and I'll arrange to get you in directly in touch with her.

Thanks in advance for anybody who can help shed some light on the subject for her.

[RAGE KING!]

this isn't really with your thread THAT much but w.e.

I was looking at the guiness book of world records, and the most piercings in a single session is something like 1050. The most tattooed man traveled the world, getting various colourful tattoos. Then he got a covering of black ink EVERYWHERE on his body, even the weird places, and his eyelashes/gums. HE HAS BLACK GUMS! Now he's getting white tattoos, with coloured ones on top of them.

Also, if she's likely to get in a fight, I wouldn't get piercings if I were her. They might get hurt, badly.

[Zherog]

Also, if she's likely to get in a fight, I wouldn't get piercings if I were her. They might get hurt, badly.

I don't think that's an issue....

[Oeryn]

I don't know about piercings, but I've got a couple tattoos. I'd say definitely scope the place out first. Check to see that it's decently clean, and the artists aren't doin' anything they shouldn't, and everything they should (cleaning equipment before every customer, wearing gloves, etc.). Then start talkin' to the artist you're considering. If you want something straight out of the little catalog they have, I wouldn't stress too much about it. But especially if you're wanting something unique (or that you brought in yourself), ask to see their portfolio. Most of 'em will be glad to get it out, and show you their work.

It's true, they CAN be pretty painful, but if she sticks to mainly fleshy areas, she'll be fine. A good artist (one who'll talk to her about stuff beforehand) will warn her away from things that are especially painful (ankles, knuckles, breastbone, head, spine, etc.). The worst pain I've ever had from a tattoo was basically like having someone take their fingernail and scratch the same place over and over. Honestly, it's more about endurance than it is pain tolerance.

[JellyPooga]

On piercings...

1) Just how painful was it when you first got it?
2) How long did it take to heal?
3) Have you had any complications?
4) Have you, er... gained any benefits from having it, or is it "just" decoration?

Several friends (male and female) have had their...done and much like any other piercing, different people have different reactions. Some find it very painful, but others don't find it too bad. From the accounts I've heard, women find it more painful than men (depite women usually having higher pain thresholds).

Healing time also depends on person, but you can probably expect to be...out of action...for about a month.

Complications are usually self inflicted; not keeping it clean, over-use, playing with it too much (not in that way...), etc. However, sometimes you just get unlucky though (it's fairly rare if you're careful).

Pretty much the point is for...other...benefits. It's not like you'll be showing it off to everyone you meet. By all accounts, after the healing period, the...other....benefits are significant (and that's a good significant, not a bad one).

On tattoos...

1) How did you pick your tattoo artist? Are there any sort of "credentials" she ought to look for, or is one generally as good as another?
2) How painful was it to get?
3) Are there places a first timer probably should avoid? For example, she's heard that "bony" areas are more painful than fleshy areas.
4) Again, other things she should know about, but doesn't know to ask, would be useful.

Picking a tattoo artist is a tricky thing. Usually the best thing to do is to go to several tattoo artists in the area and look at the pictures they have in the parlour...they usually have photos up of their work and some places will have more than one artist and they often do each other (or themselves), so you should be able to ask to see their actual work. I got lucky with the first place I went to, but some places aren't as good as others. Alternatively, ask friends with tattoos of their own where they got theirs (or even stop people in the street who have tatts you like...many people who are part of the body art culture are pretty friendly, especially if you take an interest in the artwotk they've had done).

Like piercings, pain is a relative thing. I got my tattoo on my uper left shoulder and it felt no worse than being scratched (though it was a scratch that lasted a bit longer than normal), but I have a fairly high pain threshold. Some people I've spoken to about it said it hurt a lot, but most people find it less painful than they're going to expect.

The "less painful in some areas, more in others" thing is rubbish. I was told that bony areas hurt more and my tatt was on my shoulder blade (which doesn't get much more bony). The bits that hurt most were actually the bits that were more fleshy. Then again, I've heard of people finding bony bits more painful as well...go figure; it's all relative.

General advice? Don't get anyones name, face, symbol, related image, anything...not pets, not family, not your boyfriend, nothing...you never know what might change and when.
When you book your appointment, choose what design you want then and make the appointment for about a month down the line. That way, you have a month to think about whether you still want htat design. Come the day and you still want it, it's a safe bet that you'll still want it 20 years later.
Listen to the advice your tattooist gives you about looking after it. There's nothing worse than screwing up a tattoo because you let it get infected or used a cream that drew the ink out of it....in fact, same goes for piercings; make sure you keep it disinfected as per the instructions you're given by whoever pierced you...if it gets infected, it's not fun and you might not be able to get it pierced again.

hmm, can't think of anything else right now. If you have any more questions, I'll be happy to help, so just yell if you do. Have fun kids! (and make sure to post pics when they're done...well...not of the piercing)

[de-trick]

I have a question of my own. I'm 15 right and thinking of getting a tattoo soon within the year, but I'm still growing will the tattoo grow with me or get distorted( I want to get a tiger of the ball of my shoulder0

[Yiel]

Great advice JellyPooga

If you want things from a girl's view:

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1) Just how painful was it when you first got it?
2) How long did it take to heal?
3) Have you had any complications?
4) Have you, er... gained any benefits from having it, or is it "just" decoration?

I used to have my Tragus and eyebrow pierced. I do have my belly-button pierced (this piercing is seven years old with no problems whatsoever)

1. All were very painful when I got them done, but after the initial pain passed my body was filled with adrenalin and the pierced area felt warm, yet fragile to the touch.
2. All of these took several weeks (into months) to heal even with good care. Your body is not built to have bits of metal shoved through it. With good care you will have primary healing after that. Some areas (such as the tragus, tongue and eyebrow) never reach full healing. This can mean infections years down the road if you are unlucky.
3. After too many hours on the beach in Spain while backpacking, my Tragus started to hurt. (Piercing was a year old) I had a piercing shop in Madrid look at it, but the language barrier was too much. I had it removed when I reached France again as the replacement bar they had given me was too small and had exacerbated the infection. My eyebrow ring simply grew out after having it for a year.
4. Decoration. I don't fool myself about my piercings, they were simply fun to have (Addictive even) and I liked the way they looked at the time.

About THAT place? I'm not interested but a friend has had that area pierced. Even as someone who knows a lot about piercings (she has a face-full) she has found this the most difficult to care for of her piercings. She won't however tell me if it has any benefits, she just smiles slyly when I ask that.

1) How did you pick your tattoo artist? Are there any sort of "credentials" she ought to look for, or is one generally as good as another?
2) How painful was it to get?
3) Are there places a first timer probably should avoid? For example, she's heard that "bony" areas are more painful than fleshy areas.
4) Again, other things she should know about, but doesn't know to ask, would be useful.

I have three tattoos in easily concealed areas. (well unless I wear a bikini). I have a Phoenix on my lower back, a lily on the top of my foot and a small cartoon cloud just underneath the pant line on my upper-thigh/lower-stomach area.

1. Look at their previous work. Ask to drop in on a session. Ask old clients. Ask friends. Ask people you meet with tattoos you like. I picked mine by watching his work for a while and seeing what he could do with my designs. Also, I loved the work he had done on other people who worked at the place, and the work he had designed to have placed on himself.
2. My tattoos all hurt in different degrees at different times. Bring chupa-chups (or other lollipops) to suck on for sugar, and to bite down on the stick in painful times. Take breaks as regularly as possible.
3. The lily on the top of my foot was my first tattoo. I chose somewhere I had been warned was painful, and that I knew was easily hidden. This was so I could get used to having a tattoo on me, would know what future pain I could face, and if I decided tattoos weren't for me, this was easily covered. (Yes it does have meaning to me, but I don't feel like sharing as its a private pain.) My friends and I have found that bony places covered in nerve endings such as the foot, ankle, wrist etc. are the most painful places. In close second is the area over your kidney's in your lower back, The spine was not as painful as when he was skipping over the seemingly "soft" bit of flesh over my kidneys.
4. Pooga gives great advice. LISTEN TO YOUR TATTOO ARTIST! Except for the tattoo on my foot (which gets rubbed daily by socks in my joggers) none of my tattoos have faded. Even now years later I still put tattoo goops on them to lock in the colour. At the time of the tattoo though, the best product to use is Bepanthen. Not too much, not too little, and regularly. Too much will lift the ink, too little and your skin will crack and peel. All my friends who have had tattoos swear by this for a new tattoo.

One of my tattoos can be seen in the You thread. Here are some links to a friend's tattoos: Upper Arm, Calf (not yet finished at the time) + her Avarice.

[Zherog]

Thanks for the info so far.

Also, if you're going to send me an e-mail rather than replying on the board, please be clear in your subject line that you're from GitP, so that I can easily find it if your message ends up in my spam filter.

[JellyPooga]

I have a question of my own. I'm 15 right and thinking of getting a tattoo soon within the year, but I'm still growing will the tattoo grow with me or get distorted( I want to get a tiger of the ball of my shoulder0

My advice is to wait a couple of years...some people get tatts when they're young, but most people I know who did have regretted it in some way (don't like the design anymore, don't want the tatt full stop, it stretched, etc.). I got mine when I was 18 and 5 years down the line I still love it...however, when I was 15, I was a very different person and would possibly gotten something I didn't like. I'm not saying that you'll change as much as I did, but it's a consideration...

In direct response to your question, it entirely depends on where you get your tatt as to the degree (if at all) it will distort. For the most part, you shouldn't have to worry about it though; most places don't distort significantly enough to be noticeable (or so I've heard).

Yiel: I want to know your friend. She has nice tattoos and likes lizards (and if you don't already, you should know that I have a weakness for all things small, scaly and cold-blooded) . I like the tatt you've posted a pic of in You...very neat artwork; you're lucky to know a good tattooist (most of my friends with tatts went to the wrong place and have pretty substandard art)

[jazz1m]

Piercings - depends on where you get them of course.

Painful
I have a nose piercing and it hurts when the pop the needle through your nose, but it's not so bad afterwards.

Some of my friends have nipple piercings, and others have genital piercings. The Christina (on the ****oral hood) tends to be what most females get when the ask for a genital piercing although there are some rare exceptions that have actual piercings on their ****oris. I also have a friend who has the skin between his thumb and index finger pierced. I would say that of all of them either the Christina or the last piercing hurts the most. My friend who got the skin btw index and thumb said that it hurt alot and that he couldn't actually move his hands the way he wanted. Surprisingly, I heard that nipple piercing doesn't hurt that much.

2) How long did it take to heal?
About a month maybe less for nose, not sure about the Christina, nipples take about 6-8 weeks, and the gap between the thumb and index took about a month. Just be careful that you clean it well and you don't aggravate the piercings or try to take out the jewelry before the allotted time, this could lead to infection and the holes closing up.

3) Have you had any complications?
Nope, I'm very paranoid about these things and therefore kept it clean and had no infections. Of course, I tend to lose a lot of noserings. As far as nipple rings, my friend has one and it can occasionally get caught in clothing (ouch) or if things fall on it it hurts, a lot. Christina's I haven't heard of any, although if you get an actual genital piercing, then you run the risk of losing sensitivity. For the finger gap one, he couldn't move his hand for a while due to the pain.


4) Have you, er... gained any benefits from having it, or is it "just" decoration?
My nose ring is just for decoration. My friend who has the nipple ring says that her nipples are more sensitive, for the genital, apparently the sex is better, and the hand one was just for decoration.

1) How did you pick your tattoo artist? Are there any sort of "credentials" she ought to look for, or is one generally as good as another?
You figure out what kind of tattoo you want first, and then you look through various tattoo artist portfolios to find the artist that does a lot of work in the area that you want. It takes a lot of time but is worth it at the end. Don't ever go to a tattoo parlor where they don't have a book of the artists' works.

2) How painful was it to get? It wasn't so bad. It felt like a cat's nails dug into your skin and being dragged across the area. Afterwards it felt like a sunburn. Of course the pain is dependent on where you get the tattoo. Places on the bone like the shoulder, spinal column, or places with a lot of nerve endings, or sensitive areas hurt (such as inner arm, thigh, stomach)

3) Are there places a first timer probably should avoid? For example, she's heard that "bony" areas are more painful than fleshy areas.

See above

4) Again, other things she should know about, but doesn't know to ask, would be useful.
Wear loose clothing on the tattoo and keep it moisturized with lotion. It will itch a lot after a couple days, but don't itch it, and don't pick at it, the tattoo won't heal correctly. Also, depending on what she wants to do later on or what kind of job she has or wants is a big deciding factor on if she should get a tattoo or not. Most corporate jobs won't hire you if you have noticeable tattoos, so try to get it somewhere where it can be easily concealed.

[Scorpina]

1) How did you pick your tattoo artist? Are there any sort of "credentials" she ought to look for, or is one generally as good as another?

Well, I personally am related to my tattoo artists so there wasn't a lot of 'picking' to be done. However, one is definitely not as good as an other. The best way of finding out is to ask customers who've been their before, especially if you can look at the art and see if it's good enough, and holds up to the passage of time... this can, of course, be tricky if you don't know anyone else with tattoos.

2) How painful was it to get?

They're... moderately painful. It does vary a lot depending on where they are.

3) Are there places a first timer probably should avoid? For example, she's heard that "bony" areas are more painful than fleshy areas.

Bones = Pain. I have one on the muscle of my arm, that wasn't anywhere near as painful as the one on the base of my spine. If you're worried about pain, avoid bones.

[Zherog]

Thanks for the thoughts and experiences, Scorpina and Jazz.

[Scorpina]

Thanks for the thoughts and experiences, Scorpina and Jazz.

You're most welcome Zherog, well for me, I don't presume to speak for Jazz.

[Elanya]

As for tattoos, I can only second...erm..third....fourth....whatever the rest.
Check to make sure the artist and the parlor are clean!

Friends of mine recommended a shop but when I went to check the artist was smoking while setting ink Just to be polite I asked to see some of his designs and what he would make of my idea/sketch, and I was bluntly told that I could pick something from the book that looked sort of like it. Needless to say, I wished them a good day and left.
The studio I did get it set at was excellent. It was clean, they explained everything I needed to know, gave me a piece of paper with details on tattoos to read at home, made me an appointment for 6 weeks later and helped me design my own tattoo. One thing I really liked was them telling me that if I wanted it done with shading effects they'd refer me to a different shop because someone that was really good at that worked there and Id get a better tattoo then if I had them set it. I wanted a tribal so I got introduced to the female tattoo artist that worked there. Without asking I was shown her entire portfolio.
After the artist drew the set up on my arm I decided I didn't like the head of the gecko, so she just kept redrawing it until I liked it:

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I didn't think it hurt, but I'm pretty insensitive to pain anyway. What bothered me was the itching when it started healing, and the fact that you can NOT scratch at it. I was a bit obsessive about keeping it clean and putting the creme on, but some parts of the tail did need a touch up after two months:

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(more creme and more...itching...gah!).
I personally don't see a reason to avoid an area for a first time. If you want that tattoo there you have a reason for it, and a few hours of pain shouldn't get in the way of something like this. It is for a lifetime.

[Hell Puppi]

1) How did you pick your tattoo artist? Are there any sort of "credentials" she ought to look for, or is one generally as good as another?

First two i just picked a random place, mostly because they were fairly easy black-only pieces, the last one I went to a recommeded tattoo shop and looked through the artist's portfolios. I'd ask people that already have tats, then look through the artist's books and see which one does the work closest to what your looking for (use of color, line work, ect)

2) How painful was it to get?
Not very, but then again I've had them all done on squishy places. It just felt like getting scratched. My bf got one done on his ribs and said it was extremely painful

3) Are there places a first timer probably should avoid? For example, she's heard that "bony" areas are more painful than fleshy areas.
Yes, this is true. Ribs hurt, one the spine hurts. Basically anywhere that bone if close to flesh is going to be more painful, but if it means something to you its worth the pain (sounds hardcore, huh?)

4) Again, other things she should know about, but doesn't know to ask, would be useful.
Look for a recommended shop, make sure its clean, make sure the artist does good work.

[I'm da Rogue!]

1) How did you pick your tattoo artist? Are there any sort of "credentials" she ought to look for, or is one generally as good as another?

She should look carefully for an artist.
The most important, in my opinion, is that the artist is very careful with his tools and keeps them clean.
The place where I got my tattoo smelled like a hospital. And I felt safe. You can get lots of diseases, this thing (paint) gets under your skin!

2) How painful was it to get?

It was painful when he was tattooing a bony place. have a big tattoo at my back, and it was more painfull at the bony parts. The more the flesh, the less the pain But not too painful in general, it was OK.

3) Are there places a first timer probably should avoid? For example, she's heard that "bony" areas are more painful than fleshy areas.

Oops! I've already said that


4) Again, other things she should know about, but doesn't know to ask, would be useful.

IMO, she should pick a unique drawing. I picked my own from the artwork of a band and I've only seen it on one girl. I felt really sad when I saw it, but I'm glad noone else has it and it's rare. It's good to have something unique. And you must draw it yourself/ find a friend to draw it for you so you make it just like u want it.

Don't look at the ready drawings, it sucks.


That's all my advice, good luck to her and anyone who wants to get a tattoo!

[Brickwall]

I would just like to note how interesting it is to me that Yiel's tats are in the exact same places as the ones on my dance teacher. Different tats, but same places. Freaky.

Anyway, my recommendation about getting tattoos will always be thus: don't. No matter how good care you take of them and of yourself, your aging body will eventually make them deformed, faded, blurred, and whatnot. And if you gain significant weight, that's just worse. Try never to do anything that you'll regret when you've got kids. The little freaks WILL see you naked at some point, and they WILL ask about the tattoo. Plan aheah, folks.

And I can't say I wouldn't be turned off by an Australian piercing (not an offense to Australians, just...think about it). Why would people do that to themselves...

[Dawn]

I wouldn't recommend piercing anything other than ears. It's not real fun to have holes in other parts of you...

Tatoos are expensive and time consuming. I have no issue with them, but a word of warning: THEY ARE PERMANENT! Something that seemed like a good idea 4 years ago may come back to haunt you.

[Scorpina]

Try never to do anything that you'll regret when you've got kids.

If you ever have kids.

The little freaks WILL see you naked at some point, and they WILL ask about the tattoo.

...why would that be a problem?

And I can't say I wouldn't be turned off by an Australian piercing (not an offense to Australians, just...think about it). Why would people do that to themselves...

That I have to agree with. Squicky.

[Zherog]

My friend has children, and it's a non-issue.

Thanks for everybody who has posted experiences and tips. She's been much appreciative of the feedback provided.

[phoenixineohp]

I wouldn't recommend piercing anything other than ears. It's not real fun to have holes in other parts of you...

Tatoos are expensive and time consuming. I have no issue with them, but a word of warning: THEY ARE PERMANENT! Something that seemed like a good idea 4 years ago may come back to haunt you.

On the contrary, it can be very fun to have some piercings in other places.

On sites like BME and Body mod there is a large gallery and wealth of information about both body mods, and ones way beyond.

For piercings, people find that ones below the neck, aside from the bellybutton can either increase the feeling or, in some cases, decrease it. Nipple piercings may also impact milk flow, so if she is going to have more kids, she may want to think about that.

Just like for tattoos, you want to go to a really great piercing shop. If they do ears by gun, stay away. If they do them by needle and require a booking after the consultation, they tend to be much better. If the piercer does not have any visible piercings themselves, I'd be a little wary too. Clean and sterile are two of the most important words. You can ask to see their book, which should have their adult section too, with the piercings named and a few samples of each. The ones below the belly button are going to be expensive, and if they seem cheap, I'd be worried. As for nipple piercings, there has to be some consideration about them being ripped out. I had a friend who had his nearly torn out during a rugby game. >.< Bras may help, but little kids grab. Thats how I had the back of my cartridge piercing ripped off while teaching swim lessons. I am very glad that it wasn't anywhere else at that moment.

One thing I don't think has been said is that both body mods have a tendency to be addictive. They really can be.

All that being said, piercing have a general advantage of being something that you can take out and heal after. They can go in and if you don't like it, come back out. I just worry if it decreases sensitivity, that it might be from nerve damage, which probably won't heal.

Please let us know if she decides anything. Have fun!

[JellyPooga]

One thing I don't think has been said is that both body mods have a tendency to be addictive. They really can be.

I'll second that...I've been wanting to get another tattoo pretty much since I got my 1st one and even though I said I wouldn't get any piercings other than my nipple, I've found myself considering what to stick metal through next...

Yeah...there's a reason that people with tatts/piercings often have quite a few of them...

[Raiser Blade]

Instead of a tat i would get waterproof henna.

It looks the same but it only lasts a couple of months so you can change it.

And it's painless to apply.

[Kitya]

I've emailed you some thoughts, but I thought I'd put this part out here...

It's about the "your kids will see you" thing.

Hubby and I have tattoos. I have two, he has three. Our daughter has seen all of our tats. Now, granted, she's not quite a year old, but she's still intruiged by them. She keeps trying to pinch them off so she can play with them. *chuckles* We have a couple very firm rules. You must put them in a place that can be easily covered (mine are on my thigh and upper arm), and you must like the drawing for at least a year so you know you're serious about that drawing. We don't do flash art, just as a personal opinion. We prefer something original that no one else is going to have. So, when our daughter is older, and she asks questions, we're going to answer them. If she wants one, she's going to be told that when she's 18, and she's liked a pic for at least a year, she can get one. If she can afford it.

Even my mother, who is anti-tattoo, had to admit that mine are "pretty" and are actually art... *chuckles* I have a couple Pern dragons.

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[Zherog]

Your e-mail was spectacularly informative!

On a related note... Holy Coincidences, Batman! Your egg is almost exactly like one of the ideas my friend has in mind! Wow!

[Dragonrider]

I only have piercings in my ears, but I have two in each and that second set was quite a discussion with my mom. She doesn't like more than one, and she says "I know it's a stupid knee-jerk reaction, but that's just how I feel". As she didn't have a real reason for not wanting me to do it, she went ahead and went down with me in July (made me pay the $40!) and afterwards said "well, that's all right, it looks nice on you. I guess it wasn't the mistake I thought it might me."

votes of confidence are nice, huh?

One thing - in my experience, the healing period is much longer than they say it will be. I got my second ear piercings done in early July, and it's been over six weeks but they still aren't even close to fully healed. I did change them this weekend, because I was tired of the color, but I put in the earrings they pierced my first set with, just to be safe. And I won't change them regularly for the first year.

That may just be me...I had to do the same thing with the first set, which is how I knew I'd have to. The left one is fine, but in my right ear for some reason changing it in the first six months makes me pass out if I'm not sitting or lying down. It doesn't hurt, but my head spins and things start going black. (curse that low blood pressure!)

[phoenixineohp]

I'll second that...I've been wanting to get another tattoo pretty much since I got my 1st one and even though I said I wouldn't get any piercings other than my nipple, I've found myself considering what to stick metal through next...

Yeah...there's a reason that people with tatts/piercings often have quite a few of them...

Get the other one done? I could never personally understand those who got one and not both. It just seems odd to me. Symmetry and all. (And yet I have 4 in one ear and 2 in the other.)

I thought of another thing. If she is getting pierced with a gauge that is larger than standard, say for her ears, always get it a gauge larger (so that the hole is larger) than the gauge you want to keep it at. So if you want to wear a size 12, pierce it a size 14, then put in the 12. Otherwise it can get 'tight'. However, cartilage bumps can happen. Cartilage is a whole bucket of fun like that.

Also, watch out for nerves and where they go. Though a good artist will know that.

As for the tattoos only at age 18. I have a friend at work who was told that, and the shop also turned him down. So he did his own doodle mess. I would try to avoid that at all costs. Not that your kid will be as brilliant as my friend.

[Kitya]

I believe the law for most states, (or at least for Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky) Is that a tattoo shop will not ink you until you are 18, OR, at least 16 with a Parent or Legal Guardian physically present to sign the paperwork. Having a note from said parent isn't good enough.

I'm used to be friends with a few artists (till their shop moved to another town) so I used to hang out there a lot and got a lot of interesting tidbits. Like... it's a good place if at least one artist on site has an EMT or First Aid certificate. Just in case you are a bleeder. I almost didn't get my first tattoo finished because I was on prednisone at the time, and I didn't realize that a side effect was the thinning of your vein walls... so... if I took pred the day of inking, I bled a fair bit, but if I didn't, I was ok. My artist was a little concerned, and seriously debated continuing on me, but once we figured out what the problem was, we agreed that I wouldn't take my meds the day of an inking... and since by that time I was down to every other day, that wasn't a problem.

OH! and always eat or drink something with sugar in it... like orange juice... before you get inked OR pierced. Some people get an adrenaline rush, usually in anticipation of pain, so after the rush wears off their bloodsugar can drop and they can actually pass out. I saw it a few times when I was hanging around in the store. Most piercing shops always make you stay for at least 10-15 min afterwards, just to make sure this doesn't happen to you.

[Mad Scientist]

As for piercings, while they don't have to be permanent, you should find a clean, reputable shop because nasty things can happen to a piercing. Choose a shop that reminds you of a dentists or doctors office (clean, well-lit work space, smells like antiseptic, etc). All the piercing equipment should either be single use and discarded or autoclave sterilized for each piercing. The jewelry should be surgical steel NOT SILVER or else it can "darken" the hole (read: "permenant black mark"). Remember, if you don't feel comfortable with a shop or an artist you can just leave. Make sure you eat something before you go to keep your blood sugar high enough to supress going into shock. Also, make sure you understand how to care for your piercing. It takes weeks or months to heal completely and will take longer for some people. The best advice I can give for the healing process is DO NOT touch your piercing unless you have washed your hands. Period. Touching/poking/playing with the piercing will irritate the site, slow the healing, and possibly cause an infection.
I had my nose pierced and it actually did not hurt at all. I was really expecting it to hurt and it didn't. Not even when she inserted the jewerly. I had my ears pierced in grade school with a gun- bad idea. It was extremely painful and they got infected because the saline wash solution (not used anymore) caused the skin on my ears to dry out, crack, and bleed. So, don't get a gun piercing and don't use a salt wash! I hope this was helpful.

[phoenixineohp]

The no brainer: follow the care instructions.

One guy I saw got his lip done and then went out to celebrate. Drank lots of beer. Brilliant.

Mmmm... gross.