How to Get a Tattoo or Body Piercing

Video Transcript

"Hi, my name is Rachel, and I'm the owner of austinstylewatch.com, street fashion site, and I'm also a freelance fashion reporter, and today, we're going to talk about how to get a tattoo or a piercing. This is a really broad topic, so I'm going to try to cover as much of it, as I can, and we're going to start with the considerations you need to make, before you ever even step foot into a tattoo or piercing parlor, and that is, to think about where you want this tattoo, and evaluate that area, for how it will stretch, how it will age, and if it will show, or inhibit your career, so the first thing you're going to want to know, is an area like your belly, when you're going to get pregnant, that little sunflower you get there when you're young, is going to turn into like a full sun, by the time you get pregnant. It's something to think about, if you're getting it for when the breast area or thighs, it's going to stretch with age. If it's also an area with a lot of sun exposure, we're talking in your upper arms, your back, and you're in a sunny climate, and you're out in the sun a lot, the tattoo is not going to age well. It's going to fade, and it's going to need a lot of touch ups. Another thing to think about, will this inhibit your career? If you're having a tattoo on a part of your body, your hands, your arms, your neck, your face. It could really inhibit your career. It could stop you from getting hired at a place. It could keep you from public appearances, so just make a consideration and realize, that you have to be willing to cover that with makeup, every single day, or always wear long sleeves, if that's the spot you're going to choose. The final thing you should really consider, is the pain level. Know what your pain tolerance is, and when you look at that area, if it's got a lot of fat on it, like your haunches, or it's really close to bone, like on some lower parts of your leg, it's going to be a painful tattoo, so just be willing to accept that, so the next thing you'd want to do, is look at the possible tattooing and piercing parlors, and find one that you trust, and that's good. There's some websites online where you can check certification for piercing parlors, and for tattoo parlors, so that you know you're getting something safe. Your piercing tattoo artist, should always wear gloves, open a new needle from a pack, everything should be sterilized. If you see anything out of the ordinary when you go, get out of there. Also, take a look at their portfolio. See past work they've done, if it's something you like. Things you're going to want to bring with you, an ID. They're going to check if you're 18 or up. If you're not, you need to have a parental guardian with you, an ID, and sometimes in some areas, a birth certificate. For me personally, when I got my belly button ring done in Texas, I had to have a notarized birth certificate and my mother with me, so it's a little complicated. Another thing you want to do when you get your piercing, get good metal. Don't get a cheap little, these are very pretty, but the cheap metal is really going to irritate your skin, so make sure they put something in that's surgical steel, high grade gold, a pure metal that's going to handle well inside your skin, so these are some of the beginning things you need to think of, going into getting a tattoo or a piercing."