Getting a tattoo is serious business! Sure it's art, it's (usually…well, sometimes) beautiful, and it's cool… but it's also there for a really long time. You should make sure you know what you want a long time (no t a few minutes or a few beers) before you walk into that tattoo parlor with your new retro clothing and a wild idea. Now if you typically wear a lot of pin up clothes and have wanted a pretty lady tattooed on your thigh for a long time, go for it! If it was somet hing you came up with last night in a semi-drunken stupor when you decided that retro is your new ima ge…well, you might want to wait it out for a while. They make some crazy-awesome temporary tattoos that would look great through this phase, and then you won't be stuck with it when conservative is "ba ck in." Or when you decide to go Gothic and your pin -up girl is wearing a pink dress and has ribbons in her hair.

There are several things to consider before getting a tattoo…and the most important thing is safety! Don't just run into the first tattoo and piercing parlor you come across. Do some research, ask some tattooed buddies, and find out which tattoo artists are more highly recommended.A quick online search of the place you have in mind can give you reviews and ratings from real people. Not only will doing a little homework likely get you a better-looking tattoo, it's likely to keep you from unknowingly going into a place that doesn't use sterile equipment or keep their licenses up-to-date.

These are the next things you need to think about, and they are probably equally important. Ladies, if you might have kids someday, you might want to wait on that cute hip tattoo. Stretch marks aren't flattering additions to body art. Gentlemen, if you don't want your work to show at work, remember to keep it somewhere that your short-sleeved work clothes will cover. There is no limit whatsoever to what you can get tattooed on your body, but think about why you chose that cute fairy or that snarling panther. If it's a passing trend, you might not want it there forever. Some tattoos can be removed or covered up, but that can be a process. It's better to be sure you have art that you'll love forever!

Among the designs that are here one minute and gone the next are some tattoos that seem to always be popular and likely won't be going anywhere soon. Hearts and roses are always top choices with ladies, and crosses are popular with either gender. If you like the retro style, pin-up girls have been tattooed for decades, and probably won't go out of style. The only change that's been seen with these are the clothes the girl wears (or doesn't), and who gets them. More and more women are choosing a pin-up girl in retro clothing as a sign of confidence and female empowerment. For men, daggers and swords will probably never be outdated.
No matter what you pick, a tattoo reflects the person…so choose something that's just YOU!