The dos and don’ts of getting your first tattoo

Research your tattooist. Take some time to see what’s out there and find someone whose work you really love.

Look for a bargain and don’t choose your tattooist based on price. You shouldn’t be put off about paying a good amount of money, this is going to be on you forever.

Trust the tattooist. Ultimately the tattooist will know best about what will work well, if you’ve picked someone you like, trust them.

Listen to your friends or boy/girlfriend. It’s your tattoo, so just listen to yourself and your tattooist, you’re the one who has to live with it.

Keep it simple. You’ve probably got a lot of ideas, but don’t cram them all in – it’ll just be confusing. You don’t have to put all your ideas into one tattoo.

Get caught up in the meaning of it. What really matters is having a beautiful image that you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life.

Think about placement and how it could potentially affect your future. Hands or necks, or even forearms, could all have an impact on your job prospects.

Get a tattoo done just because it’s trendy. Go for something classic that you know will age well and that you think will look good in ten years.

Listen to the tattooist’s aftercare advice and follow it closely. Getting a nice tattoo is as much about how well you look after it as what the tattooist does.

Go too small. We get your hesitation, but you should give the design the space it needs, if it’s smaller than it should be it just wont look as good.

Alex Woodhead is an apprentice at Black Garden Tattoo in Covent Garden.