Three reasons why getting a tattoo is like pag-ibig

1. It is a risk. You should only give your heart to someone you know you can trust.

Choosing the person you are going to spend the rest of your life with is like choosing your artist: you better choose wisely or regret it for the rest of your life.

This is on top of the list for a very particular reason. It is very important (if not the most important) to look into whom you’re going to entrust your precious body with.  Philippine Tattoo Artist Guild President Ricky Sta. Ana could not stress this enough.

“Kapag nagpapa-tattoo ka sa mga backyard artist, hindi nila alam kung ano ‘yung dapat nilang ilagay sa iyo, ang alam lang nila ay para i-promote ‘yung pagta-tattoo nila. Kapag nilagay mo na ang tattoo sa katawan mo, nagre-reflect ito habang buhay, dadalhin mo ‘to. Kaya kapag nagpalagay ka ng tattoo sa kung kani-kanino lang at nagkamali ‘yung artist, ganoon din, magiging negative ‘yung dating sa iyo,” He added.

So rule of thumb is not to go cheap on your skin (or with love). You are making a permanent and visible change on your body so it is only fair that you spend your hard-earned cash on a trusted artist.

It also won’t hurt to check out their portfolio. Remember how most of us have this checklist of the characteristics we look for a person we want to marry?  The same should also go for our chosen artist. It is highly recommended to pay a visit to their tattoo shop and check if the place looks clean and if they have the necessary sanitation permits.

2. You need to be really committed.

Although it is still highly debatable if love lasts forever, I would really like to believe that it does. The same goes for tattoos. Tattoos last forever. Or at least as long as you are alive. That is why you need to be committed on what you are getting into.

Unless you have a huge amount of money to waste on tattoo removal, which mind you is more painful than the actual tattooing itself, then you really have to be committed regarding the design that you will choose. Thinking of putting the name of your cheating boyfriend on your skin? Seriously, that’s a risk you have to consider. So unless you are sure as hell that you are going to be with your partner ‘til death do you part, then DO NOT, by any means, tattoo their name (or worse, their face) on your skin.

You can always consult your artist about your chosen design, (So as you can see, it is really important to have a reliable person doing your skin because who knows, your tattoo artist might even misspell your name or that of your lover).

Again, this is a design that is going to be with you, literally, for the rest of your life. Do not choose something that is only popular for now. It’s like choosing your partner, “Is this the person who I want to see every morning when I open my eyes? Is he or she the person I want to spend my every journey with?”The same goes for your tattoo. Choose a design you know you will be happy seeing on your skin even when you turn 80.

3. It is going to hurt like hell.

Yes, it will hurt. But it is going to be worth it. In love and in getting a tattoo, you have to ask yourself, “If it didn’t hurt, would it mean as much to you?”

No idea how much pain you are going to face? Use this chart as a guide before finally deciding where to put your mark.