Getting your first tattoo is one of those moments in life you don’t really forget; the anticipation of what the pain is going to be like, what if it goes wrong(?) oh, the fact you have to live with it forever. It can be a scary concept, but once you’ve been tattooed one time. It is unlikely you’re not going to be stopping anytime soon, that’s for sure. Everyone has a different first tattoo experience, some people love their ink forever, whether that be because it is meaningful or just damn amazing, others grow to hate it and wonder why they decided to get it in the first place. This goes out to the guy who got the tattoo of an almost naked Ronald McDonald… look it up if you want… or don’t.

There are also those people who have had a tattoo by an artist who made a mistake in the tattoo. Worst nightmare confirmed. We’ve all met someone who has a misspelt tattoo right? With “No Regerts” and “With every hartbeat” being placed at the top. But most of the time, an interesting story comes alongside it. So this is what happened when we asked 8 people to share their stories on their first tattoo experience. Some bad, but mostly good.

Cara Alvey got her first tattoo in memory of her sister, Cara says:

“I got my first tattoo on my 18th birthday from @warbotattoo stoke. I had booked a consultation for him on that day a few months prior. However, they actually had a full day cancellation so I contacted them asking if I could have the consultation and tattoo all in one day. They were happy to do so and Rich was really nice. I spent a long time finding a suitable artist for my first tattoo, I was lucky that I found an artist fairly nearby as I would have travelled far for the right piece. I got a Rabbit for my sister and her time of birth, she passed away the year before I was 18 so I wanted my first tattoo to be bright, beautiful and something to always remember her by!”

Such a lovely story from Cara and we love the piece that she has in memory!

Kacey Smith: “My dad dared me to get the human centipede across my feet as a joke. Surprisingly to him, I did just that! I forget I have it but that’s always changed as soon as someone reacts to it! I keep considering getting it covered up but I don’t know if I could, I’m so attached to it!”

Jo Jackson: I was 30 something when I had my first one done. I didn’t tell anyone beforehand. “My husband came home from work and I dragged him upstairs. “Look,” I said and dropped my trousers to reveal 3 stars tattooed on my bum. He thought his luck was in so was slightly disappointed!”

Our heart goes out to your husband Jo!

Sam Smethurst got her first tattoo in her ex-girlfriends (ex now, not then) handwriting and her ex-girlfriend has hers. Sam tell us “it’s a band we loved at the time, I started with my foot so I swore I would never get a tattoo again (I have) but I’m constantly ridiculed for getting Noel Gallagher lyrics.”

At least it wasn’t a name, hey Sam? 

Keeley Watts: “I got my first tattoo of the Manchester bee after the Manchester Attack. I always said, if I could work up the courage, I’d get the Manchester bee and it felt like the right time. I’ve seen some dreadful ones. But I love mine and it gets lots of compliments!”

Lucy Morgan-Cooper got her first tattoo of a semicolon by Charlee Darwin at Tattoos at 58, a tattoo that is known to show inner strength. Lucy says: “I got my first tattoo around a year ago because I had a breakthrough with my mental health and wanted to celebrate that in a permanent way. The tattoo represents to me that all of the bad things that have happened are not the end of the sentence and I can write my life however I want”

We feel you there Lucy, you’re a trooper and keep going!

Daisy Hollands who is 53 got her first tattoo when she was 28 to spite her brother and still loves it now. Daisy tells us the story:

So at the time, I lived in London and came home to Shropshire occasionally to spend time with my brother (who already had tattoos) and his then-girlfriend. In all honesty, I would have been happy to spend those weekends sitting around drinking tea and gossiping, but they always felt that we should “do” something. So on the day in question, I got up and said: “what have you planned for today then?” My brother replied, “I thought we’d drive over to Wrexham”. I asked, “oh – is that where you got your tattoos done?”  He sort of half laughed and almost sneering said “yeah, why? do you want to get one?”

I had never even thought about getting a tattoo at that point, but hey don’t think for a second I ever let anyone tell me what to do – I heard myself saying “Yes. Let’s go” with grim determination. All the way there in the car, I was thinking about what I might get – I knew nothing of tattoos, they weren’t nearly as common as they are now, especially for girls – I had no idea you could ask for what you wanted if they didn’t have it pre-designed. Anyway, I settled (in my mind) for a tiny, almost cartoon-like scorpion (my star sign) just like a simple pen drawing of the outline, in purple (my favourite colour).
We got there and I started leafing through the albums of available designs, seeing nothing even remotely like what I wanted. My brother started to laugh “Oh – they haven’t got what you want so now you’re not getting a tattoo? OKAY THEN” I literally pointed at the next one I turned over – “I’ll have that!” My brother did try to talk me out of it, I think he thought he had goaded me into it and started to feel bad, but he was never winning this one!
So that’s the story of how I got a tattoo to spite my younger brother who tried to tell me I couldn’t, wouldn’t or shouldn’t. “
Since then her daughter decided for her 18th birthday to get the same tattoo done (It’s the teeniest tiniest heart with a rose through it), on the same place on her body on her as a gift for her mum.
Such a cute idea from Soph to Daisy isn’t it?
Our final tattoo story is from Danielle Walmsley who is a blogger over at The Unseasoned Wag: “My first tattoo was a Playboy bunny on my belly when I was 15 simply because my mum said if I “ever” wanted one, I could. So that same afternoon I chose a meaningless, unoriginal Flash design & had it tattooed on the then best place on my body. I got it with no thought or planning but I don’t regret it… Even as a size 24 who can’t even see said Playboy bunny anymore under all the belly!”
At least you don’t regret it, Danielle, life is all about living!
We hope you enjoyed this post and we have lots more tattoo stories coming your way real soon.
Published in Tattoo blogs on

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