So you want to get an ankle tattoo?

Ankle tattoos are getting more and more popular right now. 16% of all Americans over the age of 18 have a tattoo. But what should you keep in mind before getting your ink done?

1. First time? Start small.

We live in a time where personality and customization are becoming more important to establishing yourself as an individual and TV shows like LA Ink are proof of the growing popularity of getting permanent body art. Ankle tattoos are especially popular due to their subtlety and delicacy. This makes ankle tattoos the most popular choice for “tattoo newbies”.

You may not want your first tattoo to be a big, bold statement and then realize that it’s just not the “type” of a tattoo. So first of all, start small.

2. Can you handle bread?

Okay, let’s be real. Getting a tattoo on your ankle WILL HURT. All tattoos do. The most painful tattoos have proven to be the spine, chest, inner thigh, and generally places with sensitive skin or skin close to bone. For some, the ankle will be one of those sensitive spots, but luckily ankle tattoos are usually very small and delicate. This means less time getting the tattoo done, which translates to less time in pain. If you are not sure if you can tolerate the pain, ask your local tattoo artist to test it with a dry (no ink) tattoo gun in the place you want. The feeling will be the same as getting the real deal.

3. Get the design right.

Consider what you want your tattoo to convey. Are you getting ink to honor your body? Perhaps you have some kind of spiritual statement or otherwise that you want to pass on? Some people do it to mark an event or simply as a personal test of limits and overcoming fear. Whatever the case, find out the “why” before the “what”. It can even be helpful to make a mind map to make your brain really work.

4. Find the graph.

There are several ways to choose the design. If you’re not worried about getting a tattoo that a lot of people already have, go to Google and type “xyz tattoo” into image search and replace xyz with whatever type of design you’ve chosen. Let’s say I want a heart chakra tattoo, I type “heart chakra tattoo” into Google image search and go through pages of images of other people’s tattoos. If you’re a little more concerned with getting a personal tattoo that few people already have, there are tattoo collections available to buy with thousands of different tattoos for you to choose from.

5. Be personal.

Generally speaking, no matter which idea you end up choosing for your design… someone beats you to it. This is a good thing, we all share similar experiences and are social creatures. But if you’re concerned about making your design as personal as possible, here’s a trick. Do the Google search as mentioned above and look at the tattoo images. This will spark creativity to come up with your own design AND allow you to see what has already been done. Take the ideas and do something different. Instant custom tattoo.

Final thoughts.

It doesn’t matter if you choose to get a tattoo or not, it’s important to do your homework. Tattoos hurt, but nothing hurts more than the regret of getting the wrong ink. Be creative and motivated and never get a tattoo for anyone other than yourself. A tattoo is something sacred and personal. Good luck!