You always remember your first tattoo — whether it's something you planned for months, years, or even just a few minutes. Making the decision to get inked can be emotional, thrilling, and might even signify an important event, relationship, or life stage. Or it can be purely aesthetic with no sentimental value — it's up to you.
We talked to 19 people who made the jump from bare skin to getting inked for the very first time. There are stories of love, hardship, faith, rebellion — and even a few inside jokes. Read their personal stories, ahead, and then share your own experience in the comments below.
*Entries have been edited for clarity
“It's a matching tattoo with my best friend: My BFF4L. We got them at 17 to be rebellious and confirm our best friendship in ink, of course! We saved up pocket change all summer and that day, we cashed it in at the penny arcade and we each had enough to get this tiny tattoo for $80 (£55) each — it was totally worth it!!”
— Kristyn
Illustrated by Mallory Heyer.
“I wanted to get over my fear of needles, and honour a big life transition. It's an homage to Louise Brooks and moving to NYC when I was 24 (this was 1999). I picked Louise because I personally love the silent film era (and I've been wearing a '20s bob for aeons). She was also an incredibly strong willed, determined, intelligent, and wildly talented woman with a biting wit. I find her inspiring.”
— Julia
Photo: Courtesy of Julia.
“I remember when I decided to go in for my first tattoo. I brought in a sketch of a cherry blossom my friend drew for me — I held onto it for a year deciding on whether this was what I really wanted. On impulse one day when I was 18, I decided I had to do it. I brought that same friend with me for emotional support (I was terrified of needles).
"Spent about an hour before the tattoo freaking out, and then another hour totally calm while getting it. It's a cherry blossom with flowing petals on my ribcage/side boob. It's my mum's favourite tree, and we had one in our backyard when I was growing up. There is something really beautiful and comforting about it for me. I remember telling myself this would be the only tattoo I'd ever get. Five later... guess not?”
— Dasha
Illustrated by Mallory Heyer.
“My tattoo is a woman's face with a mask coming off of her. I got it as a gift to myself at 22 for graduating college and to celebrate the woman I came to be. I actually didn't know what the design was going to be until the day I got it — I had found an artist I really liked on Instagram and, a few DMs later, he agreed to do a custom piece for me. His one rule, however, was that clients weren't able to preview the art until the day of their appointment. This made me incredibly anxious, but also relieved — because unless I really hated it, I had to say yes!
"The added complication in this scenario was also that this artist worked at a shop in Lyon, France, and I planned to stop over there during my post-college graduation trip to Europe. My parents had no idea, and I told them I was visiting Lyon for the cuisine (lol). So, to go all the way to France just for a tattoo that I had no idea what it was going to look like was definitely a risk, but I trusted the artist and his portfolio of work. Needless to say it went well, and I still love my tattoo to this day!”
— Zoe
Photo: Courtesy of Zoe.
“My Dad wouldn't let me pierce my face and told me to get a tattoo instead. Growing up, I wanted to be a professional photographer, so at 18 I decided to get a 35mm on my back.”
— Samantha
Photo: Courtesy of Samantha.
“So, I'm bi-racial — half Black and half Puerto Rican — and went through a lot of identity issues growing up. I always felt a need to prove both my Blackness as well as my Latina-ness, but the Black part came a little easier based on where I grew up, in Maryland, where there are very few Latinos. So I always went to the extreme to show my Latina pride... including with a tattoo that reads "Boricua." With a crown over it. On my pelvis, right above my vagina. Yep.
"Back then [at 18] I was young so I wanted it somewhere I could easily hide it from my parents. I wouldn't be able to show this on camera because of where it's placed (I also got it from a not-so-great college tattoo parlour artist, so it hasn't worn well over the years) but I am totally down to talk about it, LOL! I don't regret it at all because that's the place I was in in my life, and I'll always have the funny story. But a crown... what was I thinking?!”
— Arianna
Illustrated by Mallory Heyer.
“Elephants are my favourite animal, because they've always seemed to be lucky for me. I have them all over my apartment, and I always knew that my first tattoo would be one. So I found an artist that I loved on Instagram and set up an appointment with her in her private studio. She does stick-and-poke tattoos, which initially scared me. But the process was amazing. I brought my friend along with me for support, but my artist made me feel at ease immediately. We lit some candles, listened to New Order, and in 20 minutes I had my 'lil elephant. Afterwards, we went out for margaritas and tacos. I couldn't have asked for a better first tattoo experience.
"It was my 25th birthday present to myself. I'd been planning on getting tattooed since I was 16, but I wanted to wait until I was 100% sure that this was what I wanted. The ribcage placement was an obvious choice for me. I wanted people to be able to see it when I wanted them to, but I also wanted to be able to conceal it when I needed. Everyone thought I was nuts for going for the ribs first, but I was determined! Since then I've gotten more conspicuous tattoos, but this was a good first spot.”
— Maria
Photo: Courtesy of Maria.
“I was just learning what the astrology signs meant, and I really identified with mine — the Aries sign — so I wanted to be a lil’ bad ass and get one. I was 16 (illegal)... but I own my sign.”
— Emma
Illustrated by Mallory Heyer.
“It's Keelish, ‘By the homeworld I wish to see one day.’ The phrase meant a lot to me and it's from my favourite series of video games, Mass Effect. I was 25.”
— Rachel
Photo: Courtesy of Rachel.
“It’s my husband’s nickname... he has the matching one with mine. I got it at 22.”
— Kara
Photo: Courtesy of Kara.
“It was a funny joke between my mum and I. When I was younger, I was a really picky eater. I did not enjoy eating at all, but when the pineapple came into season, I made my mum buy a pineapple a week. I would eat it so quickly, it was insane.
"One random day when I was 18, I told my mum that I'm going to have a pineapple permanently show up on me. She rolled her eyes and said, 'Yeah okay,' but then I came home with a small tattoo of a pineapple. She wasn't mad at all, she actually laughed. And now we have a funny memory together of my picky eating habits. Now I will always have a fun story to tell about my first tattoo and a sweet memory with my best friend: my mum.”
— Emily
Illustrated by Mallory Heyer.
“I had been wanting one since high school and was begging my sister to take me since I turned 18. We went to a local tattoo parlour behind a gas station (of all places), and I got it done before work. In hindsight, it was a terrible idea. I then had to work a full shift with my pants rubbing against the tattoo.
"At the time I wanted something that would convey my wild child spirit and I thought I was headed towards a career in music. So when I saw a heart with horns with the option to put RockStar in a banner across it, I went for it!"
— Asha
Illustrated by Mallory Heyer.
“I was 18. It shows that my mother is an angel watching over me. I got it to have something to remember my mother by, that will always be with me wherever I go.”
— Kendle
Photo: Courtesy of Kendle.
“I've wanted a tattoo since I was 3 years old, but modifying any part of my body was a big problem for my mum. Luckily, my aunt would indulge me when my mum wouldn't. I took a long time to figure out what I was going to get first. While I could've gone with something simple or something cute, I decided to honour the biggest influence in my life and my biggest supporter: my mum.
"I chose to have her name inked on me mere days after I turned 18, lying to her about where I was going with my aunt and even wearing thick sweatpants to hide it until my birthday party. There, in front of all my friends and family, I rolled up my pant leg and Mum immediately burst into tears (of joy, thankfully). She was touched that I would get something so permanent, and it later prompted her to finally get some ink of her own.”
— Valis
Illustrated by Mallory Heyer.
“I got my tropical hibiscus flower tattoo at 18 to show my love for not only the flower, but also my love for the tropical life, beaches, and sun along with all my family that lives in Southern Florida. Also, of how far along I have come with my severe Vitamin D deficiency, and seasonal depression — from being bullied in high school, to personally struggling day in and day out with it. I always have my beautiful favourite flower by my side, reminding me that where the sun may shine, that I'll shine with it."
— Lauren
Photo: Courtesy of Lauren.
“Infinity signs were super trendy at the time, and I knew I wanted to make a connection to my faith and heritage... so why not combine them all? My tattoo says “wiara,” which means “faith” in Polish. I wanted to do something rebellious, mostly. I had been wanting a tattoo for a year and got it at 19 — it seemed so cool.”
— Lauren
Photo: Courtesy of Lauren.
“The first tattoo I ever got is always the last one I mention or show people when I go down my list of permanent ink. Of my 11 tattoos, it’s probably the most poorly executed piece of art. It was my 16th birthday when my mother and I walked into the tattoo shop that we chose, because it was conveniently located a couple blocks away from our apartment on Chicago’s southwest side. After months of waiting to make good on my mum’s promise for this 'sweet' birthday, I left the shop with Winnie the Pooh smiling from my left calf.
"During my teen years, your favourite cartoon character was a part of your individuality. It was on the same footing as your Zodiac and, if you’re from Chicago, the high school you went to. I found Pooh to be cute and funny. He was also one of the few fat and happy beings in the media landscape, and I loved him for it at a time where I was still only pretending to be that way. When I finally started tapping into my own confidence in my early 20s, the tattoo started to feel more and more like a mistake. I hated that his belly was kind of square-shaped and his eyes are clearly uneven.
"Thanks to the internet and another adult friend who loved the creatures of the Hundred Acre Woods just as much as I did, I did a deep dive into the larger themes and meanings behind Winnie the Pooh. From there, the comparisons between the fictional bear and I felt more meaningful than ever, especially since I felt like I needed them so much. The themes of love, friendships, confidence, and even spiritual growth have served as an inspiration. And I think I have the perfect idea to get my tattoo fixed and improved, not covered."
— Sesali
Illustrated by Mallory Heyer.
“I got a matching tattoo with my best friend at 18. It was right after we graduated high school and we'd been thinking of getting matching ones for a while and we also wanted to do something slightly rebellious without our parents knowing. So the night of graduation, we stayed up looking for ideas, and we eventually decided on sun and moon tattoos. The next morning we took her mum’s car and drove to the tattoo parlour. We were so scared, but now we both have five tattoos each and can't stop getting them! It's such a loving memory to look back on now.”
— Ashlee
Photo: Courtesy of Ashlee.
“My first tattoo is a simple, black-line Earth with outlines of most of the continents. I had always wanted a tattoo, but could never find one that I loved and wanted to commit to. I chose this tattoo because everything I have ever loved, do love, and will ever love has been, is, or will be on the Earth. By getting an Earth tattoo, not only am I paying tribute to my more boho, nature-loving side, I’m also paying tribute to my family, friends, pets, and my love of travel.
"I chose to get my first tattoo in Iceland, when I was 22, to commemorate my first trip outside of the United States. I fell in love with Iceland, and it has since become a sort of part of me. My trip and my experiences there were nothing short of magical. Having this tattoo is my way of carrying Iceland and my memories of that trip around with me throughout my day-to-day life.”
— Sarah
Photo: Courtesy of Sarah.
“My 27-year-old friend died very suddenly when I was 18. I had just gone away to college so I wasn’t even in the same city as her when she passed, so when I went home for her funeral, I got inked. She had lots of tattoos so I figured it would be a great way to pay tribute to her.
"I got orchids because they were her favourite flower, and a vase to signify that I’d never forget about her.”
— Bri
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