So you have filled a folder on Instagram with bookmarks of tattoo inspiration and determined you are finally able to get your first tattoo. Unsure what happens next? We have you.

To arrange you for permanently adding art to your skin, we compiled a comprehensive guide to getting your first tattoo. Allure asked tattoo artists, like Brit Abad, a.k.a. @blaabadand Doreen Garner, a.k.a. @flesh_and_fluidto share their insight on every step of the method.

You will know exactly what to anticipate when making and preparing in your appointment, arriving on the tattoo studio, and finalizing your design. They’ll also break down what to do when you’re getting tattooed and after your recent ink is completed. We will not say the following pointers will make the tattoo less painful, but the method won’t be as intimidating and will likely be more memorable.

• Brit Abad is a tattoo artist in Los Angeles.
• Doreen Garner is a tattoo artist based in Brooklyn.
• Ariel Wei is a tattoo artist based in Recent York City.
• Hannah Kang is a tattoo artist based in Recent York City.
• Thomaria “Tee” Fergus is a tattoo artist
• Shari MarchbeinMD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in Recent York City.

• How to pick a tattoo artist
• How to make a tattoo appointment
• How to prepare for your tattoo appointment
• How to choose your tattoo placement and design
• Does it hurt to get a tattoo?
• How much to tip your tattoo artist
• How to care for your tattoo

In case you have not chosen the precise tattoo artist to do the honors of supplying you with your first tattoo just yet, Los Angeles-based tattoo artist Brit Abad recommends picking one you trust and see yourself having fun with through the process. “Follow them online and gather a way of who they’re as an individual,” she explains. “Having an important experience actually getting the tattoo often has an enormous effect on how an individual feels concerning the tattoo on their body. Love your artist and you will love the artwork much more.”

While doing all of your research, Recent York City-based tattoo artist Ariel Wei advises testing pictures of healed work, too. (She posts examples within the highlights on her Instagram.) “Tattoos fresh versus healed are different,” she says. Colours often fade because the tattoo heals and features change into less distinct, so the sort of research will assist you get a full understanding of how your required tattoo artist’s work ages over time.