Things you should know before getting a tattoo done

From corporate professionals to housewives and college teenagers, getting inked is the most fashionable thing -- hence it is important to get certain things straight about the art of tattoos.

Sunny Bhanushali, celebrity tattoo artist and owner of Aliens Tattoo, and Sameer Karkhanis, Cosmetic Surgeon at the Centre for Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery, provide some tips.

* Tattoos are a lifelong commitment. One needs to be absolutely sure about getting the tattoo, the design and the colours. Also, tattoo removal is expensive and cumbersome.

* Your tattoo will not look the same after 10, 20, 30 years. As your skin is elastic, it ages and brings about a major change in the texture.

* Getting inked at a shack on a Goa beach may be cheap compared to a professional tattoo parlour -- but it's not a good idea. Do not do get such tattoos done as they may not be hygienic.

* The ink used for tattoos should be organic and should not contain chemicals like lead and nickel.

* Getting a tattoo is like getting a cosmetic surgery done. Just like how you would listen to your doctor's instructions about aftercare for optimum recovery, you must follow everything that a tattoo artist tells you. Things could go wrong if you do not follow his or her instructions.

--IANS

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