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Tattoo needles aren't like doctor's needles, AT ALL.

They're basically an airbrush with a small jackhammer in side

Trust me, I've got almost 48 hours worth of tattooing on me.

They are also "worth what you pay for them". So if you head off to cousin jack's who does them out of his garage for free or all the beer he can drink your tattoo will LOOK like it was done that way. On the other hand, at a sterile, clean shop with up to date health department statements (they must have them) and good lighting... expect to pay anywhere between 50 and 100$ an hour for the piece.

Shop around, and ask people that you see with tattoos which you LIKE. A detailed single-color (black) fine line tattoo is *hard* to come by. Only really good artists will attempt it (and you should ALWAYS check through their past images - if they don't have a book of their works, do not use that artist). Most studios will have 4-6 people with different emphasis on styles. At least one might have a 'knotwork' style and that's likely what you'd want, otherwise one who does photograph-based 'tributes' (I saw one of Jack Nicholson from the Shining, perfect likeness, all in black) would do.

Most tattoo inkers are artists - look for a degree in art from somewhere, on their wall. The *good* ones will have gone to college for art. There are plenty of great apprentices, but the best actual tat artists are ones who have a sound history of traditional artwork behind them.

If you walk into a tattoo shop and you don't "feel" right - leave. Shop around, like I said. An artist's work will jump out at you, and when you see it you'll know the right artist for you.

I would avoid putting anything on your hands, until you know how much you tolerate pain. Your hands are some of the most sensitive and nerve-heavy areas of your body - and will hurt much more than other locations (your back on the other hand has the fewest).

If you have any bleeding problems, blood thinners, etc - you should not get a tattoo. If you're *sick* don't get a tattoo at that time. There are also some other conditions which can be complicated by an allergic reaction to the inks - which are very rare, but can really hurt.

While checking out the prior works, look for raised or "lumpy" black. If the artist has a LOT of lumpy black areas - DO NOT USE THAT ARTIST. The lumpy part? That's scarring, not tattooing. They have gone too deeply under the skin.

.... Yes, I know, I blather. But tattoos will be with you for the rest of your life. Choose something small to start. Use your shoulder blade - or your outer arm/ball of shoulder. That's where the best results often are seen, and you can see the results without having to look in a mirror. I have a piece on my back which obviously I can't enjoy because ... I can't see it. :/

lol Don't worry about that.

Talk to the artists about the design you want. Chances are that if they're any good they'll either have great references, or will be able to fiddle with an existing design.

But *be positive* you want it. Be sure what you want, the size, and where it's placed. Draw something on in sharpie and see if it's distracting after a week. See if *other people* balk at it.

I *don't* recommend getting anything larger than your fist, certainly not to start. Like I said, you don't want to wind up getting in too deep with something that you might never see, or be able to appreciate - or that might get screwed up. :0

A dna strand with the quote on it. It adds a huge fold of meaning, no matter how you look at it

Also, think about taking a picture of your self in modest shorts to show your available skin - front, side, back - and fiddle with images on it. It's a lot easier to imagine how big to make something, if you have a 'doll' to play with.

Also, it gives a neat retrospective. I have a couple pictures specifically of my arm, back and shoulders from before I started getting inked... it's so weird because I've been colorful for over a decade now, and can't even really remember *not* having a forest and circuit boards on my arms...

Ooh. You know what would be a real challenge, but would maybe turn out fantastic if done right?

You know how there are those illusion things where you put your eye next to the bottom of the paper, and when you're at that angle, it reads like regular text?

Use that technique to produce a DNA strand-looking item. Only visible at certain angles (lol - put it upside down so YOU can read it). Someone'd have to get right up close and personal if they really wanted to read it