Things you should know before getting a tattoo done

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.