What should I think about before getting a tattoo and what should i get?

Get a Grateful Dead Rose.

You’ll know your tat when you see it.
It’s something that will be on you forever, what other people think you should get should have pretty much 0 importance, in my opinion.
Do you want something everyone will see, or do you want it to be something you can reveal if you feel like it?
I have a smallish (maybe 3×3) single color on the side of my lower back. It hurt, but not in a bad way, if that makes any sense. Some people actually love the feeling.

You’re not ready for a tattoo if you’re asking complete strangers what you should get. In case you don’t know, a tattoo stays with you forever. Hence, you’re the only one to blame if several years from now you don’t like it, so think long and hard about it.

To answer your other questions, generally a color tattoo costs more than a non color tattoo.
Yes, they do hurt, but it can be a different type of pain depending on where you get it. I have 4 and they all hurt differently on different parts of my body.

Good luck with the surgery and getting your tattoo.

Tattoo prices range depending on the shop, how big the tattoo is, the detail, etc. As for where you should put it take a few things into consideration. Do you want it visible to others? Is you having a visible tattoo going to effect whatever area of work you decide to go into? As for “does it hurt?” it really just depends on the person. I know people who have gotten tattooed on their ribs/hip and cried while getting it, however when I got mine I was perfectly fine. (It was irritating more than anything).

Put a lot of thought into what you want and make sure it’s something that you can live with forever.

Yeah, as @Likeradar says I probably will know when I see it. I am asking for pointers, ideas and information and at the end of the day I am well aware of it’s my decision. So it’s not as if I ask total strangers to chose for me, only to give me an idea.

I have been looking for a phoenix, not too big, not too tribal, but pure and clean. I haven’t decided yet where to put it, but most likely in a place where you can hide it. Lower leg, back of shoulder perhaps.

Thanks for input!

I googled “symbols for rebirth” and there are some very cool tats out there. The phoenix comes up first, the fire bird, some other symbols that I have no clue as to what they are.

Let us know what you decide.

Wait until you arrive at your new size then think about it. You might have folds where you didn’t before.
IMO your new size is proof enough for rebirth.

You should think of how you will be PERMANENTLY disfiguring your body.

@UScitizen Getting a tattoo isn’t disfiguring. Either answer the question or move on.

color will cost you more than just black. How much depends on who u go to. Rumor has it that color hurts more but I haven’t found that to be the case at all and I have 2 colored tats. It all depends on where u put it and your threshold for pain. Hitting bone does hurt a bit but believe it or not, the inside forarm hurt more on me for some reason, maybe it is the way it was done. The pain all depends on the person. I have 3 and I would get more so it can’t hurt that bad. Do your research first because it is a bit of a done deal once it is done.

Just remember that you’ll have that tat for the rest of your life so listen to your heart and it most likley will hurt but as @jamcanfi74 said it depends where you get it and who you are as a person