When thinking about inking your skin, it's important to understand what you're getting yourself into. "I would say one of the most common misconceptions about tattooing perhaps would be the time it takes to design and perform a tattoo," Young told Bored Panda.

"I think to the inexperienced customer, they can, a lot of the time, assume we are able to just 'knock up' a quick design and unfortunately, the line 'the tattoo should only take half an hour' is thrown in quite a lot."

Young is guessing that it could stem from flash sheet days, "where you could just pick off the wall and get it done quite quickly. Or perhaps it comes from watching 'reality' tattoo shows that are cut to show the design, set up, and execution done in half an hour."

Either way, the artist thinks people should invest a bit of patience to educate themselves rather than meet these assumptions and misconceptions with frustration.

"Another common misconception would be the pain aspect," Young added. "Yes, the procedure can be painful, but the body is incredibly resilient and everyone is surprised at their own pain tolerance.

"We as humans are capable of sitting through huge amounts of trauma and so when anyone mentions they wouldn't be able to sit for a tattoo, I would encourage them to just give it a bash and they will be pleasantly surprised at their own tolerance."

The most important thing first-timers should concentrate on, according to the tattoo artist, is comfort. "If the customer is not comfortable and relaxed, then usually it sets the precedent for how well they sit during the tattoo procedure," Young highlighted.

"Too many times I've seen first-timers hella nervous and not made to feel relaxed and instead of excited, they are fearful, and don't actually sit very well or enjoy the whole experience. It is a tattooist's responsibility to ensure that they are not only providing the very best tattoo for the client but making it the most enjoyable experience too."

Whatever is driving you to a tattoo salon, it's enoughю After all, it's your body! 

"Most first-timers tend to get a tattoo for personal reasons," Young said. "I think because the tattoos tend to have far deeper meanings behind them, it encourages them to get over the fear and get it done."

"Once people start getting a lot of coverage, that's usually when the silly non-meaning tattoos tend to break out," he added, laughing.

If you need reassurance, remember that industry professionals really want you to have a positive experience. "My advice would be to any first-timers, if you are not made to feel comfortable when in the tattoo shop, look somewhere else."

"We at Highwater Gallery and many good tattoo shops I know of, strive to make you as relaxed and comfortable as possible, whilst also understanding that it can be very daunting and you can be a bag of nerves coming in," the tattoo artist explained.

In Young's opinion, "cups of tea or coffee, reassuring words of encouragement, a very laid-back attitude to time frames, and a calm and relaxed approach to the process all help to create the best experience possible for you for your first tattoo."

"Tattoo shops thrive on repeat customers so they should be doing everything they can to encourage you to come back, even if getting a tattoo tends to be a little painful now and then!"