Don’t drink and ink. A recent Harris poll found that 16 percent of tattooed adults regretted the decision to get tattoos, and large, intricate tattoos take time and money to both apply and have removed if you later regret your choice. Many people who have been tattooed, however, don’t regret their decisions. Another Harris poll found that 21 percent of all American adults admit to having at least one tattoo, which is up from 14 percent in 2008.

Adults between the ages of 30 and 39 were the most likely to have a tattoo (38 percent), with women slightly more likely than men to have a tattoo (23 percent of women vs. 19 percent of men).

With all tattoos come risks. Tattoo dyes can cause allergic skin reactions -- especially red, green, yellow and blue dyes. You can be exposed to a skin infection or a more serious bloodborne illness, including tetanus, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

If your mind is set on a new tattoo, follow these rules to ensure that you have a safe tattooing experience, which are agreed upon by The American Academy of Dermatology, the FDA and tattoo artists’ organizations:

Plan Ahead

"Don’t drink and ink" is perhaps the number one rule of getting a good, safe tattoo. Making the decision to put a permanent piece of art on your body is something that should be considered over a period of time, and to minimize your chances of regretting the tattoo, choose something meaningful.

Research your tattoo artist ahead of time -- get recommendations from friends or from people whose tattoos you admire, and meet with the artist, preferably in his or her shop, before you commit to having him or her do your piece. You should be able to review an artist’s past work to make sure that it fits with what you’re looking to have done because each artist has his or her own unique style.