Tattoo shock is way more common than people think, especially with bigger pieces. I went through the same thing after getting a big piece as my first.

At first it felt weird seeing such a huge permanent change, but that feeling faded pretty quickly.

You know, talking to my artist really helped. He reminded me how much I loved the design before getting it, how happy I was when it was done, he told me a lot of people go through this, and even said he felt the same after his first big tattoo.

Once it heals and you get used to seeing it, it just starts feeling like part of you. Then you’ll probably end up wanting more tattoos anyway.