I have one. I got mine when I was 18 (12 years ago). It is the face of a wolf on my shoulder. I opted for that location in order to keep it obscure. No one knows I have it unless I want them to see it. I forget I have it actually; until I take my shirt off in the summer and someone notices it.
My recommendation is simple. Make sure it is something you are passionate about. If it is more like "body art" then it will likely remain appreciated. If you go with something stupid like the helmet of your favorite football team then you definitely will regret it. There are too many "spur of the moment" tattoos that people later regret as well. Don't let someone else be your motivation. Do it only if YOU really want it. Take your time, think it over and put it in a smart location. Make sure it is something you won't regret later and have to spend 4x,5x,10x? the amount to have removed. I heard the laser removal is expensive and very painful. Speaking of pain. Getting a tattoo is like slowly dragging a razor blade through your skin. It is not without pain. Some areas hurt more than others depending on the density of the nerve endings and your pain tolerance. My tattoo is about 3 inches by 3inches and it took about an hour and a half because of the fine detail. So, do you think you can drag that razor blade through your skin for an hour? Once you start it's all go from there on.
Yes, you do bleed. Get a knowledgable and respected artist so you don't have to worry about infection, HIV, and other viruses too Ok?
I personally don't have a tattoo, but am thinking about getting one someday. 
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