Ride Or Die BFFs Pick Out Each Other's Tattoos

What is the ultimate way to prove that you and your bestie will really be friends forever? In the latest video from BuzzFeed, two gutsy pairs of best friends pick each other's tattoos and get inked together — putting those lanyard friendship bracelets you made at camp to shame.

A person has to be pretty darn secure in their friend's judgement to get a design indelibly marked on their skin sight-unseen. I don't even trust myself enough to pick a tattoo that I won't eventually regret! (I mean, yes, I love avocados, but will I always want the image of a bowl of guacamole on my ankle? Probably not.) According to a 2010 study by the Pew Research center, Millennials are the most likely age group to get inked. Thirty-eight percent of the surveyed participants between the ages of 18 through 29 had at least one tattoo — that's one in three of your friends. While it's certainly not uncommon, and may even be considered a trademark of our generation, having your bestie pick your ink is taking it to a new level. As if getting tattooed isn’t scary enough to begin with!

It is totally touching to watch these friends put so much faith and trust in each other. They believe that their friend knows them well enough to choose a design that encapsulates their personality. It’s also a pretty cool exercise in giving up control. And despite all the pressure, the friendships manage to survive the trip to tattoo parlor. After the ink, the friends reported that sharing the experience made their bond even stronger. As one pair said bluntly, “We did it. And we’re still friends.”

If you are thinking of trying this with your BFF, here are the emotional stages of letting your friend pick out your tattoo:

Anxiety

"I almost want to vomit, but I'm not going to vomit," said one friend as her compatriot was about to go under the needle. The nerves started to spike as everyone realized the insane thing they were about to do, praying they wouldn't regret it. As one friend said, “This is the true friendship test right here... This is the craziest thing I think I have ever done!” Fingers crossed that the tattoo is not a "Beyoncé Santa Claus!"

Anticipation

As per the rules of #TrustTattoo, the friends were not allowed to see the design until it was officially inked on their body. Fighting the desire to peek, they stayed strong. They maintained their faith that their friend would choose the right design. They seemed still in shock after the tattoos were complete, as one said before the big reveal, “Isn’t this crazy? I don’t even know what this thing is yet and it’s on my body.”

Relief

After an emotional reveal of the new tattoos that brought both tears and laughter, everyone seemed happy with the results! Luckily, none of the friends pranked each other with horrible tattoos, and most reported that they felt even more confident in their friendship than ever before, "A lot of people are nervous about getting tattoos because they last forever… but there is something really nice about having a symbol of friendship that will last forever.”

Do you think your friendship could withstand this test? Watch the entire video and see if your next ink will be a #TrustTattoo:

Images: BuzzFeedYellow/YouTube