I’ve discussed this in a previous post, but I wanted to make this its own post to highlight its importance
You should not tattoo yourself if you are under 18.
There, that’s said, it’s out of the way.
What I really mean is that if you’re going to get a tattoo, you need to be EXTREMELY sure of it. That may sound hypocritical coming from me (a person who literally tattooed the word “TATTOO” on my leg as a joke), but the young teens are a very difficult time. Your brain is still developing, and you’re ruled by hormones. At that age, you’re much more likely to regret a tattoo, and much more likely to be upset by it.
Now that that’s said; let’s assume that you ignored that advice and are DETERMINED to tattoo yourself
No. Names. I don’t mean the name of a relative, or a pet; you know damn well what I mean. You may love your significant other/best friend to death, but that can change very quickly, especially at your age, but it’s a problem for adults too. (When I was 14-17 I was in an abusive relationship, if I had been into tattooing at the time, I’d very likely have his name on me)
While it’s true that you can get a tattoo covered up, you will always know what’s underneath. Whether or not you can live with that is ultimately up to you.
I’m not going to lie, tattoos are fun
They’re also addictive. You may go into it thinking “I’m just going to get a tiny tattoo on my hip so my parents don’t see it”, and end up wanting another one…and another one…and anothe-you get the idea.
Personally, I started when I was 19. I’m turning 21 soon and I have 16 Stick and Poke tattoos (as well as three professionally done, and two amateur machine work).
If you’ve got the taste for tattoos, it becomes a bit difficult to resist. That’s important to know before you get into it.
Once you’re hellbent on tattooing yourself, you’ll have to pick a design. Maybe you’ll draw one yourself, maybe you want lettering, maybe you’ve picked out some simple flash from the internet…whatever you want. Just remember, tattooing IS an art form, and as such there are some important things to keep in mind.
If you’re choosing a tattoo you’ve seen online, make SURE it’s okay to use it. No one likes an art thief.
Usually, you can google something like “stick and poke tattoo flash” and get a bunch of designs that are okay to use; HOWEVER, NEVER copy a tattoo you see on someone’s skin unless you’ve checked with them that it’s okay. Tattoos can be VERY personal (for example, the bird-in-hand that I have on my wrist is in memorial of something very tragic that happened in my life. I would be pretty pissed if someone blatantly ripped it off)
Always stencil first.
Whether or not you want to use stencil paper is up to you, but you should ALWAYS use some sort of stencil; even if this means drawing on yourself and tattooing over that. The reason for this is that a tattoo is PERMANENT. You want to be able to look in the mirror and be SURE this is the tattoo you want. After all, you don’t want to have any “regerts” ;)
Additionally, to make a good tattoo, you need to stretch your skin to make it as tight as possible to get a good poke. If you have a stencil to follow, you’re much less likely to end up with a warped design.
Always, always, ALWAYS be sanitary. You may have seen people use sewing needles and india ink to tattoo themselves, but this is NOT a good way to do it (it’s a good way to give yourself a damn infection, not to mention a shitty tattoo). You can easily purchase pre-sterilized tattoo needles and ink online. Have them sent to the post office if you’re worried about your parents seeing the package. [Again, I have to say that I am against under-aged tattooing, but I know you’re going to do it whether I like it or not, so I’d rather you be safe and informed]
While you’re working, it’s a good idea to clean your skin with rubbing alcohol (I use 91% isopropyl). I use a paper-towel with rubbing alcohol to wipe the access ink off of my tattoo between passes of the needle.
AFTERCARE IS IMPORTANT
Just because this isn’t a professional tattoo doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to heal. You need to take care of your Stick and Poke tattoo just as much as you do any other tattoo. This means proper washing and proper healing creams used.
I use Dial:Gold(antibacterial) soap to wash mine with, since this is what most professional tattooists recommend. Clear A&D ointment(commonly used for babies with rashes) is a good and cheap traditional healing cream, but it has a very distinct smell. I’ve recently switched to using “Tattoo Goo”, which is a popular choice.
(Tattoo Goo also lacks a major smell, so if you’re trying to hide your tattoo, it’s much better than A&D)
This is typically common knowledge, but don’t forget that there is still a pretty heavy stigma against tattoos (at least in America, where I am writing this from). If you’re a minor(and even if you’re not) you’re going to want to think twice before putting any tattoos on your face, neck, and hands.
While stigma IS getting less prevalent as more and more people get tattoos, it still exists. If you’re young and looking for a job you may not want to have extremely visible tattoos.
Please do not use me as an example of tattoo placement. I have MANY tattoos on my hand, but it is my goal to be a professional tattooist; and I checked with my boss at my day job to make sure it was alright to have visible tattoos at work. I did not get hand tattoos until I knew my career in tattooing was an attainable reality, and that I would not lose my day job.
STICK AND POKE SPECIFIC INFORMATION
They hurt.
You may think, “That’s obvious, it’s a tattoo”, but this is not like traditional machine tattooing. I will be the first to admit that tattoos, both machine and poked, don’t hurt anywhere near as much as people would have you believe (of course, everyone has a different pain threshold), but it’s important to remember that you will feel EVERY poke in a Stick and Poke. Not only will you feel every poke, but you will be feeling it for a LOT longer. A tattoo that would take an artist with a machine 5-15 minutes to do will take you 1-3+ hours. Make sure you have the time to dedicate.
They take multiple passes
If you think you’re just going to do one pass with the needle around the tattoo you’ve got another thing coming. If you want a BOLD and defined tattoo it’s likely going to take you at least three passes around.
They can look patchy
When your tattoo heals, there may be breaks in the lines that look patchy, because the ink didn’t hold as well in some places. There is no reason to panic; when your tattoo is completely healed you can add more passes to re-define/darken your lines.
Well, there you go. You’ve got my two-cents on Stick and Poke tattooing and being tattooed as a minor. Please keep this in mind and educate yourself thoroughly before permanently inking your skin.
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