All You Need to Know About Stick and Poke Tattoos

Stick and poke tattoos are popularly known as machine-free tattoos or hand-poked tattoos. These tattoos contain basic and minimal designs, but these designs can also be complex. The designs can range from a simple dot to detailed and intricate pieces. Skin poked tattoos have a DIY vibe, and they can be done easily using the right tattoo tools and proper precautions. 

Stick and poke tattoos are having a moment at present. People bored in lockdown are giving a try to these tattoos to get a fresh look. These tattoos are transforming the TikTok culture, and you can blame the freaking boredom for this. Regardless of how these tattoos look, they give a more rudimentary and intimate feel. Here is everything you need to know about stick and poke tattoo ideas.

What is a Stick and Poke Tattoo?

Stick and poke tattoos are a type of non-electric tattooing. Yes, you read it right. No machine is used for making these tattoos. The design is inked in your skin using ink and needle in this tattooing style. The needle is attached to a rod-like contraction to create a tattoo machine. 

In this process, first of all, the needle is secured and then dipped into ink. After this, the needle is poked into your skin dot by dot. This process originated from the original and traditional forms of tattooing famous across different cultures. 

Where to get a Stick and Poke Tattoo?

If you are planning to get a stick and poke tattoo, make sure to get an id from a reputable artist. It will help ensure that strikes and high-quality tattoos and inks are being used. People opt for getting stick and poke tattoos due to varied reasons like love for tattoos, or they don’t want to get the tattoo from a gun or have a deeper connection with the tattoos. If you see that any person is not using a sterile needle or the space is not clean, you should avoid getting a tattoo from such a place. 

How Much Does a Stick and Poke Tattoo Hurt?

Like machine tattoos, the pain in stick and poke varies depending on the design, placement, and pain tolerance; many people think that less pain is involved in stick and poke tattoos, whereas the others think the pain is worse. The pain depends on your pain tolerance capacity.  

How Long Does a Stick and Poke Tattoo Last?

Many people believe that stick and poke tattoos do not last long. However, it is not completely true. If your stick and poke tattoo begin to fade or diminish in quality, you have not gotten the tattoo done by an experienced person. Or the person might not have used the right procedure.

Tattooing is the same idea; only the method is different. In this, you insert a needle having ink into your skin repeatedly to make the design. However, the trickiest part involved in the procedure is inserting the needle deep enough in your skin so that the ink settles properly. If the needle is too deep, it will blow out. It means that all the lines will feather out together. In case it is not deep enough, the ink will not stay. All you need to do is make sure that the artist uses clean and safe tools and knows what they do. The tattoo made by a skilled and experienced artist lasts longer than any other tattoo. 

How to do a Stick and Poke Tattoo?

You should get the stick and poke tattoo done by an experienced artist. However, if you are planning to do it yourself, then use clean and sterilized needles and tools. Below mentioned are some steps to get a stick and poke tattoo. 

Design the Tattoo

First of all, figure out your tattoo’s placement, design, and size. Avoid choosing an open area to abrasion, sores, boils, mucus membranes, and infected wounds. 

Prepare the Tattoo Equipment

The next step is to prepare the tattoo equipment. Below mentioned are steps to follow,

• Wash your hands using hand wash or soap. If you have any wound, cover it using medical gloves or plastic. 
• Clean the area on which you are planning to get the tattoo. You can use a household bleach solution to disinfect the area. 
• Fill the ink container and pour rubbing alcohol into the other container. Remove both bottles from the workstation to avoid cross-contamination. 

Prepare the Skin Area

Now you have to prepare the area where you want to get the tattoo. First of all, wash it using water and soap, and then shave it. This will help in preventing possible infections caused by skin organisms. Avoid using the same shaver twice. Once you are done shaving, sterilize the area using rubbing alcohol. 

Trace the Tattoo

Now trace the tattoo using a tattoo stencil or tattoo pen. If you are planning to use a normal pen, make sure to use a new pen. Avoid using the same pen across different people. If you use a tattoo stencil, make sure to sterilize the area again using rubbing alcohol. 

Ink the Outline

It would help if you started making the tattoo by outlining first. Fill the needle with ink and start poking the skin. The needle will break into the surface when it goes inside the skin. In case it is bleeding, the needle is going too deep. Try to avoid putting too much pressure on the skin. The ink will spread in the skin with every poke, and therefore it would be not easy to complete full lines in the first round.

Complete the Tattoo

Use makeup remover to remove the excess ink. Continue making the stick and poke tattoo by removing excess ink as you proceed. At some point, the skin might swell. In such cases, do not strive to complete the tattoo. You should stop at this point and continue to make the tattoo when the skin is completely healed. 

Stick and Poke Tattoo Aftercare

You need to take care of the stick and poke tattoos like the conventional ones. Cover the freshly-made tattoo for at least two hours to avoid infection. After that, remove the wrap and wash the ink using a gentle cleanser. Moisturize the tattoo two every day until it completely heals. Make sure to submerge the tattoo in water during the period of healing.