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Why not get an unalome tattoo?

Unalome and other traditional tattoos are growing in popularity as globalization, e-commerce, low airline fares and widespread digital social communication all contribute to the continuous swirling of people and goods from one end of the globe to the other. What a time to be alive! It really is exciting! If you are of European descent, you may be asking yourself: “Now that I’ve been to several Wats in Thailand,­­­­‑

…should I get an unalome tattoo?”

My advice is: Definitely, No! Read why below….

Traditional cultural symbols, like the Unalome or Om are from Buddhist and Hindu religions, respectively.

Om (Auṃ or Oṃ, Devanagari: ॐ) is the most important symbol in Hinduism (India). We are talking about a 3500 old culture and this symbol is the most sacred symbol for billions of people. Frivolous wearing of the symbol or printing it all over is considered by some, very disrespectful. Buddha and Lotus (or Padma) […]

2018-06-07T21:59:53+00:00
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New science of tattoos and tattoo removal

tattoo microphage

Scientists wondered (and didn’t we all) why our body holds the pigment within the skin’s layers to show off for a lifetime. Why not just take that foreign invader away to be processed like the trespasser that it is? How does this cell hold the ink after cell death? Well it turns out that the macrophages in our skin eat the ink and do eventually die. We don’t know why. But we DO now know that when they die, the next microphage grabs the ink to hold in turn – and so on, until organism death!

(See the above picture of the microphage with wee ink bits inside).

Temporary inhibition of skin macrophage function is a therefore a possible way to disrupt this cycle and to remove a tattoo. With this approach, researcher and Immunologist Sandrine Henri of The French National Institute of […]

2018-04-20T09:55:03+00:00
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Tattoo Aftercare

Most professionals at this point have started to agree on the best steps for after care for your tattoo. You will want to:

  1. Prevent infection
  2. Prevent fading
  3. Encourage healing

after care for a new tattoo

This can be done using these steps as outlined in this image brought to you by Monster Steel Tattoo!

It includes the steps of Going Home, Keeping it clean, Moisturizing, Dressing appropriately, Healing, and Protection (or what to avoid).

Our DIY Hand Poke Tattoo Kits will soon include a breathable soaker pad bandages like the pro’s use.  😉

2018-04-20T08:28:42+00:00
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Stick n Pokes and Band Feelings

By Shelly Simon

When one forms a partnership, it’s not necessarily a permanent agreement. When one forms a band, it’s not necessarily a bond that will last forever. When one does a custom stick and poke tattoo with their bandmate and best friend; it’s a commitment that is constant. A reminder that resonates in more ways than one. The ink that was projected from the point of that needle into the flesh of my fellow music-maker, female muse of a bandmate; is a memory I can cherish forever.


I am the drummer of a dynamic duo called Tiides – based in Brooklyn, NY – I’ve gotten the pleasure of playing drums with Christiana Chavez for a majority of 2017. She’s the songwriter, guitar player and heart melter of […]

2018-05-25T12:24:23+00:00
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Which sticknpoke tattoo inks are safe to use?

Good news: old school, DIY, homemade tattoos no longer need to be done with pen ink or india ink! You can easily get professional tattoo ink for use for your sticknpoke online! The question is: which tattoo inks are the best and safest to buy? There are many options and it is an important decision. This is a substance that you will be putting into your body. They don’t make it to your bloodstream, but into the many alive layers of your skin – and a lot of what you poke into there will be absorbed by your body.

tattoo ink dark color

Up until the 1980’s, tattoo ink used by professionals contained heavy metals that are hazardous to your health. Yellows, reds, blues contained Cadmium, Molybdenum, Nickel, Beryllium, and ‘salts’ that are not just carcinogenic, but actually toxic. Bad reactions to tattoos were more […]

2018-04-20T08:28:42+00:00
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5 tips on stick and poking

Stick and poke, also known as stick n poke, poke and stick, etc, tattooing is the practice of sticking your self with something pokey. You can buy a neat kit to make this easy as pie, and safe to boot.

Here are some best practices that beginners may not know:

  1. stretch the skin. In the words of underground stick n poker Vitnay, “I carefully poked a perfect heart shape around his nipple. When he got up, it turned into a kindergartner scrawled valentine. I learned the important lesson of stretching the skin while tattooing.” 🙂
  2. be safe. you could get hepatitis C, HIV, and/or a number of blood borne diseases or serious infections. If you are safe and follow instructions like the ones in this kit, the likelihood of a problem goes almost to zero.
  3. be sober. if you aren’t sober, you aren’t able to be sure if you are being safe! (see deadly […]
2018-06-18T07:31:55+00:00
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Evolution of a Stick and Poke Tattoo

    

▼▼▼EVOLUTION OF A COMMUNITY STICK AND POKE TATTOO  – with Vitnay, an underground Oakland, CA stick and poker, warehouser and artist.  May 2017▼▼▼

I interviewed Vitney at an impromptu party at her Oakland home that she started awhile back with some friends. It is called Home-ish. We talked life and tattooing.

▼ VITNEY IS THE CREATOR OF THE “ISH” TATTOO. From, HOMEISH ▼

She says,

“Ish is a community of people more than a space – a core group of people that moved around from place to place but as long as we were together that was […]

2018-06-19T11:15:41+00:00
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Donation Kit

The world might be ending! So…we have created a Donation kit for those angels among us whom are trying to do something good to slow the apocalypse – “one more generation!” 😉

If you or your organization is holding a fundraising event and would like to make donation money off of a Free kit that you can use for a door prize, raffle or auction, click below. Value: $46.00.

Click here to read more and fill out the form. It will take you 1-5 minutes. 😉

2018-04-20T08:28:42+00:00
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How do I use different tattoo needle sizes?

When it comes to tattoo needles – there are a lot to choose from! Each needle allows for getting the ink into the skin in a different way with various tattoo effects. In this post, we explore what the sizes mean and also the different ways each needle works on your skin. Keep in mind that this is an ever evolving and highly subjective topic. Tattoo artists use different needles based on their preference and style. Stick and Poke tattoos were historically done with needle and thread. Now we just use tattoo needles 😉

Our new PRACTICE KIT includes an instructional poster that graphically explains some of this really nicely. Here is some more info:


Tattoo Needles Explained Easy

tattoo needle tattoo needle

Needle Types, General

RL = Round Liner –  for lining and […]

2018-04-20T08:28:42+00:00
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