Why stick and poke tattoos are bad

How long do hand-poked tattoos take to do? Hand poked tattoos can take just as long as a regular tattoo to make. It totally depends on the working process of the artists. Zzizzi, in Seoul, can create a hand poke tattoo incredibly quickly. But other artists may be slower. Joel Soos is well known for outlining a full back piece in an hour or two, but that is definitely not the case for most artists.

It also depends on the size, placement, and complexity of your piece. Hand poke tattoo by Ink and Earth InkandEarth handpoke handpoketattoo stickandpoke stickandpoketattoo. Yes, stick and poke tattoos hurt.

Almost any body modifications will hurt. But how much will it hurt? Unfortunately, there are a lot of different things that could affect how much it hurts: your personal physiology and pain tolerance, the technique of the tattoo artist, etc. But many people have said that the pain, and the healing process, are much easier with a hand poke tattoo.

Again, this is a matter of opinion though. Some people think that lining a tattoo hurts way more than shading a tattoo, but others think the exact opposite. Hand poke tattoo by Silvia Placenta SilviaPlacenta handpoke handpoketattoo stickandpoke stickandpoketattoo. How long do stick and poke tattoos take to heal?

Most stick and poke tattoos take about two weeks to heal, just like any other tattoo. The process to make a hand poke tattoo is still to deposit ink into the dermis layer of your skin, just like a machine-made tattoo. So the healing process is very similar. That being said, many people think that hand poke tattoos actually heal much faster and this may be due to the fact that they cause less trauma to the skin than a machine-made tattoo. How long do stick and pokes last?

Stick and poke tattoos should last a lifetime. If your piece is made by a reputable hand poke tattoo artist, then this will certainly be the case. Hand poke tattoo by Dope Toast DopeToast handpoke handpoketattoo stickandpoke stickandpoketattoo.

Are hand-poked tattoos dangerous? But while cutting or dyeing your own hair is unlikely to have long-term catastrophic consequences, giving yourself a tattoo is considerably more risky. Since lockdown was imposed, stick-and-poke tattoos, which involve dipping a needle in ink before inserting it repeatedly into the skin by hand, have become increasingly common among inking enthusiasts all over the world. The old-fashioned method has seen a resurgence in popularity over the last decade or so, and it can be used for anything from simple, small tattoos to more intricate designs.

Since lockdown was imposed, stick-and-poke tattoos, which involve dipping a needle in ink before inserting it repeatedly into the skin by hand, have become increasingly popular among inking enthusiasts.

Some ink fans even claim that it's less painful and may heal faster than the standard electric method, though it can take considerably longer and requires the same level of sanitisation as any electric tattooing. Many people, including year-old model Kaia Gerber, have taken to social media to show off their lockdown designs, which range from casual doodles to more artistic etchings.

But a skin expert has warned against the trend, urging people to resist the desire to tattoo themselves and wait to have one done by a professional in a sterile environment. Dr Faheem Latheef, an accredited consultant dermatologist based in Leeds, told FEMAIL: 'During the lockdown many people are resorting to various activities, including stick and poke tattoos, to keep themselves entertained. DIY job: Kaia Gerber, 18, admitted to Glamour on Thursday that she resorted to giving herself a manual stick and poke tattoo while self-quarantining.

Due to the breach in the skin integrity, Dr Latheef warned there are a number of possible complications that can arise. Pictured: a DIY stick and poke tattoo.

The affected skin becoming red, warm and tender is often the first sign of infection. Inserting needles into your skin without previous training or knowledge of anatomy would put you at potential risk of piercing a blood vessel, Dr Latheef warned.

Allergic or hypersensitivity reactions. Stick-and-poke tattoos require the same level of sanitisation as any electric tattooing. Some people also develop allergies to the topical cream or anaesthetics sometimes used with tattooing. Typically with these reactions they can take a few days to develop and are often itchy and red. Abnormal scarring reactions.

Some people are more prone to getting an abnormal scarring reaction to anything that penetrates the skin barrier. This could be surgery - commonly seen with C-section scars or moles removed on the shoulders or other high risk sites - piercings, acne scars, picking spots and with tattoos.

Dr Latheef warned: 'These can result in hypertrophic or keloid scars which are raised and sometimes itchy and tender and also tend to take a long time to develop, sometimes weeks to months after the initial event. You poke the tattoo into your skin by hand. You can easily shop a kit on the internet, but experts advise against doing so. Claire Chang , a dermatologist at New York City's Union Square Laser Dermatology, tells me, at-home kits aren't regulated and may be unsterile or contaminated.

Your first instinct may be to disinfect everything — including the needle — with alcohol as you've been doing so with everything lately.

However, your tools need to be sterilized, and alcohol may not be enough to destroy the bacteria on them because "disinfection and sterilization are not the same," says Evelyn Shaw , a tattoo artist from New York City known for her hand-poked work seen below. An autoclave is needed for the later. Tattoo ink is also a common cause of allergic reactions , Chang adds. Redness, itching, and blisters are some possibilities she lists off.

In severe cases, you could experience dizziness, trouble breathing, and stomach pains. Aside from having the right tools, the actual stick and poke tattoo process isn't what you should be putting your body through right now.

The skin is the largest organ in the human body, Chang reminds me. When wielding the tattoo needle yourself, you also have the possibility of puncturing the skin too deeply, Shaw adds.