Switched from gun to stick and poke after a nasty blowout on my forearm

I was all about using a machine for my DIY tattoos, did maybe 8 of them on myself over 2 years. Then I tried a stick and poke on my ankle using just a sewing needle and India ink, and the healing was so much smoother. No blowouts, no shaky lines, just clean dots. The machine gave me this weird blurry line on my forearm that still bugs me. Has anyone else switched methods after a bad experience with one or the other?

3 comments

3 Comments

shane_hayes11d ago

Three months on one shoulder? That's insane dedication.

sethfoster11d ago

my buddy jake had the exact same thing happen. he did a machine piece on his thigh, some geometric nonsense, and it healed all blown out and fuzzy. looked nothing like the stencil. so he swore off machines and switched to stick and poke. did this whole galaxy design on his shoulder with just a needle and ink over like three months. came out super clean, tiny little dots that actually looked like stars. he said the control was way better cause you can feel the depth yourself instead of trusting a buzzing machine. now he won't touch a machine again, swears by the hand pokes for life.

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drewr1510d ago

that reminds me of my cousin rachel, she tried to do a stick and poke on her own ankle when she was like 19 and drunk. used india ink from an art store and a sewing needle. ended up with this blurry little heart that looked more like a weird blob after it healed. she was SO bummed but now she says it's a "character piece" and laughs about it. i guess the lesson is either way you might mess up haha.