Following fashion trends is one thing, I get that. Hair trends, I get that too. Being tattooed is a trend that has been growing for years, and as a heavily tattooed person, I love seeing other people become interested in the industry, supporting local artists, and displaying a variety of styles and culture through this art form. It’s fascinating, really. What I don’t stand for, is the growing trend of “stick n’ poke”. Most, if not all of the people in this city who are performing this style of tattooing have no background or training, creating uncontrolled environments and are completely ignorant to the fact that they are putting themselves, and participating “clients” in a situation where they are at high risk of bloodborne infectious diseases. When will you idiots learn? After you realize that you are responsible for someone becoming infected with hepatitis C? hepatitis B? human immunodeficiency virus? Or will it be after you’ve become infected because you’ve been working with non sterilized equipment, working off of a surface that you’ve covered in saran wrap, and through the entire process of the “stick n’ poke”, you performed nothing but cross contamination because your simple mind hasn’t even considered that cross contamination exists. If you’re performing “stick n’ pokes”, and believe that this will help you become part of the industry, my advice to you is STOP, you’re already a joke. Leave tattooing for professionals. Want to get tattooed but can’t afford it? Now you’re considering letting your friend, or a friend of a friend perform this practice of complete ignorance on you? Again my advice to you is STOP. If you can’t afford tattoos you shouldn’t have them, and honestly it’s not hard to save. If you already have a “stick n’ poke”, I suggest you get some blood work done. —Tattooed & disease free
This article appears in Nov 7-13, 2013.
Thanks for the PSA, mom.
I think more thuglets need to get stick-n-poke hand or neck tats. Let them get some bloodborne diseases to go with their unemployability!
The hell is stick-n-poke?
You have had your head in the sand if you think this is a new phenomenon in NS.
You have had your head in the sand if you think this is a new phenomenon anywhere on the planet. Buyer beware. Oh wait, few people even know or care about what to look for in regard to health standards in tattooing.
stick n poke is a time honoured prison practice. show some respect.
The good news is that this will only affect hipsters.
“Leave tattooing for professionals.”
So where are these professionals trained? Aren’t nearly ALL tatooists untrained? Seems to me they mostly have learned by tattooing their friends. The fact is tattooing is a bit risky, as is any open wound.
I use transfer type tattoos sometimes, my bf likes them, they can be changed anytime .. and I don’t have to decide if I want Betty Boop on my bum for the rest of my life!
I have of two these! I’m disease free, too, I think.
But seriously, as buddha kind of just hinted at, all tattoo artists start off un-trained. No artist I know has tattooed their whole body in practise, but has used friends as a canvass.
Having sex and passing around a joint or even sharing a bottle leaves you open to various diseases as well. I think the focus should be on not what you may catch, but more on not getting a big one. They age terribly and should be able to be covered up easily as one of mine is not. I’m completely happy with the second one as I wanted it to have that haggard look to it.
I’m happy being a canvass as are thousands of others. Oh, and the first ever tattoo’s were stick and poke, gotta start somewhere.
Agreed.. everyone should do their research before going into a shop and if anything looks wrong or out of place get up and leave.. last thing you want is to go home with a nice tattoo and an infection.. I have tattoos and I have friends who have tattoos from their friends.. Gotta say their tattoos are not only terribly done, they fad super fast because people doing tattoos out of their house usually don’t have the correct equipment. Also knew a person who did tattoos out of his/her house and that was happened because this person couldn’t keep a job in an actually shop.. wonder why that is?