


It also helps to have a fearless side, because doctors and professional tattoo artists say the DIY trend is downright scary. Oh, and a healthy dose of pain tolerance. From there it's a matter of patience and a steady hand. It requires only a few supplies namely a bottle of India ink, a sewing needle and rubbing alcohol and those, too, are easy to track down.
White india ink stick and poke how to#
Step-by-step instructions for how to give yourself or a friend a tattoo are easily found on the internet. For those under 18, there's one more lure: Getting a stick-and-poke tattoo is a trendy end-run around state laws that prohibit tattoo parlors from inking minors.

The appeal of a homemade tattoo, fans say, lies in its simple aesthetic and in the intimacy shared between friends who give them to each other. Instagram showcases the inventive designs of a growing number of acclaimed hand-poke artists. Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus are fans of stick-and-poke tattoos. Celebrities have helped popularize the edgy look. But like tattoos in general, they've gone mainstream. Long associated with criminals in prison who had only primitive tools to ink themselves with, stick-and-poke tattoos were an underground practice. But I think that's part of the whole experience." Call it homemade, DIY or stick-and-poke, this kind of body art has always had an air of danger to it. "Some people say it looks dirty or uneven. Ley, 22, has been proudly sporting her homemade tattoo ever since. Over and over, the friend poked the needle into her skin until, at last, six small but meaningful letters appeared: GRLPWR. She lay on a couch while a friend gently stuck a sewing needle dipped in ink into her arm. About this time last year Madie Ley did something daring.
