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No Tattooing in the Kitchen

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Why You Shouldn’t Get a Tattoo in Your Friend’s Kitchen

Getting inked is one of those things that you can do on a whim, but live to regret your decisions long after the deed. Getting tattooed is wildly popular (40% of Americans aged 25-29 have at least one tattoo). Plenty of Youtube videos give rise to amateur tattoo artists every day. But developing skills in tattooing takes time. With cheap tattoo machines, badly done kitchen tattoos have become very common. It is a terribly bad idea to have your friend test his skills on you. The next time you drunkenly ask your friend to put some ink on you, think twice. Here is why:

Terrible design 

The ideal way of doing a tattoo design is by first developing it on a stencil which is then used to outline the design on the skin. Very few people have the eye and artistic skill to do an offhand drawing, and your friend is unlikely to be one of them.  

There is also the fact that choosing a tattoo design requires a bit of research. Picking one from Instagram photos is a poor thought process. You will not look at the meaning of the tattoo. You could be inking a gang affiliated tattoo with lots of regrets later. 

Bad technique 

A tattoo session involves a bit of blood. A badly done job can be outrightly injurious to the skin, tearing and injuring it. This can leave you with grievous skin damage.  Such wounds can leave you with permanent scarring which will be made worse by the blotches of ink. 

Health risks 

Your health will not come out of a kitchen tattooing session unharmed. Tattooing is normally done in sterile conditions. The tattooist should be wearing gloves, and a face mask to avoid passing on bacteria on your raw skin.  Some of the health risks you will be exposed to include:

•    Bloodborne diseases – These include HIV and Hepatitis. These happen when dirty needles are used. There is also the danger of your friend injuring himself and using the same needle on you, exposing you to these risks.

•    Skin infection – This occurs when the wound site is not properly sterilized and gets exposed to different bacteria. You could easily contract Tuberculosis, tetanus and other bacterial diseases.

•    Scar tissue – A properly treated tattoo site will heal properly without formation of scar tissue. When the wound site is not properly cleaned and treated, you risk developing excessive scar tissue called keloids.

There is also the fact that a kitchen session is unlikely to have tattooing cream, making it unnecessarily painful. You will be paying a lot for a badly done job.

Contact Black Amethyst Tattoo Gallery today to schedule your consultation!

LOCALS GET LUCKY: $13 TATTOOS ON FRIDAY THE 13TH

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Happy Halloween!

Our friends over at USF St Petersburg’s Connect wrote up a great  article on Black Amethyst Tattoo Gallery that we wanted to share.

Friday the 13th is well known for being unlucky, but Black Amethyst Tattoo Gallery owner J. Michael Taylor was satisfied with his turnout considering this year was his first year participating in the $13 tattoo trend. Taylor’s shop will have been open for three years this coming January. He and another artist, Jeremy Hulett, are usually so booked that finding the time to squeeze in Friday the 13th tattoos isn’t entirely possible. However, this year they allowed the superstitious holiday to be a day where their apprentice Todd could step in and help.

“It’s a good experience for people to get an understanding of what tattooing is kind of like, and it gives him the experience to actually work on real clients,” Taylor said. With eight clients booked for Friday the 13th tattoos, Todd was able to put his months of training into action. “Tattooing is more difficult than you think,” Taylor said.

Despite having drawn up pages of flash designs for clients to choose from, Taylor was willing to personalize, but wasn’t willing to say yes to everything. “I’ve had some crazy requests,” Taylor said. “I don’t do everything, especially when people want bad mistakes, or premature mistakes that they don’t realize 20 years down the road they’re still going to have to be dealing with this.”

Taylor, who has been tattooing for 11 years, eight of them in St. Petersburg, wanted more than just a tattoo parlor. After working at another tattoo shop in town, he decided he wanted to start his own business. “I wanted to open up a tattoo shop my mom could come and get tattooed at. Something comfortable, clean and nice,” Taylor said. A collection of apparel and jewelry are sold in the shop as well as various art pieces.

 

For such a luckless day, Taylor and his team at Black Amethyst are positive about finding their niche in St. Pete and turning out creative work always, but especially for Friday the 13th.

Black Amethyst Tattoo Gallery is located at 689 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N. Unit A, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. For more information visit Black Amethyst Tattoo Gallery’s website at https://stpetetattoo.org

Written by: Ambria Whalum at USF St. Petersburg’s Connect
Source: http://usfspconnect.com/locals-get-lucky-13-tattoos-on-friday-the-13th/

 

How-To Skincare for Tattooing

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How to Get an Awesome Tattoo Every Time

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How to Get an Awesome Tattoo Every Time

Before walking into any of the tattoo shops in Petersburg, Florida, to get a tattoo, it is crucial to know what you are getting into.  Tattoo regret is a real thing and happens to one in three people who have been under the needle.  You can avoid becoming one of these people by following a few tips.

Get the right design

What is that mythical beast you are thinking about? Do you know the symbolism of the tattoo design? How will that tattoo you want on your right boob look like when you are 50? These are some of the considerations to make when picking on a tattoo design. You might think that XIII looks good on your neck only to realize it is a hardcore gang tattoo.

Don’t scrimp

Any St. Pete tattoo artist will tell you that money should be the last consideration for a tattoo job. Cheap is expensive in the long run, and this is true for tattoos. Cheap tattoo artists are likely to be inexperienced or not very good in their art. Remember a tattoo will remain on your skin for a very long time. It is worth putting some good money in it.

Get the right tattoo artist

Hunt in St. Pete tattoo shops for the right tattoo artist. Good artists are in plenty but truly great artists that create awesome jobs are few in between. Rely on the web only so far. After checking out a few portfolios online, make appointments for physical interviews. A professional tattoo artist will gladly allow you to check out his work. Talk to the artist and check out his knowledge on issues like designs, picking out colors for your skin, tattoo placement and aftercare among other issues.

Know that you want it

It is common to see customers in St. Pete tattoo shops going back and forth tattoo design portfolios, arguing with friends, checking tattoos on Instagram and so on. It is important to remember that the tattoo is going on your skin.

Take care of the tattoo

The healing phase of the tattoo is as important as getting the design on the skin.  Any St. Petersburg tattoo artist will tell you that a badly healed tattoo comes out badly and can lead to irreversible skin damage. A scarred tattoo is a lifelong reminder of wrong choices.

If you would like to get an awesome tattoo, get the right design, tattoo artist and take good care of the healing tattoo. You will have an awesome tattoo every time.

Legends Art Exhibit Promo Video

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Come join your St Pete tattoo shop, Black Amethyst Tattoo Gallery, on Sept 22nd at Green Bench Brewing Co. as we host our final chapter of the Legends exhibit featuring 60 artists!

We are excited to share this amazing video created by the talented Joe Boccia for our Legends exhibit!

Check it out!!

 

Red Flags When Going to a New Tattoo Shop

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Red Flags

Selecting the right tattoo shop St. Pete can be an arduous task, especially if you have no idea what to look for. Despite that, you can still base your choice of the shop in which to get your tattoo by looking out for a few red flags.

Below are the red flags that should convince you to think twice before entering the new shop.

Cleanliness of Shop

First, check the cleanliness. Watch out for signs that scream ‘unkempt’ all over the shop. A tattoo shop should be as clean as the local hospital. After all, the procedures you will go through involve piercing skin using needles and other supplies. Everything should be clean.

Training

Do not ignore the tattooists. It’s good practice to get a tattoo from trained artists only. Untrained artists and novices are the wrong choice. An untrained artist is not worth entrusting your health to. Training helps the artists to:

  1. keep the shop attractive and free of infections
  2. prevent disease-causing microbes from spreading

Cleanliness of Furniture

Cleanliness of the furniture is equally essential. Some types of furniture are capable of spreading germs. Microbes have a tendency of lingering around the studio. They multiply exponentially in St. Pete tattoo shops that are filled with dirty and tattered furniture.

Cleanliness of Needles and Other Supplies

Another red flag worth keeping an eye on is the use of needles that have already been opened. A trustworthy parlor hires and encourages its artists to use needles from sealed containers at all times. Needles should not lie all over the studio.

Location

Home-based tattoo shops are not a good place for getting a tattoo. A home-based shop lacks some essential supplies, such as an autoclave, that are common features of the best tattoo parlors in St. Pete.

Customer Relations

The desperation you have for new St. Pete tattoos does not give the artists any right to ignore you or treat you contemptuously. The artist who will be working with you should spend time discussing a few details with you prior to your session. Look for artists who communicate well.

Quality of Aftercare Service

It’s important to check the quality of aftercare service and advice the tattooists provide. Proper after care is crucial for your health. The best tattooists will not hesitate to educate you on the different ways of taking great care of your tattoos. If they don’t, leave and go elsewhere.

Lastly, consider extremely low prices as red flags warning you of the poor quality of services to expect at the tattoo parlor. Normally, good tattoos cost substantial sums of money. With tattoos, you get what you pay for.

 

Here at Black Amethyst Tattoo Gallery we supply only the best of quality for our clients. We treat tattoos as they should be treated, like works of art. Schedule and appointment today and see why everyone is chose Black Amethyst Tattoo & Fine Arts Gallery!