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No Tattooing in the Kitchen

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

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

How to Get an Awesome Tattoo Every Time

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

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!!

 

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