Q&A for How to Give Yourself a Tattoo

Pain is part of getting a tattoo. If you're not willing to deal with the pain, don't do it.

No. You'll need plastic wrap or a plastic bandage to prevent all kind of dirt from getting to your new tattoo and to prevent blood, color and other liquids from staining your clothes and. Also, you shouldn't put anything extra besides the tattoo cream on your tattoo, as it might cause infections or disturb the healing process.

No, getting a tattoo will not give you cancer but if not treated properly it can cause infection.

Yes, this is called a stick and poke. It can be much more painful than a machine and take a lot more time.

Yes, you can potentially get AIDS if it was a previously used needle.

This is not the best of ideas, as you wont have all the necessary equipment, including the sterilizing equipment, which is very expensive. Going to a parlor is the best thing to do.

I don't think there's really a word for that. It's just a tattoo that you did yourself.

Yes you can, but going to the parlor is the best thing to do, it reduces the risk of infection from improper sterilization methods, and reduces the chance of a of poorly done tattoo.

Of course not. Your physical appearance does not define who you are or what you've done. You're a criminal if you've broken the law, not if you've gotten a tattoo.

Duration depends on how large your tattoo is. The larger the tattoo, the more time it takes to do - which means more needle time.

The best way is to use a black marker and sketch it out using a stencil which you wish to have; it will remain for almost a week.

Yes, but clean the skin and make sure the burn and fumes don't affect your skin.

You can't; tattoos are permanent. That's one reason giving yourself tattoos is not a great idea.

It depends on how big the tattoo is and whether you're just doing an outline or a fill-in. It can differ, but usually a small tattoo only uses a few drops of ink. Get a 5 ml bottle (or the smallest you can); ink is expensive, and buying a 30 ml bottle for a 3 cm by 3 cm tattoo would be a massive waste of ink.

Tattoos are healthy when done correctly. You can give yourself a healthy tattoo if you follow the correct procedures and sterilize everything. However, you are still at risk for infection. Tattoo parlors are much more effective and even less likely to give you infections, but there will always be a risk.

Soaking metal tubes in bleach works for sanitizing. Dispose of them in a soda bottle so no one gets poked when handling trash.

Ideally, none. Other types of ink, such as from ballpoint pens or calligraphy inks that are not black India, may contain substances that that are toxic to humans, and they may lead to infection or illness if they get under your skin or into your bloodstream. Only use certified tattoo ink or carbon-based inks for tattoos.

A few millimeters is ideal for the tattoo. I use two to three millimeters personally, but I put my machine on max to ensure that the ink is getting into the epidermis of the skin.

I honestly make sure that mine is on maximum because I am dark skinned. It shows up clear as day and that's how I like mine to look. So it really depends on personal preference.

Using a pen is not a good idea because the pen ink may get into your bloodstream and potentially poison or kill you. Most commonly it can cause infection.

Generally yes, but it's better to wait a few days for the swelling to go down, as it could distort your tattoo. If you got an outline done and still need to get it shaded, waiting a few days will produce a cleaner looking tattoo. But there's nothing to stop you from finishing the next day (except if the tattoo artist isn't available).

No. Not only is it unsanitary, your body will most likely reject the ink.