Teen DIY Tattoos on the Rise

At-home tattoos are a growing teen trend. In case you’re wondering how they get their hands on the tattoo guns, needles, and ink to do the job, look no further than one of the world’s largest online stores.

Baby boomers fought for peace and love and grew their hair long. Millennials like to Snapchat and document nearly every thought and emotion. Those born after 1995 are considered Gen Z, and they’ve never lived without the Internet. It follows that they would use the web to purchase home tattoo kits. While these kids, some as young as 10, are still growing up, stick-and-poke tattoos are permanent. The tattoo guns are completely legal and not age restricted. The designs can be small or hidden on a foot or wrist, under the arm, or behind the neck so parents won’t notice them for months.

Kids are basically looking to express themselves artistically. Younger teens, forbidden from utilizing tattoo parlors, realized home tattoos were a way around the system. Armed with only a few supplies easily found or purchased on the web, such as a bottle of India ink, sewing needle, and rubbing alcohol, they can create tattoos that will impress friends and freak out their folks. Many young celebrities helped popularize tattoos. Instagram displays countless photos of hand-poke designs. Let’s face it, tattoos have gone mainstream and these kids want to join in. The biggest drawbacks to DIY home tattoos are risks of blood-borne disease and infections.

Whether these tattoos are an act of artistic expression or teenage rebellion has yet to be determined. They’re probably a little of both. However, kids need to realize that even if their friend is a great tattoo artist, a stick-and-poke tattoo will always look less professional than one done by an expert. Both, however, are meant to exist forever. And how many long-term decisions should a 15-year-old make? They’re removable but not without a lot of pain. Perhaps, they should think before they ink.