My homemade stick-and-poke tattoo faded almost completely in 3 months and I think that's a good thing

I did a small star on my ankle using India ink and a sewing needle back in June. Followed all the sterilization steps I read about online. Three months later it's barely visible, like a faint gray shadow. After reading up more I realized my ink was too shallow and my needle too small. But honestly I think fading away is safer than some of the deep scarring I see posted here. Anybody else have a DIY tattoo that didn't stick around long term?

3 comments

3 Comments

sean_green4429d ago

Did you use a regular sewing needle or a tattoo needle? I tried India ink once too and it barely lasted because I didnt go deep enough. A bigger needle and a few more passes might help if you want it to actually stay next time.

ivan_murphy8029d ago

Did you hear about that whole thing with using a soldering iron to make the needle tip behave more like a proper tattoo needle? I read somewhere that heating it up can help the ink go in deeper and more evenly. Might be worth trying if you want something more permanent next time, just be careful not to burn yourself.

taraross28d ago

Actually had a similar experience with a homemade setup years ago... I ended up using a sterilized safety pin instead and dipped it in India ink with a bit of rubbing alcohol mixed in, that helped it flow smoother. Going over the lines three times, letting it scab and heal between sessions, made a huge difference in how dark it stayed. Definitely gotta be careful with heat though, I've seen people mess up their skin pretty bad doing that...