The home tattoo kit is a great way to create DIY designs from the comforts of your home. Read on to find out more about the different types of kits available.
The home tattoo kit has become increasingly popular in recent years as more and more people want to try their hand at creating their own designs. Aside from the fact that professional tattoos can be extremely expensive, a DIY tattoo offers a more personal experience.
In this article, we’re going to tell you about the different types of home tattoo kits, their individual advantages and disadvantages, and how to choose the best one for your individual needs.
The Different Types of Home Tattoo Kits
Today, you don’t need to spend hours trawling the internet to find every single piece of equipment needed to put together your own tattoo kit. There are now a variety of home tattoo kits available that come with everything from needles to inks, and even all the health and safety materials you need to avoid infections or the spread of disease.
But, there are typically two different types of home tattoo kits to choose from. These include:
- The hand poke tattoo kit (aka the stick and poke tattoo kit)
- The machine tattoo kit
Both come with different materials and their own unique sets of pros and cons. Let’s take a closer look.
The Stick and Poke Tattoo Kit
As the name suggests, the stick and poke tattoo kit comes with everything you need to create tattoos using the stick and poke technique.
The Equipment
Typically, a basic stick and poke tattoo kit comes with the following materials:
- A variety of needles, preferably 3RL and 5RL ones
- Professional black tattoo ink
- Ink cups
- Stencils
- Stencil lubricant
- Tattoo wipes
- Aftercare balm
- A wooden depressor
- Alcohol prep pads
- Nitrile gloves
- Tattoo grip
Some home tattoo kits also come with a selection of health and safety materials designed to help you keep your workstation clean and sterile. These include disposable surface coverings, regenerative tattoo film, and disposable razors. All of the equipment you receive should be sterilized and individually packaged to reduce the risk of infection or disease.
The Benefits of a Stick and Poke Tattoo Kit
The stick and poke tattoo kit is the best type if you’re just getting started. This style of tattooing naturally involves a much slower pace than with a machine, meaning you have more control over your work. Making a small mistake doesn’t have to be a disaster as you’ll catch it early on, giving you the chance to rectify it.
The Downsides of a Hand Poke Tattoo Kit
Not really a downside, but stick and poke tattoos are normally much smaller than machine ones. If you would like to create a larger design, it will take you hours, if not days, and multiple sessions to complete it. With this in mind, a stick and poke tattoo kit is best suited to those wanting to create smaller pieces.
The Machine Tattoo Kit
The machine tattoo uses electromagnetic coils to move an armature up and down. This armature is attached to a needle that, with every puncture, inserts ink into the skin. A machine tattoo punctures the skin anywhere between 50 and 3,000 times a minute depending on the artist and the pressure they are putting on the pedal.
The Equipment
With a machine home tattoo kit, you can expect to receive the following materials:
- A tattoo machine with the foot pedal and clip cord
- All relevant electrical equipment
- Professional tattoo ink
- Sterilized tattoo needles
- A pair of nitrile gloves
- Ink cups
- Stencils
- Practice skin
Before you buy a machine tattoo kit, you should check that it includes a set of instructions for you to follow. Also, always triple-check that the kit comes with practice skin as machines are much harder to master. Many online machine tattoo kits don’t come with additional safety materials such as surface coverings, however, you should make sure that all equipment is sterilized and comes in individual packaging.
The Benefits of a Machine Home Tattoo Kit
A machine tattoo kit will allow you to create large pieces on yourself and your friends. The process of using one is much faster meaning that a small design that would take you hours with the stick and poke technique would take a matter of minutes to complete with a machine.
The Downsides of a Machine Tattoo Kit
Now come the downsides. Machine home tattoo kits can be extremely dangerous for those with no experience creating tattoos. Because of the speed at which they puncture the skin, you could make huge mistakes that are impossible to rectify without getting them covered up by a professional artist.
With any tattoo kit, it’s essential that you get the depth right in order to achieve the best outcome. A machine is a far more volatile device, making it near impossible to see whether you have gone too deep into the skin until it is too late.
So, What’s the Verdict?
Tattoo machines are great devices to use on practice skin, however, to get started we highly recommend you opt for a stick and poke home tattoo kit as this is a much safer alternative that is harder to make mistakes with. As a beginner, the extra time using the stick and poke technique will be well worth the exceptional results you’ll achieve compared to those of a machine.
Would you like to try your hand at creating your own DIY tattoos? If so, check out our online store today! We offer a wealth of different tattoo kits, all of which come with the supplies you need to create your designs without compromising safety.