Hand Poke Tattoo vs. Machine Tatooing

Benefits, Shortcomings, and Preferences of Tattoo Styles

A lot of people I interact with are curious about why I would tattoo without a machine. Modern tattoo machines are quiet, effective, and create crisp lines and saturated color. These are all good things. Hand poking is the older approach to marking the skin, like thousands of years old. As I write this the oldest documented evidence of tattooing was found on the “Iceman” mummy who has been carbon-dated to be 5,200 years old! Humans all over the globe from varying cultures and ethnicities have marked their skin by hand to serve as protective talismans, declarations of love, indicators of status, religious beliefs, and simply decoration. I’ve always been fascinated with ancient tattoo practices and traditions which is one reason I feel called to use this method.

One of the main benefits of hand poking is that it is less painful than a machine as the needle is delicately tapping the pigment into the skin. This allows for a peaceful, even meditative experience for both the tattooer and recipient. My clients very frequently note another benefit, and this one is that they heal remarkably fast! Often the next day following the session the tattoo seems nearly healed. Standard aftercare is still required as tattooing, even hand poking, is a minor surgery, and wound care afterward is a necessity.

The notable reduction in pain and healing time is enough for many of my clients to keep coming back for more. Many people (myself included) really enjoy the more handmade look of hand poke tattoos. It’s like hand embroidery compared to machine embroidery. One just looks more human-made, even if a little less perfect.

The only real limitation to hand poking is that it's a slower process (like all things hand-made vs machine-made). This requires successive or longer sessions for larger pieces. It doesn’t actually limit the size of the work, just the time it takes to produce it. As with all forms of creativity, every artist has a different style. I admire the work of many machine tattooists, perhaps I’ll get a hankering to learn how to use a new tool one day and start playing around with a tattoo machine. For now, I am very much enjoying the quiet intimacy with my clients as I mark them one dot at a time.