How to Tattoo Using a Needle & Cottonwool

When you have a tattoo done by a professional tattoo artist, he or she probably used cotton wool though you might not have noticed. This material is used to remove any residue left on the skin and to dry off any blood that appears on the skin. Once the tattoo is finished, cotton wool can also be used to protect the design and keep you from damaging the finished product. You can actually tattoo using a needle and cotton wool.

Things You'll Need

• Needle
• Antibacterial soap
• Cotton wool
• Rubbing alcohol/disinfectant
• Hot water
• Ink
• Plastic wrap
• Adhesive tape

Instructions

1. Disinfect the area of the skin that you want to tattoo and sterilize the needle you’ll be using. Wash the skin with an antibacterial soap and wipe it off with a piece of cotton wool. Then apply rubbing alcohol or disinfectant on the skin and let it sit for a few minutes until it air dries. You can use the same disinfectant on your needle or you can boil it in hot water.

2. Apply the needle to the skin after first placing it in your ink. The needle needs to actually penetrate the skin to make the tattoo stick and have staying power. You can purchase tattoo ink online or from a local tattoo parlor.

3. Wipe off any excess blood that appears on the skin with a piece of cotton wool. Since the needle will actually break the skin, it’s perfectly normal to see some bleeding. Spray the area with a small amount of disinfectant and wipe it and the blood off with the cotton wool. You can also place some of the disinfectant on the wool and rub the blood off.

4. Hold the cotton wool against the skin if you see any large amounts of blood forming. If the individual tends to bleed more or the tattoo is quite large, you might encounter more blood than some simple spotting. In this case you’ll need to stop the tattoo and press the cotton wool against the skin until the bleeding stops.

5. Spray a small amount of disinfectant on the skin once the tattoo is complete. Cover the tattoo with a new piece of cotton wool, lay a piece of plastic wrap on top of the cotton wool and use adhesive tape to hold it in place. Leave the covering on for 6-8 hours after the tattoo is complete before removing it.

Tips & Warnings

• You can cover the tattoo with a new piece of cotton wool at night when you’re sleeping, as long as you remember to remove it in the morning. The dressing will protect you from scratching it during the night or getting the scab caught on anything.

• You should never leave the cotton wool and dressing on a new tattoo for longer than 12 hours. The skin needs time to heal and fresh air will help it heal faster. If you leave the cotton wool on for several days you run the risk of ripping off the tattoo when you remove it. The scab may attach itself to the cotton wool.