*names changed due to privacy

According to some students stick ‘n’ poke tattoos are fun, cheap and an easier way to get that tattoo high schoolers have always wanted. The experience you can have with your friends is a large part of why high schoolers enjoy the stick ‘n’ pokes. For some it’s a fun secret to keep while they are young.

For other students the desire to get a stick ‘n’ poke tattoos are more about the experience.

“Seeing your design start from nothing and turn into a tattoo is a cool process, if it’s done right the end result is pretty satisfying,” senior Wes Kinnaird said.

Stick ‘n’ pokes have grown in popularity because students are seeing this as a cheaper and faster alternative. Some do it to remember loved ones, or use it as a way to cherish a memory.

Others have meanings.

Sophomore Kelsi Mickelson decided to get a stick ‘n’ poke to honor a relative.

“There is an M on my ankle for my grandmother,” Mickelson said.

The majority of high schoolers are not eighteen, which is the legal age to get a tattoo. This can cause conflict in a home. Some parents are very strict, some religions do not allow tattoos, or the parents don’t agree with the idea of a tattoo. Others can have them wherever and not need to worry about their legal guardians seeing them. The process of giving or getting one of these tattoos involves ink and your own needle, which can cause irritation and discomfort. With the right knowledge about stick ‘n’ poke, the results can be professional looking.

“Most of my family has tattoos, knowing how to take care of your tattoo afterwards is a part of the healing process,” Kinnaird said.

Not everyone has the same experience. While some end up with a cute innocent tattoo others end up with an infection due to the non-sterile needle or the ink.