evanI have always wanted a tattoo. I’ve had so many designs drawn up over the years, but when it came right down to it, I just never got one. When friends and family would be adding another design to their collection, I’d say to myself: I think I really want one.
So many people would warn me, “if you get one you’re just going to get addicted and you won’t be able to stop” I thought… I just want one.
In hindsight, of course they were right and like eating a potato chip, you can’t just eat (or get) one lone tattoo.
All the stars were in
A L I G N M E N T
I had met an exquisitely talented tattoo artist, TALIA MIGLIACCIO (taliamigliaccio.com) who specializes in hand poking. And she was within driving distance, ergo, I signed up.
The drive was easy, and Talia was delightful. She is a beautiful, talented artist, a creative soul who was living in LA.
The experience was easy, I expected it would be. The area on the back of my hand was sensitive, but not painful, yet some areas of the body will be more sensitive than others.
Tattoo | to mark time
T A L I A ' S A P P R O A C H : Each of the tattoos I administer is made with intention, meaning and care specifically for the person that it lives with and as.
These pieces are created as medicine - as a mark of time - doorways - an expression of personal story and ethos - to carry sacred and pivotal times forward with us.
Although my practice lives amidst modernity, my relationship to tattoo is intimately rooted in reverence to the art forms origins and spirit.
Due to the intimate and multidimensional nature of my work, each session is uniquely tailored to meet the individual.
Each tattoo is created completely in person, from design conception to administration. These pieces are created through listening and collaboration until unquestionable resonance has been reached. The tattoo is then administered completely by hand,dot by dot, without machine.
Talia Migliaccio ~ Artist
Thoughts on Tattoos
by Jennifer Bertrand
Holistic Esthetician + National Educator for evanhealy
Support the body
It’s a good idea to support the lymph and liver after getting a tattoo. You might feel tired or run down directly following a tattoo session, especially if it is a large piece of work. Herbs I like to help support the body during the healing process of a new tattoo: Turmeric capsules will help support blood, liver and skin health. Dandelion root supports liver health, I love drinking it as a tea: EveryDay Detox Dandelion Tea by Traditional Medicinals is a good one to try. A supportive nutritive infusion (strong tea) is also good while your body is healing from a tattoo: I love nettles, oat straw and milky oats infusions. All these plants can be taken in many forms: teas, tinctures, capsules. I find teas and infusions to be very soothing during times of stress to the body or nervous system, but tinctures and capsules are a quick and convenient way to take them.
Support the Emotions and Nervous System: Despite believing I wasn’t a “tattoo person” I got my first tattoo at age 18. I had a close friend who was a tattoo artist so the idea of getting one from him seemed appealing. I spent several years in my twenties adding to my tattoo collection. I don’t regret any of my tattoos, but I certainly didn’t go into the process fully understanding what it meant or could mean to me. Tattoos are a sacred rite of passage, but many modern tattoo studios (at least during that time, 20+ years ago) are not reflective of that. I spent a lot of time in unnecessarily loud, aggressive and emotionally jarring spaces because I didn’t yet know to look for an artist that could align more with what I was looking for. I’ve been tattooed by very nice, passionate artists and those are not the people I’m referring to. But I have also gotten work done by people who were sarcastic or abrasive or who openly had no interest in the design I was looking for. One thing I have learned is to align your design choices with someone who specializes in that form of tattoo.
Four years ago I got two poke and stick tattoos from a very talented artist and fellow esthetician. (@gen.rhea.tattoo on Instagram) I met her in Austin but she has since moved to Tennessee. I wanted to get two simple designs that represented my three sons’ astrological signs: Leo on my right wrist and Libra on my left. (my youngest son and I are both left-handed, my twin Leos are both right-handed) I was blown away at how gentle and respectful her process was. She was excited and interested in my design and the experience was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was not painful and not having the loud sound from a mechanical tattoo machine was a big bonus. This was the first time all my thoughts about tattoos solidified: I realized that I had been going about it the wrong way and not respecting the ancient art of tattooing for what it is and can be: a powerful way to honor yourself and mark time, to beautify and heal. I’m always tempted to get a tattoo when a major life change occurs but mine haven’t always lined up in that way. I haven’t received a tattoo since the powerful experience with my friend but now I better know what to look for the next time I get one. I want to focus on things that matter to me now: plants and flowers, symbols...I have a few ideas.
Aftercare
Within the evanhealy line whipped shea with olive leaf is the perfect product to use. For on the go support try the Sanctuary Replenishing Balm stick and for gentle cleansing the tea tree gel cleanser is great. Lavender and immortelle hydrosouls are helpful as well for later in the healing process. Be sure to use these products according to the aftercare instructions given to you by your tattoo provider.
Hand-poked tattoos, also known as stick-and-poke tattoos, have a rich history in many cultures and are often associated with traditional, indigenous, and tribal practices. They involve a manual technique, where the artist uses a tool called a pen and pokes individual dots of ink into the skin, creating a design or image. The process is often more time-consuming than machine-based tattooing, but the results are said to be gentler and more delicate on the skin. The process can also be more intimate and personal, since the artist and client often spend more time together during the tattooing process. Hand-poked tattoos are considered a form of body art, and some feel that the tradition and ritual surrounding the practice add to the overall experience.
Product/treatment suggestions for new tattoos
First, I will recommend that you follow your tattoo artist’s instructions about how to care for your new tattoo based on their experience. As always, ask doctor or your Healthcare practitioner if you have any further questions.
I recommend, and used the combination of olive oil and bees wax to make a semi solid ointment and applied lightly all over my new tattoos. The next day I applied a fingertip amount of my own Whipped Shea Butter with Olive Leaf, which had been warmed up between my hands, and massaged it into the tattooed area. I would do this a few times a day.
Shea butter is often used as a natural way to promote healing and promote healthy skin after a tattoo. Its anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties can help heal the skin and prevent irritation and scarring. Shea butter is also rich in vitamins A, E, and F, which can help promote healing and skin regeneration.
Shea butter can be used as a tattoo aftercare product by applying it directly to the tattooed skin after it has been cleaned and moisturized. It can be used during the entire healing process, which can last up to two weeks or more depending on the size and complexity of the tattoo.
However, it's important to note that Shea butter might not be suitable for all skin types, so it's a good idea to test it on a small area of skin first before applying it on the entire tattoo.
Also, it's important to avoid excessive sun exposure during the healing process, which can cause the tattoo to fade. To protect the back of my hands I always wear cotton gloves when I drive. In addition, I will pull on a cloth sleeve made of 50 SPF Sun Protective fabric if I am driving or outside wearing short sleeved shirt.
Jennifer’s Tattoos right and left arms
Ötzi skeletal details and tattoos
Ötzi had a total of 61 tattoos consisting of 19 groups of black lines ranging from 1 to 3 mm in thickness and 7 to 40 mm long. Microscopic examination of samples collected from these tattoos revealed that they were created from pigment manufactured out of fireplace ash or soot. This pigment was then rubbed into small linear incisions or punctures. It has been suggested that Ötsi repeatedly tattooed in the same locations, since most of them are quite dark.
X-ray examination of Ötzi's bones showed "age-conditioned or strain-induced degeneration" corresponding to many tattooed areas. It has been speculated that these tattoos may have been part of pain relief treatments like acupressure or acupuncture all though Ötzi lived at least 2,000 years before their previously known earliest use in China (c. 1000 BCE)
Ötzi’s abdominal tattoos may have assuaged the intestinal pain of whipworm (an intestinal parasitic roundworm) he is thought to have had.
At one point, it was thought that Ötzi was the oldest tattooed human mummy yet discovered. In 2018, however, tattoos were discovered on nearly contemporaneous Egyptian mummies. The art of tattooing our skin has a long history.
[Unless otherwise noted - sources: Wiki and Smithsonian Magazine]
Xo Evan
PS: I have since been asked “And what about your thoughts on a second or third hand poked tattoo?"
Evan: "Absolutely! As soon as I can get time with Talia again, I’ll be there. I already have a book filled with design ideas, and she also has wonderful drawings and designs of her own she will share with her clients!"
xo,
Evan Healy