There are still certain stigmas surrounding tattoos as they are traditionally associated with certain social demographics such as criminals, the military and ideological groups. It was representative in Western culture with the class gap, being associated with the lower classes, thankfully a prejudice that is being lifted to a certain extent.



Advances in professional tattoo supplies and innovative designs displayed by popular culture icons have improved the image of tattoos. They are now considered a more socially acceptable art form however there are still some uses of tattoos that have real stigma around them. These types of tattoos will not be performed in reputable studios with professional tattoo supplies.

Any images that are associated with prison, gang, football violence or extreme ideologies will not be accommodated by reputable tattoo studios. This means that other methods not involving professional tattoo supplies are used to create the tattoo. This includes the stick-and-poke method which is generally associated with the prison tat, or prison tattoo.

This method is performed with ink, a needle and thread. The needle continually pierces the skin with an ink-soaked piece of thread on the tip. The thread keeps the needle continually covered in ink to ensure the level of ink penetrating the skin remains constant. The major issue when not using professional tattoo supplies is one of hygiene, as the equipment is not sterilized correctly and the risk of blood poisoning, infections or blood transmitted diseases such as HIV or Hepatitis.

Tattoos such as tears below the eye are popular prison tattoos create via this method. They are rumoured to represent how many murders the individual has committed. Other tattoos associated with stick-and-poke are gang tattoos, the expression get your ink is associated with affiliating oneself with a gang either in prison or on the street.

Traditional Japanese tattoos are not made with professional tattoo supplies as the west understands it. They are made by hand with a needle and full body tattoos are associated with the Yakuza, otherwise known as the Japanese mafia. Many bathhouses and gyms ban anyone with these tattoos to keep out any unwanted element.

Professional tattoo supplies play an essential role in maintaining hygiene standards in western tattoo culture. The modern machine used was derived from a design by Thomas Edison initially intended for use in engraving. A man named Samuel O'Reilly adapted the machine in 1891 to administer ink to the skin and the mechanism was based on a rotary system, now professional tattoo supplies used a system based on electromagnets.

The electromagnets drive a group of soldered needles into the skin anywhere between 80 to 150 times per second applying ink which in professional tattoo supplies uses a variable range of needle depth. This has transformed the modern process into a precise art form and professional tattoo supplies have raised the level of hygiene involved.