Tattoo talk: Artists experimenting with UV lights, Jagua henna, and inking tips for melanin-rich bodies

Art is universal – some like to create it, some like to admire it, and some like to have it permanently on their bodies.

If you're like us and looking for something new to add to your collection, or finally inking your blank canvas, we've got the deeds on what's up in Singapore's tattoo industry, plus styles that are worth checking out in 2022.

Handpoke: Look ma, no machines

With a new wave of approval from the Gen Z clan, handpoke tattoos might be created using the same supplies as machine tattoos, but artists harness themselves with a needle that they push into the skin manually.

Much like traditional tattoos across cultures and contrary to popular belief, the method is less invasive, which means less pain and discomfort with the skin healing more quickly.

For funky, y2k, and cat inspired work, poker.phase is your best bet, whilst soupy.soups pays exceptional attention to details – great for for abstract art and patterns.

Jessinfully has made her mark with her local culture forward designs, like bottles of medicated oil, tiger balm and other Chinese medicines. Dainty-tattoo lovers would also the fine line nature-inspired works by letterbefore.n.

UV tattoos: Now you see me, now you don't

With tattoo artists like gwen.tattoos and putsomething.there spearheading the trend, our Instagram pages have lit up with intriguing glowy tattoos. The UV ink used are certified safe in the US and then imported to Singapore.

UV tattoos have shorter lifespans, usually lasting about five to eight years before they start to fade. The typical UV ink heals to become invisible – seen only under a UV light – but the artists also carry red, pink, orange, yellow and green inks that appear in pastel colours when healed.

Jagua henna & temporary ink for the undecided 

Love the tatted look but can't commit? Look to Jagua henna.

Jagua is a natural fruit-based product from South America, and is applied on the skin as a gel, like traditional henna. This temporarily stains the skin for up to 10-14 days, but the result is a realistic looking tattoo!

In Singapore, go to Henn Drawn, where tattoo artist See Min was the first to use this ink to give her clients intricate designs and large floral murals.

The use of platforms like Inkbox has also rocketed over the years too – the company offers enthusiasts with temporary solutions and lasts one to two weeks on your skin. Not to mention hundreds of cute designs to choose from.

Pops of colours!

Gone are the days of plain old black and white – the new generation of tattoo enthusiasts want more! Not afraid to experiment with coloured inks, tattoo trotters in Singapore now looking for that vibrant statement piece.

For uber-realistic pieces, thamjerene does landscapes, as well as flora and fauna nicely. Z.three.ttt specialises in graphic and shaded designs done with appealing colours, while e.llocia keeps things light with rainbow skeletons and nostalgic foods like Yakult bottles and kueh kueh.

Gachapon experience: Mystery tattoos

Tattoo artists are also getting creative in Singapore to bring you a new experience.

Inviting customers to get a mysterious unique tattoo from a gachapon capsule, tattoo parlours like Galaxy Tattoo 2 and artists like yanyan.tattoo dream up ideas worthy of you tattoo what you get. Perfect if you can't decide what to get inked.  

Things to note for inking darker skin tone

For melanin-rich readers, there are some things you need to take note of. It's important to know the few differences in tattooing dark skin tones, compared to lighter skin tones.

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The colours might be less vibrant, or the scarring and healing process might be different too. It's always a good idea to check if your tattoo artists has previously done tattoos for your skin tone and if they can achieve the best outcome and shades for your tattoo.

It's also good to ask artists for pictures of healed tattoos compared to ones freshly completed, to give you an idea of the scarring and healing process.

Some tattoo artists and reputable parlours we're recommend include thechariottattoo, Inkvasion Tattoo Singapore and Inksmith Tattoo SG for the best experiences and results possible.

This article was first published in City Nomads.