When it comes to getting a tattoo, nobody knows what you like, can tolerate pain-wise, and are envisioning more than you, right? Well, what if we told you that soon, you'll be able to take the tattooing process into your own hands — literally — and do it yourself with your own Personal Tattoo Machine?
Dazed and Confused reports that U.K. Royal College of Art graduate student Jakub Pollág has invented a gun that allows people to tat themselves up in the comfort of their own homes. Though the release date is TBD, we know the gun will retail between £50 and £60 ($75 and $90) and is aimed to "democratize the tattoo industry" by allowing more people access to an alternative way to ink, states Pollág's Personal Tattoo Machine site. Its goal is also "to enhance tattoos that are not about aesthetics; instead, their main function is to reflect meaningful memories."
The machine will come with sterile needles and tubes, and is marketed as being safe and comfortable to use. "It is a short and simple process to set up the machine and sterilize the surrounding environment; everything else is up to the user," the site reads. Though we've seen at-home kits for stick-and-poke tattoos that include a collection of needles, ink, sterilization products, and instructions, this is the first we've ever learned of an actual at-home ink gun. There are major risks involved in not having a licensed professional do your ink — even if that non-pro is you — like contamination and infection.
We also got wind of projection mapping just last week, which involves ink being projected onto someone's skin without actually tatting them (much safer, we say). All these innovations are signs of the changing times — still, we can't help but emphasize that along with "democratizing the tattoo industry" the Personal Tattoo Machine will most likely come with a fair share of regrettable choices and maybe even a couple of lawsuits. So proceed with extreme caution.
Check out the video below, and head over to Pollág's site to see more of what the Personal Tattoo Machine is all about.
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