Custom Tattoos as Advertisements

Think twice before you ink something for money.  No matter how good the cause, in time, regrets may come up…

That’s what happened to ‘Billy the Human Billboard,‘ a dude from Alaska who had been taking money for advertisements as an aspiring boxer.  Sounds like the story of a good Heart taking a poor turn here and there as Billy, who donated a kidney to a stranger, took money to get a website tattooed on his back.

Editor’s Note: You might not want to continue the video from the 2:00 minute mark unless you like hearing about grooming…  You’ve been warned.  

When faced with homelessness and not being able to provide for his children, Billy turned to one of the most visible places to serve as a Human Billboard… his face!  Billy has over 20 advertisements on his face and head alone, and is now looking for another sponsor to pay for tattoo removal for the ink on his face.  The cost is over $4,000 and Billy has his regrets.  You can read the original story here.

Facial tattoos are common amongst Polynesian tattoo styles because of the cultural symbolism of them.  Tattoos have long been misunderstood and the association in media and history to tattoos being only for criminals has perpetuated the unfair treatment that people with tattoos have received.  Though with Billy, the art became advertising, for the vast majority, tattoos are a statement of identity, represent an interest in art, and for many, are a form of healing.

Why judge a book by its cover when you haven’t even read it?  In Billy’s case, he was trying to do what he thought best at the time to do for his family.  In the end, he has to be able to live with himself regardless of what the court of public opinion says and at the time he was dealing with a bout of bi-polar illness.

If you or someone else you know is considering an extreme tattoo or something similar to Billy, send them over to our Hawaii Custom Tattoos Shop, 434 Tattoo.  While we love to tattoo, the service and best interest of our customer is always held in the highest regards.  Our Hawaii Tattoo Artists are trained in the most up to date methods and are licensed by the Hawaii State Department of Health so we can help assist in what to do and if to do it.  The last thing we want is for someone to leave with something they don’t want later on in their life.

We are 434 Tattoo and we care about you!  Come on down!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

 

What is the Most Painful Tattoo?

“When people asks if it hurts, I tell them that it doesn’t hurt me.” ~ Tattoo Adam jokes

For a variety of reason, people often ask the question:

What is the most painful place to get a tattoo?

Answers to this question will vary per person because each person is unique and have a differing threshold for pain in the body.  Despite that, there are a few areas that you can bet will be painful…

Anywhere that hits the bone

Tattoos that hit the bone can be painful because there isn’t much ‘meat’ or skin to pad the impact of the needles from the tattoo machine.  It’s pretty much just a bunch of nerve endings bundled up without much around it to absorb the impact and feeling of the machine as it does its job.  So when people say that it really hurt on the extremities like a foot tattoo or tattoos on fingers, now you know they aren’t kidding!

Inner areas

Inner Thigh Tattoos or Inner Arm tattoos tend to be a bit painful and we can’t really tell you why.  A best guesstimate is that these are naturally the more sensitive and less exposed areas of the body and as a result, receive less touch period, so any touch, in particular, that of the needle can be pretty intense for the recipient.

Back up

There are differing views on what part of the back hurts the most as some people can’t take the spine, others the kidneys, others yet the shoulder area.  This seems to be one of those that just depends on the person.  One thing is certain, most people can agree that the bottom of the back canvas aka butt tattoos tend to hurt alot even though there is alot of padding there.

How about a rib or two?

Ribcage tattoos suck.  Enough written.

The skull

And we aren’t talking about Skull tattoos (though those are cool!), we are talking about getting a tattoo on your skull, so either shaving that head or getting one over your bald areas.  These are known to hurt.  Karl ‘Doubledown’ Juthans, who apprenticed under Tattoo Adam and is one of our Waikiki Tattoo Shop Ohana, can attest to that!  See below:

Face tattoos:

Did you say the face?  Yes.  Facial Tattoos are quite a common Polynesian Tattoo Style and many have shared that this hurts quite a bit.  Read more about tattooing the face here.  If it means something to you great, if not, think about it!

Getting Personal:

Getting personalized tattoos of your Lover’s name can be painful later on and cause a cover-up later perhaps.  Getting tattooed in personal, private areas can be even more painful if you catch our drift…

Whatever it is, whether your face, your bottom, your private areas, getting a tattoo hurts in places that don’t hurt as much as those sensitive spots of the body, so just be advised.  It is a beautiful experience but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its moments…  But fear not as we will be sure to give you the best in service and take the best care of you at our Waikiki Tattoo shop, 434 Tattoo.

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

Considering a Face Tattoo?

In recent news, a Pro Wrestler who was paid 15 grand to get a Mitt Romney Tattoo on his face, has decided to get the tattoo removed because Romney has been a “sore loser” about the whole thing.  Dude could handle a losing a campaign but couldnʻt support how the Republican nominee was going on about going down.

Stories such as this makes one question:

Would you tattoo a logo or an endorsement on your body for $x amount of money?  Tattoo removal is a painful process and it doesnʻt even always work so is the immediate gratification worth it?

The topic of tattooing the face is not here and we have discussed it before.  The other day as I (JMAW) was walking down the street, I encountered a young man who had his whole face covered with different designs.  When I say young, he couldnʻt have been more than 25.  The friend that I was walking with said: “Gave up on Life doing something like that at that age.”

“We have an unspoken rule.” Tattoo Adam once shared at our Waikiki Tattoo Studio where we do all types of tattoos including Hawaii Custom Tattoos. “We donʻt tattoo hands, neck or the face if we canʻt see a visible tattoo.”

In many Polynesian cultures, getting a facial tattoo is a right of passage and a ritual undertaken with great honor.  In many cultures period, a tattoo on the face is associated with criminals and is also a right of passage, sometimes coming with honor or shame.  Whatever the purpose of getting a custom tattoo is, be sure to think it through so that you wonʻt have to go through the painful process of removal.

And if itʻs something like giving up, hereʻs some words of wisdom:

“Donʻt hate Life.”  ~ Tattoo Adam

Just like tattoo after-care, things happen in life that require maintenance or healing.  If you are struggling with something, maybe go talk to someone or go for a swim.  We are all for tattoos but just remember one on your face that you will regret later is not so easy to cover-up or erase…

Anyway, from your Homies at your favorite Hawaii Tattoo Studio, 434 Tattoo!

Tattoo Tuesday Meets WTF Wednesday!!! Face Tattoos

Note: Tattoo Tuesday is bleeding into WTF Wednesday as this was began but unable to be finished yesterday… Enjoy!

This picture of the Dude above was too epic to pass up! It is of a gentlemen rocking a face tattoo well into this elder statesmen years!  Facial tattoos are nothing new, though not so widespread or accepted in the West, but a popular form of Polynesian tattoos particularly amongst the Maori people in New Zealand.

The tattoo pictured above is a design that was done last year by Hawaii Custom Tattoo Artist, Tattoo Adam, the owner of our Waikiki Tattoo Studio, 434 Tattoo. You can read more about this style of tattoo here.

And finally for your WTF Wednesday video, we present our Editor’s attempt at an inspirational video.  Find the comedy in it folks and note that a different book is coming out… He’s going to give us copies at our tattoo shop in Honolulu so you’ll be able to scoop that up some day too and have something to read while getting your next custom tattoo.

For any questions, more info, a funny story, to get your ink, hit us up at:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

A Public Service Announcement: Some Things to Think About With a Tattoo

Recently, the Honolulu Weekly featured a write-up discussing phenomenal tattooist Mike Ledger talking about a kid he had met with a tattoo his face.  When we read that, we got the impression that the kid had given up and had gotten a tattoo on his face because he gave up and that seems to be a big part of what’s happening with many members of the current generation.

In this blog, we wanted to take some time to talk about the other side of custom tattooing.  Anytime someone does something like that, it is counter-culture, not going with the norm, and with it come different experiences for the rest of life.  In anything, our actions have repercussions and whether we agree with it or not, great tattoos come with great responsibility.  The joke on the Spiderman line (with great power comes… etc.) aside, it’s true.  People need to realize that a tattoo really is for life.  Celebrities like Angelina Jolie can afford tattoo removal.  Celebrities can also get tattoos on their face like Lil Wayne or Gucci Mane, who has an ice cream cone on his face, and all over their bodies because they can afford to.  Athletes can get super bowl rings tattooed on their neck because they can.  You can too, it’s your choice but society doesn’t judge those in the limelight quite the same way they do as the average person.  Unfortunately in this day and age, many people are still afraid of tattoos and attach stereotypes to them.

While we are obviously pro-tattoo, we just want some people to think things through before going and getting a tattoo on their face or anywhere else on their body just because it is en vogue and especially if they are giving up on existence.  Getting a tattoo as a statement of “I Quit at life” is not the way to Flow.  As long as you’re alive, there’s still an opportunity to find something worth experiencing and to make a change in life if one is not so stoked on it.  Getting a tattoo on your face as a way to throw in the towel is not the answer. Tattoos are powerful forms of expression and should be meaningful.

That being said, we’re also pro be true to your heart and we just want our customers to walk away satisfied with a piece on their body, wherever they choose, that they can enjoy for life. If you’re thinking about getting a visible tattoo and don’t know if you’ll like it later, sleep on it, keep it in mind for a year.  Then if you’re still set on it, at least you gave it alot of thought and are committed to it.

With that, thank you to all our customers, past, present, and future.  We’re here to support you through whatever part of the tattoo process you are in.  If you’d like to discuss this or other tattoo related issues, including getting a free consultation on your next custom piece, come on down to 434 Tattoo, our Honolulu Tattoo Shop today.

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto:adam@tattooadam.com
1-808-391-8287