May the 4th be with you!

It’s Star Wars day! And to celebrate, we’ve collected some of the coolest Star Wars tattoos we could find on the interwebs. All credit of course goes to the original artists, but if you want your own Star Wars tattoo, we’ll be happy to do one for you!

Darth Vader

Let’s start with the man himself. There are few cooler bad guys in all of fiction than Darth Vader, so who better to have by your side?

Darth Maul

The only thing good to come out of the Phantom Menace was this bad-ass. Darth Maul didn’t say much, but he made up for it with some kick ass backflips and to this day is the only person in the universe to kill Liam Neeson.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Everyone’s favourite father figure, an Obi-Wan Kenobi tattoo is a perfect substitute for the real thing not showing up as a ghost when the plot needs him to.

Han Solo

The galaxy’s most loveable rogue, who shoots first and asks questions later. Warning: A Han Solo tattoo may result in you smelling like a scruffy looking nerf-herder.

Boba Fett

A fan favourite, Boba Fett was for years the embodiment of cool - until someone pointed out he’s actually pretty crap. He only gets into one fight, and gets his ass kicked by a blind Han Solo.

Yoda

Yoda represents the Force, the balance between Dark and Light. He’s the very definition of calm, control and patience. That was until George Lucas had him jump around with a lightsabre in the prequels.

Princess Leia

The Galaxy’s greatest feminist, Princess Leia was chewing bubble gum and kicking ass from the start. And she ran out of bubble gum in the first five minutes of A New Hope.

R2D2

Beep beep, woop.

The Death Star

And of course the Death Star. There are few things more recognisable in the Sci-fi universe than the Death Star. With the power to destroy entire planets, one thing is for certain; that’s no moon.

If any of these awesome tattoos have given you an idea for one yourself, please don't hesitate to contact us today and we'll talk through your options.

Why do tattoos always fade with time?

Everyone knows tattoos fade over time, it's just part and parcel of having ink, but have you ever wondered why they fade? Surely once you're tattooed then that should be that? And if tattoos do fade, then why don't they disappear completely over time? Well, get ready for a science lesson...

Getting under your skin

Basically, your skin is made up of two separate layers, an outer and inner layer. The outer layer is called the epidermis, and this layer heals itself easily. New skin cells grow underneath and over 3-4 weeks will gradually move up to the surface, replacing old skin. This is why you can get a scratch, but it's gone a couple of weeks later. 

The bottom layer, the dermis, is different. It's usually protected by the epidermis, so doesn't need to replenish itself every month. It is in this layer where a tattoo is injected, and because the dermis doesn't regenerate like the outer layer, the ink stays where it is. 

Why tattoos eventually fade

Ok, that explains why the ink stays where it is, but this doesn't explain why tattoos fade over time. Well, it comes down to the actual microscopic ink particles in your blood. They come in all different sizes, and some are bigger than others. Don't forget, this ink is a foreign body, and your white blood cells see it as a threat. They'll attack the ink particles and those small enough will be "eaten" by your white blood cells and removed from the body via the liver. You'll literally piss out your tattoo. As for the bigger particles, the white blood cells can't destroy those, so they stay in your body.

This is why tattoos fade over time. Some of the ink is taken by your body's natural immune system, and the rest is left, meaning it fades over time as the ink is broken down.

Your tattoo fades because there is literally less ink than there used to be!

If you're got some old tattoos that need a touch up, then give us a call. We'll be happy to restore your ink to its former glory.

Sunset Tattoo welcomes Spanish artist Miguel!

Sunset Tattoo are honoured to announce we’ll be having a new guest artist joining us in April.

M13tattoo, otherwise known as Miguel, is a Spanish artist who has been tattooing for almost 3 decades.

Miguel is a well-travelled man, and has been on the road tattooing thousands of people since 1996!

His travels have seen him in dozens of countries, but now he’s here in New Zealand and we’re lucky enough to have him at Sunset.

Miguel’s Script Style

Miguel is an expert in script tattoos, and is top of his field with Chicago Style.

The script style of tattoo lettering is designed to imitate polished handwriting in a cursive style.

Tattoo script is often delicate and can be difficult to produce for an artists who isn’t especially experienced.

Much like calligraphy, tattooing script takes a lot of practice and a fluidity that doesn’t always come natural.

This is where Miguel’s 30 years of practice come in handy.

The Great Auckland Flash Party

Miguel happens to be here at the same time we’re having our second Great Auckland Flash Party!

On Friday 7th and Saturday 8th of April, we’ll be taking walk-in’s from the street. You can walk in, pick a tattoo off the wall, and we’ll do it at a reduced price.

Or book ahead with your favourite artist. Some of these guys are booked months ahead or live in different cities so it’s a great opportunity to get an affordable one-off tattoo.

Every time we do this it gets more fun, bigger, and better. Get in quick or miss out!

You can check out Miguel’s work here, or hit him up on Instagram and Facebook.

Why a cheap tattoo can turn out to be the most expensive

Ok, we get it. Everyone loves a bargain. And there’s certainly nothing like finding a gem in an op-shop now and again. Living in a consumerist society, we’re trained to find the cheapest price for things, and the less we pay, the better off we are.

But tattoos are different.

Never choose a tattoo on price

If you’re seriously considering a tattoo, then put the price out of your mind. If price is your main concern, then you’re not serious about it.

Figure out what kind of tattoo you want first, where it’s going to go and how big you want it. Then find a respectable, experienced tattoo artist.

Talk with them about your ideas, and what you want as a finished product. Think about what you want ten years from now.

Now ask about the price.

If it’s outside of your budget, either explain that to the artist and figure something else out, or simply wait until you’ve saved up enough.

Sometimes the cost is more than financial

If you make the mistake of going cheap, then you may regret it for the rest of your life.

Let’s just say you’ve gone to see a tattoo artist, explained what you wanted, and they have quoted you something that’s a couple hundred more bucks than you were expecting. The smart thing to do is to save up and come back another day.

The dumb thing to do is go to someone who’ll do it cheaper.

People who tend to do tattoos ‘cheaper’ are usually not only less skilled than professional tattoo artists, but a lot more dangerous.

There will always be someone who’s bought a tattoo gun off Trade Me and thinks they know what they’re doing. Without the proper training in Health &Safety, or their premises meeting hygiene standards, a tattoo from someone like this is just asking for trouble.

Even forgetting about the risk of disease such as Hepatitis from previously used needles, there’s a very real threat of your tattoo becoming infected.

Not to mention the fact it’ll probably look completely shit.

Remember, good tattoos aren’t cheap, and cheap tattoos aren’t good.

Come see us before getting a tattoo

Tattoos are considered part of the sub-culture, but in New Zealand they’ve always been part of the wider community. One in three people under 30 have a tattoo of some description in this country, so you almost certainly know someone with some ink.

But like everything in life, tattoos and piercings come with a risk. Tattoos are a great and popular form of self-expression, but anyone wanting a tattoo should always go to a professional tattoo studio. Here at Sunset Tattoo, we have all our licences in Health & Safety, so you know there’s no chance of us skipping hygiene procedures or putting you at unnecessary risk. Luckily tattoos and piercings are safer than ever, but before visiting us, you should still do your homework. If you’ve any questions about tattooing then we’ll be happy to sit down with you and have a chat.

You’ve been working on a cool design and saving up for your first tattoo, for the love of god don’t go round to your mate's house. Just because he was good at art at school and bought a tattoo gun off Trade Me, doesn’t mean he knows what he’s doing! It’s unsafe and let’s be honest, you’re probably not going to be happy with his “masterpiece”.

Getting a tattoo from un-sterile equipment and inexperienced artists can put you, and the artist, at risk for life-threatening infectious diseases. Hepatitis or skin infections can be caused by certain bacteria, so make sure you come to a studio that’s professional with a good reputation. A studio with experienced and skilled tattoo artists. A studio that has a long list of satisfied customers.

A studio like Sunset.