What you need to know about cover up tattoos

If you saw the 90s theres a chance you’ve got a tattoo you’re thinking about getting covered up. Perhaps an awkward Chinese character you thought mean into “fire” (because you’re an Aries!) actually translates closer to “BBQ lamb shoulder”. Although many of us wear these nostalgic mementos with pride, sometimes you just want to see them gone. So what are your options? Can tattoos be covered up? Can tattoos be removed? Do I have to cut my skin off? I don’t even eat lamb! Help! 

Husband hands!?

The answer is yes.. sort of, mostly. We are lucky enough to live in a day and age that we do not have to keep the tattoos we can’t stand on our bodies forever. We have options now! One of these options is a cover up. However there are a few rules and guidelines when it comes to cover up tattoos that you should know.

Certain styles work really, really well as cover ups. Generally speaking, your best options are American/western traditional, Japanese and heavy blackwork. Tattoos have to bright, bold and solid in order for ink to cover up the existing tattoo underneath. Also, the tattoo will usually have to be quite a lot bigger than the original for full coverage. It’s important to consult with an artist to plan it out properly, to make sure you’re on the same page and it can physically be done. Our artists who specialise in these styles are super good at covering up tattoos, and are more than happy to talk to clients about what can work.

Certain tattoo styles such as realism, fine line and pattern work such as Ta Moko are a little trickier, as these styles usually require a lot of negative skin space to be effective. Due to this, our artists who specialise in these styles rarely do cover ups. 

Somke weed everyday.

If something with more negative space such as Ta Moko is what you’re really wanting, and no other style will do, don’t give up hope! The best thing is to talk with an artist who specialises in your chosen style, and talk to them about the tattoo you want covered up. They may suggest laser lightening treatment for the tattoo, which will (over time) blast away and lighten the pigment in the skin. During the course of your treatment, keep in touch with your artist and when it’s lightened enough you can get the tattoo you have always wanted without any restrictions in terms of style. Laser, however, is not an instant and quick fix, it does take time. So patience is necessary!

So if you’re thinking about getting a cover up, do some research into styles that work really well, take some photos of the existing piece and get in touch to organise a consultation to make a plan with an artist. If the style you’re into is known to be a bit more tricky, get in touch with the artist anyway as they will advise you the best course of action. Don’t be discouraged, every tattoo is different and there is generally a solution for every tattoo mishap! Sunset Tattoo is here to help you get the tattoo of your dreams :)

Mermaid by Sunset Tattoo resident artist Milky - American traditional works really well to cover existing tattoos!

Contact:
www.sunsettattoo.co.nz
info@sunsettattoo.co.nz
(+649)3763423

Beautiful sleeve study by Bernard Kwok.

Our newest resident artist, Bernard Kwok, joined our team in February and we’ve loved every minute of him being in the studio.

Bringing his high calibre, uber slick and unique Hong Kong and Japanese influenced Western Traditional tattoos to Auckland, New Zealand, Bernard has a loyal clientele at Sunset Tattoo already. Once lockdown is over we’re expecting this to go through the roof.

As well as wild one shot tattoos, Bernard loves doing larger scale work. Here is a recent sleeve study he’s been working on while in isolation. The colour work is super solid and eye catching, and once this is in your skin it isn’t going anywhere! The styles Bernard has been influenced by are tried and true, time crushing classics, and will continue to look good as the years go by.

Sleeve study by Bernard Kwok.

If you’re keen to get this sexy lady tattooed on your body, contact the studio for requests! Also make sure you’re keeping your eyes peeled on ours and Bernards social media for more sneak peeks!

CONTACT:
www.sunsettattoo.co.nz
info@sunsettattoo.co.nz
(+649)3763423

Tattoo aftercare advice from Sunset Tattoo

A simple internet search of “how do I look after my fresh tattoo” can often leave you more confused than informed. Since anyone can put information on the internet, it can be difficult to know what the best instructions to follow are.

At Sunset Tattoo, your artist will talk you through aftercare instructions during your appointment. We also have instructions at reception for you to take home, whether it’s your first tattoo ever or if you’re an old veteran in need of a refresher. 

A few simple instructions, along with some common sense will keep you new tattoo clean, hygienic and help you to make sure your tattoo looks good for life. Remember a new tattoo is essentially an open wound, so cleanliness is super important!

Listen to the advice of your tattoo artist.
Your tattoo artist is a professional in their specialist form of art. Although there are guidelines for tattoo aftercare, something very solid and heavily saturated may need to be treated differently from something finer lined, with little shading and lots of negative space. Just like any wound, the more trauma that is caused (aka the bigger the tattoo) the more healing your body will have to do. So listen to the artist who did your tattoo, as they are the experts and will give you the best advise for healing your unique piece.

Remove bandage after two hours, wash well with warm soapy water and pat dry with a clean towel.
When your tattoo is finished, your artist will wrap your tattoo in plastic wrap or a bandage. This is to be kept on for a minimum of two hours, and can be left on for longer if you aren’t going home straight away. This is where common sense comes in to play. Of course there are a few do’s and don’ts after getting tattooed, including going to the gym and mud wrestling right after your tattoo session. However, if you are returning to work, or going out for dinner after your session you can absolutely leave your wrap on until you return home or to a hygienic environment to clean it properly.
Once the wrap is removed, clean your fresh tattoo with warm, soapy water (the shower is the easiest way to do this) using a liquid soap. An antibacterial soap works really well, as does mild unscented soap. Pat the area dry with a clean paper towel, and definitely not your damp towel you’ve left hanging in the bathroom for a few days!

Let air dry, and apply a small amount of tattoo aftercare cream.
Once you’ve dried the area with a paper towel, let your tattoo breathe and air dry for awhile. Remember your tattoo is an open wound, and it needs to be kept as clean and dry in order to heal. Once fully dry, apply a very small amount of aftercare cream to the area, rub in well (but not aggressively). A good piece of advice for this is LESS IS MORE. This is not sunscreen, you don’t need truckloads. It is to help soothe and protect your tattoo, but it doesn’t need to be lathered onto the skin or leave a thick, heavy barrier. 
We sell an aftercare cream called Protat at the studio, and you can also find options at the pharmacy, such as bepanthen. Light, unscented moisturisers such as cetaphil work really well, just make sure its something that will not irritate the your sensitive healing skin. When in doubt, contact the artist or studio you were tattooed with before using. Repeat twice daily for two weeks.

Protat aftercare cream - we sell and recommend this at Sunset Tattoo

Do not soak in water, swim in the sea or swimming pool.
This is a big one! For two weeks please do not swim. Whether it’s in ocean, lake, river, pool, spa/jacuzzi, what have you! This can really mess up the healing of your tattoo, as well as expose your healing skin to any nasty bacteria which may be in the water. This extends to soaking in the bath, sauna, steam room, etc. Showers and washing is absolutely fine, just no soaking for long periods of time.

Do not expose your tattoo to the sun until completely healed.
Keep your fresh tattoo covered up with loose, comfortable clothing. Exposure to the sun is what fades your tattoo the most, especially while healing. Once your tattoo is healed, you should always put sunscreen on your tattoos to keep them in good shape. Your traumatised skin is also incredibly sensitive during the healing period, so you are a lot more at risk for a nasty burn from the suns damaging UV rays.

No scratching, itching or picking!
This is a no brainer, but do not pick, scratch or itch your tattoo. Your tattoo is going to get itchy. This is where the tattoo cream can be very handy in soothing the itch. Please do not let anyone else touch your tattoo. We are unsure why, but people seem to love touching fresh tattoos on other people. Would you touch someones grazed leg!? We don’t think so. A good rule to follow is unless you are cleaning your tattoo, don’t touch it!

Keep clean at all times.
Just to reiterate: Keep your tattoo clean! Wash and dry regularly, wear clean, lose clothing. Change your sheets regularly and don’t touch it. Simple, really!

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the healing of your tattoo, you should contact the studio you were tattooed at. Everyone has different skin and different immune systems, but if you follow these simple rules you should have no problem at all. If you notice your tattoo becoming inflamed, painful or oozy, you should contact both your tattoo artist and your GP to seek medical advise. Infections are rare, but can happen, and are usually very easily treated with a short course of antibiotics. Sometimes skin can also react to the alcohol your skin is cleaned with prior to the tattoo, or develop a slight rash from when the area is shaved. This is pretty normal, but again contact the studio if you have any questions or concerns, we are always happy to help you out!

CONTACT:
www.sunsettattoo.co.nz
info@sunsettattoo.co.nz
(+649)3763423

Competition time! Show us ya healed tatts!

Sunset Tattoo - HEALED!

Alright alright alright, we’ve decided to run a little competition! We want to see photos of your healed tattoos by any of resident or guest artists from Sunset Tattoo. Take a photo (or get one of your isolation buddies to help you out) and email it along to us with the name of the artist who did it, and you’ll be in to win a $100 tattoo voucher to use with any of our residents. A winner will be announced every Friday at 6pm via our social media pages until the end of lockdown.

The more creative, the better! Get wild with it! If you’ve got multiple tattoos from Sunset Tattoo you can absolutely enter more than once. Have fun, get weird and most of all make us laugh. All vouchers are valid for one year from the date of issue.

TO ENTER:
info@sunsettattoo.co.nz
www.sunsettattoo.co.nz

Sunset Tattoo - Get creative with your entries!

Let's talk about tatts, baby! Lockdown interview with Manawa Tapu.

Our very own Manawa Tapu is an incredible Ta Moko and traditional Maori tattoo artist. He apprenticed under Sunset Tattoo’s owner and founder Tom Tom. Before getting into tattooing full time, Manawa Tapu was studying Maori wood carving (Whakairo Rakau) in Rotorua. Everything he does creatively is about preserving and evolving Maori artwork, with huge respect to both it’s history and future within Aotearoa (New Zealand). Today we talk about Manawa Tapu’s journey into tattooing, different forms of Maori artwork and how he developed and continues to develop his signature contemporary Ta Moko style. Through a huge amount of dedication, hard work and love for his heritage Manawa Tapu has come a long way in a relatively short time. So much in fact, that he has taken on his own apprentice at Sunset Tattoo, Fern Ngatai. Manawa Tapu: Let’s talk about tatts, baby!

Manawa Tapu at Sunset Tattoo - photo by Tim D.

What is your name, where are you from and how old are you?
My name is Tristan Marler, I'm from Mitimiti but I've lived in Auckland for most of my life and I'm 28 years old.

What Iwi are you from?
Te Rarawa/Te Aupouri.

FYI:
Iwi (noun): extended kinship group, tribe, nation, people, nationality, race - often refers to a large group of people descended from a common ancestor and associated with a distinct territory.
Referenced from Maori Dictionary.

Before tattooing, did you have any formal art training at an institutional level?
I studied Whakairo Rakau (wood carving) at the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts institute in Rotorua and also studied Visual Arts at AUT for a year before starting my tattoo apprenticeship with Tom.

What made you decide to get into tattooing?
I became interested in tattooing through getting tattooed and also studying carving, where the patterns I was learning about were similar to those in Ta Moko.

Tukutuku sleeve by Manawa Tapu.

Were you always interested in doing Ta Moko and Maori tattooing, or did you experiment with other styles?
I was always interested in Ta Moko and developing patterns used in traditional textiles such as Taniko weaving and Tukutuku panels. When I started my apprenticeship I drew a lot of different styles such as floral, geometric, mandalas and other tribal styles of tattooing but I've always been drawn to Moko and Maori art as it feels more natural to me and I feel a deep connection to it through my own whakapapa.

Who are your greatest influences when it comes to Moko and Maori artwork?
Gordon Toi Hatfield and his protegees such as Heeds and Tyler Jade. Tawhanga Rika and Wiremu Barriball are also big influences of mine. 

Your work is very unique and groundbreaking, you've brought such a fresh and modern take on traditional Maori patterns. What are your main influences for this, when did you begin developing your use of tukutuku/tāniko patterns?
I did a little bit of Taniko and Tukutuku weaving when I was studying at NCMACI and have since incorporated them into my art/tattoo practice.

Can you tell me a little bit about your apprenticeship under Tom?
I have known Tom my whole life as our parents are good friends. I had asked him about how to get an apprenticeship while studying carving and he gave me some good advice. Tom approached me when he was setting up Sunset Tattoo and asked if i'd like to do an apprenticeship with him. Having finished a year of art school and feeling like I hadn't got as much out of it as I would have liked, I thought it would be a really good opportunity so I said yes. In the beginning it was just Tom, his wife Tanja and I. Tom has looked after me really well in the five years I've been at Sunset and been and amazing friend and mentor.

Ta Moko forearm sleeve by Manawa Tapu.

Who are three of your favourite tattooers?
Tom Tom, Gordon Toi Hatfield and Greggletron.

What do you think about Pakeha/non-Maori getting traditional Maori tattoos?
If people approach receiving Moko from a place of respect, It doesn't matter if they're Maori or non-Maori.

What is your dream creative project?
I would love to host regular Moko Wānanga (an educational meeting or seminar, to discuss, deliberate, consider), bringing my friends in the Moko community around New Zealand together to learn together and share with the community.

What do you hope to bring to the Maori community by doing Ta Moko?
I would love to see Moko become more normalized and the stigma around facial Moko broken. This is a movement that has been going on since the revival of Moko and I'd love to be part of that movement.

Tukutuku forearm sleeve by Manawa Tapu.

Apart from tattooing, what other creative pursuits do you enjoy?
I love to paint. I wish I had more time to paint and it's a goal of mine to put aside more time for other creative endeavours. I've also really enjoyed printmaking and weaving and of course carving so those are all mediums that I'd love to keep working in and developing.

What non-art related hobbies do you have?
I love exercising, I suppose you could call that a hobby. During the summer I love to fish when we go on holiday and I also read a lot when I have the time.

Tukutuku patterns by Manawa Tapu.

You've got a young daughter, does she get into art at all yet? Does she paint and draw with you?
My daughter loves to paint and draw, we do a lot of that together. She's also fascinated by my tattoos and loves drawing them on herself.

What have you been doing during the lockdown?
I've been painting day and night, reading every morning and exercising twice a day!

What is your goal professionally?
I have a few! I'd love to co-own a tattoo shop one day. I'd also like to develop my painting/printmaking/carving practice to the point where I can have regular exhibitions. I'd also like to own a burger bar. One of my final goals is to work with my Marae in Mitimiti, hopefully leading a team to carve it and pass on knowledge to a younger generation.

Ta Moko by Manawa Tapu.

What is the first food place you're going to visit once everything gets back to normal?
Burger Burger, for sure! I miss burgers so badly. After that I'll be hitting all the dumpling spots down Dominion Road.

Sunset: Thank you Tristan!

If you’re interested in getting tattooed by our Ta Moko/Maori tattoo artist Tristan or his apprentice, Fern Ngatai, please contact the studio for requests and bookings.
We are creating appointments for post lockdown dates in May now - it has been reported that COVID-19 elimination efforts have been going well - so fingers crossed we can announce an official reopening date soon. Keep your eyes peeled on our social media and news section for up to date announcements!
We hope to see you at sunny central Auckland tattoo shop soon. Thank you for reading!

CONTACT:
www.sunsettattoo.co.nz
info@sunsettattoo.co.nz
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