MGK Shares the Lengthy Process of Getting a Blackout Tattoo (2024)

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MGK Shares the Lengthy Process of Getting a Blackout Tattoo? ›

Over the course of multiple weeks, the musician sat for lengthy sessions of tattooing, which took a toll on his body. In his video, MGK's arms can be seen dripping with blood and at one point, his elbow becomes swollen. “This is the most painful s--- I've ever experienced in my life,” he remarks.

The “Emo Girl” singer, 33, revealed on his Instagram Monday that it took more than seven sessions over the course of two weeks to cover the entirety of his arms, chest and upper back with the black ink.

The 33-year-old originally shared the blackout tattoo on Instagram Feb. 20, writing, "for spiritual purposes only." He also noted in a Feb. 19 Instagram Story that the designed required "44 needles" to achieve and, as he wrote on his tattoo artist's post, it was full of "joy" and "pain."

Blackout tattoos are typically done in one session, and sometimes they can take anywhere a few days to complete, depending on the size and complexity of the design. Black Out tattoo are exactly what they sound like tattoos that are completely blacked out.

Blackout Tattoo Meaning

Others use blackout tattoos as a way to cover up old tattoos. Some clients who want to cover up a tattoo go the blackout route rather than paying for laser sessions because a blackout tattoo will often be cheaper and faster.

That said, blackout tattoos are typically more painful than other designs, both during the session and after. This comes down to going over the skin multiple times in order to achieve the right coverage and saturation, which can leave your skin feeling pretty raw.

History. Modern blackout tattoos are influenced by traditional Polynesian tattoos and graphic art. Their designs also often incorporate aspects of neo-tribal tattoos. The technique originated as an alternative method of covering up unwanted tattoos, instead of the more expensive tattoo removal.

Dangers & Downsides of Blackout Tattoos

This makes it difficult to diagnose skin conditions like melanoma or skin anomalies. If you're worried about the health of your skin, or if there's a history of skin issues in your family, it may be best to stay away from blackout tattoos for that reason.

If you're lucky, a small tattoo can be completely removed in as little as 2-3 sessions. But for a blackout tattoo, you might only be needing to double that amount of sessions, even though you should be prepared for over a dozen separate laser treatments depending on the tat itself and other factors like your skin type.

Tattoo blowouts occur when a tattoo artist presses too hard when applying ink to the skin. The ink is sent below the top layers of skin where tattoos belong. Below the skin's surface, the ink spreads out in a layer of fat. This creates the blurring associated with a tattoo blowout.

Are blackout tattoos expensive? ›

Blackout tattoos can be more expensive due to the amount of ink used and the extensive coverage, which requires more time and skill from the artist. Like all tattoos, blackout tattoos can be removed with laser treatment, but it can be more difficult and costly due to the dense pigmentation.

White out tattoos have become a popular option for customers who already have blackout coverup tattoos. By tattooing with white ink over a solid plane of black ink, a tattoo artist can create an entirely new design without the customer having to laser off an old tattoo.

Despite this, 98% believe tattoos are more socially accepted now than in years past. Among Americans without tattoos, 27% plan to get one in the future, and 2 in 3 think more people are getting tattoos now because of the accessibility and availability of tattoo removal technology.

In more updates shared on MGK's stories, he gave fans an insight into the process of getting the cumbersome inking, revealing that he used a set of 44 needles to inject the ink into his skin. What's more? The "Rap Devil" singer reported to the tattoo studio four days a week for 13 six-hour sessions to achieve the look.

Generally, rib and stomach tattoos take the longest. A simple tattoo that would be on a low price range if placed on a leg could potentially double in price if placed on the ribs or stomach. This is because the skin stretches significantly, and tattooing takes twice as long with more skin to work with.

Machine tattoo: definition and completion time

Machine tattooing is faster than handpoke since the device chooses the depth level automatically and the needle pierces the skin faster. Creating a small tattoo with a dermograph takes around thirty minutes and more complex designs take hours.