Nipple and areola tattoos. Handpoked Ornamentation
Vancouver, BC
Services
Similar to ear tattoos, handpoked nipple tattoos are a great way to ornament a delicate area without healing complicated piercings. Handpoke is gentler than machine, therefore much less painful.
I have flash designs available solo or in pairs, and always love to create unique compositions to flatter your anatomy.
All ear designs are handpoked, as the medium allows for better precision, flexibility, and longevity when dealing with complicated skin such as ears.
Process
Especially with tattoos on intimate placements, prioritizing your trust and comfort are integral to the experience.
Nipple tattoos can be booked directly as flash or custom designs through Venue.
For custom nipple tattoos, we can follow my regular custom process in which communications go through email/Venue.
Alternatively, I also offer free no commitment consultations in studio, for those wanting to meet in person before embarking on such an intimate project, or those who don’t want to send pictures of their chest digitally. This lets us meet, see the space, address any questions, and walk through how to best create a design that flatters and suits your anatomy. At the consultation, you can expect a walk through, an introduction to me and my practice, and we will have a section of the studio visually blocked off so that I may take a sketch of your breasts/chest to use as a reference for your design.
For your appointment, you can expect a visually blocked off station in the studio for the entire process from stencil to finish. In addition to my regular consent/release waiver, I have an additional form for intimate tattoos with more nuance surrounding your privacy and consent when it comes to sharing content about your tattoo.
As always, your consent will be regularly requested at each step and can be withdrawn at any time. Feel free to let me know how I can make this experience more comfortable for you 🙂
Feel free to email me yaptats@gmail.com with any questions.
Flash
Check out my repeatable flash designs on my Venue flash book and select “Intimate designs”
Custom
Have a more specific or complicated idea? Book in for a custom or email me yaptats@gmail.com
FAQs
Will it hurt?
Yup! It’s still a tattoo. But it it definitely less painful than a piercing, and they don’t hurt as much afterwards either.
Handpoke is typically a gentler sensation, even if it is more time consuming. If you are wary of handpoke in this area, please let me know and we may be able to adapt certain designs to work for a coil machine, which would be more painful but overall a faster process.
Is this only for women?
Nope! I tattoo all genders. Every nipple is different, and deserves to be celebrated.
Do I have to get a matching set?
Nope! we can do a single nipple, or asymmetrical pieces if you prefer.
Do you do realistic nipples for post-surgery?
Unfortunately, I do not tattoo realistic nipples where none exist. My skills are to ornament the sensitive skin already there.
Can you do colour tattoos for nipples?
No. Since the skin is much thinner and has a significantly different structure than typical skin, I am only comfortable tattooing black and gray on this placement.
How well do they last?
Pretty well! Like any tattoo, there is always some fading and changing over time. Handpoke tends to deepen in tone and cause less damage which is why I prefer it for nipples. As always, aftercare matters, so keep it hydrated and reduce friction as it heals. However, usually sun exposure is less of a concern as nipples are often covered even in the summer.
How is the healing?
Healing is not particularly different than any other tattoo. I don’t like to put second skin of any other fancy bandage on the area, so we just do a traditional paper towel wrap which you can remove when you get home and take a shower. Otherwise, make sure to keep the area clean, moisturized, and wear non-chafing clothes for the first few days. Handpoked nipple tattoos are typically healed in 10-14 days
What is your experience?
In 2023, before I cut off my own breasts for top surgery, I took the opportunity to tattoo my own nipples. As I do with all of my new experimental tattoo ideas, I used myself as a guinea pig to practice my craft and understand the pain. Since then, I have continued to create flash and custom designs for a handful of clients over the years, most of whom did not wish to have their images shared.
Andy Pollard 