Tattooing has been a lifelong passion for Papamoa man Kevin Barry, who has seen trends come and go, and come back again, in his 23 year career.

The first time Kevin ever inked someone was when he was 16-years-old and living in a caravan park in Australia.

Kevin working on a client's tattoo.

Some examples of Kevin's work.

'My mates and I had travelled up the coast to pick up my cousin. We found him on a farm drinking with other people and there was a guy there with a homemade tattoo machine doing tattoos.

'I had always been into art and this interested me. While one of the guys was getting inked, I sat and drew up an Eddie face, the mascot for Iron Maiden, and the one doing tats noticed my designed and told me if I put it on stencil paper he would do it on me for free.”

The tattooist kept his word and Kevin walked away with an iconic rock symbol permanently inked into his skin.

It was from here Kevin thought he could make his own tattoo machine and he never looked back.

'In the last 23 years I've watched a lot of trends come and go, and some come back too. Currently, old school tattoos are quite the rage, very basic tattoos, not my style, but none the less appealing to a lot of people into skin art today.

'There has been tramp stamps to celtic/tribal tattoos, flame tattoos and ying and yang tattoos, coy carp, the list goes on.”

Kevin says tattoo trends are like fashion he's noticed go out of style and then come back in over time.

Dedication tattoos like memorial ink never goes out of style and Kevin says children's names have become more common of late, as have family names.

'Having the opportunity to work close with my clients, I always question them on how they came up with a design, as a tattoo is a life decision and not one to be made hastily.

'Tattoos are with one forever and although the old saying goes ‘the customer is right' I feel I have a duty to make sure this will not only be a memorable experience but also one they won't regret in the future.

'So if you're thinking on getting some ink, please research the artist and their work, check their hygiene practices and cheap is never good.”

Kevin says if people don't feel comfortable with the artist, then they shouldn't get ink from them.

'Find an artist that's willing to work with you to get something worthwhile. Don't just rush in out of fear, there are artists willing to work with you on this but you will have to do your homework.”

First timers or 'ink virgins” may want to consider taking a patient friends with them, warns Kevin, 'one who's been tattooed before and remember the most painful time if between deciding to get ink and actually getting it.”

Getting a tattoo is an experience and 'yes they do hurt,” says Kevin, 'but for some it's a right of passage and a way of moving through an important part of life”.