3306 N MacArthur Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73122

Get the Tattoo

Tornado Tattoo provides the highest quality of custom drawn tattoos to residents throughout Oklahoma City, OK and the surrounding areas. With over 35 years of combined experience, our award winning artists have created many unique and commemorative tattoos for individuals from all walks of life. From our extensive collection of designs to custom drawn portraits and memorial tattoos, we provide outstanding artwork and revolutionary designs that will make your memories last a lifetime. Our shop far exceeds hospital sterilization requirements. For all your body art needs, our staff offers quality and professional work in a clean and comfortable environment

The Artists

josh-poindexter

Josh Poindexter

Josh Poindexter has been an owner/artist of Tornado Tattoo in Oklahoma City since 2006. When he opened Tornado Tattoo, it was amongst the first tattoo shops to open when tattooing became legal in the state of Oklahoma.

He was featured in the Daily Oklahoman and mentioned on Jimmy Kimmel Live and CNN for a promotion Tornado Tattoo did to show their support for the Oklahoma City Thunder during the NBA playoffs. Josh enjoys all styles of tattooing and prefers to use Intuition Machines, Neuma, Ego and traditional tattoo machines.

selena-gjovaag

Selena Gjovaag

Selena is a high-school educator turned aspiring tattoo artist. She has always wanted to be a professional artist, and finally made the decision to leave her teaching career after deciding no more “what if’s?”

While she enjoys all styles, she has found her strength lies in illustrative linearts, as well as black and gray pieces.

Custom Tattoos

Whatever your style, whatever you can dream up, we can do! Come in a let’s talk about what you’re looking for. We’ll show you some examples, talk price and start sketching. We’re no done until you’re completely satisfied.

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Just a few examples...

Here’s a few examples of our work. You can see many more on our Instagram.

Client Testimonials

“Josh has done and continues to do great work. I came in with an idea and Josh did a great job bringing my dream to life.”
Greg Beer

Ready for some ink?

Reach out and schedule your sitting today!

Frequently Asked Questions

The price of a tattoo is based on the size, color and amount of time that it takes to complete. Even the smallest tattoo will cost at least $50 which will cover the artists supplies and the small amount of time that it will take. Most artists are willingly to bargain. Do not forget to tip your artist especially if they are giving you a deal.

he amount of pain that you will experience will depend on your individual pain tolerance and the placement the tattoo. Tattoos done on fleshy areas of your body (like your stomach) will hurt much less than tattoos done on parts of your body with less fat such as your back or ankle. Most people compare getting tattooed with getting a lot of little bee stings at one time. After awhile the area being tattooed will go numb (not all the time LOL) especially, if you are getting a large amount of space colored in.

his depends on the design and the artist. If the design is very large, colorful or complicated, you may have to schedule multiple sessions. Even if you choose the smallest, least complicated and colorful design expect to spend a minimum of 30 to 45 minutes. More experienced artists will take less time to complete a tattoo than the less experienced.

ost parlors allow walk ins however some require appointments. If you live in a heavily populated, urban area you probably will want to schedule an appointment to avoid a long wait.

his also depends on the parlor. Most shops have at least two artists available at all times. Most artists have tattoo portfolios that they are happy to share with their customers.

The answer to this question is almost always yes. You can have the artist work up a design for you right there in the shop.

Tattoo Aftercare

Now, you have your fresh new tattoo, and you want to take good care of it! From this point on, your artist is not responsible for any infection or problems you may have with your tattoo if you don’t take proper care of it. It is very important that you follow these guidelines. A really beautiful tattoo can turn into a disaster if the proper aftercare is not taken.

Leave That Bandage Alone! Your artist took the care to cover up your new tattoo for a very good reason – to keep air-born bacteria from invading your wound. Yes, as pretty as your new tattoo is, it is still a wound. Open flesh is a breeding ground for bacteria and infection. Leave the bandage on for a minimum of two hours. Excitement of having a new tattoo will make you want to remove the bandage so you can show your friends, but your friends will just have to wait until later. Wash and Treat after you remove the bandage, you will want to wash your tattoo. Use lukewarm water and mild, liquid antibacterial or antimicrobial soap (Dial is my highest recommendations.) Generic brand antibacterial soaps are actually better) to gently wash away any ointment, blood and/or plasma and to completely clean the area. Do not use a washcloth or anything abrasive.

Your hand is your best tool in this case. (If your tattoo feels slimy and slippery, you have probably been oozing plasma. Try to gently remove as much of this as possible – when the plasma dries on the skin surface, it creates scabs.) Then pat (do not rub) the area firmly with a CLEAN towel or paper towel to get it completely dry. Follow with a very light application of your choice of ointment. Aquaphor healing ointment would be my first choice, but if you don’t have any, Bacitracin or a similar antibacterial ointment is acceptable. **Do not use Neosporin.

This is a wonderful product for cuts and scrapes, but not for tattoos. Some can have an allergic reaction to the Neosporin, which causes little red bumps. When the bumps go away, so does the ink, and you end up with a polka-dotted tattoo. **Specialty Products and Lotions If you prefer, you can also use a specialty product such as Tattoo Goo or H2Ocean. It’s not necessary, as many over the counter products work just fine, but it’s your choice. Use the products as directed as continue for 3-5 days. After that, continue to keep it clean, but you can use lotion when needed instead of ointment, to keep the skin soft. Whatever you use lotion, it should be dye and fragrance free. A lot of artists recommend Lubriderm, but I have found that Lubriderm stings when I apply it.

Instead, I have had great success with Eucerin (Aquaphor). See also: Aftercare Contradictions: Why there are so many views on what product is best. Bathing, Showering, Hot Tubs, and Swimming Yes, you can (and should!) shower with a new tattoo. It’s OK to get your tattoo wet – just don’t soak it. Submerging your tattoo in a bath or hot tub can cause serious damage, so you’ll want to avoid those for 2-3 weeks, but showering is perfectly fine as long as you don’t saturate your tattoo. If you get soap or shampoo on your tattoo, just remove it quickly with water.

Swimming – whether it be a pool, fresh water or salt water – should be avoided for at least 2 weeks. Scabbing and Peeling After a few days, you will notice some peeling and possibly a little scabbing. Excessive scabbing could indicate a poorly-done tattoo, but a little is sometimes normal and there is no need to panic. Apply warm moist compresses to the scabs for about 5 minutes 2-3 times a day to soften them and they will eventually come off on their own. (Do not apply ointment or lotion to a softened scab – wait for it to dry) You will also start to itch, just like a sunburn when it begins to heal. The advice here is, don’t pick, and don’t scratch! If the skin itches, slap it. If it is peeling, put lotion on it. And if it is scabbing, just leave it alone.

Your tattoo is almost healed, and now is not the time to ruin it! Protection from the sun After your tattoo is healed, from now on, you will always want to protect it from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. These can fade and damage a brilliant tattoo very fast. Before spending a lot of time in excessive heat, protect your tattoo with a minimum 30 SPF sunblock. This will keep your tattoo vibrant for many years, and it will continue to be a source of great pride.