Student Adrianna Elder-Allen's report

This story is something 11 News would have never known about if it wasn’t for Cy-Ridge High School senior Adrianna Elder-Allen.

Concerned about where some of her peers are getting their tattoos, since it’s illegal for those under 18, the communications student got a camera and investigated.

And what she uncovered is quite disturbing.

Inside a home, she videotaped a young man and his homemade tattoo gun. He didn’t want to be identified, but he did show her how he built his tiny machine, starting with the small motor.

“You can get them out of cassette players,” he said. “Just a little spinner — that’s all you need and an adapter from a cell phone.”

His kitchen table and his equipment didn’t appear to be sanitized.

“The needles, they can be any from staples, to regular sewing needles or bristle wire off a brush,” he told Adrianna.

And he admitted he doesn’t follow procedures or have a license, both clearly required by the State of Texas’ Health and Safety Code.

“Adrianna, I don’t know much about a license,” he said.

Adrianna estimates that in northwest Houston alone there are 15 illegal tattoo artists operating just like his.

Many of them refused to talk with her on camera, including the one featured in the video.

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“He had a big problem about it too,” she said. “He really didn’t want to be on it. He didn’t want his face to be out there or nothing. He didn’t want to get caught because it’s illegal. It was really hard, but I got it to work.”

And that makes her happy because she wants people to know that getting a tattoo from a place like that can lead to something much worse.

Dr. Marie Mack, chief of dermatology at Houston’s Kelsey-Seybold clinic, said Adrianna is right.

“Certainly a homemade needle that’s being used over and over again — you have no idea who the last person is that used it and if they had any health issues,” Dr. Mack said. She said she’s seen patients come in with serious infections and said you can get hepatitis, which you may not know you have for years.

“So if I was their parent, I would want to have everything tested that I could,” Dr. Mack said.

Professional tattoo artist Homer Saenz owns 713 Tattoo and Body Piercing. He showed us how it’s supposed to be done and how everything should be sterilized.

“As you can see I do everything with gloves on,” he said.

Adrianna and her teacher Gina McClatchey said they believe nearly half of the students at Cy-Ridge have a tattoo, which most parents don’t know about because they are hidden.

“And then peer pressure,” a girl on the video tape said. “’I got a tattoo you want to get one too? I can get you one for free you know.’ Of course you’re going to be like, “sure, why not?’”

But Adrianna thinks after this story, teens will get it.

“You may not believe it, but really a lot of teens really care about stuff like that and wouldn’t mind hearing it — especially if a teen’s telling it,” she said. “I mean if it’s an adult, I would like — I really don’t care.”

Ironically, Adrianna hopes her investigation is heard by both teens and adults.