In the world of tattoos, authenticity is everything. It’s a culture built on personal stories, artistic integrity, and a deep respect for the craft. So why are so many products for this community made by soulless companies that have never stepped foot in a tattoo shop?
You’ve seen them. The ads with AI-generated images of people with fake tattoos. The stock photos of a "doctor" in a lab coat holding a product that was Photoshopped into his hand. These companies are a marketing exercise, run by people who don’t have tattoos, don’t understand the culture, and don’t know the first thing about what our skin actually needs.
I saw this disaster of a market and decided it was time for a change. My name is Michael Hollman, and I’m the founder of No Pain Tattoo. I’m also tattooed from head to toe. This company isn’t a marketing exercise for me—it’s a labor of love born from a lifetime in the tattoo chair.
A Life in Ink
My story with tattoos began long before I ever thought about business. I was born in the San Francisco Bay Area and got hooked on ink at a young age. My very first tattoo was a stick-and-poke at age 15, done on top of a mountain in Idaho with my friend, Leland Bishop. My first professional piece was by the legendary Phil Sims at East Bay Tattoo in Hayward, California. From that moment on, I was all in.
For years, my life was a whirlwind of music and tattoos. I played in several popular bands, including Pro-Pain and Possessed, and spent countless hours getting work done, living and breathing the culture. I’ve been getting tattooed since the late '80s, and I understand the process, the art, and the community on a personal level.
The Problem with the Pain-Free Promise
As I got older, my life evolved. I graduated with honors from Cal State East Bay with a degree in Accounting and Finance, became the President & CEO of a successful company, and started a family here in Portland, Oregon. But my passion for tattoos never faded.
What did frustrate me was the garbage being sold as "numbing cream." I saw products made by people who clearly had no idea how their formulas would affect the healing process. They weren't tested in labs, let alone in actual tattoo shops. They were just selling a promise they couldn't keep, with no regard for the safety of the customers they were targeting.
I knew there had to be a better way.
Building a Brand on Trust
I started No Pain Tattoo for one simple reason: to create a product I would trust to use on my own skin.
I took everything I learned in the business world and applied it to my lifelong passion. I didn't just find a cheap formula and slap a label on it. I built our products from the ground up, working with medical consultants and a responsible laboratory to develop formulas that were both SAFE and EFFECTIVE.
We spent years testing. We obsessed over every ingredient. We made sure our products wouldn't just numb the skin, but that they wouldn't interfere with the ink, the artist's work, or the critical healing process.
No Pain Tattoo is the culmination of my life's journey—from the rebellious energy of the Bay Area music scene to the meticulous standards of a business professional. Today, when I'm not working on this company or my other venture, Stellar Gel, I'm at home with my wife, looking after our young son.
This company is about bringing a higher standard to the community that has given me so much. It’s about putting the safety of our customers and the integrity of the art first. It’s about creating products you can finally trust, from someone who truly gets it.
Welcome to No Pain Tattoo.