A kolka is a primitive tattooing tool, used mainly in prisons. It consists of a needle wrapped in thread soaked in pigment. The design is made by pricking the skin over and over, point by point.
Why is a kolka dangerous?
The tool is not sterile, and the pigment usually comes from random sources. Tattooing like this carries a risk of infection, including serious blood-borne diseases. The Polish sanitary inspectorate lists unsterile needles and ink among the main tattoo-related risks (PSSE: tattoos, infection and complication risks, in Polish).
The kolka and modern hand tattooing
Hand tattooing still exists, but in very different conditions. Professional handpoke is done with sterile needles and certified inks, following hygiene rules. The look of old prison tattoos lives on today in the jailhouse style.
If you have an old homemade tattoo and want to change it, see Cover-up or laser treatment: what can you do with an unwanted tattoo?